# US 7,412,336 B2 · Attitude insensitive flow device system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,412,336 B2 - Document ID: US7412336B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/788,201 - Filed: 2007-04-19 - Published: 2007-11-08 - Granted: 2008-08-12 - Earliest claimed: 2004-07-08 - Assignees: Celerity, Inc. - Inventors: Dwight S. Larson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7412336B2 ## CPC - G01F 1/6965: {comprising means to store calibration data for flow signal calculation or correction} - G01F 1/688: using a particular type of heating, cooling or sensing element {(G01F1/6847 takes precedence)} - G01F 5/00: Measuring a proportion of the volume flow - G05D 7/0635: {by action on throttling means (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence)} - Y10T 137/7759: Responsive to change in rate of fluid flow - Y10T 137/776: Control by pressures across flow line valve - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Disclosed herein are systems and methods for attitude insensitive flow devices. The system can include a flow device having a processor and a computer readable medium accessible by the processor that stores a set of computer instructions executable by the processor. The computer instructions can include instructions executable to receive an orientation signal, receive a sensed flow signal, and determine a flow through the flow device based on the sensed flow signal and the orientation signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flow device comprising: a fluid inlet; a fluid outlet; a flow sensor, in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, to sense a flow rate of a fluid through the flow sensor and provide a flow signal indicative of the sensed flow rate of the fluid through the flow sensor; an orientation sensor to provide an orientation signal indicative of an orientation of the flow sensor relative to a reference direction; and a processor configured to receive the flow signal and the orientation signal and determine a corrected flow rate of the fluid through the flow sensor based upon the flow signal and the orientation signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The flow device of claim 1, wherein the orientation sensor is capable of identifying at least four distinct orientations of the flow sensor relative to the reference direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The flow device of claim 2, further comprising: a memory, coupled to the processor, to store a plurality of offsets, each offset corresponding to a different orientation of the at least four distinct orientations of the flow sensor relative to the reference direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The flow device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to select an offset from the plurality of offsets based upon the orientation signal, and adjust the flow signal based upon the selected offset to determine the corrected flow rate of the fluid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The flow device of claim 3, further comprising: a memory, coupled to the processor, to store a plurality of offsets, each offset corresponding to a particular type of fluid and a different orientation of the at least four distinct orientations of the flow sensor relative to the reference direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The flow device of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to select an offset from the plurality of offsets based upon the orientation signal and the particular type of fluid, and adjust the flow signal based upon the selected offset to determine the corrected flow rate of the fluid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The flow device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to select the offset after the flow device is powered up. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The flow device of claim 3, further comprising: a memory, coupled to the processor, to store a plurality of offsets, each offset corresponding to a different orientation of the at least four distinct orientations of the flow sensor relative to the reference direction, a particular type of fluid, and a pressure upstream of the flow device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The flow device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to select an offset from the plurality of offsets based upon the orientation signal, the particular type of fluid, and the pressure upstream of the flow device, and adjust the flow signal based upon the selected offset to determine the corrected flow rate of the fluid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The flow device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to select the offset after the flow device is powered up. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The flow device of claim 3, further comprising: a memory, coupled to the processor, to store a plurality of offsets, each offset corresponding to a different orientation of the at least four distinct orientations of the flow sensor relative to the reference direction and a density of a particular type of fluid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The flow device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to select an offset from the plurality of offsets based upon the orientation signal and the density of the particular type of fluid, and adjust the flow signal based upon the selected offset to determine the corrected flow rate of the fluid. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The flow device of claim 1, wherein the flow device includes a printed circuit board, and wherein the processor and the orientation sensor are disposed on the printed circuit board. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The flow device of claim 1, wherein the flow device is a mass flow controller, the flow device further comprising: a valve, disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet and in fluid communication with the flow sensor; wherein the processor is further configured to receive a setpoint indicative of a desired flow rate of the fluid to be provided by the fluid outlet, compare the setpoint to an indicated flow rate of the fluid being provided by the fluid outlet, and provide a valve drive signal to the valve based upon a difference between the setpoint and the indicated flow rate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The flow device of claim 14, wherein the indicated flow rate is based upon the flow signal and the valve drive signal is based upon the difference between the setpoint and the indicated flow rate and upon the orientation signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The flow device of claim 15, wherein the orientation signal is determined after the flow device is powered up. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The flow device of claim 14, wherein the indicated fluid flow rate is based upon the corrected flow rate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The flow device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the flow signal and the orientation signal, to filter the flow signal, and to determine the corrected flow rate of the fluid through the flow sensor based upon the filtered flow signal and the orientation signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The flow device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the sensed flow rate of the fluid through the flow sensor to a plurality of gas flow curves to generate a fitted flow signal, filter the fitted flow signal, and generate the indicated flow rate based upon the filtered fitted flow signal and the orientation signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The flow device of claim 19, wherein the orientation signal is determined after the flow device is powered up.