United States Patent [19] [li] Patent Number: 4,969,112
Castle [45] Date of Patent: Nov. 6, 1990
[54] WIRELESS WEIGHING SYSTEM
[75] Inventor: Jonathan Castle, Mission Hills, Calif.
[73] Assignee: Moore Industries-International, Inc.,
Sepulveda, Calif.
[21] Appl. No.: 258,265
[22] Filed: Oet 14, 1988
[51] Int. CI.' G01G 19/02; G06F 15/20
[52] VS. CI. 3«4/567; 177/25.13;
177/136; 340/505; 340/825.07; 364/200;
364/514
[58] Field of Search 250/316.5; 356/51;
177/25.11, 25.12, 25.13, 25.14, 134, 136, DIG. 10; 340/505, 825.07, 825.08; 364/200, 900, 565, 466, 506, 550, 514; 455/608, 617
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
3,692,129 9/1972 Pratt et al 177/134
3,842,922 10/1974 Fagin et al 177/25
3,935,914 2/1976 Nordstrom et al 177/134
3,966,002 6/1976 Schneider 177/136
4,094,367 6/1978 Jones et al 364/567
4,151,407 4/1979 McBride et al 455/617
4,177,515 12/1979 Jenkins et al 364/200
4,225,926 9/1982 Wendt 364/567
4,328,494 5/1982 Goodall 177/DIG. 10
4,465,151 8/1984 Gorman et al 177/25.13
4,502,555 3/1985 Gower 364/567
4,551,710 11/1985 Troup et al 340/505
4,639,872 1/1987 McHale et al 364/567
4,655,304 4/1987 Tajima 364/466
4,682,144 7/1987 Ochiai et al 340/505
4,742,572 5/1988 Yokoyama 340/825.07
4,773,005 9/1988 Sullivan 364/200
4,839,835 6/1989 Hagenbuch 364/567
Primary Examiner—Kevin J. Teska
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Welsh & Katz, Ltd.
[57] ABSTRACT
A wireless weighing system for determining the weight of each wheel of a vehicle and for combinations and percentages thereof. Wheel weighing pads are placed under respective wheels of the vehicle and each contains a load cell whose analog output is converted to a digital value which can be transmitted to a central control. The communications technique uses infra-red radiation and a digital protocol which allows the central control to interrogate each individual weighing pad and receive a weight response without interference. The interrogation signal of the central control comprises a series of pulse envelopes containing high intensity IR pulses of a short duration where the duration of the envelope and position in the sequence indicates an address of a respective wheel pad. As each wheel pad is interrogated, it responds with an information signal, which comprises a series of pulse groups in an envelope containing high intensity IR pulses of a short duration where the duration of a pulse group indicates the presence or absence of a data bit in the sequence.
35 Claims, 23 Drawing Sheets
FIG. 3A
SIGN ON-
FOUR PADS-
FOUR PERCENTS-
FRONT^ REAR-
LEFT/RIGHT-
DIAGONALS -
TOTAL-
SELECTABLE -
TIME ^OATE-
BATTERY LOW-
LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY FORMATS:
WIRELESS SCALE
LB UNITS (#) LF*nnn# RF*nnn# LR*nnn# RR=nnn#
LFnn.n% RFnn.n% LRnrun% RRnn.n%
Frntsi»nnn# nn.n% Rear*nnnn# nn.n% Left*nnnn# nn,n% Rght*nnnn* nn.n% LF RR»nnnn# nn% RF LR=nnnn# nn%
Total Weight nnnnLB nnnnKG
nnnn nnnn nn.n% nnnn nnnn nnnn# hh:mm:«» day Mon nn, nnnn Warning! Battery it Low.
WIRELESS SCALE KG UNITS (K) LFsnnnK RF=nnnK LR=nnnK RR=nnnK
LFnn.n% RFnn.n% LRnn.n% RRnn.n% FrnfsnnnnK nn.n% RearsnnnnK nn.n% Lifts nnnnK nn.n% RghfsnnnnK nn.n% LF RRsnnnnK nn% RF LR=nnnnK nn%
Total Weight nnnnLB nnnnKG nnnn nnnn nn.n% nnnn nnnn nnnnK hh: mm: ss day Mon nn, day Warning} Battery is Low.
