Multi-parallel sensor array system
AssigneeWatlow Electric Manufacturing Company
InventorsPhilip S. Schmidt, Cal T. Swanson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a sensing system that includes a plurality of resistive elements coupled to a plurality of nodes and a controller configured to index through a plurality of modes to measure an electrical characteristic for each resistive element. Each mode of the plurality of modes represents a different combination of power, return, or open circuit condition applied to each of the plurality of nodes. The controller is configured to calculate, for each of the modes, a total power consumed by the system and a power consumed by each of the resistive elements based on the measured electrical characteristics, to determine a physical parameter.
Claims11
A method comprising:
- providing a sensing system, the sensing system comprising a plurality of resistive elements coupled to a plurality of nodes of a heater circuit, the sensing system comprising a microprocessor-based controller;
- indexing, using the microprocessor-based controller, a plurality of modes, wherein each mode of the plurality of modes represents a different combination of power, return, or open circuit condition applied to each of the plurality of nodes;
- measuring, using the microprocessor-based controller and for each of the modes, an electrical characteristic for each resistive element, wherein the electrical characteristic is at least one of a voltage and a current;
- and
- calculating, using the microprocessor-based controller and for each of the modes, a total power consumed by the sensing system and a power consumed by each of the resistive elements based on the measured electrical characteristic, to determine a physical parameter of the sensing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.