Modular measurement apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10318441-B2
Application number	US-201514924891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2015
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A measurement apparatus includes a plurality of modules and a main unit for collecting measurement data output from the modules. The housing of the main unit can be carried by a user of the measurement apparatus, and the plurality of modules are removably accommodated in the housing. A controller area network interface circuit of the main unit collects the measurement data output from the modules accommodated in the housing. A main CPU of the main unit outputs the collected measurement data to, for example, a personal computer connected to the main unit. An internal memory and a USB memory connected to a USB memory module store the collected measurement data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A measurement apparatus comprising:
a plurality of measurement modules which are connected to sensors in one-to-one relation and each of which includes at least a circuit configured to receive a sensor output from the corresponding sensor and to output the received sensor output; and
a main body portion which collects data output from the measurement modules,
wherein the main body portion includes:
a housing which can be carried by a user of the measurement apparatus and in which the plurality of measurement modules are removably accommodated;
a data collection unit that collects the data output from the measurement modules;
at least one output unit that outputs the collected data to an output destination device set in advance and a storage section where the data is stored;
a physical quantity detected by each of the sensors corresponds to a function of each of the measurement modules;
a plurality of connectors which are disposed within the housing and which are detachably connected to the measurement modules; and
a plurality of slot identification resistors that are connected to the plurality of connectors,

wherein the plurality of connectors have the same shape and are arranged along an arrangement direction set in advance, and each measurement module includes a connection detection unit that detects one of the plurality of connectors based on a resistance of a respective one of each of the slot identification resistors.

2. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the measurement module having the shortest length along the arrangement direction among the plurality of measurement modules is defined as a smallest measurement module, and
the plurality of connectors are arranged along the arrangement direction at intervals equal to a shortest arrangement direction length set in advance to coincide with the length of the smallest measurement module along the arrangement direction.

3. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of measurement modules uses a direct-insertion-type sensor which is directly inserted into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine so as to detect a state of exhaust gas within the exhaust pipe.

4. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each sensor and the corresponding measurement module are detachably connected together.

5. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the main body portion and the measurement modules can send and receive data therebetween.

6. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a position information obtainment unit that obtains information for specifying a present position of the measurement apparatus.

7. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of measurement modules are connected to sensors via sensor connection ports, and
at least one of the measurement modules consists of a single sensor connection port.

8. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of slot identification resistors has a different resistance and is connected to a different connector.

9. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of slot identification resistors are connected to a plurality of slot identification terminals, each of which being configured to identify a slot to which the measurement module is connected.

10. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing contains six slot identification resistors having resistances of 1 kΩ, 5 kΩ, 10 kΩ, 15 kΩ, 20 kΩ, and 25 kΩ, respectively.

11. The measurement apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of measurement modules has a unit connection connector with plural terminals and is configured to calculate the resistance of each of the slot identification resistors by supplying a current having a predetermined identification current value between the terminals of the unit connection connector corresponding to the slot identification terminals.

Assignees

• Ngk Spark Plug Co

Inventors

• Inoue Yoshinori
• Yazawa Katsunori
• Inagaki Hiroshi
• Ma Wenjing
• Hisada Kaoru
• Nakanishi Toshio

Classifications

• G01N33/0073

  Control unit therefor · CPC title

• G01N33/0031

  comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array · CPC title

• G01N33/0004 Primary

  Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air · CPC title

• G01D11/245

  Housings for sensors · CPC title

• G06F13/00 Primary

  Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units (interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 {; multiprogram control therefor  G06F9/46}; multiprocessor systems  G06F15/16 ) · CPC title