Patent · US Expired

Ultrasonic position sensor

US5591914A · kind A · utility

5Cited by

9References

2Claims

0Family size

Assignee

The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

Richard M. White · Cambridge, US
Stuart Wenzel · San Francisco, US
Eric Minami · Tokyo, JP

Key dates

Filing date	Jun 7, 1995
Grant date	Jan 7, 1997
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jun 7, 2015

Classification

Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
CPC primaryA61B5/0066
WIPO fieldMeasurement
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A position sensor for measuring the distance from a first position to a second position. The sensor may include an elastic wave generator, an acoustical path over which the elastic wave passes, and a transducer to which the wave passes. A measurement loop includes the acoustical path, and has electrical and optical elements. The electrical elements may compare the phases of the transducer signals from which the change in position between the first and second positions are determined. Alternatively, the measurement loop may comprise a feedback loop to produce oscillations and an output frequency. A frequency counter is included in the feedback loop to measure frequency.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.