Torque measurement apparatus containing embedded data structure and related method

Claim 2

In a monopole shaft torquemeter having at least a pair of toothed wheels attached to a rotatable shaft, the improvement comprising: a plurality of differently dimensioned teeth disposed about at least one of said wheels in a predetermined spatial pattern representing predetermined modulus data corresponding, at least in part, to the modulus of torsional elasticity of said shaft.

Claim 3

An improved monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 1 further comprising: signal processing means for detecting said modulus data and for automatically deriving a transmitted torque measurement signal compensated by said modulus data.

Claim 4

An improved monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 2 wherein said teeth have different radial dimensions thereby producing a sensed signal having a differential amplitude component related to a gap between said teeth and a monopole tooth sensor, said signal processing means also automatically compensating said transmitted torque measurement signal for variations in said gap dimension.

Claim 5

An improved monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 3 wherein said signal processing means also automatically compensates said transmitted torque measurement signal for variations in shaft speed.

Claim 6

An improved monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 2 wherein said signal processing means also automatically compensates said transmitted torque measurement signal for variations in shaft speed.

Claim 7

An improved monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 2 wherein said signal processing means comprises a programmed digital computer circuit.

Claim 8

An improved monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 1 wherein said teeth have different radial dimensions thereby producing a sensed signal having a differential amplitude component related to a gap between said teeth and a monopole tooth sensor, and further comprising a signal processing means that automatically provides a transmitted torque measurement signal compensated for variations in said gap dimension.

Claim 9

An improved monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 7 wherein said signal processing means also automatically compensates said transmitted torque measurement signal for variations in shaft speed.

Claim 10

An improved monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 7 wherein said signal processing means comprises a programmed digital computer circuit.

Claim 11

An improved monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 1 wherein said predetermined spatial pattern includes a unique reference or synchronization pattern at at least one rotational position thereby providing an at least once-per-revolution reference or synchronizing sensed signal component.

Claim 12

A torque measurement apparatus for use in measuring the torque transmitted by a rotatable shaft, said apparatus comprising: a pair of toothed wheels attached to said shaft at respective spaced-apart locations therealong and having respective teeth which individually project, at least in part, radially outwardly away from said shaft; at least one tooth-detector means disposed radially outwardly from said teeth for sensing the passage of teeth thereby and for producing an electrical sensor output signal corresponding thereto; some of said teeth having different radial dimensions than others so as to produce corresponding differences in said electrical signal whereby predetermined information is encoded within said apparatus by providing a predetermined spatial pattern of said different radial teeth dimensions.

Claim 13

A torque measurement apparatus for use in measuring the torque transmitted by a rotatable shaft, said apparatus comprising: a pair of toothed wheels attached to said shaft at respective spaced-apart locations therealong and having respective teeth which individually project, at least in part, radially outwardly away from said shaft; at least one tooth-detector means disposed radially outwardly from said teeth for sensing the passage of teeth thereby and for producing an electrical sensor output signal corresponding thereto; some of said teeth having different radial dimensions than others so as to produce corresponding differences in said electrical signal whereby predetermined information is encoded within said apparatus by providing a predetermined spatial pattern of said different radial teeth dimensions.

Claim 14

A torque measurement apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said predetermined information corresponds to the modulus of torsional elasticity associated with said rotatable shaft and further comprising signal processing means for detecting said modulus information and for automatically deriving a transmitted torque measurement signal compensated by said modulus.

Claim 15

A torque measurement apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said signal processing means also derives a shaft speed measurement signal from said electrical sensor output signal and also automatically derives a transmitted torque measurement signal compensated by said speed measurement signal.

Claim 16

A torque measurement apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said signal processing means also derives a tooth-detector gap measurement signal from said electrical sensor output signal and also automatically derives a transmitted torque measurement signal compensated by said gap measurement signal.

Claim 17

A torque measurement apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said predetermined spatial pattern includes a unique reference or synchronization pattern at at least one rotational location thereby providing an at least once-per-revolution reference or synchronization signal component as part of said electrical sensor output signal.

Claim 18

In a monopole transducer shaft torquemeter having a monopole transducer and toothed wheels, an improved signal processing means comprising: pulse amplitude detecting means for processing a sequence of electrical pulse signals from said monopole transducer and for generating a corresponding sequence of different amplitude-detector signals related to the detected different respective amplitudes of said pulse signals; and compensation means adapted to accept as control inputs said different amplitude-detector signals and to responsively derive from said pulse signals a transmitted shaft torque measurement output signal that is compensated for the modulus of torsional elasticity of said shaft.

Claim 19

In a monopole transducer shaft torquemeter having a monopole transducer and toothed wheels, an improved signal processing means comprising: pulse amplitude detecting means for processing a sequence of electrical pulse signals from said monopole transducer and for generating a corresponding sequence of different amplitude-detector signals related to the detected different respective amplitudes of said pulse signals; and compensation means adapted to accept as control inputs said different amplitude-detector signals and to responsively derive from said pulse signals a transmitted shaft torque measurement output signal that is compensated for the modulus of torsional elasticity of said shaft.

Claim 20

An improved monopole transducer shaft torquemeter as in claim 16 wherein said signal compensation means also automatically compensates for a gap between a toothed wheel and the monopole transducer.

Claim 21

An improved monopole transducer shaft torquemeter as in claim 17 wherein said signal compensation means also automatically compensates for the speed of the shaft.

Claim 22

A monopole shaft torquemeter comprising: a rotatable shaft; a toothed torque wheel attached to said shaft at a first location and having teeth which extend axially and radially with respect to said shaft; a toothed reference wheel attached to said shaft at a second location and having teeth which also extend axially and radially with respect to said shaft; said torque wheel and reference wheel teeth being interleaved at a predetermined circumferential location and having different radial dimensions thereat in a predetermined spatial pattern; a monopole variable reluctance tooth detector having a pole face disposed at a predetermined nominal gap dimension radially outwardly of said predetermined circumferential location of interleaved teeth and producing a train of electricl sensor pulse signals in response to the passage of teeth thereby as said shaft is rotated and having a differential pulse amplitude component due to said different radial dimensions; and self-compensating signal processing means connected to receive said sensor pulse signals and to produce a related torque output signal representing the torque being transmitted by said shaft as compensated by detecting and using said differential pulse amplitude component.

Claim 23

A monopole shaft torquemeter comprising: a rotatable shaft; a toothed torque wheel attached to said shaft at a first location and having teeth which extend axially and radially with respect to said shaft; a toothed reference wheel attached to said shaft at a second location and having teeth which also extend axially and radially with respect to said shaft; said torque wheel and reference wheel teeth being interleaved at a predetermined circumferential location and having different radial dimensions thereat in a predetermined spatial pattern; a monopole variable reluctance tooth detector having a pole face disposed at a predetermined nominal gap dimension radially outwardly of said predetermined circumferential location of interleaved teeth and producing a train of electricl sensor pulse signals in response to the passage of teeth thereby as said shaft is rotated and having a differential pulse amplitude component due to said different radial dimensions; and self-compensating signal processing means connected to receive said sensor pulse signals and to produce a related torque output signal representing the torque being transmitted by said shaft as compensated by detecting and using said differential pulse amplitude component.

Claim 24

A monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 19 wherein said predetermined spatial pattern corresponds to the modulus of torsional elasticity of said shaft and wherein said self-compensating electrical signal processing means comprises a digital signal processor programmed to compensate said torque output signal for said modulus and for said gap.

Claim 25

A monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 20 wherein said digital signal processor is also programmed to compensate said torque output signal for shaft speed as represented by the frequency of said sensor pulse signals.

Claim 26

A monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 21 wherein said monopole detector includes a temperature sensor having an electrical output also connected to said self-compensating electrical signal processing means and wherein said digital signal processor is also programmed to compensate said torque output signal for temperature.

Claim 27

A monopole shaft torquemeter as in claim 19 wherein said self-compensating electrical signal processing means comprises: a timing input channel for detecting relative times T1, T2 between consecutive sensor pulse signals corresponding to the relative rotational positions of said torque and reference wheels and for providing corresponding digital T1, T2 signals; a pulse amplitude input channel for detecting the relative amplitudes e 1 , e 2 of consecutive sensor pulse signals corresponding to said predetermined spatial pattern and to said gap dimension and for providing corresponding digital e 1 , e 2 signals; and digital signal processing means connected to receive said digital T1, T2, e 1 , e 2 signals and to produce said torque output signal as a function thereof.

Claim 32

A method as in claim 25 wherein said deriving step includes compensation for temperature.