US4446715A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Transducer calibration system
Assignee: Camino NeuroCare Inc
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Filing: 1982-06-07
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Granted: 1984-05-08
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Expires: 2002-06-07
Abstract
Abstract A transducer system that provides accurate measurements of a physical variable such as pressure for any one of a number of different transducers. Each transducer includes special calibration indicators for identifying any inaccuracies in its output signal, and monitoring and correcting circuitry is selectively attachable to any one of the transducers, to read the calibration indicators and apropriately adjust the transducer's output signal, thereby correcting for the identified inaccuracies.
Inventors
- 👤 Wilber H. Bailey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 12:47
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01L; G01L9/00; G01L9/0041; G01L9/0076; G01L9/0077; G01D; G01D3/00; G01D3/02; G01D3/022; G01L27/00; G01L27/002; G01L27/005; A; A61; A61B; A61B2562/00; A61B2562/08; A61B2562/085; A61B5/00; A61B5/02; A61B5/021
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
A system for selectively measuring one of a plurality of separate physical variables, comprising: a plurality of transducer means, each adapted to monitor a separate physical variable and produce a signal indicative thereof, the signal differing from a desired relationship with the physical variable in a predetermined fashion; a plurality of characterizing means, each associated with a separate transducer means and characterizing the difference between the signal produced by the transducer means and the desired relationship with the physical variable; and a single correcting means, responsive to any selected one of the individual transducer means and its associated characterizing means, for adjusting the transducer means signal in a prescribed fashion, to produce a corrected measurement of the corresponding physical variable.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
120 words
A system for selectively measuring one of a plurality of separate physical variables, comprising: a plurality of transducer means, each adapted to monitor a separate physical variable and produce a signal indicative thereof, the signal differing from a desired relationship with the physical variable in a predetermined fashion; a plurality of characterizing means, each associated with a separate transducer means and characterizing the difference between the signal produced by the transducer means and the desired relationship with the physical variable; and a single correcting means, responsive to any selected one of the individual transducer means and its associated characterizing means, for adjusting the transducer means signal in a prescribed fashion, to produce a corrected measurement of the corresponding physical variable.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
83 words
A system as defined in claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of characterizing means characterizes the zero level, span and linearity of the signal produced by its associated transducer means; and the correcting means adjusts the signal produced by the selected transducer means by adding to the signal a first correction factor to correct its zero level, multiplying the signal by a second correction factor to correct its span, and adding to the signal a third correction factor to correct its linearity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
101 words
A system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of characterizing means includes a plurality of indicators, a first set of the indicators characterizing the zero level of the difference between the signal produced by the associated transducer means and its desired relationship with the physical variable, a second set of the indicators characterizing the span of the difference between the transducer means signal and its desired relationship with the physical variable, and a third set of the indicators characterizing the linearity of the difference between the transducer means signal and its desired relationship with the physical variable.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system as defined in claim 3, wherein: the plurality of indicators of each of the plurality of characterizing means includes a plurality of resistors of prescribed resistance; and the correcting means includes means for measuring the resistance of each resistor of the selected characterizing means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
A system as defined in claim 1, wherein: the system further includes a plurality of carrier means, each carrying a separate transducer means and its corresponding characterizing means; and the correcting means includes means for selectively engaging each carrier means and means for reading its characterizing means and adjusting the signal produced by its transducer means, in accordance with the characterizing means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system as defined in claim 1, wherein each characterizing means characterizes the difference between the signal produced by its corresponding transducer means and the desired relationship with the physical variable for the entire range of possible signal values.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
299 words
A system for selectively measuring one of a plurality of separate physical variables, comprising: a plurality of transducer means, each adapted to monitor a separate physical variable and produce a signal indicative thereof, the signal differing from a desired relationship with the physical variable in a predetermined fashion; a plurality of characterizing means, each associated with a separate transducer means and characterizing the difference between the signal produced by the transducer means and the desired relationship with the physical variable for the entire range of possible signal values; wherein each of the plurality of characterizing means includes a plurality of resistors, a first set of the resistors characterizing the zero level of the difference between the signal produced by the associated transducer means and its desired relationship with the physical variable, a second set of the resistors characterizing the span of the difference between the transducer means signal and its desired relationship with the physical variable, and a third set of the resistors characterizing the linearity of the difference between the transducer means signal and its desired relationship with physical variable; a plurality of carrier means, each carrying a separate transducer means and its corresponding characterizing means; and a single correcting means including means for engaging a selected one of the plurality of carrier means, means for measuring the resistance of each resistor of the characterizing means carried by the selected carrier means, and means for adjusting the signal produced by the transducer means carried by the selected carrier means by adding to the signal a first correction factor to correct its zero level, multiplying the signal by a second correction factor to correct its span, and adding to the signal a third correction factor to correct its linearity, to produce a corrected measurement of the corresponding physical variable.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
299 words
A system for selectively measuring one of a plurality of separate physical variables, comprising: a plurality of transducer means, each adapted to monitor a separate physical variable and produce a signal indicative thereof, the signal differing from a desired relationship with the physical variable in a predetermined fashion; a plurality of characterizing means, each associated with a separate transducer means and characterizing the difference between the signal produced by the transducer means and the desired relationship with the physical variable for the entire range of possible signal values; wherein each of the plurality of characterizing means includes a plurality of resistors, a first set of the resistors characterizing the zero level of the difference between the signal produced by the associated transducer means and its desired relationship with the physical variable, a second set of the resistors characterizing the span of the difference between the transducer means signal and its desired relationship with the physical variable, and a third set of the resistors characterizing the linearity of the difference between the transducer means signal and its desired relationship with physical variable; a plurality of carrier means, each carrying a separate transducer means and its corresponding characterizing means; and a single correcting means including means for engaging a selected one of the plurality of carrier means, means for measuring the resistance of each resistor of the characterizing means carried by the selected carrier means, and means for adjusting the signal produced by the transducer means carried by the selected carrier means by adding to the signal a first correction factor to correct its zero level, multiplying the signal by a second correction factor to correct its span, and adding to the signal a third correction factor to correct its linearity, to produce a corrected measurement of the corresponding physical variable.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
138 words
A disposable transducer apparatus for measuring a prescribed biological parameter and producing a corresponding signal, the apparatus comprising: transducer means for measuring a prescribed biological parameter and producing a corresponding signal; characterizing means for characterizing the difference between the signal produced by the transducer means and a desired relationship with the biological parameter; and compact carrier means for carrying both the transducer means and the characterizing means, wherein the carrier means is adapted for at least partial insertion into a body for measurement of the prescribed biological parameter, wherein the carrier means includes connector means for transmitting the signal produced by the transducer means and for carrying the characterizing means, and wherein the connector means is adapted for selective attachment to an instrument that reads the characterizing means and accordingly adjusts the signal produced by the transducer means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
138 words
A disposable transducer apparatus for measuring a prescribed biological parameter and producing a corresponding signal, the apparatus comprising: transducer means for measuring a prescribed biological parameter and producing a corresponding signal; characterizing means for characterizing the difference between the signal produced by the transducer means and a desired relationship with the biological parameter; and compact carrier means for carrying both the transducer means and the characterizing means, wherein the carrier means is adapted for at least partial insertion into a body for measurement of the prescribed biological parameter, wherein the carrier means includes connector means for transmitting the signal produced by the transducer means and for carrying the characterizing means, and wherein the connector means is adapted for selective attachment to an instrument that reads the characterizing means and accordingly adjusts the signal produced by the transducer means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A disposable transducer apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the characterizing means characterizes the zero level, span and linearity of the transducer means signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A disposable transducer apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the characterizing means includes at least one resistor, whose resistance characterizes the difference between the transducer means signal and the desired relationship with the prescribed biological parameter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
151 words
In a system including a plurality of separate transducer means, each for measuring a separate physical variable and producing a corresponding signal, the system further including a single monitoring instrument for monitoring the signal produced by any selected one of the separate transducer means, an improvement comprising: a plurality of separate characterizing means, each associated with a separate transducer means, for characterizing the difference between the signal produced by the transducer means and a desired relationship with the physical variable; and a plurality of separate carrier means, each carrying a separate transducer means and its associated characterizing means, wherein each carrier means includes connector means for transmitting the signal produced by the transducer means it carries and for carrying the associated characterizing means, and wherein the connector means is adapted for selective attachment to the monitoring instrument, for reading of the characterizing means and adjustment of the transducer means signal, accordingly.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
151 words
In a system including a plurality of separate transducer means, each for measuring a separate physical variable and producing a corresponding signal, the system further including a single monitoring instrument for monitoring the signal produced by any selected one of the separate transducer means, an improvement comprising: a plurality of separate characterizing means, each associated with a separate transducer means, for characterizing the difference between the signal produced by the transducer means and a desired relationship with the physical variable; and a plurality of separate carrier means, each carrying a separate transducer means and its associated characterizing means, wherein each carrier means includes connector means for transmitting the signal produced by the transducer means it carries and for carrying the associated characterizing means, and wherein the connector means is adapted for selective attachment to the monitoring instrument, for reading of the characterizing means and adjustment of the transducer means signal, accordingly.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
An improvement as defined in claim 11, wherein the characterizing means characterizes the zero level, span and linearity of the transducer means signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
An improvement as defined in claim 11, wherein the characterizing means includes at least one resistor, whose resistance characterizes the difference between the transducer means signal and the desired relationship with the prescribed physical variable.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
147 words
A method for measuring any selected one of a plurality of separate physical variables, comprising steps of: selecting a particular one of a plurality of transducer means, each adapted to monitor a separate physical variable and produce a corresponding signal, and each having a separate, associated characterizing means for characterizing the difference between the transducer means signal and a desired relationship with the physical variable; measuring the output signal produced by the selected transducer means; reading the characterizing means associated with the selected transducer means, to determine the difference between the transducer means signal and its desired relationship with the physical variable; and adjusting the particular transducer means signal using a single means responsive to any of the transducer means and associated characterizing means but responding in accordance with the particular difference determined in the step of reading, to produce a corrected measure of the physical variable.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
147 words
A method for measuring any selected one of a plurality of separate physical variables, comprising steps of: selecting a particular one of a plurality of transducer means, each adapted to monitor a separate physical variable and produce a corresponding signal, and each having a separate, associated characterizing means for characterizing the difference between the transducer means signal and a desired relationship with the physical variable; measuring the output signal produced by the selected transducer means; reading the characterizing means associated with the selected transducer means, to determine the difference between the transducer means signal and its desired relationship with the physical variable; and adjusting the particular transducer means signal using a single means responsive to any of the transducer means and associated characterizing means but responding in accordance with the particular difference determined in the step of reading, to produce a corrected measure of the physical variable.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method as defined in claim 14, wherein: the characterizing means associated with the selected transducer means characterizes the zero level, span and linearity of the transducer means signal; and the step of adjusting includes steps of adding to the signal a first correction factor to correct its zero level, multiplying the signal by a second correction factor to correct its span, and adding to the signal a third correction factor to correct its linearity.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method as defined in claim 14, wherein: the characterizing means associated with the selected transducer means includes a plurality of resistors having prescribed resistances that characterize the difference between the transducer means signal and the desired relationship with the physical variable; and the step of reading includes a step of measuring the resistance of each resistor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
83 words
A method as defined in claim 14, wherein: the characterizing means associated with the selected transducer means includes a plurality of indicators; and the step of adjusting includes steps of adjusting the zero level of the transducer means signal in accordance with a first set of the indicators, adjusting the span of the transducer means signal in accordance with a second set of the indicators, and adjusting the linearity of the transducer means signal in accordance with a third set of the indicators.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-05-08 | 1987-11-07 | 1988-05-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-05-08 | 1991-11-07 | 1992-05-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-05-08 | 1995-11-07 | 1996-05-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |