Active sensor circuitry for operating at low power and low duty cycle while monitoring occurrence of anticipated event

• US 7,460,024 B1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ma, Wei, Bahai, Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US11/306,949
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 340/693.3, 340/10.5, 340/825.72, 738/611.8, 367/87, 367/93, 381/92
• US Class Current: 340/693.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range

Abstract

Active sensor circuitry for operating at low power and a low duty cycle while monitoring for an occurrence of an anticipated event.

Claims

1. An apparatus including active sensor circuitry for operating at low power and a low duty cycle while monitoring for an occurrence of an anticipated event, comprising:

early event detection circuitry responsive to external environmental stimuli and one or more control signals by providing a corresponding detected data signal indicative of whether at least a portion of said stimuli is related to an anticipated event, and including

a transducer responsive to said stimuli by providing a corresponding transducer signal, and

detection circuitry coupled to said transducer and responsive to said transducer signal and at least one of said one or more control signals by providing an intermediate signal and said detected data signal; and

control circuitry coupled to said early event detection circuitry and responsive to said intermediate signal by providing said one or more control signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

an assertion of said detected data signal is indicative of an occurrence of an anticipated event;

a de-assertion of said detected data signal is indicative of a non-occurrence of said anticipated event; and

said active sensor circuitry is operative in a plurality of operation modes, including higher and lower power modes in response to said assertion and de-assertion, respectively, of said detected data signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said detection circuitry comprises amplifier circuitry responsive to at least said transducer signal by providing said intermediate signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said detection circuitry further comprises analog-to-digital conversion circuitry coupled to said amplifier circuitry and responsive to at least one of said one or more control signals and said intermediate signal by providing said detected data signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising detection signal processing circuitry coupled to said early event detection circuitry and said control circuitry, and responsive to said detected data signal and at least one of said one or more control signals by selectively providing a processed data signal representing said anticipated event.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising data signal transmission circuitry coupled to said detection signal processing circuitry and responsive to said processed data signal by providing a corresponding data transmission signal for transmission to a remote data signal receiver.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising data signal transmission circuitry coupled to said control circuitry and said detection signal processing circuitry, and responsive to at least one of said one or more control signals and said processed data signal by providing a corresponding data transmission signal for transmission to a remote data signal receiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control circuitry comprises:

first energy detection circuitry responsive to said intermediate signal by providing at least one detected energy signal;

second energy detection circuitry responsive to said intermediate signal by providing at least another detected energy signal and at least a first one of said one or more control signals; and

classification circuitry coupled to said first and second energy detection circuitries, and responsive to said at least one detected energy signal and said at least another detected energy signal by providing at least a second one of said one or more control signals.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said first energy detection circuitry comprises

higher frequency energy detection circuitry responsive to said intermediate signal by providing a first detected energy signal as one of said at least one detected energy signal, and

lower frequency energy detection circuitry responsive to said intermediate signal by providing a second detected energy signal as another of said at least one detected energy signal; and

said second energy detection circuitry comprises average frequency energy detection circuitry responsive to said intermediate signal by providing a third detected energy signal as said at least another detected energy signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

said higher frequency energy detection circuitry comprises

high pass filter circuitry responsive to said intermediate signal by providing a first filtered signal, and

first signal detection circuitry coupled to said high pass filter circuitry and responsive to said first filtered signal by providing said first detected energy signal; and

said lower frequency energy detection circuitry comprises

low pass filter circuitry responsive to said intermediate signal by providing a second filtered signal, and

second signal detection circuitry coupled to said low pass filter circuitry and responsive to said second filtered signal by providing said second detected energy signal.

11. An apparatus including active sensor circuitry for operating at low power and a low duty cycle while monitoring for an occurrence of an anticipated event, comprising:

early event detector means for receiving external environmental stimuli and one or more control signals, and in response thereto providing a corresponding detected data signal indicative of whether at least a portion of said stimuli is related to an anticipated event, and including

transducer means for receiving said stimuli and in response thereto providing a corresponding transducer signal, and

detector means for receiving said transducer signal and at least one of said one or more control signals, and in response thereto providing an intermediate signal and said detected data signal; and

controller means for receiving said intermediate signal and in response thereto providing said one or more control signals.