Patent · US Expired

Device for measuring a physical quantity

US4960000A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
7References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 27, 1989
Grant dateOct 2, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 27, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D3/036
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for measuring a physical quantity, for example a force (A), and providing an output signal (Vs) whose amplitude represents the measured value. The device comprises a first oscillator (1) including a resonator (3) to which the force (A) is applied, this oscillator delivering a first alternating signal (S1) whose frequency depends on the magnitude of the force (A), a second oscillator (2) supplying a second alternating signal (S2) whose frequency is determined by the amplitude of the output signal (Vs), an EXCLUSIVE OR gate (20) receiving the first and second signals, and a low-pass filter (21) delivering the output signal (Vs) in response to a signal supplied by the gate (20). The amplitude of this output signal depends on the phase difference of the first and second signals, and constitutes a measurement of the magnitude of the applied force (A). The device is advantageously used when the measurement is to be displayed in analog form.

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