Signal measurement and processing method and apparatus
First Claim
1. Apparatus for generating an output dependant upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the apparatus comprising:
- a load component having a known impedance or at least one component thereof for connection in series with said device;
a signal generating arrangement for generating an electrical signal for application to the series connected load component and device;
a measurement channel for measuring voltages;
a switch arrangement connected to said measurement channel for switching the measurement channel to sequentially measure a first voltage on a first side of said load component, and one of a second voltage on a second side of said load component or a voltage difference across said load component; and
a processing arrangement connected to said measurement channel for processing the sequentially measured voltages to generate an output dependant upon said impedance or said at least one component of impedance of said device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for generating an output dependent upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device comprises a load component having a known impedance or component thereof for connection in series with said device; a measurement channel for measuring voltages; a switch arrangement connected to said measurement channel for switching the measurement channel to sequentially measure a first voltage on a first side of said load component and a second voltage on a second side of said load component or a voltage difference across said load component; a processing arrangement connected to said measurement channel for processing the sequentially measured voltages to generate an output dependent upon said impedance or at least one component of the impedance of said device; and a signal generating arrangement for generating an electrical signal for application to the series connected load component and device.
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Citations
79 Claims
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1. Apparatus for generating an output dependant upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the apparatus comprising:
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a load component having a known impedance or at least one component thereof for connection in series with said device;
a signal generating arrangement for generating an electrical signal for application to the series connected load component and device;
a measurement channel for measuring voltages;
a switch arrangement connected to said measurement channel for switching the measurement channel to sequentially measure a first voltage on a first side of said load component, and one of a second voltage on a second side of said load component or a voltage difference across said load component; and
a processing arrangement connected to said measurement channel for processing the sequentially measured voltages to generate an output dependant upon said impedance or said at least one component of impedance of said device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of generating an output dependent upon tie impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the method comprising:
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connecting a load component having a known impedance or at least one component thereof in series with said device;
applying an electrical signal to said electrical arrangement to generate said parameters;
using a measurement channel to sequentially measure a first voltage on a first side of said load component, and one of a second voltage on a second side of said load component or a voltage difference across said load component; and
processing the sequentially measured voltages to generate an output dependent upon said impedance or at least one component of the impedance of said device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. Apparatus for generating an output dependent upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the apparatus comprising:
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a load component having a known impedance or at least one component thereof for connection in series with the device to allow for the measurement of a voltage drop across the load component;
a generator arrangement for applying a signal having a voltage to the series connected load component and device;
a measurement arrangement adapted to measure a first voltage one side of said load component, and one of a second voltage on the other side of said load component or a difference voltage comprising the voltage difference across said load device; and
a signal processing arrangement for processing the measurements to generate an output dependent upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of the device, wherein said processing arrangement is adapted to;
determine a first parameter indicative of the complex amplitude of the first voltage on a first side of said load component connected to said device, and a second parameter indicative of the complex amplitude of said difference voltage or a calculated difference voltage comprising the difference between the first and second voltages;
multiply each of the first and second determined parameters by the complex conjugate of the second determined parameter to generate third and fourth parameters respectively; and
compare said third and fourth parameters to generate an output or compare one or more components or derivatives of the third parameter and said fourth parameter to generate said output. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of generating an output dependent upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the method comprising:
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connecting a load component having a known impedance or at least one component of the impedance in series with the device to allow for the measurement of a voltage drop across the load component;
applying a signal having a voltage to the series connected load component and device;
measuring a first voltage one side of said load component, and a second voltage on the other side of said load component or a difference voltage comprising the voltage difference across said load device; and
processing the measurements to generating an output dependent upon the impedance or at least one component thereof, wherein said processing comprises;
determining a first parameter indicative of the complex amplitude of the first voltage on a first side of said load component connected to said device, and a second parameter indicative of the complex amplitude of said difference voltage or a calculated difference voltage comprising the difference between the first and second voltages;
multiplying each of the first and second determined parameters by the complex conjugate of the second determined parameter to generate to and fourth parameters respectively; and
comparing said third and fourth parameters to generate said output or comparing one or more components or derivatives of the third parameter and said fourth parameter. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. Apparatus for generating an output in dependence upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the apparatus comprising:
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a load component having a known impedance or at least one component of impedance for connection in series with the device to allow for the measurement of a voltage drop across the load component;
a generator arrangement for applying a voltage signal to the series connected load component and device;
a measurement channel for measuring voltage;
a switch arrangement for switching the measurement channel to sequentially measure a first voltage one side of said load component and a second voltage on the other side of said load component or a difference voltage across said load component; and
a signal processing arrangement for processing the measurements to generate an output in dependence upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance.
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60. A method of generating an output in dependence upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the method comprising:
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connecting a load component having a known impedance or at least one component of the impedance in series with the device to allow for the measurement of a voltage drop across the load component;
applying a voltage signal to the series connected load component and device;
sequentially measuring a first voltage one side of said load component and a second voltage on the other side of said load component or a difference voltage across said load component using a measurement channel; and
processing the measurements to generate an output in dependence upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance.
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61. A method of calibrating apparatus for generating an output in dependence upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the apparatus including a load component having an unknown impedance or at least one component thereof, the method comprising:
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connecting a test load component having a known impedance or at least one component thereof to said apparatus in place of said device and in series with said load component;
applying a voltage signal across said series connected test load component and load component;
obtaining measurements indicative of the voltage across said test load component and current in said test load component;
processing the measurements to determine a value dependent upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of the load component; and
storing the determined value for later use in the generation of an output. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63)
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64. Apparatus for generating an output in dependence upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the apparatus comprising:
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a load component having a known impedance or at least one component thereof for connection in series with said device;
a generator arrangement for applying a voltage signal to said series connected load component and device;
a measurement arrangement adapted to measure the voltage across said device and a voltage drop across said load component to obtain a measurement of the current in said device;
a test load component having a known impedance or at least one component of the impedance for connection in place of said device and in series with said load component for calibration of said load component;
calibration processing means for processing the measurements when said test load component is connected in place of said device to determine and store a value dependent upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of the load component; and
signal processing means for processing said measurements when said device is connected to generate an output in dependence upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of said device using the stored value. - View Dependent Claims (65)
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66. A method of identifying a device having an impedance characteristic as a function of frequency, the method comprising:
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applying at least two frequency signals to said device;
obtaining measurements indicative of the voltage across said device and the current flowing though said device at said frequencies;
determining impedances for said device at said frequencies using said measurements; and
using said impedances to identify said device. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68)
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69. A method of identifying a device having an impedance characteristic as a function of frequency, the method comprising:
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applying at least two frequency signals to said device;
obtaining parameters indicative of the voltage across said device and the current flowing through said device at said frequencies; and
comparing said parameters for said device with parameters for at least one other device to identify said device.
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70. A proximity sensor for sensing the proximity of a target comprising:
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an electrical component for sensing the proximity of the target, said electrical component having electrical properties that vary with the proximity of the target;
a impedance component having a known impedance and a first end connected to a first end of said electrical component;
a switch connected to switch between said first end of said impedance component and a second end of said impedance component;
a signal generator connected to said second end of said impedance component for generating an electrical signal for application to the impedance component and electrical component;
an analogue-to-digital converter for receiving a digital signal and for generating a proximity signal, wherein said processor is adapted to control said switch to switch to connect to said first and second ends of said impedance component sequentially; and
a processor connected to the analogue-to-digital converter for receiving a digital voltage signal and for generating a proximity signal, wherein said processor is adapted to control said switch to switch to connect to said first and second ends of said impedance component sequentially. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72)
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73. Apparatus for generating an output dependent upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the apparatus comprising:
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a load component having a known impedance for connection in series with the device to allow for the measurement of a voltage drop across the load component;
a generator arrangement for applying a voltage to the series connected load component and device;
a measurement arrangement adapted to measure a first voltage one side of said load component, and a second voltage on the other side of said load component or a difference voltage comprising the voltage difference across said load device; and
a signal processing arrangement for processing the measurements to generate an output dependent upon the impedance of said device;
wherein said signal processing arrangement is adapted to monitor said measurements to detect fault conditions in said device and to output a warning output if a fault condition is detected. - View Dependent Claims (74)
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75. A method for generating an output dependent upon the impedance or at least one component of the impedance of a device, the method comprising:
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connecting a load component having a known impedance in series with the device to allow for the measurement of a voltage drop across the load component;
applying a voltage to the series connected load component and device;
measuring a first voltage one side of said load component, and a second voltage on the other side of said load component or a difference voltage comprising the voltage difference across said load device;
processing the measurements to generating an output dependent upon the impedance of said device;
monitoring said measurements to detect fault conditions in said device and outputting a warning output if a fault condition is detected. - View Dependent Claims (76)
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77. A method of identifying a device having an impedance characteristic as a function of frequency, the method comprising:
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applying at least two frequency signals to said device;
obtaining measurements indicative of the voltage across said device and the current flowing through said device at said frequencies;
processing said measurements in a multiplicative and non divisional manner to determine if a first factor related to the impedance or part of the impedance of the device at a first frequency has a predefined inequality relationship with a second factor related to the impedance or part of the impedance of the device at a second frequency, and identifying the device in dependence upon the predefined inequality relationship. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79)
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Specification