Method for adjusting parameters of a device having a weighing sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11573120-B2
Application number	US-202016949316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2020
Priority date	Oct 25, 2019
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

A method for adjusting parameters of a device with a weighing sensor collecting environmental parameter data of an environment where the device is currently located or environmental parameter data during execution of an application by the device. A zero compensation parameter is calculated and updated, based on the data collected. The method is applicable to a moisture analyzer and also to a vehicle scale. In the moisture analyzer, the method is triggered and executed in the analyzer, correcting the zero compensation data by using the environmental parameter data of an environment or environmental parameter data during execution of an application by the analyzer. Dynamic and real-time adjustment of a compensation parameter overcomes the problem that the scheme of pre-setting fixed parameters for zero compensation cannot deal with the complex zero drift encountered in actual environments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for adjusting parameters of a moisture analyzer having a weighing sensor, wherein a program stored in a memory of the moisture analyzer triggers and executes the method, which comprises the steps of:
collecting environmental parameter data by operating a heating cycle of the moisture analyzer according to a predetermined heating temperature and heating time, and collecting: a zero weight of the weighing sensor, a temperature of a heating lamp tube, and environmental parameter data during the heating cycle and, optionally, a heat dissipation cycle that follows, either during execution of an application by the moisture analyzer or of an environment where the moisture analyzer is currently located; and
calculating a zero-compensation parameter of the moisture analyzer based on the zero weight and the collected environmental parameter data and updating a stored value of the zero-compensation parameter in the program.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the zero compensation parameter of the moisture analyzer is calculated and updated based on:
the environmental parameter data collected during the last execution of the application by the moisture analyzer, or
the environmental parameter data collected during the execution of the application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the step of collecting environmental parameter data at least one of the following occurs:
the zero weight of the weighing sensor, the temperature of the heating lamp tube, and the environmental parameter data are collected at a predetermined heating cycle time interval, and
the zero weight of the weighing sensor, the temperature of the heating lamp tube, and the environmental parameter data during the heat dissipation cycle are collected at a predetermined heat dissipation time interval.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein if the time for the heat dissipation cycle is less than the time for the heating cycle, then the time for collecting the zero weight of the weighing sensor, the temperature of the heating lamp tube, and the environmental parameter data is prolonged to be the same as the time for the heating cycle.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method is terminated if changes in the environmental parameter data collected by the moisture analyzer during the heating cycle and the heat dissipation cycle exceed a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is triggered and executed when the moisture analyzer is in an idle state and at least one of the following situations occurs:
the time exceeds a determined threshold;
a change in any one or more of parameters of the environment where the moisture analyzer is located exceeds a predetermined threshold;
the time passed since the last update of the zero compensation parameter in the moisture analyzer exceeds a predetermined threshold;
the number of times the moisture analyzer executes the application exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is triggered and executed when the moisture analyzer is in an idle state.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is triggered and executed when the moisture analyzer is in an idle state and at least one of the following situations occurs:
the time exceeds a predetermined threshold;
a change in at least one parameter of the environment where the moisture analyzer is located exceeds a predetermined threshold;
the time passed since the last update of the zero compensation parameter in the moisture analyzer exceeds a predetermined threshold; or
the number of thermogravimetric analyses performed by the moisture analyzer exceeds a predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
if the moisture analyzer fails to perform a performance verification test before updating the zero compensation parameter, then the method is terminated; or,
if the moisture analyzer fails to perform a performance verification test after updating the zero compensation parameter, then the zero compensation parameter is restored to a state before updating.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collected environmental parameter data comprises: temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure.

11. A method for adjusting parameters of a vehicle scale having a weighing sensor, wherein a program stored in a memory of the vehicle scale triggers and executes the method, which comprises the steps of:
collecting environmental parameter data by collecting data of an environment where the vehicle scale is currently located, either during execution of an application by the vehicle scale or of an environment where the vehicle scale is currently located; and
calculating a zero-compensation parameter of the vehicle scale based on the collected environmental parameter data and updating a stored value of the zero-compensation parameter in the program, wherein the step of calculating and updating the zero compensation parameter is based on either:
the environmental parameter data and environmental parameter data at the last update time of the zero compensation parameter; or
the environmental parameter data collected within a time interval from the last update of the zero compensation parameter to the triggering of the method.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle scale further collects zero information, and the method is terminated when a change between the zero information and zero information upon the last update of the zero compensation parameter of the vehicle scale is within a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method is terminated when a change in the environmental parameter data collected within the time interval is within a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method is triggered and executed when the vehicle scale is in an idle state.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method is triggered and executed when the vehicle scale is in an idle state and at least one of the following situations occurs:
the time exceeds a predetermined threshold;
a change in at least one parameter of the environment where the vehicle scale is located exceeds a predetermined threshold;
the time passed since the last update of the zero compensation parameter in the vehicle scale exceeds a predetermined threshold; or
the number of weighing applications executed by the vehicle scale exceeds a predetermined threshold.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
if the vehicle scale fails to perform a performance verification test before updating the zero compensation parameter, then the method is terminated; or,
if the vehicle scale fails to perform a performance verification test after updating the zero compensation parameter, then the zero compensation parameter is restored to a state before updating.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
if the vehicle scale fails to perform a performance verification test before updating the zero compensation parameter, then the method is terminated; or,
if the vehicle scale fails to perform a performance verification test after updating the zero compensation parameter, then the zero compensation parameter is restored to a state before updating.

18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the zero compensation parameter of the vehicle scale is calculated and updated based on:
the environmental parameter data collected during the last execution of the application by the vehicle scale, or
the environmental parameter data collected during the execution of the application.

19.

Assignees

• Mettler Toledo Changzhou Prec Instruments Co Ltd
• Mettler Toledo Changzhou Measurement Tech Co Ltd
• Mettler Toledo Int Trading Shanghai Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Jianwei
• Emery Jean-Christophe

Classifications

• G01G19/08

  for incorporation in vehicles · CPC title

• G01G3/1414 Primary

  Arrangements for correcting or for compensating for unwanted effects · CPC title

• G01G23/01 Primary

  Testing or calibrating of weighing apparatus · CPC title

• G01N5/045

  for determining moisture content · CPC title

• G01G23/48

  Temperature-compensating arrangements (G01G1/14, G01G1/42, G01G3/18 take precedence) · CPC title