Weighing scale with validating reference channel
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorsSeymour Feinland, Gerald C. Freeman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic scale for weighing an article includes a weighing channel for providing an output indicative of the instantaneous weight of the article and a reference channel for providing an output indicative of instantaneous vibrations affecting the output of the weighing channel. The scale also has a mechanism for providing a signal indicative of a long term average of the reference channel's output. Another mechanism of the scale compares the average signal with the reference channel's output and provides a validation signal when the reference channel's output does not differ by more than a threshold amount from the average signal.
Claims20
An electronic scale for weighing an article, comprising:
- a housing;
- weighing channel means disposed within said housing for providing an output indicative of an instantaneous weight of the article;
- reference channel means disposed within said housing for providing an output indicative of instantaneous vibrations affecting the output of said weighing channel means;
- first means connected to said reference channel for providing a first signal indicative of a long term average of said output of said reference channel means;
- second means connected to said first means and said reference channel means for comparing said first signal with said output of said reference channel means and for outputting a validation signal when said output of said reference channel means does not differ by more than a threshold amount from said first signal;
- third means for sampling said weighing channel means output when said second means is outputting said validation signal.
An electronic scale for weighing an article, comprising:
- weighing channel means for providing a first output indicative of an instantaneous weight of the article;
- reference channel means for providing a second output indicative of instantaneous vibrations affecting the output of said weighing channel means;
- and
- a processor connected to said weighing channel means and said reference channel means, said processor being programmed to:
- (a) receive said first output;
- (b) receive said second output;
- (c) calculate a long term average of said second output;
- (d) compare said average with said second output;
- and
- (e) accept said first output as valid if said second output is within a threshold amount of said average.
A method of weighing an article by use of an electronic scale, comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying the article to the scale;
- (b) generating a weight signal representative of an instantaneous weight of the applied article;
- (c) generating a reference signal representative of vibrations affecting the scale;
- (d) generating a long term average of the reference signal;
- (e) comparing the reference signal to the long term average;
- and
- (f) validating the weight signal when the reference signal is within a threshold amount of the long term average.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.