The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Feb. 06, 2007

Filed:

Sep. 30, 2004
Applicant:

Robert J Pond, Doylestown, OH (US);

Inventor:

Robert J Pond, Doylestown, OH (US);

Assignee:

Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc., Mayfield Heights, OH (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01B 7/00 (2006.01); G01R 33/025 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate determining coil temperature in a proximity sensor, such as an extended range inductive proximity sensor. Voltage measurements can be taken before, and during, damped oscillatory decay of a voltage in a resonant circuit in the proximity sensor to determine a value, γ, associated with an inductive time constant for the resonant circuit. The gamma value comprises information related to both inductance and resistance in the sensor coil, and can be employed to determine coil temperature. Derivation of the gamma value, and thus of coil temperature, can utilize a current pulse of a duration of approximately one RC time constant of the resonant circuit, thus mitigating current consumption by the proximity sensor during temperature assessment.


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