Apparatus and method for detection of mechanical inputs

• US 9,063,028 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Incident Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Incident Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Beck, Idan
• Primary Examiner(s): COSIMANO, EDWARD R
• Application Number:
  US12/841,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 335/01, 73/66, 734/60, 734/71, 735/70, 736/49, 737/60, 737/63, 737/86, 738/658, 340/500, 340/540, 340/665, 702/1, 702/33, 702/34, 702/41, 702/42, 702/56, 702/127, 702/187, 702/189
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 17/00 Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves, not provided for in the preceding groups see provisionally also G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/18 using properties of piezo-resistive materials, i.e. materials of which the ohmic resistance varies according to changes in magnitude or direction of force applied to the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 23/226 using specific filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide apparatus and method for analyzing mechanical inputs. The apparatus comprises mechanical elements configured to receive mechanical inputs and a piezoresistive sensor configured to convert the mechanical inputs into electric signals. The apparatus further includes electrical elements configured to determine voltage components of the electric signals and a processor configured to analyze the voltage components, wherein the voltage components are analyzed to determine a plurality of characteristics of the mechanical inputs.

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing mechanical inputs, comprising:

one or more mechanical elements configured to receive one or more mechanical inputs;

a piezoresistive sensor configured to convert the mechanical inputs into one or more electric signals;

one or more electrical elements configured to determine a plurality of voltage components of the electric signals, wherein the voltage components comprise at least one of an average voltage and one or more transient voltages, the one or more transient voltages determined based on the average voltage; and

a processor configured to analyze the voltage components, wherein the voltage components are analyzed to determine a plurality of characteristics of the mechanical inputs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanical elements comprise physical elements under mechanical stress.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the mechanical inputs comprise at least one of a tension and vibrations induced in the mechanical elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a converter configured to convert the voltage components from analog to digital.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the average voltage corresponds to one of an average and a constant tension value in the one or more mechanical elements.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical elements comprise one of a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor IS further configured to calibrate the piezoresistive sensor based on the average voltage.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transient voltages correspond to vibrations in the mechanical elements.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine complex mechanical inputs based on time information of the vibrations.

10. A method for analyzing mechanical inputs, comprising:

receiving one or more mechanical inputs at one or more mechanical elements;

converting the mechanical inputs into one or more electric signals by a piezoresistive sensor;

determining a plurality of voltage components of the electric signals by one or more electrical elements, wherein the voltage components comprise at least one of an average voltage and one or more transient voltages, the one or more transient voltages determined based on the average voltage; and

analyzing the voltage components by a processor, wherein the voltage components are analyzed to determine a plurality of characteristics of the mechanical inputs.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the characteristics of the mechanical inputs comprise at least one of a tension and vibrations induced in the mechanical elements.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising converting the voltage components from analog to digital by a converter.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the average voltage corresponds to one of an average and a constant tension value in the one or more mechanical elements.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the transient voltages correspond to vibrations in the mechanical elements.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining complex mechanical inputs based on time information of the vibrations.

16. An apparatus for analyzing mechanical inputs, comprising:

one or more mechanical elements configured to receive one or more mechanical inputs;

a piezoresistive sensor coupled to the mechanical elements, wherein the sensor IS configured to convert the mechanical inputs into one or more electric signals;

one or more electrical elements configured to determine an average voltage and one or more transient voltages of the electric signals, the one or more transient voltages determined based on the determined average voltage;

a converter configured to convert the average voltage and the transient voltages from analog to digital values; and

a processor configured to determine a plurality of characteristics of the mechanical inputs based on the digital values of the average voltage and the one or more transient voltages.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the sensor is calibrated based on the average voltage.

18. The instrument of claim 16, wherein the transient voltages correspond to vibrations in the mechanical elements.

19. The instrument of claim 16, wherein the average voltage correspond to one of an average tension value and a constant tension value.