Drive-Sense Circuit for Multi-Sensor Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sensor monitoring systems face challenges in efficiently communicating and processing data from a variety of sensors across different applications, including industrial and healthcare settings, due to limitations in power management and signal interpretation for diverse sensor types.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a drive-sense circuit system that provides regulated power signals to sensors and detects changes in these signals to generate representative signals for communication to computing devices, enabling efficient data collection and processing across different sensor types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple sensor types are monitored using separate monitoring circuits, then each sensor type can be monitored with dedicated optimization, but the device complexity and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal monitoring circuit that can detect signals from multiple different sensor types (temperature, pressure, flow, etc.) using a single standardized interface. The circuit employs a common amplifier and signal conditioning stage that accepts various sensor inputs, eliminating the need for separate dedicated circuits for each sensor type while maintaining detection accuracy through configurable gain and filtering parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple signal conditioning functions (amplification, filtering, offset adjustment) into a single integrated monitoring circuit module. By merging these previously separate functions into one unified circuit, the system reduces overall complexity while preserving the ability to accurately process signals from diverse sensor types through centralized control and processing.
2Reliability
If continuous monitoring of all sensors is performed, then real-time data availability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic sampling of sensor signals instead of continuous monitoring. The monitoring circuit is activated at predetermined intervals to capture sensor data, then enters a low-power state between measurements. This periodic operation maintains real-time monitoring capability by updating data regularly while dramatically reducing average power consumption compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback control where the monitoring circuit adjusts its activity based on system state. When sensors indicate stable conditions, monitoring frequency is reduced to conserve power. When changes are detected or critical thresholds are approached, the circuit increases monitoring frequency automatically, optimizing the balance between real-time data availability and power consumption through adaptive feedback control.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing subsystem includes a plurality of drive-sense circuits operable for coupling to a plurality of loads. A drive-sense circuit of the plurality of drive-sense circuits is operably coupled to a load of the plurality of loads. The drive-sense circuit functions to generate a digital signal indicative of a characteristic of the load. The computing subsystem further includes a processing module operably coupled to the plurality of drive-sense circuits. The processing module is operable to receive a set of digital signals from at least some of the plurality of drive-sense circuits, wherein the set of digital signals includes the digital signal and process the set of digital signals to produce a plurality of frames of load data regarding the plurality of loads. A frame of the load data of the plurality of frames of load data is a representation of the characteristics of the at least some of plurality of loads at a sampling interval of a plurality of sampling intervals.