BIOMETRIC SENSOR
A biometric sensor includes a body surface sensor and an e-field signal transmitter. The body surface sensor create a drive-sense signal at a first frequency based on one or more sensing parameters. When operably coupled to a body via one or more electrodes, the body surface sensor provides the drive-sense signal to the body and detects an effect on the drive-sense signal based on electrical characteristics of the body. The body surface sensor generate a data signal based on the detected effect, wherein the data signal represents the body’s electrical characteristics. The e-field signal transmitter generates an outbound signal reference at a second frequency based on the data signal and one or more transmit parameters. The e-field transmitter drives the outbound reference signal to the body, wherein the outbound reference signal is transmitted within at least a portion of the body as an outbound e-field signal at the second frequency.
1 . A biometric sensor comprises:
a body surface sensor operably coupled to:
create a drive-sense signal at a first frequency based on one or more sensing parameters;
provide, when operably coupled to a body via one or more electrodes, the drive-sense signal to the body;
detect effect on the drive-sense signal based on electrical characteristics of the body; and
generate a data signal based on the detected effect, wherein the data signal is a representation of the electrical characteristics of the body; and
an e-field signal transmitter operable to:
generate an outbound signal reference at a second frequency based on the data signal and one or more transmit parameters; and
drive the outbound reference signal to the body, wherein the outbound reference signal is transmitted within at least a portion of the body as an outbound e-field signal at the second frequency.
2 . The biometric sensor of claim 1 further comprises:
a power source module operable to generate a voltage from at least one of a battery voltage, a radio frequency (RF) signal, light, heat, motion, and pressure, wherein the power source provides the voltage to the body surface sensor and the e-field signal transmitter.
3 . The biometric sensor of claim 1 further comprises:
an e-field signal receiver operable to:
receive an inbound e-field signal at a third frequency;
generate an inbound signal based on the inbound e-field signal and one or more receiving parameters, wherein the inbound signal includes one or more of: the one or more sensing parameters, the one or more transmit parameters, and the one or more receive parameters.
4 . The biometric sensor of claim 1 further comprises:
a processing module operably coupled to perform one or more of:
generate the one or more sensing parameters based on input data;
generate the one or more transmit parameters based on the input data; and
generate one or more receive parameters based on the input data.
5 . The biometric sensor of claim 1 , wherein a sensing parameter of the one or more sensing parameters comprises one of:
one or more filter settings, wherein a filter setting of the one or more filter settings includes one of: a center frequency, a low frequency cut-off, a high frequency cut-off, a center frequency gain, selectivity, a filter order regarding a rate of attenuation outside of a band pass region; and
one or more sense signal settings, wherein a sense signal setting of the one or more sense signal settings includes one of: a frequency of a sense signal, a signal form of the sense signal, a magnitude of the sense signal, and a phase shift of the sense signal, wherein the drive-sense corresponds to the sense signal.
6 . The biometric sensor of claim 1 , wherein the data signal comprises one of:
an analog data signal; and
a digital data signal.
7 . The biometric sensor of claim 1 further comprises:
a first electrode of the one or more electrodes coupled to a first surface area of the body; and
a second electrode of the one or more electrodes coupled to a second surface area of the body, wherein the electrical characteristics of the body is regarding an area on and/or near surface of the body encompassing the first and second surface areas.
8 . The biometric sensor of claim 1 further comprises:
an electrical characteristic of the electrical characteristics of the body includes one of:
an AC voltage source that is representative of one or more electrochemical reactions of the body;
an impedance network of the body or a portion of the body; and
a conducting current as function of the AC voltage source and the impedance network; and
the data signal corresponds to a physiological response of the body in accordance with the electrical characteristics of the body.
9 . The biometric sensor of claim 1 , wherein the detecting the effect on the drive-sense signal comprises:
regulating a voltage of the drive-sense signal by varying the current of the drive-sense signal as impedance of the body changes, wherein the impedance is one of the electrical characteristics of the body, wherein the varying of the current corresponds to the effect on the drive-sense signal.
10 . The biometric sensor of claim 1 further comprises:
an integrated circuit (IC) on which the body surface sensor and the e-field signal transmitter are fabricated; and
a flexible printed circuit board on which the IC is mounted, wherein the flexible printed circuit board has an adhesive backing for adhering to a portion of the body.
11 . A biometric sensor comprises:
a sense element;
a body surface sensor operably coupled to:
create a drive-sense signal at a first frequency based on one or more sensing parameters;
provide, when the biometric sensor is operably coupled to a body, the drive-sense signal to the body to the sense element;
detect effect on the drive-sense signal based on electrical characteristics of the sense element; and
generate a data signal based on the detected effect, wherein the data signal is a representation of the body affecting the sense element; and
an e-field signal transmitter operable to:
generate an outbound signal reference at a second frequency based on the data signal and one or more transmit parameters; and
drive the outbound reference signal to the body, wherein the outbound reference signal is transmitted within at least a portion of the body as an outbound e-field signal at the second frequency.
12 . The biometric sensor of claim 11 further comprises:
a power source module operable to generate a voltage from at least one of a battery voltage, a radio frequency (RF) signal, light, heat, motion, and pressure, wherein the power source provides the voltage to the body surface sensor and the e-field signal transmitter.
13 . The biometric sensor of claim 11 further comprises:
an e-field signal receiver operable to:
receive an inbound e-field signal at a third frequency;
generate an inbound signal based on the inbound e-field signal and one or more receiving parameters, wherein the inbound signal includes one or more of: the one or more sensing parameters, the one or more transmit parameters, and the one or more receive parameters.
14 . The biometric sensor of claim 11 further comprises:
a processing module operably coupled to perform one or more of:
generate the one or more sensing parameters based on input data;
generate the one or more transmit parameters based on the input data; and
generate one or more receive parameters based on the input data.
15 . The biometric sensor of claim 11 , wherein a sensing parameter of the one or more sensing parameters comprises one of:
one or more filter settings, wherein a filter setting of the one or more filter settings includes one of: a center frequency, a low frequency cut-off, a high frequency cut-off, a center frequency gain, selectivity, a filter order regarding a rate of attenuation outside of a band pass region; and
one or more sense signal settings, wherein a sense signal setting of the one or more sense signal settings includes one of: a frequency of a sense signal, a signal form of the sense signal, a magnitude of the sense signal, and a phase shift of the sense signal, wherein the drive-sense corresponds to the sense signal.
16 . The biometric sensor of claim 11 , wherein the data signal comprises one of:
an analog data signal; and
a digital data signal.
17 . The biometric sensor of claim 11 , wherein the sense element comprises one or more of:
a thermocouple;
a pad whose impedance varies based on the level of moisture it absorbs;
a transducer whose electrical characteristics vary with vibration of the transducer; and
a variable impendence whose impedance changes with expansion and/or contraction.
18 . The biometric sensor of claim 11 further comprises one or more of:
the data signal corresponds to a physiological response of the body; and
the data signal corresponds to a biomechanical expression of the body.
19 . The biometric sensor of claim 11 , wherein the detecting the effect on the drive-sense signal comprises:
regulating a voltage of the drive-sense signal by varying the current of the drive-sense signal as impedance of the sense element changes, wherein the impedance is one of the electrical characteristics of the sense element, wherein the varying of the current corresponds to the effect on the drive-sense signal.
20 . The biometric sensor of claim 11 further comprises:
an integrated circuit (IC) on which the body surface sensor and the e-field signal transmitter are fabricated; and
a flexible printed circuit board on which the IC and the sense element are mounted, wherein the flexible printed circuit board has an adhesive backing for adhering to a portion of the body.