Abstract:
Methods and systems for passive wireless surface acoustic wave devices for orthogonal frequency coded devices to implement ON-OFF sensors reusing orthogonal frequency code and distinguishing between ON and OFF states using additional PN sequence and on/off switches producing multi-level coding as well as external stimuli for switching and identification of a closure system. An embodiment adds a level of diversity by adding a dibit to each surface acoustic wave devices, thus providing four different possible coding states. The PN on-off coding can be with the dibit for coding in a multi-tag system.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/030,906 filed Feb. 18, 2011 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,169,320 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/618,034 filed on Nov. 13, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,952,482. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to surface acoustic wave devices and, in particular, to methods, systems and devices for on-off passive wireless surface acoustic sensors using coding in combination with on-off switching where the same orthogonal frequency code is used for both ON and OFF states. 
     BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART 
     The surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor offers advantages in that it is wireless, passive, small and has varying embodiments for different sensor applications. Surface acoustic wave sensors are capable of measuring physical, chemical and biological variables and have the ability to operate in harsh environments. In addition, there are a variety of ways of encoding the sensed data information for retrieval. Single sensor systems can typically use a single carrier RF frequency and a simple device embodiment, since tagging is not required. In a multi-sensor environment, it is necessary to both identify the sensor as well as obtain the sensed information. The SAW sensor then becomes both a sensor and a tag and must transmit identification and sensor information simultaneously. 
     Known SAW devices include delay lines and resonator-based oscillators, differential delay lines, and devices utilizing multiple reflective. Single sensor systems can typically use a single carrier frequency and a simple coding technique, since tagging is not required. However, there are advantages of using spread spectrum techniques for device interrogation and coding, such as enhanced processing gain and greater interrogation power. 
     The use of orthogonal frequencies for a wealth of communication and signal processing applications is well known to those skilled in the art. Orthogonal frequencies are often used in an M-ary frequency shift keying (FSK) system. There is a required relationship between the local, or basis set, frequencies and their bandwidths which meets the orthogonality condition. If adjacent time chips have contiguous local stepped frequencies, then a stepped chirp response is obtained. 
     Other known SAW devices include delay line and resonator-based oscillators, differential delay lines, and devices utilizing multiple reflective structures where the reflector length determines a single chip length. The amplitude, phase and delay of each chip can be different from adjacent chips and the sum of all chips yield the code sequence. In this serial approach, the greater the number of codes required, the longer the length of the device. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0100338 which teaches a two-dimensional wavelength/time optical CDMA system employing balanced-modified pseudo random noise matrix codes. Through an inverse-exclusive OR operation of a pair of modified PN code, the balanced codes are generated as optical CDMA codes in the form of a new matrix. When the codes are applied to an optical CDMA system to perform encoding and decoding, if the same number of channels as the number (M−1) of subgroups of the codes are connected, the system becomes an MAI-free system, and even if the number of channels connected is twice the number of the subgroups, an error-free system can be established. Accordingly, the number of channels that can be used simultaneously is doubled compared to the prior art method such that the economical efficiency of the optical CDMA system improves. 
     U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0156100 published on Jul. 3, 2008 teaches an acoustic wave sensor array device for the detection, identification, and quantification of chemicals and biological elements dispersed in fluids. The sensor array device is capable of the simultaneous characterization of a fluid for multiple analytes of interest. A substrate has a plurality of channels formed therein and a sensor material layer applied in a bottom of the channels. The sensor material layer has a shear acoustic wave speed lower than a shear acoustic wave speed in said substrate. The channels may have the same material in each channel or different materials in at least two of the channels. A surface acoustic wave transducer and at least one surface acoustic wave reflector, or at least two transducers is formed on a surface of the substrate opposite the channels at a portion of the substrate that is thinned by the channels, so that the acoustic tracks of the surface acoustic wave device extend along the channels. The response of the surface acoustic wave depends on the response of the sensor material to a sensed fluid supplied to the channels. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,817,707 issued Oct. 19, 2010 teaches an apparatus for generating a ranging pseudo noise (PN) code used in a base station of a portable internet system of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access scheme, wherein a ranging pseudo noise mask value is generated using a cell ID number, and then the generated ranging pseudo noise mask value is stored in a memory. A final ranging PN code is generated using the stored ranging PN mask value and a status of a pseudo random binary sequence for generating a ranging PN code. With such a structure, the maximal 256-numbered ranging PN code values can be obtained simultaneously with each 144 bit-length. 
     Patents and patent applications by an inventor of the present invention, and assigned to the same assignee, and which are incorporated by reference, include U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,642,898, 7,777,625, 7,825,805, and 7,623,037. U.S. Pat. No. 7,642,898 issued on Jan. 5, 2010 to Malocha which teaches orthogonal frequency coding for surface acoustic wave identification tags and sensors to enable unique sensor operation and identification for a multi-sensor environment. In an embodiment, a pseudo noise sequence is applied to the OFC for increased security. An OFC technique is applied to the SAW tag using periodic reflector gratings for responding to an orthogonal interrogation signal to transmit the sensor identification and sensed data. A transceiver interrogates the sensor with a stepped chirp corresponding to the orthogonal frequency coded chip frequency response, receives a response from the SAW device, applies an oppositely stepped chirp to the response and then uses matched filtering to produce a compressed pulse. The orthogonal frequency coding technique has an inherent advantage of processing gain, code division multiple access, spread spectrum and security. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,777,625 issued on Aug. 17, 2010 to Puccio and Malocha, which discloses a weighted surface acoustic wave reflector gratings for coding identification tags and sensors to enable unique sensor operation and identification for a multi-sensor environment. In an embodiment, the weighted reflectors are variable while in another embodiment the reflector gratings are apodized. The weighting technique allows the designer to decrease reflectively and allows for more chips to be implemented in a device and, consequently, more coding diversity. As a result, more tags and sensors can be implemented using a given bandwidth when compared with uniform reflectors. Use of weighted reflector gratings with OFC makes various phase shifting schemes possible, such as in-phase and quadrature implementations of coded waveforms resulting in reduced device size and increased coding. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,825,805 issued on Nov. 2, 2010 to Malocha, which teaches systems, devices and methods for providing an orthogonal frequency coding technique for surface acoustic wave sensors incorporating the use of multiple parallel acoustic tracks to provide increased coding by phase shifting and delaying a code sequence. The surface acoustic wave sensor includes parallel tracks with multiple reflectors with differing delay offsets to form a complex code sequence. The reflectors may be uniform, but alternatively could include fingers withdrawn, have reflector position modulation, differing frequencies or be spatially weighted. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,623,037 issued on Nov. 24, 2011 to Malocha discloses a SAW sensor or tag having multiple transducer/antenna pairs each having a different center frequency. The bandwidth of each transducer/antenna pair is inversely proportional to the number of transducer/antennas pairs used and the bandwidth is the sum of the bandwidth of the transducer/antenna pairs. Implementing a SAW sensor or tag with multiple transducer/antenna pairs significantly reduces device losses and improves the performance of the device since the individual transducer/antenna pair&#39;s fractional bandwidth is reduced by the ratio of the system bandwidth to the number of transducer antenna pairs used in the sensor. 
     To solve the problems associated with the prior art systems, methods and systems of the present invention provides a novel type surface acoustic wave devices with on-off capabilities for passive wireless surface acoustic wave devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary objective of the present invention is to provide methods, systems and devices to implement a passive wireless orthogonal frequency coded surface acoustic wave ON-OFF sensor that uses the same code for both ON and OFF states. 
     A secondary objective of the present invention is to provide methods, systems and devices for a surface acoustic wave device design for orthogonal frequency coded devices to implement ON-OFF sensors reusing orthogonal frequency code and distinguishing between ON and OFF states using additional PN sequence and on/off switches producing multi-level coding as well as external stimuli for switching and identification of a closure system. 
     A third objective of the present invention is to provide methods, systems and devices for increasing code diversity by adding for dibit coding for surface acoustic wave devices. A dibit, i.e., two adjoining bits, each having the same chip frequency (in the case of a reflector they would have the same Bragg frequency), would be encoded in an orthogonal manner and each have a different dibit code as a unique code sequences. 
     A fourth objective of the present invention is to provide methods, systems and devices for wireless external closure detection to verify that a signal is present to ensure that a wireless communication link is established and that the device is operational such as using a single external REED switch for magnetic closure detection, single channel or parallel channels. 
     A fifth objective of the present invention is to provide methods, systems and devices for wireless external closure detection to verify that a signal is present to ensure that a wireless communication link is established and that the device is operational using two REED switches, one normally on, and one normally off with the two switches switching parallel channels when magnetic field is present. 
     A sixth objective of the present invention is to provide methods, systems and devices for use of a thin film ferromagnetic material to change either delay, loss or frequency of the encoded device when the thin film ferromagnetic material s placed in a delay path, on a transducer or placed on one or more of the surface acoustic wave device reflectors. 
     A seventh objective of the present invention is to provide methods, systems and devices to integrate a magnet atop of, or under the device, in a manner to change the delay, loss or frequency of the encoded device. This can be accomplished by damping the wave, or applying a strain induced change in the device&#39;s effective material properties or physical parameters. 
     An eighth objective of the present invention is to provide methods, systems and devices to integrate a ferromagnetic material atop of, or under the device, in a manner to change the delay, loss or frequency of the encoded device. This can be accomplished by damping the wave, or applying a strain induced change in the device&#39;s effective material properties or physical parameters. 
     Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments which are illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1   a  is a graph showing an example of a matched filter correlation of the same OFC code with PN 1  sequence for ON state and PN 2  sequence for OFF state to the simulated ideal sensor response in ON state plotted versus time normalized to chip length. 
         FIG. 1   b  is a graph showing an example of a matched filter correlation of the same OFC code with PN 1  sequence for ON state and PN 2  sequence for OFF state to the simulated ideal sensor response in OFF state plotted versus time normalized to chip length. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic showing an example of ON-OFF OFC SAW sensor according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows the dibit encoding that provides four possible coding states that can be added to device coding to increase coding diversity. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangements shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
     The following is a list of reference numerals used in the description and the drawings to identify components: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 101 
                 ON state 
               
               
                   
                 102 
                 OFF state 
               
               
                   
                 103 
                 ON state 
               
               
                   
                 104 
                 OFF state 
               
               
                   
                 201 
                 master network 
               
               
                   
                 202 
                 output port 
               
               
                   
                 203 
                 switch 
               
               
                   
                 204 
                 external stimuli  
               
               
                   
                 205 
                 input port 
               
               
                   
                 206 
                 input port 
               
               
                   
                 207 
                 input port 
               
               
                   
                 208 
                 transducer 
               
               
                   
                 209 
                 reflectors 
               
               
                   
                 210 
                 transducer 
               
               
                   
                 211 
                 reflectors 
               
               
                   
                 212 
                 transducer 
               
               
                   
                 213 
                 OFC chip reflectors 
               
               
                   
                 214 
                 offset 
               
               
                   
                 215 
                 offset 
               
               
                   
                 216 
                 acoustical path 
               
               
                   
                 217 
                 acoustical path 
               
               
                   
                 218 
                 acoustical path 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     U.S. application Ser. No. 12/618,034 filed on filed on Nov. 13, 2009, now allowed, having the same inventor as the present invention and assigned to the same assignee, which is incorporated herein by reference, teaches methods and systems for coding SAW OFC devices to mitigate code collisions in a wireless multi-tag system. Each device produces an OFC signal with a chip offset delay to increase code diversity. The method for assigning a different OCF to each device includes using a matrix based on the number of OFCs needed and the number chips per code, populating each matrix cell with OFC chip, and assigning the codes from the matrix to the devices. The asynchronous passive multi-tag system includes plural SAW devices each producing a different OFC signal with the same number of chips and including a chip offset time delay, an algorithm for assigning OFCs to each device, and a transceiver to transmit an interrogation signal and receive OFC signals in response with minimal code collisions during transmission. The &#39;034 patent application demonstrated a cell-based approach for device coding. A sample set is given in the following Table 1. 
                                                                                                     TABLE 1                               Time Slot                    Device 1   1   2   3   4   5                            Device #   1   5   3   1   4   2               2   4   2   5   3   1               3   3   1   4   2   5               4   2   5   3   1   4               5   1   4   2   5   3                        
This approach can be extended to the passive wireless OFC SAW on-off sensors when the OFC does not change but the PN coding on top of OFC does. Table 2 demonstrates a set of OFC-PN devices. In a preferred embodiment, when external stimuli are applied to the sensors, the OFC stays the same, however, the PN coding is changing. For a multi-sensor system, the PN coding for ON and OFF states does not have to be different from one OFC code to another.
 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                   
                 Time Slot 
                 Code 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Device 1 
                   
                 1 
                 2 
                 3 
                 4 
                 5 
                 Name 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Device # 
                 1 
                 ON 
                 +5 
                 +3 
                 +1 
                 −4 
                 +2 
                 OFC1-PN1 
               
               
                   
                   
                 OFF 
                 −5 
                 −3 
                 +1 
                 −4 
                 +2 
                 OFC1-PN2 
               
               
                   
                 2 
                 ON 
                 +4 
                 +2 
                 +5 
                 −3 
                 +1 
                 OFC2-PN1 
               
               
                   
                   
                 OFF 
                 −4 
                 −2 
                 +5 
                 −3 
                 +1 
                 OFC2-PN2 
               
               
                   
                 3 
                 ON 
                 +3 
                 +1 
                 +4 
                 −2 
                 +5 
                 OFC3-PN1 
               
               
                   
                   
                 OFF 
                 −3 
                 −1 
                 +4 
                 −2 
                 +5 
                 OFC3-PN2 
               
               
                   
                 4 
                 ON 
                 +2 
                 +5 
                 +3 
                 −1 
                 +4 
                 OFC4-PN1 
               
               
                   
                   
                 OFF 
                 −2 
                 −5 
                 +3 
                 −1 
                 +4 
                 OFC4-PN2 
               
               
                   
                 5 
                 ON 
                 +1 
                 +4 
                 +2 
                 −5 
                 +3 
                 OFC5-PN1 
               
               
                   
                   
                 OFF 
                 −1 
                 −4 
                 +2 
                 −5 
                 +3 
                 OFC5-PN2 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     When the sensor is interrogated, the reflected response is correlated against both ON and OFF codes. Referring to Table 2, for device  1 , the two codes are OFC 1 -PN 1  and OFC 1 -PN 2 , (orthogonal frequency code  1 , with a PN of on or off). 
       FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  show an example of a matched filter correlation of the same OFC code with PN 1  sequence for the ON state and PN 2  sequence for OFF state to the simulated ideal sensor response in ON state  101  plotted versus time normalized to chip length. As shown, an ideal device simulation in an ON state  101  correlates to OFC 1 -PN 1  and OFC 1 -PN 2  correlates to the OFF state  102 . Whichever yields the highest correlation peak corresponds to the state of the sensor. In  FIG. 1   a , the ON state  101  waveform response has the highest peak and the OFF state  102  is shown with a peak that is lower than the ON state peak. In  FIG. 1   b , the device with OFC 1  code is modeled in an OFF state. In  FIG. 1   b , correlation to OFC 1 -PN 2  is in an ON state  104  has a higher peak than the correlation to the OFC 1 -PN 1  which is in an OFF state  103  shown as a lower peak. Referring to  FIG. 1   a  in conjunction with  FIG. 1   b , for the best distinction between correlations of PN 1  to PN 2  it is necessary for half of the chips to have one sign and the other half having the opposite sign. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing an example of an ON-OFF OFC surface acoustic wave device implementation. The example shown in  FIG. 2  is for illustration only to demonstrates the principle of the preferred embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention to any particular number of transducers, reflectors, acoustical paths or to limit the types of switches that can be used. The switches can be magnetic, photovoltaic, mechanical, or other type of switch. For example, the switch can be a reed switch or an optical sensors. 
     The electrical master network  201  provides the electrical interface connections between the multiple electrical input ports  205 ,  206 , and  207  of the transducers  208 ,  210  and  212  with the switch  203 . In the example shown, the switch  203  is controlled by external stimuli  204 . The output port  202  of the electrical master network  201  can be connected to an antenna or matching network (not shown). The device can include a number of acoustical paths, three acoustical paths  216 ,  217 , and  218  in the example shown. 
     One acoustical path  218 , or a set of acoustical paths shown in  FIG. 2  includes three OFC chips  213  that do not change and do not include on-of coding. The transducer  212  for this path  218  can be connected directly to the output port  202  of the master network  201 . The two other acoustical paths  216  and  217 , or two sets of multiple acoustical paths, can contain OFC chips with both changing and non-changing PN code. 
     The first acoustical paths  216  in  FIG. 2  having chips with alternating PN codes can be called a reference path  216 . For the second acoustical path  217 , the distance from the transducer  210  to the two reflectors with alternating PN codes  211  changes by an odd integer multiple of a quarter wavelength of the reflectors center compared to the distance between corresponding reflectors  209  to the transducer  208  of the reference path  216 . The transducers  208  and  210  of the reference path  216  and the second path  217 , respectively, are then connected to input ports  205  and  206 , respectively, of the master network  201 . Depending on the external stimuli  204  applied to the switch  203 , one or the other transducer  208  or  210  will be connected to the output  202  of the master network  201 . 
     Dibit Coding: 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, a dibit, i.e., two adjoining bits, each having the same chip frequency, would be encoded in an orthogonal manner. For example, in the case of a reflector they would have the same Bragg frequency. The on-off PN coding approach previously discussed could also be applied. Multiple dibit chips with differing chip frequencies, such as in orthogonal frequency coded devices previously published by the inventor, could be constructed with unique code sequences. 
     The envelope of the dibit encoding is shown  FIG. 3 , with A having a dibit of 1 and 1 and with B having a dibit of 1 and −1. The complement can also be encoded, namely D a dibit of −1 and −1 as the complement for A and C a dibit of −1, 1 as the complement for B. In general, as shown in  FIG. 3 , this provides four possible coding states. Although the carrier frequency is not shown, the carrier frequency can be the same for each device with the dibit adding to the number a surface acoustic wave devices that can be used in a wireless multi-tag system. 
     As an example, if each bit is implemented as a Bragg reflector on an OFC device, with A in channel  1  and B in channel  2 , then the sum and differences and the on and off states can be used for device encoding. Further, let&#39;s assume in channel  2 , which uses dibit B, there is an external switch that can be used to engage (on) or disengage (off) channel  2 . Further, the outputs after any switch are summed. If channel  2  is off, then the output will simply be a code  1 , 1  in the adjacent bits, with a normalized amplitude of 1 and a length 2·T bit . When the switch is on, the sum of the dibits will be a 1,0 in adjacent bits, with a normalized amplitude of 2 and length T bit . The energy in both of the received coded information will be the same. The autocorrelation of dibit A and dibit B provide a peak triangular correlation at t=0. The cross-correlation to one another yields a zero at t=0 and the integral across the dibit period for the cross correlation is zero. This approach provides orthogonal coding and a good use of the spectral frequency bandwidth by using orthogonal codes. When used in a multi-chip OFC system, PN coding of the dibits will provide even greater diversity. 
     Wireless External Closure Detection: 
     The following embodiment is for use of magnetic switch closure in conjunction with SAW sensor techniques. It is not necessary for the sensor encoding to be orthogonal frequency coding. The magnetic switch can be used separately for SAW closure sensors, or in conjunction with the previously described encoding techniques. It is recognized that in many applications it is necessary to verify that a signal is present to ensure that a wireless communication link is established and that the device is operational. Therefore, the preferred embodiment is for a signal to be detected with the sensor in one of the closed or open state. However, if only an on-state is required, the system need have only a single channel. 
     External Switch for Connecting and Disconnecting Channels: 
     For example, an external REED switch is used for connecting and disconnecting a channel. Here, a single REED switch can be used for magnetic closure detection in a single channel or for parallel channels. In another example, two REED switches, one that is normally on and the other being normally off then the two REED switches can switch parallel channels when a magnetic field is present. Although this embodiment is described for a REED switch, those skilled in the art will understand that other types of switches, such as an optical sensor, can be substituted without departing from the scope of this embodiment of the present invention. 
     Integrated Saw Closure Sensor: 
     In an alternative embodiment, 1a thin film ferromagnetic material is used to change either delay, loss or frequency of the encoded device. The thin film ferromagnetic material can be placed in the delay path, on the transducer, or can be place on one or more reflectors. Alternatively, a magnet can be integrated on top of, or under the device in a manner that can change the delay, loss or frequency of the encoded device. This change can be accomplished by damping the wave, or applying a strain induced change in the device&#39;s effective material properties or physical parameters. In yet another alternative configuration, a ferromagnetic material can be integrated on top of, or under the device, in a manner to change the delay, loss or frequency of the encoded device. This can be accomplished by damping the wave, or applying a strain induced change in the device&#39;s effective material properties or physical parameters. 
     While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.