# US 9,753,068 B2 · Systems and methods for signal quantization > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,068 B2 - Document ID: US9753068B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/675,046 - Filed: 2015-03-31 - Published: 2016-07-14 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-14 - Assignees: Insitu, Inc. - Applicants: Insitu, Inc. - Inventors: Gary Lee Viviani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753068B2 ## CPC - G01R 23/02: Arrangements for measuring frequency, e.g. pulse repetition rate; Arrangements for measuring period of current or voltage - G01D 5/243: influencing the phase or frequency of AC - H03B 7/00: Generation of oscillations using active element having a negative resistance between two of its electrodes (H03B9/00 takes precedence) - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H03B: GENERATION OF OSCILLATIONS, DIRECTLY OR BY FREQUENCY-CHANGING, BY CIRCUITS EMPLOYING ACTIVE ELEMENTS WHICH OPERATE IN A NON-SWITCHING MANNER; GENERATION OF NOISE BY SUCH CIRCUITS (generators adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H; masers or lasers H01S; generation of oscillations in plasma H05H) ## Abstract Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system for detecting and precisely measuring information content of one or more environmental conditions. The system may include a plurality of oscillator circuits that are coupled together. The coupling of the oscillator circuits generates an output signal having a pattern of amplitude and frequency. The pattern of amplitude and frequency changes as one or more values of the environmental condition(s) change. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for detecting information content of one or more environmental conditions, the system comprising: a plurality of separate and distinct oscillator circuits that are coupled together, wherein the coupling of the plurality of oscillator circuits generates an output signal having a pattern of amplitude and frequency, and wherein the pattern of amplitude and frequency changes as one or more values of the one or more environmental conditions change. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of oscillator circuits comprises multiple negative resistance non-linearities that provide multiple stable equilibriums. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the system is devoid of a separate and distinct reference source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein one or both the multiple negative resistance non-linearities or the multiple stable equilibriums of the plurality of oscillator circuits are different. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein one or both the multiple negative resistance non-linearities or the multiple stable equilibriums of the plurality of oscillator circuits are the same. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of oscillator circuits are electromagnetically coupled together. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of oscillator circuits are one or both of mechanically or chemically coupled together. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more environmental conditions comprises two or more of attitude, altitude, position within a volume, velocity, temperature, pressure, or light intensity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a pattern recognition unit operatively coupled to the plurality of oscillator circuits, wherein the pattern recognition unit is configured to receive the output signal and determine the one or more values of the one or more environmental conditions by analyzing the pattern of amplitude and frequency. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the pattern recognition unit matches the pattern of amplitude and frequency with an associated one of the one or more values of the one or more environmental conditions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the pattern recognition unit matches the pattern of amplitude and frequency with a stored pattern in a memory that is indicative of one of the one or more values of the one or more environmental conditions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of oscillator circuits comprises at least one inductor connected in parallel with at least on capacitor, and wherein at least one of the plurality of oscillator circuits is controlled with direct current voltage. ### Claim 13 A method of detecting information content of one or more environmental conditions, the method comprising: coupling a plurality of separate and distinct oscillator circuits together; and generating an output signal having a pattern of amplitude and frequency through the coupling operation, wherein the pattern of amplitude and frequency changes as one or more values of the one or more environmental conditions change. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of oscillator circuits comprises multiple negative resistance non-linearities that provide multiple stable equilibriums. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising refraining from using a separate and distinct reference source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the coupling operation comprises electromagnetically coupling the plurality of oscillators together. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the coupling operation comprises one or both of mechanically or chemically coupling the plurality of oscillators together. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more environmental conditions comprises two or more of attitude, altitude, position within a volume, temperature, pressure, or light intensity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: operatively coupling a pattern recognition unit to the plurality of oscillators; receiving the output signal with the pattern recognition unit; and using the pattern recognition unit to determine the one or more values of the one or more environmental conditions by analyzing the pattern of amplitude and frequency. ### Claim 20 A vehicle comprising: a main body including an internal cabin; and one or more systems for detecting information content of one or more environmental conditions secured on or within the main body, each of the one or more systems comprising: a plurality of oscillator circuits that are coupled together, wherein each of the plurality of oscillator circuits comprises multiple negative resistance non-linearities that provide multiple stable equilibriums, wherein the coupling of the plurality of oscillator circuits generates an output signal having a pattern of amplitude and frequency, and wherein the pattern of amplitude and frequency changes as one or more values of the one or more environmental conditions change; and a pattern recognition unit operatively coupled to the plurality of oscillator circuits, wherein the pattern recognition unit is configured to receive the output signal and determine the one or more values of the one or more environmental conditions by analyzing the pattern of amplitude and frequency. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The vehicle of claim 20, wherein the system is devoid of a separate and distinct reference source. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The vehicle of claim 20, wherein the one or more environmental conditions comprises two or more of attitude of the vehicle, altitude of the vehicle, position of the vehicle within a volume of space, velocity of the vehicle, temperature, pressure, or light intensity.