Sensor

• US 7,114,366 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2000
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Input/Output Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Input/Output Incorporated
• Inventors: Dupuie, Scott T., Mayo, Frank, Burchfield, Mark E., Blackburn, Jeffrey Allen, Zavaleta, Mauricio A., Abrams, Michael L., Maher, Roger, Devolk, Burton A., Broseghini, James, Jones, Ben, Johnson, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAYYAZ, NASHMIYA SAQIB
• Application Number:
  US09/936,630
• Time in Patent Office: 2,392 Days
• Field of Search: 73/13.7, 73/10.1, 736/49, 734/88, 737/00
• US Class Current: 73/1.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/131 with electrostatic counterbalancing means

Abstract

A system for acquiring environmental information measurements. The 5 system (100) utilize a sensor, (205) a front-end circuit, (310) a loop filter (315), a switch controller (206), and a reduced-order loop control circuit to provide reliable data measurements while providing robust system behavior. The system further includes a sensor simulator (330) for simulating the operation of the sensor (205) and testing the operation of the front-end circuit (310) and the loop filter (315).

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording environmental data measurements, comprising:

a sensor for detecting environmental data;

a controller for controlling the operation of the sensor, the operation of the sensor including a plurality of operation modes automatically selected by the controller, wherein the controller further comprises;

a front-end circuit coupled to the sensor;

a loop filter coupled to the front-end circuit;

a multiphase clock generator coupled to the front end circuit and the loop filter;

a startup sequencer coupled to the loop filter and the multiphase clock generator;

a sensor simulator for simulating the performance of the sensor coupled to the startup sequencer, the multiphase clock generator, and the front-end circuit; and

an overload detection device coupled to the loop filter and the startup sequencer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the startup sequencer is used at least in part to select a mode of operation of a feedback control system providing control to the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multiphase clock generator includes a digital signal generator;

and a data-independent clock resynchronization circuit coupled to the digital signal generator for resampling clock signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor simulator includes a sensor simulator filter adapted to receive one or more input signals and generate an output signal representative of an operating state of the sensor;

and an input signal selector operably coupled to the sensor simulator filter adapted to controllably select the one or more input signals as a function of a simulated operating state of the sensor.

5. A method for recording environmental data measurements, comprising:

detecting environmental data using a sensor;

controlling the operation of the sensor by automatically selecting one or more of a plurality of operation modes using a controller, wherein the controller includes a front-end circuit coupled to the sensor, a loop filter coupled to the front-end circuit, a multiphase clock generator coupled to the front end circuit and the loop filter, a startup sequencer coupled to the loop filter and the multiphase clock generator, an overload detection device coupled to the loop filter and the startup sequencer; and

simulating the performance of the sensor using a sensor simulator coupled to the startup sequencer, the multiphase clock generator, and the front-end circuit.

6. The method of claim 5 further including selecting a mode of operation of a feedback control system for recording environmental data measurements using in part the startup sequencer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the multiphase clock generator includes a digital signal generator;

and a data-independent clock resynchronization circuit coupled to the digital signal generator, the method further including resampling clock signals using the multiphase clock generator.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensor simulator includes a sensor simulator filter and an input signal selector operably coupled to the sensor simulator filter, the method including receiving one or more input signals and generating an output signal representative of an operating state of the sensor using the sensor simulator filter and controllably selecting the one or more input signals as a function of a simulated operating state of the sensor using the input signal selector.