Patent · US Expired

Display device for linearly displaying a non-linear input variable

US5751611A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
14References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 3, 1996
Grant dateMay 12, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 3, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D3/022
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A display device, in form of a panel meter which includes a combination of a linear bar graph and digital numeric display, linearly displays a non-linear input variable at an infinite number of input points. A microprocessor receives a digital input, which can be a converted analog signal, representing a non-linear variable such as a liquid level height in a tank or reservoir or a corresponding analog input received through an analog to digital (A/D) converter. A non-volatile memory stores a finite set of predetermined number n of correlated input/output points (x.sub.n, y.sub.n ) which together define a conversion function for converting a given input (x.sub.n) at any given point (x.sub.n, y.sub.n ) to an associated output (y.sub.n). Each two adjacent points (x.sub.0, y.sub.0) and (x.sub.1, y.sub.1) define a straight line segment. The microprocessor is programmed to interpolate for any given input x between two points (x.sub.0, x.sub.1) to provide an output (y) between associated outputs (y.sub.0, y.sub.1) by making the following computation: ##EQU1##

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