Isolation of short-circuited sensor cells for high-reliability operation of sensor array
US7293462B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 4, 2005 |
| Grant date | Nov 13, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 26, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB06B1/0292
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A device comprising an array of sensors and a multiplicity of bus lines, each sensor being electrically connected to a respective bus line and comprising a respective multiplicity of groups of micromachined sensor cells, the sensor cell groups of a particular sensor being electrically coupled to each other via the bus line to which that sensor is connected, each sensor cell group comprising a respective multiplicity of micromachined sensor cells that are electrically interconnected to each other and not switchably disconnectable from each other, the device further comprising means for isolating any one of the sensor cell groups from its associated bus line and in response to any one of the micromachined sensor cells of that sensor cell group being short-circuited to ground. In one implementation, the isolating means comprise a multiplicity of fuses. In another implementation, the isolating means comprise a multiplicity of short circuit protection modules, each module comprising a current sensor circuit and an electrical isolation switch.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.