Sigmasense, Llc.

Other

Qualcomm Incorporated

Phuong Huynh

Daniel Keith Van Ostrand

Patrick Troy Gray

John Christopher Price

Richard Stuart Seger, Jr

Michael Shawn Gray

Timothy W Markison

Gerald Dale Morrison

Kevin Joseph Derichs

Hans Howard Eilers

Sarah Marie Derichs

Patricia Markison Healy

Michael Frederick David Olley

Charles Edward Wheatley

Gabriel Isaac Mayo

Patricia A Markison

A device operative to transfer power and communicate wirelessly includes a drive-sense circuit (DSC), memory that stores operational instructions, and processing module(s). The DSC generates a drive signal based on a reference signal and provides the drive signal to a first coil via a single line and via a resonating capacitor, and simultaneously senses the drive signal via the single line, to facilitate electromagnetic coupling to a second coil to transfer power wirelessly to another device. The DSC also detects electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal including whether a communication signal is transmitted from another device and generates a digital signal representative thereof. The processing module(s) generates the reference signal, processes the digital signal including to determine whether the communication signal is transmitted from the other device to the device and appropriately processes the digital signal to interpret control information of the communication signal to adapt the reference signal.

Wireless power transfer and communications

An organic and inorganic material test system includes at least one test container, a first and second set of electrodes embedded in the at least one test container, a set of transmit circuits coupled to the first set of electrodes, and a set of differential drive-sense circuits (DDSCs) coupled to the second set of electrodes. A first transmit circuit coupled to a first electrode is operable to produce a first transmit signal at a first frequency for transmission through contents of a first test container. A first DDSC coupled to a second electrode of the first test container includes a pair of drive-sense circuits (DSCs) and an output operational amplifier. The pair of DSCs are operable to generate receive signals at the first frequency. The output operational amplifier compares receive signals to produce a signal representative of the contents with respect to positioning of the first and second electrodes.

Organic and/or inorganic material test system using differential drive-sense circuits

An analog to digital converter (ADC) senses an analog signal (e.g., a load current) to generate a digital signal. The ADC operates based on a load voltage produced based on charging of an element (e.g., a capacitor) by a load current and a digital to analog converter (DAC) output current (e.g., from a N-bit DAC). The ADC generates a digital output signal representative of a difference between the load voltage and a reference voltage. This digital output signal is used directly, or after digital signal processing, to operate an N-bit DAC to generate a DAC output current that tracks the load current. The digital output signal provided to the N-bit DAC is an inverse function of the load current. The ADC is operative to sense very low currents (e.g., currents as low as is of pico-amps) and consume very little power (e.g., less than 2 μW).

Companding analog current to digital converter

A current reference operative drive-sense circuit (DSC) includes a current source operably coupled to a load and a voltage-mode analog to digital converter (ADC). When enabled, the current source is configured to drive a sinusoidal current reference signal to the load thereby generating a load voltage that is based on the sinusoidal current reference signal and an impedance of the load. The voltage-mode ADC is operably coupled the load and to the current source. When enabled, the voltage-mode ADC configured to perform digital sampling of the load voltage and to generate a digital signal that is representative of the load voltage. In some implementations, one or more processing modules is configured to execute operational instructions to process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage in accordance with determining impedance of the load and/or change of impedance of the load.

Current reference operative drive-sense circuit (dsc) with voltage amplifier

An impedance sensing circuit includes first and second current sources and first and second bias current sources that are appropriately coupled to first and second resistors. The impedance sensing circuit also includes a comparator that compares a first voltage based on the first terminal of the first resistor to a second voltage based on the first terminal of the second resistor to generate a comparator output signal. Either the comparator output signal or a digital signal based on the comparator output signal operates to regulate the current signals output from the first and second current sources so that the first voltage is same as the second voltage. The comparator output signal and the digital signal is representative of a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage that is based on an impedance difference between the first resistor and the second resistor.

Wheatstone bridge high accuracy impedance sensing circuit with increased signal to noise ratio (SNR)

A batteryless wireless sensor system includes a data acquisition system, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a batteryless wireless sensor device. The RF transceiver is in communication with the data acquisition system, transmits a RF signal, and receives sensor data and provide the sensor data to the data acquisition system. The batteryless wireless sensor device includes a RF transmitter, an analog to digital converter (ADC), and a sensor. The batteryless wireless sensor harvests energy from the RF signal and generates a DC signal based on the energy harvested from the RF signal, powers up and operates the ADC and the sensor based on the DC signal, and generates sensor data. The batteryless wireless sensor then transmits the sensor data via the RF transmitter to the RF transceiver. In certain examples, the ADC is implemented as a current mode ADC.

Transceiver operative as energy harvesting source and data collector within batteryless wireless sensor system

A channel driver circuit includes a differential module and a driver module. In some examples, the channel driver circuit also includes a sigma-delta module. The differential module receives, via a single node of a load, a channel driving signal that is provided to the load at the single node (e.g., that is based on an electrical characteristic of the load) and generates an analog error signal that is based on the channel driving signal and a reference signal. The driver module is coupled to the differential module and generates the channel driving signal based on the analog error signal or a digital error signal corresponding to the analog error signal and transmits the channel driving signal via the single node to the load. The channel driver circuit simultaneously transmits the channel driving signal to the load at the single node and senses the channel driving signal at the single node.

Analog front end channel driver circuit

A method includes transmitting, by a set of drive-sense circuits of a plurality of drive-sense circuits of a test system, a set of electrode signals on a set of test container electrodes of a test container of a test container array of the test system. The test container contains a content. The method further includes generating, by the set of drive-sense circuits, a set of sensed signals. The method further includes interpreting, by a processing module of the test system, the set of sensed signals as a plurality of impedance values and generating an impedance map based on the plurality of impedance values and with respect to positioning of the set of test container electrodes. The impedance map is representative of electrical characteristics of the content.

Biological test system data processing

A test system includes a test container array including a plurality of test containers, and a plurality of electrodes integrated into the test container array. The test system further includes a plurality of drive-sense circuits coupled to the plurality of electrodes. When enabled, and when the test container contains a content, the set of drive-sense circuits transmit a set of electrode signals on the set of electrodes and generate a set of sensed signals. The test system further includes a processing module that includes a bandpass filter circuit operable to convert a sensed signal of the set of sensed signals to a filtered signal of a set of filtered signals and a frequency interpreter operable to convert the set of filtered signals into a set of impedance values, where the set of impedance values are representative of electrical characteristics of the content.

Data processing module of a biological test system

A capacitive touch screen display operates by: receiving a plurality of sensed signals indicating variations in mutual capacitance associated with a plurality of cross points formed by a plurality of electrodes; generating capacitance image data associated with the plurality of cross points that includes positive capacitance variation data corresponding to positive variations of the capacitance image data from a nominal value and negative capacitance variation data corresponding to negative variations of the capacitance image data from the nominal value; determining, based on the positive capacitance variation data and the negative capacitance variation data, an upper threshold and a lower threshold; generating compensated capacitance image data, based on the upper threshold and the lower threshold; and processing the compensated capacitance image data to determine a proximal condition of the touch screen display.

Compensated enhanced capacitance touch screen display and methods for use therewith

A method includes providing, by a signal source circuit of a sensing circuit, a signal to a sensor via a conductor. When the sensor is exposed to a condition and is receiving the signal, an electrical characteristic of the sensor affects the signal. The signal includes at least one of: a direct current (DC) component and an oscillating component. When the sensing circuit is in a noisy environment, transient noise couples with the signal to produce a noisy signal. The method further includes comparing, by a transient circuit of the sensing circuit, the noisy signal with a representation of the noisy signal. When the noisy signal compares unfavorably with the representation of the noisy signal, supplying, by the transient circuit, a compensation signal to the conductor. A level of the compensation signal corresponds to a level at which the noisy signal compares unfavorably with the representation of the noisy signal.

Drive sense circuit

A high resolution analog to digital converter (ADC) with improved bandwidth senses an analog signal (e.g., a load current) to generate a digital signal. The ADC operates based on a load voltage produced based on charging of an element (e.g., a capacitor) by a load current and a digital to analog converter (DAC) output current (e.g., from a N-bit DAC). The ADC generates a digital output signal representative of a difference between the load voltage and a reference voltage. This digital output signal is used directly, or after digital signal processing, to operate an N-bit DAC to generate a DAC output current that tracks the load current. In addition, quantization noise is subtracted from the digital output signal thereby extending the operational bandwidth of the ADC. In certain examples, the operational bandwidth of the ADC extends up to 100s of kHz (e.g., 200-300 kHz), or even higher.

Growing community of inventors

Fairfax Station, VA, United States of America

Phuong Huynh