Patent ID: 7094978

Claim:
A position monitoring system, comprising: a position transducer; a transducer signal processing circuit operably connectable to the position transducer; and an interface circuit that includes an estimated position signal generating circuit operably connectable to the transducer signal processing circuit; wherein: the transducer signal processing circuit generates a transducer sample position output value corresponding to the actual position of the position transducer, according to a transducer sample position value output interval that is not less than a minimum transducer sample position output interval; the estimated position signal generating circuit generates an approximated position output approximating the position of the position transducer, at a plurality of times between the generating of a transducer sample position output value corresponding to the actual position of the position transducer, according to an approximated position output cycle interval which is shorter than the minimum transducer sample position output interval; the approximated position output is incremented by a prescribed increment amount during each approximated position output cycle; the prescribed increment amount is adjusted when a new transducer sample position output value corresponding to the actual position of the position transducer becomes available; and the adjustment of the prescribed increment amount is based at least partially on a determined difference between a particular approximated position output and the new transducer sample position value.