Distance measurement using EHF signals

• US 8,897,700 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Keyssa, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D., Kyles, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US13/524,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20120319890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/08 Systems for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49113 the connectors connecting different bonding areas on the semiconductor or solid-state body to a common bonding area outside the body, e.g. converging wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/75 for isolation purposes

Abstract

A system for sensing proximity using EHF signals may include a communication circuit configured to transmit via a transducer an EM signal at an EHF frequency, and a proximity sensing circuit configured to sense a nearby transducer field-modifying object by detecting characteristics of a signal within the communication circuit. A system for determining distance using EHF signals may include a detecting circuit coupled to a transmitting communication circuit and a receiving communication circuit, both communication circuits being mounted on a first surface. The transmitting communication circuit may transmit a signal toward a second surface, and the receiving communication circuit may receive a signal relayed from the second surface. The detecting circuit may determine distance between the first surface and a second surface based on propagation characteristics of the signals.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first transmit communication unit mounted on a first surface for transmitting a receive EHF signal toward a second surface spaced from the first surface;

a first receive communication unit mounted on the first surface adjacent the first transmit communication unit for receiving a receive EHF signal transmitted from the second surface;

a detecting circuit coupled to the first transmit communication unit and the first receive communication unit for determining an indicator representative of a distance between the first and second surfaces based on the propagation of the transmit and receive EHF signals between the first transmit communication unit and the first receive communication unit;

wherein a second transmit communication unit and a second receive communication unit mounted on the second surface;

wherein the first transmit communication unit transmits the transmit EHF signal to the second receive communication unit, the second receive communication unit is coupled to the second transmit communication unit and communicates a communication signal representative of the transmit EHF signal received by the second receive communication unit to the second transmit communication unit, and the second transmit communication unit transmits to the first receive communication unit the receive EHF signal representative of the communication signal; and

wherein the first receive communication unit is coupled to the first transmit communication unit, with the first and second transmit communication units and first and second receive communication units forming in combination a ring oscillator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detecting circuit determines an oscillation period of the ring oscillator, the oscillation period being related to a distance between the first surface and the second surface.

3. A method comprising:

transmitting by a first transmit communication unit mounted on a first surface, a transmit EHF signal toward a second surface;

receiving, by a first receive communication unit mounted on the first surface adjacent the first transmit communication unit, a receive EHF signal transmitted from the second surface;

generating, by a detecting circuit coupled to the first transmit communication unit and the first receive communication unit, an indicator representative of a distance between the first and second surfaces based on the propagation of the transmit and receive EHF signals between the first transmit communication unit and the first receive communication unit;

transmitting the transmit EHF signal to a second receive communication unit mounted on the second surface;

communicating a communication signal representative of the transmit EHF signal received by the second receive communication unit to a second transmit communication unit mounted on the second surface, and transmitting by the second transmit communication unit the receive EHF signal representative of the communication signal to the first receive communication unit;

further comprising coupling the first receive communication unit to the first transmit communication unit so that the first and second transmit communication units and the first and second receive communication units form in combination a ring oscillator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating an indicator includes determining an oscillation period of the ring oscillator, the oscillation period being related to a distance between the first surface and the second surface.