Podrobná bibliografia
| Názov: |
DC RESPONSIVE TRANSDUCER WITH ON-BOARD USER ACTUATED AUTO-ZERO |
| Document Number: |
20120105054 |
| Dátum vydania: |
May 3, 2012 |
| Appl. No: |
12/914550 |
| Application Filed: |
October 28, 2010 |
| Abstrakt: |
An accelerometer is provided having a power circuit, a detection circuit, and a compensation circuit. The compensation circuit is operative to measure an offset voltage occurring between an output reference voltage from the power circuit and an output voltage from the detection circuit state, store the offset voltage during a zero acceleration, and output the stored offset voltage to alter the output voltage of the detection circuit. |
| Inventors: |
Connolly, Thomas F. (Lake Forest, CA, US); Zhong, Ming (Guangdong, CN) |
| Assignees: |
MEASUREMENT SPECIALTIES, INC. (Hampton, VA, US) |
| Claim: |
1. A transducer-based measuring device comprising: a power circuit for providing a reference voltage to a first output terminal of the device; a detection circuit for providing an output voltage to a second output terminal of the device, the output voltage indicative of an accelerative force acting on the device; and a compensation circuit operatively connected to both the power circuit and the detection circuit, the compensation circuit configured to measure and store an offset voltage between the reference voltage and the output voltage, and continuously output the stored offset voltage to the detection circuit to provide an adjusted output voltage representative of a zero-offset condition. |
| Claim: |
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the compensation circuit further comprises a voltage reference module operative to store and continuously output the offset voltage. |
| Claim: |
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the voltage reference module stores the offset voltage upon receipt of a control signal. |
| Claim: |
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the control signal is generated by the activation of a switch arranged on the device. |
| Claim: |
5. The device of claim 3, further comprising a processor operative to generate the control signal upon a determination that the device is in a zero acceleration state. |
| Claim: |
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the compensation circuit further comprises an operational amplifier coupled to the output voltage and the reference voltage, the amplifier configured to output the offset voltage measured between the reference voltage and the output voltage. |
| Claim: |
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the detection circuit comprises a second operational amplifier responsive to the output voltage of the detection circuit and the offset voltage and configured to alter the output voltage supplied to the second output terminal. |
| Claim: |
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit comprises at least one of a piezo-resistive, piezoelectric, or stain gauge element configured to alter the output voltage of the detection circuit indicative of an accelerative force acting on the device. |
| Claim: |
9. The device of claim 8, wherein the detection circuit comprises a plurality of piezo-resistive elements arranged in a Wheatstone bridge. |
| Claim: |
10. A method of correcting an offset voltage of a transducer-based measuring device, the method comprising: generating a reference voltage; generating an output voltage indicative of an accelerative force applied to the device; measuring an offset voltage between the reference voltage and the output voltage, and adjusting the output voltage with the measured offset voltage in order to achieve a zero-offset voltage between the reference voltage and the output voltage in a zero acceleration state. |
| Claim: |
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of storing the measured offset voltage in response to a control signal. |
| Claim: |
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the control signal is generated while the device is in a zero acceleration state. |
| Claim: |
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of continuously outputting the stored offset voltage to adjust the output voltage. |
| Claim: |
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the control signal is generated in response to the activation of a switch arranged on the device. |
| Claim: |
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the control signal is automatically generated by a processor. |
| Current U.S. Class: |
324/162 |
| Current International Class: |
01; 01 |
| Prístupové číslo: |
edspap.20120105054 |
| Databáza: |
USPTO Patent Applications |