METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTRA-BODY ULTRASOUND COMMUNICATION
First Claim
1. An implantable system comprising:
- a first ultrasonic transducer configured to receive an intra-body ultrasonic amplitude-modulated (AM) signal provided by a second implantable ultrasonic transducer and configured to convert the ultrasonic AM signal to a first electrical signal having a first frequency; and
an ultrasonic receiver, coupled to the first ultrasonic transducer, configured to receive the first electrical signal and generate a digital output associated with the ultrasonic signal, the ultrasonic receiver including;
a local oscillator configured to generate a second electrical signal having a second frequency;
a mixer coupled to the local oscillator, configured to mix the received electrical signal and the second electrical signal and generate a demodulated signal;
a filter coupled to the mixer, configured to pass a first portion of the demodulated signal having a frequency range with a center frequency equal to the difference between the first frequency and the second frequency; and
a detector coupled to the filter and configured to receive the first portion of the demodulated signal, the detector including;
a peak detector configured to determine a peak amplitude of the first portion of the demodulated signal received from the filter over a time interval and to determine a noise floor and use the noise floor to dynamically adjust the maximum sensitivity of the detector;
a threshold generator to generate a dynamic signal tracking threshold that starts at a value that is proportional to the first portion of the demodulated signal that then exponentially decays over a time interval; and
a comparator to compare the peak amplitude and the dynamic signal tracking threshold and generate the digital output based on the difference.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An intra-body ultrasonic signal can be converted into a first electrical signal, a local oscillator signal can be generated in an implantable system. The first electrical signal and the local oscillator signal can be mixed in an implantable system, such as to generate a demodulated signal, processed, such as using a filter. The filtered, demodulated signal can be further processed, such as implantably determining a peak amplitude of the first portion of the demodulated signal received from the filter over a time interval, implantably generating a dynamic tracking threshold that starts at an amplitude proportional the first portion of the demodulated signal and exponentially decays over a time interval, and determining a noise floor in the absence of a received intra-body ultrasonic signal and implantably comparing the peak amplitude and the tracking threshold and generate the digital output based on the difference.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An implantable system comprising:
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a first ultrasonic transducer configured to receive an intra-body ultrasonic amplitude-modulated (AM) signal provided by a second implantable ultrasonic transducer and configured to convert the ultrasonic AM signal to a first electrical signal having a first frequency; and an ultrasonic receiver, coupled to the first ultrasonic transducer, configured to receive the first electrical signal and generate a digital output associated with the ultrasonic signal, the ultrasonic receiver including; a local oscillator configured to generate a second electrical signal having a second frequency; a mixer coupled to the local oscillator, configured to mix the received electrical signal and the second electrical signal and generate a demodulated signal; a filter coupled to the mixer, configured to pass a first portion of the demodulated signal having a frequency range with a center frequency equal to the difference between the first frequency and the second frequency; and a detector coupled to the filter and configured to receive the first portion of the demodulated signal, the detector including; a peak detector configured to determine a peak amplitude of the first portion of the demodulated signal received from the filter over a time interval and to determine a noise floor and use the noise floor to dynamically adjust the maximum sensitivity of the detector; a threshold generator to generate a dynamic signal tracking threshold that starts at a value that is proportional to the first portion of the demodulated signal that then exponentially decays over a time interval; and a comparator to compare the peak amplitude and the dynamic signal tracking threshold and generate the digital output based on the difference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for intra-body communication, comprising:
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implantably converting an intra-body ultrasonic signal to a first electrical signal having a first frequency; implantably generating a local oscillator signal, at a second frequency; implantably mixing the first electrical signal and the local oscillator signal to generate a demodulated signal; implantably filtering the demodulated signal to pass a first portion of the demodulated signal having a frequency range with a center frequency equal to the difference between the first frequency and the second frequency; implantably determining a maximum peak amplitude of the first portion of the demodulated signal; implantably generating a dynamic tracking threshold that includes a first portion having an amplitude proportional to the amplitude of the demodulated signal and a second portion where the amplitude exponentially decays over a time interval; implantably determining and establishing a programmable noise floor in the absence of a received intra-body ultrasonic signal; implantably comparing the maximum peak amplitude and the dynamic tracking threshold and generating a digital output based on the difference between the maximum peak amplitude and the dynamic tracking threshold; and implantably limiting the maximum peak amplitude to prevent a sudden large peak which inhibits detection of subsequent peaks. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification