Weighing system and weighing method having weighing uninterrupted functions

• US 9,970,810 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mettler Toledo (Changzhou) Precision Instrument Ltd, Mettler-Toledo (Changzhou) Scale & System Ltd (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mettler Toledo (Changzhou) Precision Instrument Ltd, Mettler-Toledo (Changzhou) Scale & System Ltd (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Inventors: Xie, Guojun, Zhu, Zijian, Wan, Qi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy
• Application Number:
  US14/729,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20150268089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/00 Auxiliary devices for weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/01 Testing or calibrating of weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/37 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network

Abstract

A weighing system and a weighing method are disclosed having uninterrupted weighing functions. A plurality of load cells in the weighing system are arranged so that each load cell has a local small neighborhood, the local small neighborhood being defined by four neighboring points in front, back, left, and right of the load cell and four points on diagonal directions in a matrix. A weighing control module polls the load cells to determine whether there is failed load cell(s), and performs a calculation:
W.=f(W₁,W₂,W₃,W₄,W₅,W₆,W₇),
where f is a non-linear mapping; and
W₁ . . . W₈ represents weighing outputs of load cells corresponding to the eight points in the local small neighborhood so as to calculate an estimated weighing output of the failed load cell.

Claims

1. A weighing method for providing a combined weighing value with a weighing system having uninterrupted weighing functions, the weighing system having a plurality of load cells, the weighing method comprising:

a) arranging the plurality of load cells so that each load cell has a local small neighborhood, the local small neighborhood being a neighborhood defined by four adjacent points in front, back, left, and right of the load cell and four points on the diagonal directions in a matrix, the local small neighborhood of each load cell having other load cells disposed on at least some points;

b) determining, by a weighing control module of the weighing system, upon a start of a weighing operation, whether there is at least one load cell having no weighing output,

when there is no load cell having no weighing output, then a combined weighing value of weighing system is determined according to the weighing outputs of all the load cells; and

when there is at least one load cell having no weighing output, the at least one load cell being at least one failed load cell, then a calculation is performed by the weighing control module as follows for each of the at least one failed load cell;

6. The weighing method as recited in claim 1, wherein the weighing system is a weighing system of a mixing station.

7. The weighing method as recited in claim 1, wherein the weighing system is a platform weighing system.

8. The weighing method as recited in claim 1, wherein the weighing system is a weighing system of a vehicle scale.

9. The weighing method according to claim 1, comprising:

polling each load cell to identify the at least one load cell having no weighing output; and

providing the combined weighing value by determining estimated weighing outputs of plural load cells having no weighing output including the at least one load cells having no weighing output.

10. The weighing method according to claim 9, comprising:

recording the location of the at least one load cell having no weighing output.

11. The weighing method according to claim 9, wherein the combined weighing value is provided as an analog output.

12. The weighing method according to claim 9, wherein the combined weighing value is provided as a digital output.

2. A weighing system having uninterrupted weighing functions for providing a combined weighing value, wherein the weighing system comprises:

a plurality of load cells;

a weighing platform or carrier; and

a weighing control module, the weighing control module being coupled to the plurality of load cells, where the plurality of load cells are arranged so that each load cell has a local small neighborhood, the local small neighborhood being a neighborhood defined by four adjacent points in front, back, left, and right of the load cell and four points on diagonal directions in a matrix, the local small neighborhood of each load cell having other load cells disposed on at least some points;

the weighing control module being configured to poll the plurality of load cells to determine, at a start of a weighing operation, whether there is at least one load cell having no weighing output, and when there is at least one load cell having no weighing output, the at least one load cell being at least one failed load cell, then the weighing control module is configured to perform a calculation as follows for each of the at least one failed load cell;

3. The weighing system as recited in claim 2, wherein the weighing system is a weighing system of a mixing station.

4. The weighing system as recited in claim 2, wherein the weighing system is a platform weighing system.

5. The weighing system as recited in claim 2, wherein the weighing system is a weighing system of a vehicle scale.

13. The weighing system according to claim 2, wherein the load cells are digital load cells.

14. The weighing system according to claim 2, wherein the load cells are analog load cells.

15. The weighing system according to claim 2, wherein the load cells are arranged in at least one of a rectangular arrangement, or a triangular arrangements.

16. The weighing system according to claim 2, comprising:

a terminal display for outputting a weighing result.

17. The weighing system according to claim 2, comprising:

a CAN bus for transferring a digital load cell output to a weighing control and display module.

18. The weighing system according to claim 17, comprising:

a human computer interactive module for controlling the weighing system.