Patent ID: 6098463
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: G01H

Abstract:
An apparatus for measuring a varying average magnitude over time of signals having a wide dynamic range, the apparatus comprising:a single transducer for sensing a physical parameter having a magnitude and converting the physical parameter to an electrical signal indicative of the magnitude of the physical parameter;a plurality of signal processing channels operatively connected to the transducer and having different gains, each of the plurality of signal processing channels for receiving the electrical signal and having a detector responsive to the electrical signal for providing an output signal, each output signal being indicative of an average magnitude of the physical parameter within one of a plurality of different preselected magnitude ranges, each respective one of the plurality of different preselected magnitude ranges corresponding to the gain of a respective one of the plurality of signal processing channels, each of the plurality of signal processing channels using an averaging process having a first time constant; andcontrol circuitry for selecting only one of the output signals during each of a plurality of time periods, generating from the selected output signals a magnitude signal, and averaging the magnitude signal using a second time constant greater than the first time constant to provide an average output magnitude signal indicative of the average magnitude of the physical parameter.