Patent · US Expired

Self-test and status reporting system for microcontroller-controlled devices

US6104304A · kind A · utility

1,225Cited by
7References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 6, 1999
Grant dateAug 15, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 6, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M1/24
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An internal self-test and status reporting system for an electrical device with a plurality of components, a power supply and a microcontroller or microprocessor. The self-test system powers on and off each component one at a time and measures an amount of current drawn by the component with an internal current sensor. The self-test system compares the measured amount of current drawn by the component with an expected, predetermined current value or range. The self-test system then reports whether the measured amount of current drawn by the component matches the expected, predetermined current value or is within the expected, predetermined current range. The self-test system reports the results of the self-test by generating a pattern of signals on a general purpose input/output (GPIO) line, displaying a message on a display of the device, or generating a sound with a speaker of the device.

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