# US 12,007,288 B2 · Detection method, detection apparatus and detection system

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- Number: US 12,007,288 B2
- Document ID: US12007288B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/506,774
- Filed: 2021-10-21
- Published: 2022-06-02
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-11-30
- Assignees: Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, Inc.
- Applicants: Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, Inc.
- Inventors: Masakazu Naito; Eiji Kawasaki; Kosuke Yamamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007288B2

## CPC

- G01K 3/10: in respect of time, e.g. reacting only to a quick change of temperature
- G01K 15/007: {Testing}
- G01K 7/22: the element being a non-linear resistance, e.g. thermistor (G01K7/26 takes precedence)
- G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00)

## Abstract

There is provided a detection method for detecting a failure of a thermistor, the detection method comprising: applying a load to the thermistor over time; measuring a physical property value of the thermistor at least at a first time and a second time during a time period in which the load is being applied to the thermistor; and detecting the failure of the thermistor based on first data indicating the physical property value of the thermistor measured at the first time and second data indicating the physical property value of the thermistor measured at the second time.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A detection method for detecting a failure of a thermistor, the detection method comprising:
applying a load to the thermistor over time;
measuring a physical property value of the thermistor at least at a first time and a second time during a time period in which the load is being applied to the thermistor,
first data indicating the physical property value of the thermistor measured at the first time, and
second data indicating the physical property value of the thermistor measured at the second time; and
detecting the failure of the thermistor by:
determining an amount of change in the physical property per unit time based on a difference between the first data and the second data, and a difference between the first time and the second time;
determining a moving average value of the amount of change in the physical property per unit time; and
comparing the moving average value of the amount of change in the physical property per unit time with a reference value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The detection method according to claim 1, wherein applying the load to the thermistor includes changing a temperature of the thermistor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The detection method according to claim 1, wherein the physical property value is an electric resistance value of the thermistor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The detection method according to claim 3, wherein
the amount of change in the physical property per unit time is an amount of decrease in the electric resistance value per unit time, when the temperature of the thermistor is decreased in applying the load.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The detection method according to claim 3, wherein
the amount of change in the physical property per unit time is an amount of increase in the electric resistance value per unit time, when the temperature of the thermistor is increased in applying the load.

### Claim 6

A detection apparatus that detects a failure of a thermistor, the detection apparatus comprising:
a measurement unit that measures a physical property value of the thermistor at least at a first time and a second time during a time period in which a load is being applied to the thermistor,
first data indicating the physical property value of the thermistor measured at the first time, and
second data indicating the physical property value of the thermistor measured at the second time; and
a detection unit that detects the failure of the thermistor by:
determining an amount of change in the physical property per unit time based on a difference between the first data and the second data, and a difference between the first time and the second time;
determining a moving average value of the amount of change in the physical property per unit time; and
comparing the moving average value of the amount of change in the physical property per unit time with a reference value.

### Claim 7

A detection system that detects a failure of a thermistor, the detection system comprising:
a load unit that applies a load to the thermistor over time;
a measurement unit that measures a physical property value of the thermistor at least at a first time and a second time during a time period in which the load is being applied to the thermistor,
first data indicating the physical property value of the thermistor measured at the first time, and
second data indicating the physical property value of the thermistor measured at the second time; and
a detection unit that detects the failure of the thermistor by:
determining an amount of change in the physical property per unit time based on a difference between the first data and the second data, and a difference between the first time and the second time;
determining a moving average value of the amount of change in the physical property per unit time; and
comparing the moving average value of the amount of change in the physical property per unit time with a reference value.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The detection apparatus according to claim 6, further including:
a load unit that applies the load to the thermistor over time, the load unit being connected to a portion of the detection apparatus.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The detection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
applying the load to the thermistor includes changing a temperature of the thermistor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The detection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
the physical property value is an electric resistance value of the thermistor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The detection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein
the amount of change in the physical property per unit time is an amount of decrease in the electric resistance value per unit time, when the temperature of the thermistor is decreased in applying the load.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The detection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein
the amount of change in the physical property per unit time is an amount of increase in the electric resistance value per unit time, with a reference value, when the temperature of the thermistor is increased in applying the load.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The detection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the thermistor is a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The detection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the thermistor is a positive temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 7)

The detection system according to claim 7, wherein
applying the load to the thermistor includes changing a temperature of the thermistor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The detection system according to claim 7, wherein
the physical property value is an electric resistance value of the thermistor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The detection system according to claim 16, wherein
the amount of change in the physical property per unit time is an amount of decrease in the electric resistance value per unit time, when the temperature of the thermistor is decreased in applying the load.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The detection system according to claim 16, wherein
the amount of change in the physical property per unit time is an amount of increase in the electric resistance value per unit time, with a reference value, when the temperature of the thermistor is increased in applying the load.

### Claim 19 (depends on 7)

The detection system according to claim 7, wherein the thermistor is a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor.

### Claim 20 (depends on 7)

The detection system according to claim 7, wherein the thermistor is a positive temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor.