Patent · US Expired

Linearized digital thermometer

US4161880A · kind A · utility

69Cited by
3References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 5, 1978
Grant dateJul 24, 1979
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 5, 1998

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01K13/20
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A digital thermometer uses a microprocessor computer containing stored information relating to the response characteristics of a transducer to supply a measurement of temperature. The transducer is preferably a thermistor whose resistance varies in a predetermined and nonlinear relation to its temperature. The microprocessor computer includes a read-only memory which has been preprogrammed with piece-wise linearized information approximating the nonlinear relation of resistance and temperature of the thermistor. A current source develops a voltage across the thermistor which is related to the temperature of the thermistor. The voltage across the thermistor is converted into a digital signal, and the digital signal is related to the piece-wise linearized information stored. The temperature equivalent is calculated from a first order algebraic equation determined by the relationship of the digital signal to the stored information.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.