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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 15, 2011
Filed:
Nov. 21, 2008
Eiichi Sadayuki, Osaka, JP;
Tatsumi Sumi, Osaka, JP;
Eiichi Sadayuki, Osaka, JP;
Tatsumi Sumi, Osaka, JP;
Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
The present invention is applicable to various sensor outputs including pulse signals and reduces cost for detecting malfunction. The malfunction detection system detects a malfunction in a sensor, and the malfunction detection system includes a sensor including a first terminal, and which outputs a sensor output current that varies a voltage level of the first terminal, a current output unit which varies the voltage level of the first terminal by outputting a constant current for judging to the sensor via the first terminal, and a judging unit which judges that the sensor is malfunctioning when the current for judging causes the voltage level of the first terminal to be equal to or higher than a threshold in a period different from a first period where the sensor output current causes the voltage level of the first terminal to be equal to or higher than the threshold.