Patent US10143386

Range gated radio frequency physiology sensor
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US10143386

1. A radio frequency motion sensor comprising: (9) (4)

a radio frequency transmitter, the transmitter configured to emit radio frequency pulses; and

a receiver configured to receive reflected ones of the emitted radio frequency pulses,

the radio frequency transmitter comprising:

a pulse generator configured to generate signal pulses, wherein the pulse generator comprises a logic gate circuit; a dielectric resonator oscillator configured to generate a stable radio frequency oscillating signal; and

a switched circuit coupled to the pulse generator and the dielectric resonator oscillator, the switched circuit configured to generate a pulsed radio frequency oscillating signal that is modulated by the signal pulses of the pulse generator and whose dominant frequency is derived from the dielectric resonator oscillator.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the dielectric resonator oscillator comprises a dielectric resonator and a transistor. (0)

3. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the switched circuit comprises a switchable radio-frequency amplifier. (1) (0)

7. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the switched circuit comprises a wideband oscillator, the wideband oscillator configured to injection lock with the dielectric resonator oscillator. (1) (0)

9. The sensor of claim 1 further comprising an attenuator and matching network circuit between an output of the dielectric resonator oscillator and an input of the switched circuit. (1) (0)

13. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the logic gate circuit comprises a NAND gate. (0)

14. The sensor of claim 1 wherein an output of the logic gate of the logic gate circuit is coupled with a gate of a transistor of the switched circuit. (0)

15. The sensor of claim 1 in which an onset time of the signal pulses is varied with respect to overall signal pulse generation timing. (0)

16. The sensor of claim 1 further comprising a processor, the processor configured for processing the received reflected ones of the emitted radio frequency pulses to derive an indicator of any one or more of body movement, respiration, sleep and heart rate. (1) (0)

18. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the radio frequency transmitter further comprises a dithering circuit, the dithering circuit coupled with the pulse generator to dither signal pulses generated by the pulse generator. (1) (0)

20. A circuit for generating signals to produce radio frequency pulses for range gated physiology sensing, the circuit comprising: (1) (5)

a pulse generator configured to generate signal pulses, wherein the pulse generator comprises a logic gate circuit;

a dielectric resonator oscillator configured to generate a radio frequency oscillating signal;

a switched amplifier circuit coupled to the pulse generator and the dielectric resonator oscillator, the switched amplifier circuit configured to generate a pulsed radio frequency oscillating signal in accordance with the signal pulses and radio frequency oscillating signal;

an antenna feed coupled with an output of the switched amplifier circuit to accept the generated pulsed radio frequency oscillating signal and emit radio frequency pulses in accordance with the pulsed radio frequency oscillating signal via an antenna; and

a dithering circuit coupled with the pulse generator to dither the signal pulses generated by the pulse generator.

21. The circuit of claim 20 wherein the dithering circuit comprises a synchronous ramp dithering circuit. (0)

22. A circuit for generating signals to produce radio frequency pulses for range gated physiology sensing, the circuit comprising: (5) (4)

a pulse generator configured to generate signal pulses, wherein the pulse generator comprises a logic gate circuit;

a dielectric resonator oscillator configured to generate a radio frequency oscillating signal;

a switched circuit coupled to the pulse generator and the dielectric resonator oscillator, the switched circuit configured to generate a pulsed radio frequency oscillating signal in accordance with the signal pulses and radio frequency oscillating signal; and

an antenna feed coupled with an output of the switched circuit to accept the pulsed radio frequency oscillating signal and to emit radio frequency pulses in accordance with the pulsed radio frequency oscillating signal via an antenna.

23. The circuit of claim 22 wherein the dielectric resonator oscillator comprises a dielectric resonator and a transistor. (1) (0)

25. The circuit of claim 22 wherein the switched circuit comprises a switched wideband oscillator, the wideband oscillator configured to injection lock with the dielectric resonator oscillator. (0)

26. The circuit of claim 22 wherein the switched circuit comprises a transistor having a drain, a gate and a source, the switched circuit including a feedback network coupled to the drain. (1) (0)

30. The circuit of claim 22 wherein the pulse generator is coupled with a gate of a transistor of the switched circuit. (0)

31. The circuit of claim 22 further comprising a dithering circuit, the dithering circuit coupled with the pulse generator to dither signal pulses generated by the pulse generator. (1) (0)

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Patent US10143386

Range gated radio frequency physiology sensor

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