SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACOUSTIC INFORMATION EXCHANGE INVOLVING AN INGESTIBLE LOW POWER CAPSULE
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Abstract
A method of communicating with an ingestible capsule includes detecting the location of the ingestible capsule, focusing a multi-sensor acoustic array on the ingestible capsule, and communicating an acoustic information exchange with the ingestible capsule via the multi-sensor acoustic array. The ingestible capsule includes a sensor that receives a stimulus inside the gastrointestinal tract of an animal, a bidirectional acoustic information communications module that transmits an acoustic information signal containing information from the sensor, and an acoustically transmissive encapsulation that substantially encloses the sensor and communications module, wherein the acoustically transmissive encapsulation is of ingestible size. The multi-sensor array includes a plurality of acoustic transducers that receive an acoustic signal from a movable device, and a plurality of delays, wherein each delay is coupled to a corresponding acoustic transducer. Each delay may be adjusted according to a phase of a signal received by the corresponding acoustic transducer.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1-9. -9. (canceled)
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10. A sensor array configured to communicate with a movable object, comprising:
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a plurality of acoustic transducers configured to receive an acoustic signal from the movable object; and a plurality of delays, each delay coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of acoustic transducers, wherein each delay is adjusted according to a phase of an information signal received by the corresponding acoustic transducer. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An ingestible capsule, comprising:
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a sensor that receives a stimulus inside the gastrointestinal tract of an animal; a bi-directional acoustic information communications module that transmits an acoustic information signal containing information from the sensor; and an acoustically transmissive encapsulation configured to have a size that is ingestible, wherein the acoustically transmissive encapsulation substantially encloses the sensor and communications module. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of transmitting information acoustically, comprising:
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applying a base voltage to a piezoelectric device to cause the piezoelectric device to ring at a drone frequency; applying a voltage higher than the base voltage to the piezoelectric device to cause the piezoelectric device to ring at a first frequency that is different from the drone frequency; and applying a voltage lower than the base voltage to the piezoelectric device to cause the piezoelectric device to ring at a second frequency that is different from the first frequency and the drone frequency, wherein the first frequency represents a “
1”
bit and the second frequency represents a “
0”
bit in the transmitted information signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification