Safe area voltage and current interface

• US 8,351,879 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Clayton, Munroe C., Levan, David O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US12/979,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20120164960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 455/115.1, 455/121, 455/127.1
• US Class Current: 455/115.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/008 Intrinsically safe circuits

Abstract

A safe area voltage and current interface is provided that includes an antenna and mode selection unit, an antenna tuner unit and an interface unit. The antenna and mode selection unit determines a frequency mode and an antenna mode for an output signal. The antenna tuner unit is directly connected to the antenna and mode selection unit and is configured to tune the output signal based on the frequency mode and the antenna mode determined by the antenna and mode selection unit. The interface unit is directly connected to the antenna tuner unit and is configured to ensure that a current and voltage level of the output signal does not exceed an intrinsically safe current and voltage level, while maintaining the peak current level of the output signal to a level sufficient to drive an electronic component disposed in an unsafe environment.

Claims

1. A safe area voltage and current interface, comprising:

an antenna and mode selection unit that determines a frequency mode and an antenna mode for an output signal;

an antenna tuner unit directly connected to the antenna and mode selection unit, the antenna tuner unit configured to tune the output signal based on the frequency mode and antenna mode determined by the antenna and mode selection unit; and

an interface unit directly connected to the antenna tuner unit, the interface unit configured to ensure that a current and voltage level of the output signal does not exceed an intrinsically safe current and voltage level, while maintaining the peak current level of the output signal to a level sufficient to drive an electronic component disposed in a unsafe environment.

2. The safe area voltage and current interface of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuner unit is configured to tune the output signal for a long loop magnet antenna or a medium loop magnet antenna.

3. The safe area voltage and current interface of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuner unit is configured to tune the output signal to a high center-frequency channel or to a low center-frequency channel.

4. The safe area voltage and current interface of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuner unit includes a scaling element for tuning the output signal based on the frequency mode determined by the antenna tuner unit.

5. The safe area voltage and current interface of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuner unit includes an array of capacitors for cancelling out a reactive inductance from the electronic component when the output signal is tuned to a high frequency channel.

6. The safe area voltage and current interface of claim 1, wherein the interface unit includes an interface element that ensures that the output signal does not exceed an intrinsically safe current and voltage level.

7. The safe area voltage and current interface of claim 1, wherein the interface unit includes an array of shunt regulators that are configured to clamp a resonant voltage rise to maintain the peak current level of the output signal to the level sufficient to drive the electronic component disposed in the unsafe environment.

8. A safe area electronic system, comprising:

a signal power source that generates a voltage signal;

a safe area voltage regulator that receives the voltage signal and outputs the voltage signal with a regulated peak voltage that does not exceed a safe area voltage threshold; and

a safe area voltage and current interface that receives the voltage signal with the regulated peak voltage and outputs an output signal that is configured to drive an electronic component located in an unsafe environment, the safe area voltage and current interface including;

an antenna and mode selection unit that determines a frequency mode and an antenna mode for the output signal,

an antenna tuner unit directly connected to the antenna and mode selection unit, the antenna tuner unit configured to tune the output signal based on the frequency mode and antenna mode determined by the antenna and mode selection unit, and

an interface unit directly connected to the antenna tuner unit, the interface unit configured to ensure that a current and voltage level of the output signal does not exceed an intrinsically safe current and voltage level, while maintaining the peak current level of the output signal to a level sufficient to drive an electronic component disposed in a unsafe environment.

9. The safe area electronic system of claim 8, wherein the signal power source, the safe area voltage regulator and the safe area voltage and current interface are disposed in an explosion proof box.

10. The safe area electronic system of claim 8, wherein the signal power source is an audio power amplifier.

11. The safe area electronic system of claim 8, wherein the antenna tuner unit is configured to tune the output signal for a long loop magnet antenna or a medium loop magnet antenna.

12. The safe area electronic system of claim 8, wherein the antenna tuner unit is configured to tune the output signal to a high center-frequency channel or to a low center-frequency channel.

13. The safe area electronic system of claim 8, wherein the antenna tuner unit includes a scaling element for tuning the output signal based on the frequency mode determined by the antenna tuner unit.

14. The safe area electronic system of claim 8, wherein the antenna tuner unit includes an array of capacitors for cancelling out a reactive inductance from the electronic component when the output signal is tuned to a high center-frequency channel.

15. The safe area electronic system of claim 8, wherein the interface unit includes an interface element that ensures that the output signal does not exceed an intrinsically safe current and voltage level.

16. The safe area electronic system of claim 8, wherein the interface unit includes an array of shunt regulators that are configured to clamp a resonant voltage rise to maintain the peak current level of the output signal to the level sufficient to drive the electronic component disposed in the unsafe environment.