Piezo transducer controller and method having adaptively-tuned linear damping
US10585178B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 12, 2016 |
| Grant date | Mar 10, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 16, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S2015/938
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An illustrative controller embodiment includes: a transmitter that causes reverberation of a piezoelectric transducer; and a linear damping module that measures characteristics of the reverberation and tunes at least one of a shunt resistance and a shunt reactance for the piezoelectric transducer based on said characteristics. An illustrative sensor embodiment includes: a piezoelectric transducer; and a transducer controller coupled to the piezoelectric transducer to transmit pulses and receive echoes for measuring distances. The controller includes a linear damping module with: a shunt resistance; a shunt inductance; and an optional switch that couples the shunt resistance and shunt inductance in parallel to the piezoelectric transducer to damp reverberation of the piezoelectric transducer after said transmit pulses. The controller measures at least one characteristic of said reverberation and responsively tunes the shunt resistance or the shunt inductance.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.