Patent ID: 7361851

Claim:
A weighing apparatus comprised of: a load platform: a plurality of load cells coupled to the load platform, each load cell being comprised of: a processor and memory coupled to the processor, the processors in the plurality of load cells being coupled together to form a communication network, each processor having an address in the communication network; the memory coupled to each processor storing program instructions, which when executed cause the corresponding processor to: generate a digital representation of the load on the load cell; determine a correction coefficient X j of said digital representation for the load cell; store said correction coefficient X j in the load cell; and vary the gain of the load cell on the basis of the correction coefficient X j in order to generate a correct digital representation of the load for the load cell; and detect its own address “I” in the communication network and check that said address I is other than zero, whenever said weighing apparatus turns on; wherein if said address I is the same as zero, the load cell generates and stores its own address I comprised of a number selected at random from a range comprised between n+1 and m, n being the maximum number of load cells for which said apparatus is designed.