Patent · US Expired

Time monitoring appliance

US5774425A · kind A · utility

138Cited by
9References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 15, 1996
Grant dateJun 30, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 15, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG07C3/04
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A low power consumption system for monitoring time of use of appliance incorporates a controller and a temperature sensor that is activated by the controller at intervals of X minutes to determine the temperature of the sensor. The sensed temperature is then compared with a threshold temperature and a counter is turned ON to accumulate time if the sensed temperature is at the desired level or turned OFF when the sensed temperature is not in the desired range. The counter remains in its ON or OFF position until the sensed temperature causes the counter to shift to the opposite position to the one it is in at that time. The counter receives oscillations from the oscillator which is continuously operating and only counts those oscillations when the counter is set in the ON position.

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