SYSTEM FOR INTERFACING AN LC SENSOR, RELATED METHOD AND COMPUTERPROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20160139287A1
• Filed: 08/26/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: MANGANO, Daniele, CONDORELLI, Riccardo
• Granted Patent: US 10,168,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/10 using induction coils
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9525 controlled by an oscillatory signal H03K17/9537 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for interfacing an LC sensor includes a starter configured to selectively start an oscillation of the LC sensor. The system also includes an analog peak detector configured to determine a signal (V_peak) being indicative of a peak voltage of the oscillation of the LC sensor and a detector configured to determine a state of the LC sensor as a function of the signal (V_peak) determined by the analog peak detector.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A system for interfacing an LC sensor, the system comprising:

a starter configured to selectively start an oscillation of the LC sensor;

an analog peak detector to be coupled to the LC sensor and configured to determine a signal being indicative of a peak voltage of an oscillation of the LC sensor; and

a state detector configured to determine a state of the LC sensor as a function of the signal determined by said analog peak detector.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said analog peak detector comprises at least one diode and at least one storage capacitor coupled thereto.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said at least one storage capacitor has first and second terminals;

wherein said at least one diode has an anode to be coupled to the LC sensor and a cathode coupled to the first terminal of said at least one storage capacitor; and

wherein the second terminal of said at least one storage capacitor is coupled to a voltage reference.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein said analog peak detector comprises a capacitive voltage divider, such that said signal corresponds to a scaled down version of said peak voltage of the oscillation of the LC sensor.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said analog peak detector comprises at least one switch configured to selectively discharge said at least one storage capacitor.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein said analog peak detector comprises at least one switch to selectively enable or disable said analog peak detector.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said analog peak detector comprises a control circuit configured to enable said analog peak detector as a function of a voltage of the oscillation of the LC sensor.

23. The system according to claim 16, wherein said state detector comprises:

an analog-to-digital converter;

a digital processing unit coupled to the analog-to-digital converter; and

a comparator coupled to the digital processing unit and configured to compare said signal indicative of the peak voltage with at least one threshold value.

24. The system according to claim 16, wherein the LC sensor has a first and second terminals;

wherein said starter comprises at least one switch configured to selectively couple the first terminal of the LC sensor to a supply voltage, and wherein the second terminal of said LC sensor is coupled to said analog peak detector and reference voltage.

25. The system according to claim 16, wherein said starter and said analog peak detector are incorporated in an integrated circuit.

26. A system for interfacing a plurality of LC sensors, the system comprising:

a starter configured to start the oscillations of the plurality of LC sensor;

a plurality of analog peak detectors, wherein an analog peak detector to be coupled to each LC sensor and configured to determine signals being indicative of a peak voltage of an oscillation of a respective LC sensor; and

a state detector configured to determine states of the plurality of LC sensors as a function of the signals determined by said plurality of analog peak detectors.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said state detector comprises:

an analog-to-digital converter;

a digital processing unit coupled to the analog-to-digital converter; and

a comparator configured to compare said signals indicative of the peak voltage with at least one threshold value, and wherein said plurality of analog peak detectors provide said signals to the analog-to-digital converter or the comparator.

28. A method of interfacing an LC sensor comprising a starter configured to selectively start an oscillation of the LC sensor, an analog peak detector to be coupled to the LC sensor and configured to determine a signal being indicative of a peak voltage of an oscillation of the LC sensor, and a state detector configured to determine a state of the LC sensor as a function of the signal determined by the analog peak detector, the method comprising:

activating the starter to selectively start an oscillation of the LC sensor;

obtaining the signal being indicative of a peak voltage of the oscillation of the LC sensor from the analog peak detector; and

detecting the state of the LC sensor as a function of the signal determined by the analog peak detector.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising:

deactivating the starter once the analog peak detector has determined the peak voltage of the oscillation of the LC sensor; and

activating the detector once the analog peak detector has determined the peak voltage of the oscillation of the LC sensor.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium for performing steps of interfacing an LC sensor comprising a starter configured to selectively start an oscillation of the LC sensor, an analog peak detector to be coupled to the LC sensor and configured to determine a signal being indicative of a peak voltage of an oscillation of the LC sensor, and a state detector configured to determine a state of the LC sensor as a function of the signal determined by the analog peak detector, the steps comprising:

activating the starter to selectively start an oscillation of the LC sensor;

obtaining the signal being indicative of a peak voltage of the oscillation of the LC sensor from the analog peak detector; and

detecting the state of the LC sensor as a function of the signal determined by the analog peak detector.

31. the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, the steps further comprising:

deactivating the starter once the analog peak detector has determined the peak voltage of the oscillation of the LC sensor; and

activating the state detector once the analog peak detector has determined the peak voltage of the oscillation of the LC sensor.