Compensator in a detector device
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorMatthew J. Buchholz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A detector device includes a light source disposed within a chamber, a sensor disposed within the chamber, a compensator circuit electrically coupled with the sensor, and a controller. The controller is operable to receive a sensor signal generated by the sensor, determine a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal, and generate a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor. The controller is further operable to output the compensation offset signal to the compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal, energize the light source, monitor the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit, and trigger an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit.
Claims22
A detector device comprising:
- a light source disposed within a chamber;
- a sensor disposed within the chamber;
- a compensator circuit electrically coupled with the sensor;
- and
- a controller operable to:
- receive a sensor signal generated by the sensor;
- determine a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal;
- generate a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor;
- output the compensation offset signal to the compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal;
- energize the light source;
- monitor the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit;
- and
- trigger an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit;
- de-energize the light source;
- determine one or more error sources of the sensor signal with the light source de-energized;
- and
- determine the compensation factor as an adjustment needed to reach a target baseline value based on the one or more error sources.
(canceled)
A method of operating a detector device, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a controller of the detector device, a sensor signal generated by a sensor of the detector device;
- determining, by the controller, a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal;
- generating, by the controller, a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor;
- outputting, by the controller, the compensation offset signal to a compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal;
- determining, by the controller, whether the compensated sensor signal has increased above a baseline value;
- increasing, by the controller, the compensation offset signal until the compensated sensor signal is at or below the baseline value;
- monitoring, by the controller, the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit;
- and
- triggering, by the controller, an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit.
(canceled)
A method of operating a detector device, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a controller of the detector device, a sensor signal generated by a sensor of the detector device;
- determining, by the controller, a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal;
- generating, by the controller, a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor;
- outputting, by the controller, the compensation offset signal to a compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal;
- tracking, by the controller, an average value of the compensated sensor signal over an extended time period;
- decreasing, by the controller, the compensation offset signal based on the average value until the compensated sensor signal is at or below a long-term target value;
- monitoring, by the controller, the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit;
- and
- triggering, by the controller, an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.