US4679157A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Temperature measuring apparatus
Assignee: Omron Corp
•
Filing: 1984-09-13
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Granted: 1987-07-07
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Expires: 2004-09-13
Abstract
Abstract A temperature measuring apparatus utilizing the temperature dependence of the characteristics of fluorescence and afterglow emitted from a fluorescent substance by exciting the substance. The fluorescence and afterglow emitted by the excited fluorescent substance are detected and converted to electric signals. The fluorescence signal and afterglow signal are integrated for a predetermined period of time to obtain an integral amount of light. The temperature is determined by comparing the integral amount of light with the temperature characteristics of an integral amount of light preset for the fluorescent substance.
Inventors
- 👤 Masao Hirano
- 👤 Motoaki Takaoka
- 👤 Mikihiko Shimura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 01:53
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01K; G01K11/00; G01K11/32; G01K11/3206; G01K11/3213
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A temperature measuring apparatus comprising: a fluorescent substance whose fluorescence characteristics and afterglow characteristics have a known temperature dependence, means for exciting the fluorescent substance, light receiving means for detecting the light emitted by the fluorescent substance when the substance is excited, integration means for integrating signals of received fluorescence and afterglow for a predetermined period of time to provide an output representing an integral amount of light, and means for calculating a temperature of said fluorescent substance by comparing said output representing said integral amount of light with predetermined data representing integral amounts of light emitted by said fluorescent substance when excited at varying temperatures.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
106 words
A temperature measuring apparatus comprising: a fluorescent substance whose fluorescence characteristics and afterglow characteristics have a known temperature dependence, means for exciting the fluorescent substance, light receiving means for detecting the light emitted by the fluorescent substance when the substance is excited, integration means for integrating signals of received fluorescence and afterglow for a predetermined period of time to provide an output representing an integral amount of light, and means for calculating a temperature of said fluorescent substance by comparing said output representing said integral amount of light with predetermined data representing integral amounts of light emitted by said fluorescent substance when excited at varying temperatures.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the integration means stores in a memory the data obtained by sampling the fluorescence and the afterglow at a specified time interval and adds the stored sampling data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the integration means is an integration circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the integration means comprises a V/F conversion circuit for converting the signals of received fluorescence and afterglow into pulses of frequency in accordance with the magnitude of the signals, and counter means for counting up the output pulses form the V/F conversion circuit for the predetermined period of time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the start point and the end point of the integration time period are predetermined.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the integral amount of light is determined for a plurality of periods of time during the emission of fluorescence and afterglow by said fluorescent substance.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the end point of the integration time period is determined based on the peak intensity of luminescence of the fluorescent substance at the upper limit of measuring temperature range.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the start point and the end point of the integration time period are the time points when the fluorescence signal and the afterglow signal respectively reach a predetermined intensity level.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the fluorescent substance is excited a plurality of times, and the temperature is calculated from the average value of integral amounts of fluorescence and afterglow resulting from the plurality of times of excitation.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-07-06 | 1991-01-05 | 1991-07-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-07-06 | 1995-01-05 | 1995-07-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-07-06 | 1999-01-05 | 1999-07-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |