Electronic clinical thermometer

Claim 2

An electronic clinical thermometer which comprises: temperature sensing means for producing an output signal commensurate with temperature; decision means for discriminating, on the basis of the output signal of said temperature sensing means, a temperature above a predetermined threshold temperature as well as a rising temperature gradient over a predetermined period of time, said decision means first discriminating a temperature above the threshold temperature and then discriminating a rising temperature gradient from said discriminated temperature; and measuring means placed in a measurement start mode by a discrimination signal from said decision means for initiating a temperature measurement on the basis of an input from said temperature sensing means; said decision means comprising an up/down counter for producing an ouput signal commensurate with a temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means; and a decoder for producing a first output signal in response to an input signal from said up/down counter indicative of a count corresponding to a temperature above the threshold temperature, said first output signal changing over the counting direction of said up/down counter so that said counter is counted down by a value commensurate with temperature within said predetermined period of time, and said decoder producing a second output signal in response to an input signal from said up/down counter indicative of a count corresponding to a rising temperature gradient of a magnitude larger than that of a predetermined rising temperature gradient, said second output signal establishing the measurement start mode.

Claim 3

An electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 1, in which said decision means further includes reset means for resetting the value of the count in said up-down counter when said first output signal is not produced, and when said second output signal is not produced after the production of said first output signal.

Claim 4

An electronic clinical thermometer which comprises: temperature sensing means for producing an output signal, commensurate with temperature, in the form of a digital value conforming to one of at least two resolutions, one of which is high and the other low, said temperature sensing means comprising temperature-to-frequency converting means, and a counter for counting the frequency and for producing a signal indicative thereof; decision means for discriminating, on the basis of the output signal of said temperature sensing means conforming to the low resolution, a temperature above a predetermined threshold temperature as well as a rising temperature gradient over a predetermined period of time; resolution setting means for changing over the resolution of said temperature sensing means from low to high resolution in response to a discrimination signal from said decision mean resolution setting means being responsive to an output from said decision means for changing over the duration of a sampling operation performed by said counter from a short to a long duration; and measuring means placed in a measurement start mode by a discrimination signal from said decision means for initiating a temperature measurement on the basis of the digital value, conforming to the high resolution, from said temperature sensing means; said decision means comprising an up/down counter for producing an output signal commensurate with a temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means; and a decoder for producing a first output signal in response to an input signal from said up/down counter indicative of a count corresponding to a temperature above the threshold temperature, said first output signal changing over the counting direction of said up/down counter so that said counter is counted down within said predetermined period of time by a value commensurate with temperature, and said decoder producing a second output signal in response to an input signal from said up/down counter indicative of a count corresponding to a rising temperature gradient of a magnitude larger than that of a predetermined rising temperature gradient, said second output signal establishing the measurement start mode and controlling said resolution setting means.

Claim 5

An electronic clinical thermometer which comprises: temperature sensing means for producing an output signal, commensurate with temperature, in the form of a digital value conforming to one of at least two resolutions, one of which is high and the other low, said temperature sensing means comprising temperature-to-frequency converting means, and a counter for counting the frequency and for producing a signal indicative thereof; decision means for discriminating, on the basis of the output signal of said temperature sensing means conforming to the low resolution, a temperature above a predetermined threshold temperature as well as a rising temperature gradient over a predetermined period of time; resolution setting means for changing over the resolution of said temperature sensing means from low to high resolution in response to a discrimination signal from said decision mean resolution setting means being responsive to an output from said decision means for changing over the duration of a sampling operation performed by said counter from a short to a long duration; and measuring means placed in a measurement start mode by a discrimination signal from said decision means for initiating a temperature measurement on the basis of the digital value, conforming to the high resolution, from said temperature sensing means; said decision means comprising an up/down counter for producing an output signal commensurate with a temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means; and a decoder for producing a first output signal in response to an input signal from said up/down counter indicative of a count corresponding to a temperature above the threshold temperature, said first output signal changing over the counting direction of said up/down counter so that said counter is counted down within said predetermined period of time by a value commensurate with temperature, and said decoder producing a second output signal in response to an input signal from said up/down counter indicative of a count corresponding to a rising temperature gradient of a magnitude larger than that of a predetermined rising temperature gradient, said second output signal establishing the measurement start mode and controlling said resolution setting means.

Claim 6

An electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 3, in which said decision means further includes reset means for resetting the value of the count in said up-down counter when said first output signal is not produced, and when said second output signal is not produced after the production of said first output signal.