Piezoelectric identification device and applications thereof

• US 8,508,103 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Brazos Capital Management LLC
• Original Assignee: Sonavation, Inc.
• Inventors: Schmitt, Rainer M., Liautaud, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Budd, Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/409,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20100239133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 310334-336
• US Class Current: 310/317
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0629 Square array
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

Provided is a transducer having first and second surfaces including first electrode lines positioned along the first surface in a first direction and configured for grounding and second electrode lines positioned along the second surface in a direction orthogonal to the first direction. The second electrode lines are configured switching between receiving and transmitting in an interlaced manner.

Claims

1. A transmitting and receiving sonic transducer,

comprising:

a two dimensional array of sensor elements, wherein each sensor element within said array is separately addressable via electronic control; and

wherein each sensor element is capable of transmitting during a first time interval and alternatively receiving during a second time interval, as directed via said electronic control; and

wherein

a first set of sensor elements are selected to form a first pattern within said array and a second set of elements are selected to form a second pattern within said array; and

wherein

said first pattern and said second pattern each form groups of sensor elements that are mutually exclusive and that are proximate to each other; and

wherein

control electronics are configured to control said first set of sensor elements to transmit and to not receive during a first set of one or more selected time intervals, and said control electronics are configured to control said second set of sensor elements to receive and to not transmit during a second set of one or more selected time intervals, and wherein

said first set of selected time intervals to not overlap in time with any of said second set of time intervals.

2. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said first pattern is a contiguous series of sensor elements and said second pattern is a contiguous series of sensor elements.

3. The transducer of claim 2 wherein said first pattern forms at least one straight line of sensor elements and said second pattern forms at least one straight line of sensor elements.

4. The transducer of claim 3 where in at least one straight line formed by said first pattern is adjacent to at least one straight line formed by said second pattern.

5. The transducer of claim 3 where each straight line formed by said first pattern is adjacent to at least one straight line formed by said second pattern.

6. The transducer of claim 3 wherein said lines of said first pattern are interlaced with said lines of said second pattern.