Transducer-based sensor system

Claim 2

A transducer-based sensor system, comprising: a drive signal generator for generating a drive signal; a transducer coupled to the drive signal generator and configured to receive the drive signal; a mixer coupled to the transducer and configured to receive output from the transducer and mix such output with the drive signal generated by the drive signal generator, where such output results at least in part from physical movement of the transducer; and a diplexer operatively coupled with the mixer and configured to present a substantially matched output impedance to the mixer over an operative range of output frequencies.

Claim 3

The sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising a hybrid RF device coupled to the diplexer within an output signal path associated with the transducer, the hybrid RF device being configured to segregate signals flowing in different directions along the output signal path.

Claim 4

The sensor system of claim 2 , where the hybrid RF device is configured to enable sampling of output from the transducer simultaneously while the transducer is being driven by the drive signal, the hybrid RE device being configured to reduce, during such sampling of output from the transducer, interference contributed by the drive signal to the output signal path.

Claim 5

The sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising a filter coupled downstream of the mixer and configured to extract noise from an intermediate transducer output signal so as to produce a final transducer output signal, where the filter is configured to perform such filtration based on at least one of frequency and phase.

Claim 6

The sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of transducer groups, each transducer group having a plurality of transducers configured to be placed into operative proximity with a sample material, wherein each transducer is coupled with a corresponding mixer and each mixer is operatively coupled with a corresponding diplexer.

Claim 7

The sensor system of claim 5 , where the transducer-based sensor system is configured so that, within each transducer group, each transducer is driven by a different phase-shifted variant of the drive signal.

Claim 8

The sensor system of claim 6 , where each transducer group includes four transducers, and where the transducers within a given group are configured to be driven by drive signal variants that are respectively shifted in phase from the drive signal by 0°, 90°, 180°and 270°.

Claim 9

The sensor system of claim 6 , where each transducer group includes N transducers that are driven by N corresponding phase-shifted variants that are respectively shifted in phase from the local oscillator signal by 0°, (1/N*360)°, (2/N*360)° . . . and ((N-1)/N*360)°.

Claim 10

A transducer-based sensor system, comprising: a transducer configured to produce electrical output based on movement of the transducer; an output processing subsystem operatively coupled with the transducer, the output processing subsystem including: a mixer configured to mix electrical output of the transducer with an oscillatory signal that is synchronous with an expected component of the transducer's electrical output, the oscillatory signal being thereby configured to facilitate synchronous detection of the expected component; an impedance coupled within an output signal path associated with the transducer, the impedance being configured to present a substantially matched output impedance to the mixer over an operative range of frequencies, the impedance being further configured to minimize signal reflections so as to simplify downstream rejection of unwanted signal components.

Claim 11

A transducer-based sensor system, comprising: a transducer configured to produce electrical output based on movement of the transducer; an output processing subsystem operatively coupled with the transducer, the output processing subsystem including: a mixer configured to mix electrical output of the transducer with an oscillatory signal that is synchronous with an expected component of the transducer's electrical output, the oscillatory signal being thereby configured to facilitate synchronous detection of the expected component; an impedance coupled within an output signal path associated with the transducer, the impedance being configured to present a substantially matched output impedance to the mixer over an operative range of frequencies, the impedance being further configured to minimize signal reflections so as to simplify downstream rejection of unwanted signal components.

Claim 12

The sensor system of claim 9 , further comprising a hybrid RF device coupled within the output signal path, the hybrid RF device being configured to segregate signals flowing in different directions along the output signal path.

Claim 13

The sensor system of claim 10 , where the hybrid RF device is configured to enable sampling of output from the transducer simultaneously while the transducer is being driven, the hybrid RF device being configured to reduce, during such sampling of output from the transducer, interference contributed by an activation signal applied as an input to drive the transducer.

Claim 14

The sensor system of claim 9 , further comprising a drive signal generator configured to apply a drive signal as an input to the transducer to drive the transducer.

Claim 15

The sensor system of claim 12 , where the drive signal and the oscillatory signal are substantially in phase and of substantially the same frequency.

Claim 16

The sensor system of claim 12 , where the drive signal and the oscillatory signal are of substantially the same frequency, but offset in phase by a predetermined amount.

Claim 17

The sensor system of claim 12 , where the drive signal generator is programmable, to enable matching of the drive signal to a resonant frequency of the transducer.

Claim 18

The sensor system of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of transducer groups, each transducer group having a plurality of transducers configured to be placed into operative proximity with a sample material, wherein each transducer is coupled with a corresponding mixer and each mixer is operatively coupled with a corresponding diplexer.

Claim 19

The sensor system of claim 16 , where within each transducer group, each transducer is configured to be driven by a different phase-shifted variant of a local oscillator signal.

Claim 20

The sensor system of claim 17 , where each transducer group includes a first transducer configured to be driven by a variant shifted In phase by 0° from the local oscillator signal, a second transducer configured to be driven by a variant shifted in phase by 90° from the local oscillator signal, a third transducer configured to be driven by a variant shifted in phase by 180° from the local oscillator signal and a fourth transducer configured to be driven by a variant shifted in phase by 270° from the local oscillator signal.

Claim 21

The sensor system of claim 17 , further comprising a programmable drive signal generator configured to provide the local oscillator signal and enable tuning of a frequency of the local oscillator signal to correspond to a desired resonant frequency associated with the transducer-based sensor system.

Claim 22

A transducer-based sensor system, comprising: drive signal generator means for generating a drive signal; transducer means for receiving the drive signal, the transducer means being operatively coupled to the drive signal generator means; mixer means for receiving output from the transducer means and mixing such output with the drive signal generated by the drive signal generator means, where such output results at least in part from movement of the transducer means; and diplexer means for presenting a substantially matched output impedance to the mixer means over an operative range of output frequencies, the diplexer means being operatively coupled to the mixer means.

Claim 23

A transducer-based sensor system, comprising: drive signal generator means for generating a drive signal; transducer means for receiving the drive signal, the transducer means being operatively coupled to the drive signal generator means; mixer means for receiving output from the transducer means and mixing such output with the drive signal generated by the drive signal generator means, where such output results at least in part from movement of the transducer means; and diplexer means for presenting a substantially matched output impedance to the mixer means over an operative range of output frequencies, the diplexer means being operatively coupled to the mixer means.