Sensor array with amplitude modulated output signal
AssigneeMelexis NV
InventorViktor Kassovski
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Abstract
A sensing device in the form of a sensing array includes sensing elements on a first integrated circuit and means for processing the signals on a second integrated circuit. The output of the sensing elements is sampled, modulated on to a carrier signal and transferred from the first to second integrated circuits wherein it is demodulated and passed to a processing means.
Claims32
A method of transferring signals from a plurality of individual sensing elements provided on a first integrated circuit to a processing means provided on a second integrated circuit comprising the steps of sequentially sampling the output of a number of sensing elements in a predetermined sequence to create a first signal, modulating the amplitude of a constant frequency signal to create a second signal, transmitting said second signal from said first integrated circuit to said second integrated circuit, demodulating said second signal to regenerate said first signal and passing said regenerated first signal to said processing means.
A sensing device comprising an array of individual sensing elements provided on a first integrated circuit and processing means for the output of said array of said sensing elements provided on a second integrated circuit, said circuits being linked by a single conducting connection, said first integrated circuit comprising in addition to said sensing elements, sampling means for sequentially sampling the output of said sensing elements in a predetermined order to generate a first signal, signal generater means for generating a carrier signal of a constant known frequency, modulation means for modulating said carrier signal with said first signal to generate a second signal, and transmission means for transmitting said second signal to the second integrated circuit, said second integrated circuit incorporating means for receiving said second signal, means for demodulating said second signal to regenerate said first signal and means for processing said regenerated first signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.