Space vehicle with temperature sensitive oscillator and associated method of sensing temperature in space
US6390672B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 20, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 21, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 20, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01K7/245
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A space vehicle includes a temperature sensitive oscillator carried by a housing. The temperature sensitive oscillator includes a radiation hardened inverting gain circuit, such as a comparator, able to withstand radiation in an ambient space environment, and a thermistor connected to the radiation hardened inverting gain circuit so that an output frequency of the temperature sensitive oscillator varies based upon a temperature of the thermistor. Also, a frequency counter is preferably connected to the temperature sensitive oscillator for generating a digital output signal representative of a sensed temperature. The sensed temperature may be used by one or more electronic circuits connected to the frequency counter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.