Application specific integrated circuitry for controlling analysis of a fluid
First Claim
1. A system for sensing characteristics of a fluid, comprising:
- a tuning fork configured to be at least partially submerged in a fluid under-test; and
an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the ASIC including, analog input/output circuitry for providing stimulus to the tuning fork and receiving a response signal from the tuning fork;
conditioning circuitry for reducing analog signal offsets in the response signal;
signal detection circuitry for identifying amplitude data of the response signal;
analog-to-digital conversion circuitry for converting the detected amplitude data into digital form; and
memory for holding user defined data, wherein the digital form of the response signal is processed in conjunction with the user defined data to generate fluid characteristics of the fluid under-test.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A circuit for determining characteristics of a fluid under-test is provided. The circuit includes analog-to-digital processing circuitry for interfacing with a sensor and host electronics. The analog-to-digital processing circuitry includes a frequency generator for providing stimulus to the sensor and receiving a response signal from the sensor. Conditioning circuitry for reducing analog signal offsets in the response signal and signal detection circuitry for identifying amplitude data of the response signal are provided. Further provided is analog-to-digital conversion circuitry for converting the detected amplitude data into digital form. Memory for holding calibration data and approximated fluid characteristics of the fluid under-test is included in the circuitry. The digital form of the response signal is processed in conjunction with the calibration data and approximated fluid characteristics to generate fluid characteristics of the actual fluid under-test.
35 Citations
58 Claims
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1. A system for sensing characteristics of a fluid, comprising:
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a tuning fork configured to be at least partially submerged in a fluid under-test; and
an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the ASIC including, analog input/output circuitry for providing stimulus to the tuning fork and receiving a response signal from the tuning fork;
conditioning circuitry for reducing analog signal offsets in the response signal;
signal detection circuitry for identifying amplitude data of the response signal;
analog-to-digital conversion circuitry for converting the detected amplitude data into digital form; and
memory for holding user defined data, wherein the digital form of the response signal is processed in conjunction with the user defined data to generate fluid characteristics of the fluid under-test. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A circuit for determining characteristics of a fluid under-test, comprising:
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analog-to-digital processing circuitry for interfacing with a sensor and host electronics, the analog-to-digital processing circuitry including, a frequency generator for providing stimulus to the sensor;
conditioning circuitry for receiving a response signal from the sensor and reducing analog signal offsets in the response signal;
signal detection circuitry for identifying amplitude data of the response signal;
analog-to-digital conversion circuitry for converting the detected amplitude data into digital form; and
memory capable of holding data characterizing the sensor, wherein the digital form of the response signal is processed to generate fluid characteristics of the fluid under-test. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for interfacing with a mechanical sensor to obtain characteristics of a fluid under-test, the mechanical sensor being at least partially submerged in the fluid under-test, the method comprising:
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applying a variable frequency signal to the sensor;
receiving a frequency response from the sensor;
conditioning the frequency response;
detecting signal components of the frequency response;
converting the frequency response to digital form, the digital form being representative of the frequency response received from the sensor;
fetching first calibration variables from memory, the first calibration variables defining physical characteristics of the sensor;
fetching second calibration variables from memory, the second calibration variables defining characteristics of the sensor in a known fluid; and
processing the digital form of the response received from the sensor when in the fluid under-test along with the fetched first and second calibration variables, the processing implementing a fitting algorithm to produce fluid characteristics of the fluid under-test. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for interfacing with a tuning fork to obtain characteristics of a fluid under-test, the tuning fork being at least partially submerged in the fluid under-test, the method comprising:
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applying a variable frequency signal to the tuning fork;
receiving a frequency response from the tuning fork;
conditioning the frequency response;
detecting at least one signal component of the frequency response;
converting the frequency response to digital form, the digital form being representative of the frequency response received from the tuning fork;
fetching calibration variables for the tuning fork; and
processing the digital form of the response received from the tuning fork when in the fluid under-test along with the fetched calibration variables, the processing implementing a fitting algorithm to produce fluid characteristics of the fluid under-test. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 58)
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54. A method for interfacing with a tuning fork to obtain characteristics of a fluid under-test as recited in claim 553, wherein the variable frequency signal is less than 100 kHz.
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57. An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for processing signals used to determine characteristics of a fluid under-test, the ASIC being in communication with a tuning fork designed to operate a frequency that is less than 100 kHz, comprising:
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circuitry for communicating a frequency signal to the tuning fork;
circuitry for processing the a response signal received from the tuning fork into digital form;
circuitry for storing calibration data for the tuning fork;
circuitry for executing a fitting algorithm to ascertain characteristics of the fluid-under-test, the executing utilizing the calibration data; and
circuitry for interfacing the ASIC circuitry that is external to the ASIC.
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Specification