Energy field sensor using summing means
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sensing a disturbance within a sensing region, comprising:
- an emitting means for emitting a field of energy, said field of energy being disturbed by a change in said sensing region;
sensing means for receiving energy from the emitted field of energy to produce a corresponding sensing signal;
signal generation means for producing an electrical signal complementary in nature to the sensing signal that includes a digital to analog converter means for digital control of the amplitude of the electrical signal complementary to the sensing signal;
summing means for adding the sensing signal and the electrical signal complementary to the sensing signal to create a summation signal whose amplitude is less than the sensing signal or opposite in polarity to the sensing signal; and
detection means responsive to the summation signal to create a detection signal indicative of an energy field disturbance, such means including a conversion means to translate the detection signal to a digital signal proportionate to the level of the detection signal.
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Abstract
An energy field disturbance sensor comprises an energy field emission means such as a light emitting diode; the emitted field may contain a time-varying component. An energy sensing device such as a photodiode receives the field energy to produce a sensing signal related to the intensity of the emitted field and any disturbance therein. A second signal complementary to the sensed signal is added in a summing junction to the sensing signal to create a summation signal. If the emitted energy field contains a time-varying component, a detection circuit is used to sample the summation signal to convert the summation signal to a proportional detection signal. An analog to digital converter converts the detection signal to a digital form. Digital processing circuitry modulates the amplitude of the complementary signal or the intensity of the energy field according to the desired mode of operation, and in accordance with the behavior of the digital detection signal and external control signals. The circuitry is capable of creating a null condition in the detection signal when the received amplitude of the energy field is such that when added to the complementary signal a cancellation effect occurs; the null condition may be transient or continuous in nature depending on the mode of operation and the nature of the field disturbance.
203 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sensing a disturbance within a sensing region, comprising:
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an emitting means for emitting a field of energy, said field of energy being disturbed by a change in said sensing region; sensing means for receiving energy from the emitted field of energy to produce a corresponding sensing signal; signal generation means for producing an electrical signal complementary in nature to the sensing signal that includes a digital to analog converter means for digital control of the amplitude of the electrical signal complementary to the sensing signal; summing means for adding the sensing signal and the electrical signal complementary to the sensing signal to create a summation signal whose amplitude is less than the sensing signal or opposite in polarity to the sensing signal; and detection means responsive to the summation signal to create a detection signal indicative of an energy field disturbance, such means including a conversion means to translate the detection signal to a digital signal proportionate to the level of the detection signal. - View Dependent Claims (5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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2. An apparatus for sensing a disturbance within a sensing region, comprising:
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an emitting means for emitting a time-varying field of energy, said field of energy being disturbed when a change in condition occurs in said sensing region; sensing means for receiving energy from the emitted field of energy to produce a corresponding time-varying sensing signal; signal generation means for producing an electrical time-varying signal complementary in nature to the sensing signal that includes a digital to analog converter means for digital control of the amplitude of the time-varying signal complementary to the sensing signal; summing means for adding the sensing signal and the electrical time-varying signal complementary to the sensing signal to create a summation signal whose time-varying amplitude portion is less than the sensing signal or opposite in polarity to the sensing signal; and detection means responsive to the time-varying portion of the summation signal to create a detection signal indicative of an energy field disturbance, such means including a conversion means to translate the detection signal to a digital signal proportionate to the level of the detection signal. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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3. An apparatus for sensing a disturbance within a sensing region, comprising:
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an emitting means for emitting a field of energy; control means to adjust the amplitude of the emitted field of energy; sensing means for receiving energy from the emitted field to produce a corresponding electrical sensing signal; signal generation means for producing an electrical signal complementary in nature to the sensing signal; summing means for adding the electrical sensing signal and the electrical signal complementary to the sensing signal to create a summation signal whose amplitude is less than the sensing signal or opposite in polarity to the sensing signal; and detection means responsive to the summation signal to create a detection signal indicative of an energy field disturbance. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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4. An apparatus for sensing a disturbance within a sensing region, comprising:
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an emitting means for emitting a time-varying field of energy that is subject to being disturbed; control means to adjust the amplitude of the emitted time-varying field of energy; sensing means for receiving energy from the emitted field to produce a corresponding time-varying electrical sensing signal; signal generation means for producing a time-varying electrical signal complementary in nature to the sensing signal; summing means for adding the electrical sensing signal and the electrical signal complementary to the sensing signal to create a summation signal whose time-varying amplitude portion is less than the sensing signal or opposite in polarity to the sensing signal; and detecting means responsive to the time-varying portion of the summation signal to create a detection signal capable of indicating an energy field disturbance.
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14. A method for sensing a disturbance within a region comprising:
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generating a radiated field of energy that is subject to being disturbed by objects within the region; sensing of the radiated field of energy to produce a signal related to the received energy from the radiated field; generating an electrical signal complementary to the signal resulting from the sensing of the radiated field; generating a detection signal proportional to the sum of the signal related to the received energy from the radiated field and the electrical complementary signal, the sum and detection signal having a null or minimum condition; adjusting the amplitude of the electrical complementary signal to alter the degree of field disturbance required to achieve a null or minimum condition, the adjustment being performed digitally. - View Dependent Claims (15, 19, 20)
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16. A method for sensing a disturbance within a region comprising:
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generating a radiated field of energy that is disturbed by objects with the region; sensing of the radiated field of energy to produce a signal related to the received energy from the radiated field; generating an electrical signal complementary to the signal resulting from the sensing of the radiated field; generating a detection signal proportional to the sum of the signal related to the received energy from the radiated field and the complementary signal, the detection signal having a null or minimum condition; and adjusting the intensity of the radiated field of energy to alter the degree of field disturbance required to achieve a null or minimum condition. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification