Monitoring system and method
First Claim
1. A monitoring system comprising a first, piezoelectric device which is subject to a force to be monitored, and a second device for determining the first device'"'"'s output and for correlating the first device'"'"'s output with the force, the second device including a sweep signal generator for causing a sweeping signal to be applied to the first device and an impedance determining circuit for causing the impedance of the first device to the applied swept signal to be determined.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system including piezoelectric material wherein a force exerted on the piezoelectric material is determined by subjecting the piezoelectric material to an input signal of sweeping frequency and evaluating the response of the piezoelectric material to the applied signal.
-
Citations
77 Claims
- 1. A monitoring system comprising a first, piezoelectric device which is subject to a force to be monitored, and a second device for determining the first device'"'"'s output and for correlating the first device'"'"'s output with the force, the second device including a sweep signal generator for causing a sweeping signal to be applied to the first device and an impedance determining circuit for causing the impedance of the first device to the applied swept signal to be determined.
- 33. A monitoring system comprising a first, piezoelectric device which is subject to a force to be monitored, and a second device for determining the first device'"'"'s output and for correlating the first device'"'"'s output with the force, the second device including a signal generator for causing a signal to be applied to the first device and an impedance determining circuit for causing the impedance of the first device to the applied signal to be determined, and the first device including a coaxial cable including a center conductor, a shield, and a piezoelectric material between the center conductor and shield.
- 42. A monitoring method comprising providing a first, piezoelectric device which is subject to a force to be monitored, determining the first device'"'"'s output, and correlating the first device'"'"'s output with the force, determining the first device'"'"'s output including providing a sweep signal generator for causing a sweeping signal to be applied to the first device and providing an impedance determining circuit for causing the impedance of the first device to the swept applied signal to be determined.
-
57. A monitoring method comprising providing a first, piezoelectric device which is subject to a force to be monitored, determining the first device'"'"'s output, and correlating the first device'"'"'s output with the force;
- wherein determining the first device'"'"'s output comprises providing a switch having a first state when the force applied to the first device is being modulated and a second state when the force applied to the first device is not being modulated, providing a signal generator for causing a signal to be applied to the first device, and providing an impedance determining circuit for causing the impedance of the first device to the applied signal to be determined.
- View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
-
68. A monitoring method comprising providing a first, piezoelectric device which is subject to a force to be monitored, determining the first device'"'"'s output, and correlating the first device'"'"'s output with the force;
- determining the first device'"'"'s output including providing a signal generator for causing a signal to be applied to the first device and providing an impedance determining circuit for causing the impedance of the first device to the applied signal to be determined; and
wherein providing a first device includes providing a coaxial cable including a center conductor, a shield, and a piezoelectric material between the center conductor and shield. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
- determining the first device'"'"'s output including providing a signal generator for causing a signal to be applied to the first device and providing an impedance determining circuit for causing the impedance of the first device to the applied signal to be determined; and
-
76. A monitoring system comprising:
-
a piezoelectric device which is subject to static forces whose magnitude is to be monitored;
a voltage source providing variable frequency sweep signals to the piezoelectric device; and
a second device determining the reactance of the piezoelectric device from the piezoelectric device response to the variable frequency sweep signals and determining the magnitude of the static force from the reactance.
-
-
77. A monitoring method comprising:
-
providing a piezoelectric device which is subject to static forces whose magnitude is to be monitored;
providing variable frequency sweep signals;
applying variable frequency sweep signals to the piezoelectric device;
determining the reactance of the piezoelectric device from the piezoelectric device response to the variable frequency sweep signals; and
determining the magnitude of the static force from the determined reactance.
-
Specification