Patent · US Expired

Electric appliance, printed circuit board, remained life estimation method, and system thereof

US5867809A · kind A · utility

67Cited by
7References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 10, 1995
Grant dateFeb 2, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 10, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D10/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric appliance and a remaining life estimation system wherein the electric appliance having a printed circuit board on which at least LSI components are mounted includes an IC with sensor. The IC includes a time monitor for calculating the operation status which is a use condition affecting the life of a reusable component of the appliance, a temperature and humidity sensor for detecting at least temperature and humidity environmental conditions affecting the life of the reusable component, and a memory for storing the history of temperature and humidity in correspondence with the history of operation status. A control unit controls storage of the history of temperature and humidity which is detected by the temperature and humidity sensor so as to be stored in the memory in correspondence with the history of operation status which is calculated by the time monitor, and allows, when the remaining life of the component is evaluated so as to decide whether or not to reuse it, external reading of the history of temperature and humidity corresponding to the history of operation status from the memory.

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