The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 23, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 02, 1998
Jian-Qun Wu, Houston, TX (US);
Kevin F. Didden, Wallingford, CT (US);
Alan D. Kersey, S. Glastonbury, CT (US);
Phillip E. Pruett, Bakersfield, CA (US);
Arthur D. Hay, Cheshire, CT (US);
CiDRA Corporation, Wallingford, CT (US);
Abstract
A quartz sensing system includes a quartz sensor, an electromechanical converter, an optical source, an optical fiber and a signal processor. The quartz sensor responds to a pressure, and further responds to an electrical power signal, for providing a quartz sensor electrical signal containing information about the pressure. The electromechanical converter responds to the quartz sensor signal, for providing an electromechanical converter force containing information about the sensed voltage or current signal. The optical source for provides an optical source signal. The optical fiber responds to the electromechanical converter force, for changing an optical parameter or characteristic of the optical source signal depending on the change in length of the optical fiber and providing an electromechanical converter optical signal containing information about the electromechanical converter force. The signal processor responds to the electromechanical converter optical signal, for providing a signal processor signal containing information about the pressure. In one embodiment, the electromechanical converter includes a piezoelectric or magnetostrictive transducer that responds to the quartz sensor signal, for providing an piezoelectric or magnetostrictive transducer force containing information about the quartz sensor signal. In another embodiment, the electromechanical converter includes an acoustic transducer and a piezoelectric or magnetostrictive transducer. The acoustic transducer responds to the quartz sensor signal, for providing an acoustic transducer wave containing information about the quartz sensor signal. The piezoelectric or magnetostrictive transducer responds to the acoustic transducer wave, for providing a piezoelectric or magnetostrictive transducer force containing information about the acoustic transducer wave.