Interface electronics for piezoelectric devices

• US 20040046484A1
• Filed: 09/04/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Triad Sensors Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Triad Sensors Incorporated
• Inventors: Schiller, Peter J.
• Application Number:
  US10/655,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20040046484A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/317
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/302 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/802 Drive or control circuitry or methods for piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for improving the performance of piezoelectric devices and interface electronics for the piezoelectric devices, wherein an electrical field bias is applied to a piezoelectric material during a normal operation of the piezoelectric devices.

Claims

1. A method of operating a piezoelectric device capable of reducing an effect of a piezoelectric material, comprising the steps of:

connecting an electrical field bias to the piezoelectric device; and

applying the electrical field bias to the piezoelectric device during an operation of the piezoelectric device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric device is a piezoelectric sensor element, and the step of applying the electrical field bias comprises connecting a voltage bias to the piezoelectric sensor element through a circuit impedance component.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric device is a piezoelectric actuator element, and the step of applying the electrical field bias comprises adding a voltage bias to an electrical actuation signal.

4. An electrical circuit for amplifying a voltage output of a piezoelectric sensor, comprising:

a voltage amplifier for generating an electrical signal output proportional to the voltage output of the piezoelectric sensor; and

a bias network that applies an electrical field bias to the piezoelectric sensor.

5. The electrical circuit of claim 4 wherein the bias network is comprised of a circuit impedance component connected to a voltage bias.

6. An electrical circuit for amplifying the voltage outputs of a plurality of piezoelectric sensors, comprising:

a voltage amplifier for generating an electrical signal output proportional to difference of the voltage outputs of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors; and

a bias network that applies an electrical field bias to the plurality of piezoelectric sensors.

7. The electrical circuit of claim 6 wherein the bias network is comprised of circuit impedance components connected to a voltage bias.

8. An electrical circuit for amplifying a charge output of a piezoelectric sensor, comprising:

a charge amplifier for generating an electrical signal output proportional to the charge output of the piezoelectric sensor; and

a bias network that applies an electrical field bias to the piezoelectric sensor.

9. The electrical circuit of claim 8 wherein the bias network is comprised of a circuit impedance component connected to a voltage bias.

10. An electrical circuit for amplifying charge outputs of a plurality of piezoelectric sensors, comprising:

a charge amplifier for generating an electrical signal output proportional to difference of the charge outputs of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors; and

a bias network that applies an electrical field bias to the plurality of piezoelectric sensors.

11. The electrical circuit of claim 10 wherein the bias network is comprised of circuit impedance components connected to a voltage bias.

12. An electrical circuit for driving a piezoelectric actuator, comprising:

a primary driver circuit for generating an actuation signal output and a secondary driver circuit for generating an electrical field bias.

13. A piezoelectric sensor device capable of reducing an effect of a piezoelectric material, comprising an electrical circuit for sensing and amplifying an output of the piezoelectric sensor device.

14. The piezoelectric sensor device of claim 13, wherein the piezoelectric material is a thin-film piezoelectric material.

15. A piezoelectric actuator device capable of reducing an effect of a piezoelectric material, comprising an electrical circuit for driving the actuator device to generate an actuation signal output and an electrical field bias.

16. The piezoelectric actuator device of claim 15, wherein the piezoelectric material is a thin-film piezoelectric material.