Method for querying a piezoelectric resonator and querying device implementing said querying method

• US 8,392,128 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SENSeOR
• Original Assignee: SENSeOR
• Inventors: Friedt, Jean-Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): KUNDU, SUJOY K
• Application Number:
  US12/918,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 702/54, 702/56, 324/727, 324/76.49, 324/76.51, 324629-648, 324/652, 310/311, 310/313.A, 310/320, 310/321, 310/322, 310/334
• US Class Current: 702/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0449 Passive transducers, e.g. using surface acoustic waves, backscatter technology or pressure sensitive resonators near field passive transducers B60C23/0428
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/165 with acoustic surface waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/086 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0025 with acoustic surface waves

Abstract

A method for interrogating a passive sensor comprising at least one piezoelectric resonator includes the following steps:

• • the identification of the characteristic width of the resonant frequency band of the resonator;
  • the determination of a scan interval equal to a third of the measured bandwidth;
  • a first series of three interrogation measurements with signals respectively at a first frequency, at a second frequency and at a third frequency making it possible to define a first resonance value, a second resonance value and a third resonance value;
  • the determination by a parabolic fitting operation of the resonator response curve on the basis of said first, second and third resonance values, so as to calculate a first value of the frequency in real time of the resonator.

The invention also relates to an electronic device for interrogating a passive sensor comprising at least one piezoelectric resonator and comprising a micro-controller implementing the interrogation method of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for interrogating a passive sensor having at least one piezoelectric resonator, the method comprising the following steps:

identifying, via an electronic assembly, a characteristic width of a resonant frequency band of the at least one piezoelectric resonator Δ

f_0S;

determining, via the electronic assembly, a scan interval equal to a third of the identified characteristic bandwidth Δ

f=Δ

F_0S/3;

defining, via the electronic assembly, a first resonance value (Y₁), a second resonance value (Y₂) and a third resonance value (Y₃) based at least in part on a first series of three interrogation measurements, respectively, at a first frequency (f₁), at a second frequency (f₂) and at a third frequency (f₃);

determining, via the electronic assembly using a parabolic fitting operation of a resonator response curve, a first value of a frequency in real time (f₀₁) of the at least one piezoelectric resonator based at least in part on the first, second and third resonance values.

2. The method for interrogating a passive sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scan interval is constant and that the first value of the frequency of the at least one piezoelectric resonator is defined by the following equation:

f₀=f₂+Δ

f/2.(Y₁−

Y₃)/(Y₁+Y₃−

2Y₂).

3. The method for interrogating a passive sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first series of interrogation measurements is performed at the first, second and third frequencies such that the first, second and third resonance values define an isosceles triangle.

4. The method for interrogating a passive sensor as claimed in claim 1, further comprises a second iterative step of interrogation measurements at a fourth frequency (f₄), a fifth frequency (f₅) and sixth frequency (f₆) defined respectively by the following equations:

f₄=f₀₁−

Δ

f

f₅=f₀₁

f₆=f₀₁+Δ

f

so as to refine a second frequency value in real time (f₀₂).

5. An electronic device for interrogating a passive sensor comprising at least one piezoelectric resonator, said electronic device comprising at least one first assembly for generating radiofrequency signals, a second electronic assembly for processing the radiofrequency signals and at least one passive sensor wherein the second electronic assembly for processing the radiofrequency signals comprises a micro-controller implementing the method of interrogation as claimed in claim 1.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5, further comprises an analog/digital converter.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the passive sensor is integrated into a system placed in rotation and interrogated by the electronic device.

8. The electronic interrogation device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the passive sensor is integrated into a wheel and further comprising at least one resonator, and means for determining a temperature of the wheel based on the measurement of the resonant frequency in real time of said at least one piezoelectric resonator.

9. The electronic interrogation device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the passive sensor is integrated into a wheel and further comprising at least one resonator and means for determining a pressure of the wheel based on the measurement of the resonant frequency in real time of said at least one piezoelectric resonator.