Electronic scale having a sleep mode in addition to a standby operating mode

US6373237B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Sartorius AG · DE

Inventors

• Christian Oldendorf · Oettingen, DE
• Guenther Maaz · Uslar, DE
• Christoph Berg · Oettingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 16, 1999
• Grant date: Apr 16, 2002
• Expiry date: Nov 16, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y04S20/20
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Electronic scale including a line power voltage supply (5); a line switch (9); and a separate voltage supply (20), which is independent of the line powered voltage supply (5) and which supplies at least one clock module (22) with voltage. The scale has a normal operating state in which all the electronic components are supplied with voltage, a standby operating state in which the essential heat-generating components are switched on while components susceptible to deterioration over time and the display (3) are switched off and, in addition a further operating state (sleep mode) in which the line switch (9) is open. After expiry of a prescribed time and/or at a prescribed time of day, the clock module (22) automatically terminates the further operating state and switches over into the normal operating state or the standby operating state. This makes it possible to lower the energy consumption of the scale, which in the case of conventional electronic scales is scarcely less in the standby operating state than in the normal operating state. Specifically, the sleep mode according to the invention eliminates power consumption of the actual electronic system and also avoids all the powe…