Data logger having a RAM that accepts electro-magnetically a sen

Details Data logger having a RAM that accepts electro-magnetically a sen Data logger having a RAM that accepts electro-magnetically a sen

1994-10-19

1996-03-26

Trammell, James P.

Boots, shoes, and leggings

364178, G01B 2100

Patent

active

055026567

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/GB 93/00827 filed Apr. 21, 1993 having a RAM that accepts electromagnectically a sensor table and a sample table.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data loggers, particularly, though not exclusively such tags for use on fish and other marine life.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
In order to develop conservationist fishing strategies fish stock management requires information on fish habits and their environment. For this many and varied data are required. Whilst it is possible to track fish shoals or individual fish fitted with suitable transmitters, monitoring positions and aspects of environment at the same time, there are clear difficulties involved in this. To do such monitoring in the open seas requires the expense of a ship. The cost of this is so high that it is usually only possible to afford it for a few days at a time. While tracking fish in this way there is every possibility that contact with the monitored fish will be lost. Thus, even if a continuous watch can be maintained on a fish the duration of the watch can only be a small interval in the seasonal or life cycle of the species under observation.
There is much concern about the depletion of fish stocks. A prime requirement in preventing and reversing the depletion trend, whilst maintaining reasonable fishing hauls, is a knowledge of the behaviour of fish, which would enable conservationist fishing strategies to be developed.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention a data logger includes a housing containing; at least one sensor; programmable control means; a Random Access Memory (RAM) providing data storage means for storing 2 data from the or each sensor; power means; and electro-magnetic transfer means for accessing the logger and for recovering data from the data storage means from external to the casing; characterised in that;
the programmable control means includes a pre-programmed Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) containing control instructions and sensor drivers for all sensors;
the RAM is adapted to accept, from external to the housing and via the electro-magnetic transfer means, instructions on the sensor drivers to evoke a desired sampling regime; and
a power up coil is provided within the housing to enable power from external to the housing to be supplied during programming and during recovery of data.
The control instructions in the EPROM preferably include an operating programme, a communications program and a test procedure program.
The housing will usually be waterproof, and will of necessity be waterproof when the logger is to be attached to a fish.
The power means will usually be in the form of electric cells and preferably will include a standby cell.
The electro-magnetic transfer means will usually be optical, preferably using light in the infrared region.
The logger will usually be designed to protect stored data by switching to a disabled state automatically once it has completed a sample table, when the mass date store is full, or when it detects that the power supply is low.
A clinical thermometer wherein a temperature responsive portion, a battery and data storage means are contained within a casing, the data storage means acting to store measurements taken at predetermined intervals and being accessible from external to the casing for transfer of data, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,579. One means of transferring data uses optical means. The predetermined intervals must be set before build of the instrument, and the instrument is designed for use over a short time scale--for example of the order of a day.
The present logger is intended for use over a period of years. The arrangement is such that a logger will usually contain a plurality of different sensors and operating means for actuating each sensor and for recording readings therefrom. However the actual operating program is not set during build, but is only entered prior to use and can be adjusted according to conditions and requirements

REFERENCES:
patent: 4969112 (1990-11-01), Castle
patent: 4987578 (1991-01-01), Yoshinaka et al.
patent: 4996655 (1991-02-01), Chadwick et al.
patent: 5299141 (1994-03-01), Hungerford et al.

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