Abstract:
One disclosed method includes retrieving a sensor reading, incrementing a reading change counter and setting a stable reading counter in response to the sensor reading not equaling an immediately previous sensor reading, reporting a sensor reading bouncing error and resetting the reading change counter in response to the reading change counter being greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance, incrementing the stable reading counter in response to the sensor reading equaling the immediately previous sensor reading, resetting the stable reading counter and reading change counter in response to the stable reading counter being greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance, reporting a state change event and setting the most-recent stable sensor reading equal to the sensor reading in response to the sensor reading not being equal to the most-recent stable sensor reading, and setting the previous sensor reading to the sensor reading.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/779,969, entitled “SENSOR SIGNAL DEBOUNCING”, filed Feb. 17, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,957,174, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND 
   Sensor signals can often have characteristics such that under some set of conditions the sensor signals give erroneous readings. For example, sensor signals indicating the presence of a device may, during the addition or deletion of a device to a system while the system is active, toggle between present and not present. Errant sensor signals may also be generated during a ramp-up of power for an added device. Errant sensor signals may also be generated due to malfunctions in an Integrated Circuit (IC). In these and other situations multiple sensor state changes may be falsely sensed and reported. 
   Following a de facto process of waiting a certain time before looking at a sensor signal, thereby allowing the sensor signal time to debounce, two approaches are customarily taken to handle sensor signals that are sensitive to other events. In the first of these approaches some error reports related to the sensor signal are accepted as issues with the product and ignored by the event consumer. Herein, the “event consumer” may be an application program, an operating system, a firmware entity, hardware entity, or the like. In certain circumstances it may be a user of the associated processor-based system. In the aforementioned first existing approach taken to handle sensor signals that are sensitive to other events, an initial value of a present sensor reading and a previous sensor reading are each set as equal to a default sensor state value. Then an algorithm, which may be referred to as a sensor monitor loop, is executed, wherein the present sensor reading is set equal to a retrieved sensor reading. If the present sensor reading is not equal to the previous sensor reading, a state change event is reported and the previous sensor reading is set as equal to the present sensor reading. The sensor monitor loop is then repeated. 
   Problematically, in this first approach it is difficult to distinguish erroneous reports from actual events. Also, under this first approach sensor-signal glitches often force the reporting of multiple events in quick succession, many of which are erroneous. 
   In a second existing approach, often referred to as signal debouncing, a sensor signal is read multiple times to determine if it is stable, prior to reporting a state change. In this second existing approach, initial values for a present sensor reading, a previous sensor reading and a last stable sensor reading are each set as equal to a default sensor state value. An initial value of a stable reading counter is initially set at zero. An algorithm, which may also be labeled a sensor monitor loop, sets the present sensor reading as equal to a retrieved sensor reading. If the present sensor reading is equal to the previous sensor reading, a stable reading counter is incremented. If the present sensor reading is not equal to the previous sensor reading, a stable reading counter is zeroed. However, if the stable reading counter is greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance level, the stable reading counter is zeroed. If in addition to the stable reading counter being greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance level, the present sensor reading is not equal to the last stable sensor reading, a state change event is reported. The last stable sensor reading and previous sensor reading are then set to be the present sensor reading. The sensor monitor loop is then repeated. 
   Problematically, this second approach may mask out actual errors where the sensor signal is metastable. Herein, “metastable” refers to a condition wherein a sensor signal continues to transition above and below a threshold that would indicate one signal state or another. Typically, a metastable sensor signal never holds at a state long enough to be considered at that value. Problematically, a metastable sensor signal may transition at some frequency greater than the number of samples required to determine that the transient state should be reported. Thus, the latter approach for signal debouncing might filter out true instability, such as where the frequency of a metastability is higher than the required threshold hold time to report a state change, thereby possibly never reporting a state change. 
   SUMMARY 
   An embodiment of A method comprises retrieving a present sensor reading, incrementing a reading change counter and setting a stable reading counter to a predetermined value in response to the present sensor reading not equaling an immediately previous sensor reading, reporting a sensor reading bouncing error and resetting the reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to the reading change counter being greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance, incrementing the stable reading counter in response to the present sensor reading equaling the immediately previous sensor reading, resetting the stable reading counter and reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to the stable reading counter being greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance, reporting a state change event and setting the most-recent stable sensor reading equal to the present sensor reading in response to the present sensor reading not being equal to the most-recent stable sensor reading, and setting the previous sensor reading to the present sensor reading. 
   Another embodiment of a method comprises retrieving a present sensor reading, determining if the present sensor reading equals an immediately previous sensor reading, incrementing a reading change counter and setting a stable reading counter to a predetermined value in response to the present sensor reading not equaling an immediately previous sensor reading, determining if a change in the reading change counter is greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance, reporting a sensor reading bouncing error and resetting the reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to the reading change counter being greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance, incrementing said stable reading counter in response to the present sensor reading equaling the immediately previous sensor reading, determining if a change in said stable reading counter is greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance, resetting said stable reading counter and reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to said stable reading counter being greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance, determining if said present sensor reading is not equal to said most-recent stable sensor reading, reporting a state change event and setting said most-recent stable sensor reading equal to said present sensor reading in response to said present sensor reading not being equal to said most-recent stable sensor reading, and setting said previous sensor reading to said present sensor reading. 
   An embodiment of a computer program product comprises a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to, in iterative fashion: retrieve a sensor reading, determine if said sensor reading represents a changed sensor reading, increment a reading change counter and set a stable reading counter to a predetermined value in response to the sensor reading having changed, determine if a changed sensor reading is indicative of toggling, report a sensor reading bouncing error and reset the reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to the reading change indicating the sensor reading is toggling, increment said stable reading counter in response to the sensor reading having not changed, determine if the unchanged sensor reading is stable, reset said stable reading counter and said reading change counter to a predetermined value in response then unchanged sensor reading being stable, determine if a stable unchanged sensor reading is different from a most-recent stable sensor reading, report a state change event and set said most-recent stable sensor reading to be equal to the stable unchanged sensor reading, and set a previous sensor reading to be equal to said sensor reading. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a flow chart of an embodiment of the present methods; 
       FIG. 2  is a more detailed flow chart of an embodiment of the present methods; and 
       FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment of a general purpose processor-based system adapted to employ embodiments of the present systems. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In accordance with embodiments of the present systems and methods, sensor signal debouncing is employed to reduce false state reporting and to avoid alerting the event consumer to known device characteristics. The present systems and methods also address actual errors occurring where a sensor signal remains metastable, preferably detecting and reporting such occurrences. Preferably, the present systems and methods reduce the number of events that are reported so the event consumer is not overwhelmed with sensor signal reports. The present systems and methods also preferably sense and report when a sensor signal is bouncing. The present systems and methods may employ an algorithm for sensor signal handling, as detailed below, that detects metastable sensor signals while reducing the number of event reports to the event consumer. At the same time the signal is preferably debounced so only states that are maintained for a sufficient period of time are reported. The present systems and methods take into account that multiple transitions may occur within a hold time and recognizes these transitions as stability, through use of a counter or the like. Once a predetermined threshold or tolerance is reached a metastable signal is preferably reported to the event consumer, typically as a problem. 
     FIG. 1  is a flow chart of embodiment  100  of the present methods for sensor signal debouncing and metastable signal detection. At  101  a sensor signal may be read and a determination made as to whether the sensor reading indicates that the sensor signal reading has changed since a last sensor signal reading. If the sensor reading has changed a determination may be made at  102  as to whether the reading is toggling. The determination as to whether the reading is toggling may be made by determining if a count of changes in the sensor state value has achieved a predetermined threshold. If it is determined at  102  that the sensor reading is toggling a bouncing sensor-state error may be reported at  103 . If it is determined at  101  that the sensor reading has not changed a determination may be made at  104  as to whether the sensor reading is stable. The determination as to whether the sensor reading is stable may be made by determining if a count of stable sensor readings is greater than or equal to a predetermined stable reading sensor tolerance. If the sensor reading is stable, a determination may be made at  105  as to whether the sensor reading is different from a most-recent stable sensor reading. If the sensor reading is different that a most-recent stable sensor reading a sensor state change may be reported at  106 . However, if at  102  it is determined that the sensor reading is not toggling, at  104  that the sensor reading is not stable, or at  105  that the sensor reading is the same as a most-recent stable sensor reading, then process  100  is restarted with a new sensor reading. Process  100  may be employed to monitor the changes in a sensor state value for a predetermined period of time or indefinitely. 
     FIG. 2  is a flow chart of embodiment  200  of the present methods for sensor signal debouncing and metastable signal detection. At  201  initial values for a present sensor reading, a previous sensor reading, and a most-recent stable sensor reading are set as equal to a default sensor state value. Also at  201 , a stable reading counter and reading change counter are set to a predetermined value, such as zero. An algorithm may employ a loop, such as may be labeled as a sensor monitor loop ( 202 ). A sensor state value is read and sensor monitor loop  202  sets the present sensor reading as equal to the retrieved sensor reading at  203 . Then a determination is made as to whether the sensor state value has changed at  204 . If it is determined at  204  that the present sensor reading does not equal the previous sensor reading, the stable reading counter is set or reset to a predetermined value, such as zero, and the reading change counter is incremented at  205 . A determination is made at  207  as to whether a count of changes in the sensor state value has achieved a threshold tolerance. If it is determined at  207  that the reading change counter is greater than or equal to a predetermined reading change tolerance value, a sensor reading bouncing event error is reported and the reading change counter is set to a predetermined value, such as zero, at  208 . The reading change counter is reset at  208  so that future or continuing sensor reading bouncing events may be reported. Conversely, if it is determined at  207  that the reading change counter is less than the reading change tolerance value the previous sensor reading is then set as equal to the present sensor reading at  217  and sensor monitor loop  202  is repeated ( 220 ). The reading change tolerance employed at  207  is preferably a threshold that has been set to provide optimal debouncing in accordance with the present systems and methods. 
   However, if it is determined at  204  that the present sensor reading is equal to the previous sensor reading, the stable reading counter is incremented at  210 . Then if the stable reading counter is determined to be greater than or equal to the stable reading tolerance value at  211 , the stable reading counter and the reading change counter are set to a predetermined value, such as zero, at  212 . Then if it is determined at  214  that the present sensor reading is not equal to the most-recent stable sensor reading, indicating the sensor state value has reached a new stable value, a true state change event is reported and the most-recent stable sensor reading is set to be equal to the present sensor reading at  215 . The previous sensor reading is then set as equal to the present sensor reading and sensor monitor loop  202  is repeated ( 220 ). Similarly, if it is determined at  211  that the stable reading counter is less than the stable reading tolerance value, or at  214  that the present sensor reading is equal to the most-recent stable sensor reading the previous sensor reading is then set as equal to the present sensor reading at  217  and sensor monitor loop  202  is repeated ( 220 ). Changes in sensor state values may be monitored for a predetermined period of time, or indefinitely, through the use of sensor monitor loop  202  such that the tolerances at  207  and  211  may be tested. 
   It should be appreciated that reference is made above to setting or resetting a stable reading counter or reading change counter to a predetermined or default value. As indicated above, this default value may be zero. However, this value may be any value, which may be predetermined as indicated, or may in alternative embodiments, be randomly generated. Regardless, in accordance with embodiments of the present systems and methods, the initial predetermined or default value is maintained and is employed to make determinations in accordance therewith. For example, only a determination of the whether an increase in the reading change counter is greater than the reading change tolerance is needed at  207 . Similarly, at  211  only a determination of whether an increase in the stable reading counter is greater than the stable reading tolerance need be made. 
     FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment of general purpose processor-based system  300  adapted to employ embodiments  301 ,  302  and/or  303  of the present systems and methods. The present systems and methods may be practiced at different levels within processor-based system  300 . The present systems and methods may be implemented in hardware ( 301 ) such as ROM  308  or chipset  309  of system  300 . The present systems and methods may be implemented as software  302  that is monitoring hardware of system  300 . Alternatively or additionally, systems and methods of the present invention may be implemented through embodiment  303  in firmware  310 , or the like. When implemented via computer-executable instructions, various elements of embodiments  301 ,  302  or  303  of the present invention are in essence code, defining operations of such various elements. 
   One, two or all three of embodiments  301 ,  302  and  303  may be in operation on system  300  at one time. However, hardware embodiment  301  may be particularly well suited to be employed during boot and operation of system  300  to monitor for sensor signals. Embodiment  302  may be embodied in a software application that may be stored in mass storage  316 , and may be particularly well suited to be called by processes or applications run by CPU  305 . Whereas firmware  310  may be associated with particular Input-Output (I/O) functions of system  300  and firmware embodiment  303  may be particularly well suited to monitor signals for such I/O functions. Hardware embodiment  301 , application  302  and/or firmware embodiment  303  may run as a background processes, in a manner known to those of ordinary skill in the art, monitoring for sensor signals. 
     FIG. 3  illustrates example computer system  300  adapted according to embodiments  301 ,  302  and  303  of the present invention. That is, computer system  300  comprises an example system on which embodiments  301 ,  302  and  303  of the present invention may be implemented. Central processing unit (CPU)  305  is coupled to system bus  306 . CPU  305  may be any general purpose CPU. Suitable processors include without limitation any processor from HEWLETT-PACKARD&#39;s, HEWLETT-PACKARD&#39;s PA-8500 family of processors, or INTEL&#39;s PENTIUM® or ITANIUM families of processors, as examples. However, the present invention is not restricted by the architecture of CPU  305  as long as CPU  305  supports the inventive operations as described herein. CPU  305  may execute the various logical instructions according to embodiments of the present invention. For example, CPU  305  may execute machine-level instructions according to the exemplary operational flows described above in conjunction with  FIGS. 1  and/or  2 . Chipset  309  might comprise microchips needed to serve as a communications controller between CPU  305 , memory  307  and  308 , and other devices in computer system  300 . 
   Computer system  300  also preferably includes random access memory (RAM)  307 , which may be SRAM, DRAM, SDRAM, or the like. Computer system  300  preferably includes read-only memory (ROM)  308  which may be PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or the like. Hardware embodiment  301  of the present invention may be embodied in ROM  308  and/or a chipset  309 . Computer system  300  may also include firmware  310  that may control various aspects of operation of system  300 . Ram  307 , ROM  308 , and firmware  310  may hold user and system data and programs, as is well known in the art. 
   Computer system  300  also preferably includes I/O adapter  311 , communications adapter  313 , user interface adapter  314 , and display adapter  315 . I/O adapter  311 , user interface adapter  314 , and/or communications adapter  313  may, in certain embodiments, enable a user to interact with computer system  300  in order to input information. 
   I/O adapter  311  preferably connects to storage device(s)  316 , such as one or more of hard drive, compact disc (CD) drive, floppy disk drive, tape drive, etc. to computer system  300 . Communications adapter  313  is preferably adapted to couple computer system  300  to network  317  (e.g., a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, an Intranet, the Internet, or the like). User interface adapter  314  couples user input devices, such as keyboard  318 , pointing device  319 , and microphone  320  and/or output devices, such as speaker(s)  321  to computer system  300 . Display adapter  315  is driven by CPU  305  to control the display on display device  323  to, for example, to display user reports of state change events or errors described above. 
   Sensor signals may be provided when a peripheral or user input device, such as a digital camera, printer, keyboard  318 , pointing device  319 , microphone  320 , speakers  321 , and/or the like are connected or disconnected from computer system  300 . For example, sensor signals may indicate the presence or absence of a device during the addition or deletion of the device to an active computer. However, errant sensor signals may be generated during a ramp-up of power for such an added device. Errant sensor signals may also be generated due to malfunctions in an IC associated with the system or a connected device such as the aforementioned peripheral or user input devices. 
   Each of embodiments,  301 ,  302  and  303 , of the present invention preferably employs algorithm  330  to keep track of the number of sensor signal transitions that occur over time, report error states, and if a stable case is encounter, to report a transition event and restart the count of sensor signal transitions. As discussed in greater detail above in relation to  FIGS. 1 and 2  algorithm  330  may read a sensor state, determine from this reading is the sensor state has changed. Then if the sensor state has changed, algorithm  330  may monitor that change for a certain period of time to determine if the number of changes indicate that a false event should be reported back to the event consumer. As pointed out above the event consumer may not necessarily be a user of system  300 , but may be an application program running on system  300  or the operating system for system  300 . During the time that algorithm  330  monitors the sensor state it may also read the sensor state&#39;s stability to see if the sensor state is reaching a stable value that warrants reporting back to the event consumer as a state change. 
   Pseudo code describing algorithm  330  appears below: 
   
     
       
             
           
         
             
                 
             
           
           
             
               Initial values: 
             
             
                 presentSensorReading = defaultSensorState 
             
             
                 previousSensorReading = defaultSensorState 
             
             
                 lastStableSensorReading = defaultSensorState 
             
             
                 stableReadingCounter = default value 
             
             
                 readingChangeCounter = default value 
             
             
               Algorithm: 
             
             
                 Label SensorMonitorLoop: 
             
             
                   presentSensorReading = getSensorReading( ) 
             
             
                   if (presentSensorReading != previousSensorReading) 
             
             
                   stableReadingCounter = default value 
             
             
                   readingChangeCounter ++ 
             
             
                   if (readingChangeCounter &gt;= ReadingChangeTolerance) 
             
             
                     ReportEvent(SensorReadingBouncing) 
             
             
                     readingChangeCounter = default value 
             
             
                 else 
             
             
                   stableReadingCounter++ 
             
             
                   if (stableReadingCounter &gt;= StableReadingTolerance) 
             
             
                     stableReadingCounter = default value 
             
             
                     readingChangeCounter = default value 
             
             
                     if(presentSensorReading != lastStableSensorReading) 
             
             
                       ReportEvent(StateChange) 
             
             
                       lastStableSensorReading = presentSensorReading 
             
             
                 previousSensorReading = presentSensorReading 
             
             
               Goto SensorMonitorLoop 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   It shall be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the architecture of system  300 . For example, any suitable processor-based device or collection of devices may utilize the present invention, including without limitation personal computers, laptop computers, computer workstations, and multi-processor or multi-nodal servers. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented on application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits. Persons of ordinary skill in the art may utilize any number of suitable structures capable of executing logical operations according to the embodiments of the present invention.