System for compensating for creep and hysteresis in a load cell

1. A method of correcting for errors in a load cell, comprising the steps of:

a. measuring load cell deflection under increasing loads;

i. determining an increasing load curve;

b. measuring load cell deflection under decreasing loads;

i. determining a decreasing load curve;

c. determining a measured load cell deflection after one of, either;

i. increasing the load on the load cell; or

ii. decreasing the load on the load cell;

d. correcting the measured load cell deflection by applying the measured load cell deflection to, either;

i. the increasing load curve in the event that the determining step occurred after increasing the load on the cell; or

ii. the decreasing load curve in the event that the determining step occurred after decreasing the load on the cell;

e. determining a corrected load and thus compensating for error in the load cell related to increasing or decreasing loads; and

f. compensating for temperature changes in the load cell by applying a temperature formula to the measured load cell deflection, the temperature formula correlating the temperature of the load cell with the measured deflection of the load cell under various loading conditions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the increasing load curve is determined by:

a. collecting a plurality of data points by subjecting the load cell to progressively increasing loads and measuring the load cell deflection for each load.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the decreasing load curve is determined by:

a. collecting a plurality of data points by subjecting the load cell to progressively decreasing loads and measuring the load cell deflection for each load.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the increasing load curve or the decreasing load curve to the measured load cell deflection further comprising the step of:

a. retrieving the increasing load curve or the decreasing load curve from a memory.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the load cell is disposed in a vehicle, and wherein the step of applying the selected increasing load curve or the decreasing load curve to the measured load cell deflection further comprising the step of:

a. retrieving the increasing load curve or the decreasing load curve from memory stored in a processor in the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the vehicle is a truck.

7. A method of correcting for errors in a load cell, comprising the steps of:

a. calibrating the load cell by:

i. measuring load cell deflection under a prolonged load and using this measurement to determine;

1. a prolonged increasing load curve;

2. a prolonged decreasing load curve; and

b. determining a measured load cell deflection after one of, either;

i. increasing the load on the load cell; or

ii. decreasing the load on the load cell;

c. correcting for errors in the load cell by applying the measured load cell deflection to, either;

i. the prolonged increasing load curve in the event that the determining step occurred after increasing the load on the cell; or

ii. the prolonged decreasing load curve in the event that the determining step occurred after decreasing the load on the cell; and

d. determining a corrected load and thus compensating for error in the load cell due to prolonged load.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein, the prolonged increasing load curve is determined by:

a. collecting a plurality of data points by subjecting the load cell to prolonged progressively increasing loads and measuring the load cell deflection for each prolonged load.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein, the prolonged decreasing load curve is determined by:

a. collecting a plurality of data points by subjecting the load cell to prolonged progressively decreasing loads and measuring the load cell deflection for each prolonged load.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of applying the prolonged decreasing load curve or the prolonged increasing load curve to the measured load cell deflection further comprising the step of:

a. retrieving the prolonged decreasing load curve or the prolonged increasing load curve from a memory.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the load cell is disposed in a vehicle, and wherein the step of applying the selected prolonged increasing load curve or the prolonged decreasing load curve to the measured load cell deflection further comprising the step of:

a. retrieving the prolonged increasing load curve or the prolonged decreasing load curve from memory stored in a processor in the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of applying the prolonged increasing load curve or the prolonged decreasing load curves further comprising the step of:

a. retrieving the prolonged increasing load curve or the prolonged decreasing load curve from a memory stored in the load cell itself.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

a. compensating for temperature changes in the load cell by applying a temperature formula to the measured load cell deflection, the temperature formula correlating the temperature of the load cell with the measured deflection of the load cell under various loading conditions.

14. A method of correcting for errors in a load cell, comprising the steps of:

a. measuring load cell deflection under increasing loads;

i. determining an increasing load curve;

b. measuring load cell deflection under decreasing loads;

i. determining a decreasing load curve;

c. calibrating the load cell by:

i. measuring load cell deflection under a prolonged load and using this measurement to determine;

1. a prolonged increasing load curve;

2. a prolonged decreasing load curve; and

d. determining a measured load cell deflection after one of, either;

i. increasing the load on the load cell; or

ii. decreasing the load on the load cell;

e. calculating a corrected load cell deflection by applying the measured load cell deflection to, either;

i. the increasing load curve in the event that the determining step occurred after increasing the load on the cell; or

ii. the decreasing load curve in the event that the determining step occurred after decreasing the load on the cell;

f. correcting for errors in the load cell by applying the corrected load cell deflection to;

i. either the prolonged increasing load curve in the event that the determining step occurred after increasing the load on the cell; or

ii. the prolonged decreasing load curve in the event that the determining step occurred after decreasing the load on the cell;

g. thereby determining a corrected load and thus compensating for error in the load cell related to increasing or decreasing loads and prolonged load.