Electronic scale with increased battery life and control method therefor

An electronic scale comprising:

• a weight sensor,
• a control unit connected to the weight sensor,
• a detection circuit connected to the control unit and to the weight sensor,
• wherein:
• the detection circuit is configured to periodically control a voltage supply to the weight sensor and to detect an increase in weight above a predetermined threshold and, when said increase in weight is detected, to send a weight measurement initiation command to the control unit, and
• the control unit is configured to wake up from a standby state upon receiving the weight measurement initiation command and to perform a weight measurement on the scale by issuing a command to supply voltage to the weight sensor and by processing the voltage across the weight sensor,
• the detection circuit being separate from the control unit,
• the control unit being further configured to send a detection frequency change command to the detection circuit.

A method for controlling an electronic scale that includes a weight sensor, a control unit connected to the weight sensor, a detection circuit connected to the control unit and to the weight sensor, the detection circuit being configured to periodically control a voltage supply to the weight sensor and to detect an increase in weight above a predetermined threshold and, when said increase in weight is detected, to send a weight measurement initiation command to the control unit, and the control unit being configured to wake up from a standby state upon receiving the weight measurement initiation command and to perform a weight measurement on the scale by issuing a command to supply voltage to the weight sensor and by processing the voltage across the weight sensor, the detection circuit being separate from the control unit, the method comprising:

• periodically controlling the voltage supply to the weight sensor by the detection circuit and detecting by said detection circuit an increase in weight above the predetermined threshold,
• when an increase in weight above the predetermined threshold is detected, sending the command to trigger the weight measurement to the control unit, after the control unit has received the weight measurement initiation command:
• coming out by the control unit of the standby state, and
• implementation, by the control unit, of the weight measurement on the scale, comprising:
• issuing the voltage supply command to the weight sensor, and
• processing of the voltage at the terminals of the weight sensor, recording of a history of use of the scale,
• determining at least two different time ranges as a function of the history of use, a first time range corresponding to frequent use of the scale and a second time range corresponding to less frequent use of the scale, and
• issuing a command to change the detection frequency to the detection circuit at the beginning of each of the first and second time ranges.