IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,914,812
Granted Patent B2
US 11,914,812 · App. 17/488,626 · Granted Feb 27, 2024

Current reference operative drive-sense circuit (DSC)

Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray (Cedar Park, TX); Daniel Keith Van Ostrand (Leander, TX); Richard Stuart Seger, Jr. (Belton, TX); Phuong Huynh (Fairfax, VA)
Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
G06F3/04166G01R27/16G11C16/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,914,812
App. No.
17/488,626
Granted
Feb 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A current reference operative drive-sense circuit (DSC) includes a current source operably coupled to a load and a voltage-mode analog to digital converter (ADC). When enabled, the current source configured to drive a sinusoidal current reference signal to the load thereby generating a load voltage that is based on the sinusoidal current reference signal and an impedance of the load. The voltage-mode ADC is operably coupled the load and to the current source. When enabled, the voltage-mode ADC configured to perform digital sampling of the load voltage and to generate a digital signal that is representative of the load voltage. In some implementations, one or more processing modules configured to execute operational instructions to process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage in accordance with determining impedance of the load and/or change of impedance of the load.

Claims (49)

1. A current reference operative drive-sense circuit (DSC) comprising:

a current source operably coupled to a load, wherein when enabled, the current source configured to drive a sinusoidal current reference signal to the load thereby generating a load voltage that is based on the sinusoidal current reference signal and an impedance of the load; and

a voltage-mode analog to digital converter (ADC) operably coupled the load and to the current source, wherein when enabled, the voltage-mode ADC configured to perform digital sampling of the load voltage and to generate a digital signal that is representative of the load voltage.

2. The current reference operative DSC of claim 1 , wherein the voltage-mode ADC is a sigma delta ADC.

3. The current reference operative DSC of claim 1 , wherein the load voltage is a product of the sinusoidal current reference signal multiplied by the impedance of the load.

4. The current reference operative DSC of claim 1 further comprising:

memory that stores operational instructions; and

one or more processing modules operably coupled to the voltage-mode ADC and to the memory, wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules configured to execute the operational instructions to:

process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage to determine the load voltage; and

determine the impedance of the load based on the load voltage and the sinusoidal current reference signal.

5. The current reference operative DSC of claim 1 , wherein the load is a liquid crystal display (LCD) capacitive load.

6. The current reference operative DSC of claim 1 , wherein the load is a sensor or an actuator.

7. The current reference operative DSC of claim 1 , wherein the load is a touch screen capacitive load.

8. The current reference operative DSC of claim 7 , wherein user interaction with the touch screen capacitive load causes a change of the impedance of the touch screen capacitive load.

9. The current reference operative DSC of claim 1 , a change of the impedance of the load causes a change of the load voltage.

10. The current reference operative DSC of claim 9 further comprising:

memory that stores operational instructions; and

one or more processing modules operably coupled to the voltage-mode ADC and to the memory, wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules configured to execute the operational instructions to:

before the change of the impedance of the load, process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage to determine a first value of load voltage;

after the change of the impedance of the load, process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage to determine a second value of load voltage that is based on the change of the impedance of the load; and

determine the change of the impedance of the load based on the first value of load voltage, the second value of load voltage, and the sinusoidal current reference signal.

11. A current reference operative drive-sense circuit (DSC) comprising:

a current source operably coupled to a load, wherein when enabled, the current source configured to drive a sinusoidal current reference signal to the load thereby generating a load voltage that is based on the sinusoidal current reference signal and an impedance of the load;

a voltage-mode sigma delta analog to digital converter (ADC) operably coupled the load and to the current source, wherein when enabled, the voltage-mode sigma delta ADC configured to perform digital sampling of the load voltage and to generate a digital signal that is representative of the load voltage;

memory that stores operational instructions; and

one or more processing modules operably coupled to the voltage-mode sigma delta ADC and to the memory, wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules configured to execute the operational instructions to:

process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage to determine the load voltage; and

determine the impedance of the load based on the load voltage and the sinusoidal current reference signal.

12. The current reference operative DSC of claim 11 , wherein the load voltage is a product of the sinusoidal current reference signal multiplied by the impedance of the load.

13. The current reference operative DSC of claim 11 , wherein the load is a sensor or an actuator.

14. The current reference operative DSC of claim 11 , a change of the impedance of the load causes a change of the load voltage.

15. The current reference operative DSC of claim 14 , wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:

before the change of the impedance of the load, process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage to determine a first value of load voltage;

after the change of the impedance of the load, process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage to determine a second value of load voltage that is based on the change of the impedance of the load; and

determine the change of the impedance of the load based on the first value of load voltage, the second value of load voltage, and the sinusoidal current reference signal.

16. A current reference operative drive-sense circuit (DSC) comprising:

a current source operably coupled to a touch screen capacitive load, wherein when enabled, the current source configured to drive a sinusoidal current reference signal to the touch screen capacitive load thereby generating a load voltage that is based on the sinusoidal current reference signal and an impedance of the touch screen capacitive load;

a voltage-mode analog to digital converter (ADC) operably coupled the touch screen capacitive load and to the current source, wherein when enabled, the voltage-mode ADC configured to perform digital sampling of the load voltage and to generate a digital signal that is representative of the load voltage;

memory that stores operational instructions; and

one or more processing modules operably coupled to the voltage-mode ADC and to the memory, wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules configured to execute the operational instructions to:

process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage to determine the load voltage; and

determine the impedance of the touch screen capacitive load based on the load voltage and the sinusoidal current reference signal.

17. The current reference operative DSC of claim 16 , wherein the load voltage is a product of the sinusoidal current reference signal multiplied by the impedance of the touch screen capacitive load.

18. The current reference operative DSC of claim 16 , wherein user interaction with the touch screen capacitive load causes a change of the impedance of the touch screen capacitive load.

19. The current reference operative DSC of claim 16 , a change of the impedance of the touch screen capacitive load causes a change of the load voltage.

20. The current reference operative DSC of claim 19 , wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:

before the change of the impedance of the touch screen capacitive load, process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage to determine a first value of load voltage;

after the change of the impedance of the touch screen capacitive load, process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage to determine a second value of load voltage that is based on the change of the impedance of the touch screen capacitive load; and

determine the change of the impedance of the touch screen capacitive load based on the first value of load voltage, the second value of load voltage, and the sinusoidal current reference signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2021
From: GRAY, PATRICK TROY; VAN OSTRAND, DANIEL KEITH; SEGER, RICHARD STUART, JR.; HUYNH, PHUONG
To: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
Reel/Frame 057640/0417 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 17301784 · Apr 14, 2021
Continuation 16113379 · Aug 27, 2018
Related Publication 20220018682A1 · Jan 20, 2022