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US 12,063,022 B1Granted
Autonomously matching signal frequency to load resonant frequency using system power
AssigneeTrudell Medical International
InventorsAndrew Dittmer, Michal Fulmyk, Benjamin Russell, Bharanidharan Thamizhchelvan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for use in matching a source to a dynamic impedance electrical load is described. The system may include a processor that controls a signal generator to sweep across a frequency spectrum to locate a resonant frequency of the dynamic impedance load. The determination of resonant frequency may be made based on sensing the power consumption of the amplifier supplying the load and locating the frequency at which the power consumption is minimized. Periodically tracking and adjustment of the frequency to maintain a minimum power consumption may be automatically performed. The load may be a SAW atomizer.
Claims19
A system for automatically matching a dynamic impedance electrical load comprising:
- a load comprising a resonant acoustic micro-electromechanical systems (RA-MEMS) actuator;
- an amplifier circuit in communication with the load, the amplifier circuit further comprising a power supply input and a signal source input;
- a signal generating circuit comprising a tunable oscillator and having a generated signal output carrying a generated signal from the tunable oscillator, the generated signal output in communication with the signal source input of the amplifier circuit, wherein the signal generating circuit further comprises a frequency control input;
- a power supply detection circuit in communication with the power supply input of the amplifier circuit and configured to measure at least one of a voltage or a current supplied to the amplifier circuit;
- and
- a processor in communication with the power supply detection circuit and the frequency control input, the processor configured to:
- detect the at least one of the voltage or the current measured by the power supply detection circuit;
- adjust a frequency of the signal generating circuit in response to the at least one of the voltage or the current measured to determine an initial frequency comprising a resonant frequency of the load;
- and
- periodically automatically readjust the frequency of the signal generating circuit in response to a determined change in the resonant frequency of the load.
7 more elements
A method of matching a dynamic impedance electrical load comprising:
- varying a frequency of a signal input to a dynamic impedance electrical load over a predetermined range at a first frequency increment;
- while varying the frequency, detecting a power consumption of an amplifier supplying the signal input to the dynamic impedance electrical load at each of a plurality of frequencies in the predetermined range;
- determining a resonant frequency for the dynamic impedance electrical load based exclusively on a frequency within the predetermined range where a minimum power consumption of the amplifier is detected;
- and
- maintaining the dynamic impedance electrical load at the minimum power consumption by automatically periodically varying the frequency of the signal input within the predetermined range at a second frequency increment to determine if the resonant frequency has changed based on detected power consumption and, in response to determining that the resonant frequency has changed, maintaining the signal input at the changed resonant frequency.
2 more elements
A system for automatically matching a dynamic impedance electrical load comprising:
- a load comprising a dynamic impedance circuit;
- an amplifier circuit in communication with the load, the amplifier circuit further comprising a power supply input and a signal source input;
- a signal generating circuit comprising a tunable oscillator and having a generated signal output carrying a generated signal from the tunable oscillator, the generated signal output in communication with the signal source input of the amplifier circuit, wherein the signal generating circuit further comprises a frequency control input;
- a power supply detection circuit in communication with the power supply input of the amplifier circuit and configured to measure at least one of a voltage or a current supplied to the amplifier circuit;
- and
- a processor in communication with the power supply detection circuit and the frequency control input, the processor configured to:
- vary, via the frequency control input, a frequency of a signal input to the load over a predetermined range at a first frequency increment;
- while varying the frequency, detect a power consumption of the amplifier circuit supplying the signal input to the dynamic impedance electrical load at each of a plurality of frequencies in the predetermined range;
- determine a resonant frequency for the dynamic impedance electrical load based exclusively on a frequency within the predetermined range where a minimum power consumption of the amplifier circuit is detected;
- and
- maintain the dynamic impedance circuit at the minimum power consumption by automatically periodically varying the frequency of the signal input within the predetermined range at a second frequency increment to determine if the resonant frequency has changed based on detected power consumption and, in response to determining that the resonant frequency has changed, maintain the signal input at the changed resonant frequency.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.