Acoustic transmission devices and process for making and using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10033470-B2
Application number	US-201414914974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2014
Priority date	Aug 29, 2013
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

Acoustic tags and a process for fabrication are disclosed for identifying and tracking various hosts including inanimate and animate objects in up to three dimensions. The acoustic tags may be powered by a single power source. Tags can have an operation lifetime of up to 90 days or longer at a transmission rate of 3 seconds. The acoustic tags have an enhanced signal range that enhances detection probability when tracking the hosts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An acoustic transmission device for identifying and tracking a selected host, the device comprising:
a containment vessel that defines an internal volume below about 115 mm3 with selected dimensions for containing components of the device in a selected configuration;
a power source configured to power operation of the device;
a controller configured to supply one or more tag codes, each tag code having a selectable code length and an identification code of a selectable bit length therein;
at least one piezoelectric transducer disposed in the containment vessel; and
a piezoelectric transducer drive circuit that delivers a selected drive voltage to the at least one piezoelectric transducer that generates the acoustic transmission signal including the encoded tag codes and respective identification codes therein, the at least one piezoelectric transducer is configured to transmit the acoustic transmission signal at a selected transmission rate at a selected acoustic signal intensity to a receiver disposed external to the acoustic transmission device.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the containment vessel has dimensions and a configuration that allows the device to be introduced into the host with a syringe needle.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the containment vessel has a length at or below about 15.0 mm and a diameter at or below about 3.4 mm.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric transducer drive circuit comprises a boost converter circuit that up converts the voltage delivered from the power source to the at least one piezoelectric transducer.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the power source powers the device for a lifetime of at least about 20 days at a transmission (ping) rate of 3 seconds at an acoustic signal intensity of about 155 dB to about 156 dB.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric transducer drive circuit comprises a dual analog switch and a high-efficiency inductor configured to deliver a drive voltage to the at least one piezoelectric transducer.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the device includes a power source configured to power the device for a lifetime of at least about 90 days at a transmission (ping) rate of about 3 seconds at an acoustic signal intensity of at least about 156 dB.

8. The acoustic device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one piezoelectric transducer expends an energy per transmission at or below about 35 uJ at an acoustic signal intensity of about 155 dB to about 156 dB.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one piezoelectric transducer includes an outer wall with an outer circumference and an inner wall with an inner circumference, each wall includes a surface electrode, the inner circumference includes a center that is offset from the center of the outer circumference by a distance selected to enhance the acoustic transmission signal in at least a forward transmission direction.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one piezoelectric transducer includes end caps composed of a selected metal disposed at respective ends of the at least one piezoelectric transducer configured to enhance the acoustic transmission signal emitted from the ends thereof.

11. The device of claim 1 , further including an acoustic reflector positioned behind the at least one piezoelectric transducer that enhances the acoustic signal intensity by at least about 0.5 dB in at least a forward direction compared with the device absent the acoustic reflector.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the acoustic reflector comprises a closed cell foam that enhances the acoustic signal emitted from the at least one piezoelectric transducer in at least a forward direction.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the acoustic reflector yields an acoustic transmission signal from the at least one transducer with a substantially uniform beam pattern comprising 180° of the transmission wavefront in at least a forward direction.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device has a dry weight less than about 220 mg.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the power source is a lithium/carbon fluoride battery configured to supply an output voltage of at least about 2.5 volts.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the power source includes a plurality of laminates each laminate includes an anode and a cathode disposed between a polymer separator that electrically isolates the cathode from the anode in the laminate and an electrolyte.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust the energy drawn from the power source as the power source discharges such that the acoustic source level remains substantially constant over the operation lifetime of the device.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one piezoelectric transducer is configured to deliver the acoustic transmission signal at an acoustic signal intensity of about 155 dB to about 156 dB.

19. A method for identifying and tracking a selected host, the method comprising:
attaching the acoustic transmission device of claim 1 to the selected host at a selected location;
transmitting an acoustic signal at a selected acoustic intensity from at least one piezoelectric transducer of the acoustic transmission device at a selected frequency over a selected distance to a receiver disposed external to the host, the acoustic signal encoded with one or more tag codes of a selected code length containing at least location data and identification data of the host therein; and
decoding the acoustic signal received from the acoustic transmission device to identify and track the host in up to three dimensions in real-time or as a function of time.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein attaching the acoustic transmission device includes injecting the device into the host.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein injecting the acoustic transmission device includes injecting the device through a syringe needle.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the transmitting includes transmitting the acoustic signal from the at least one piezoelectric transducer over an operation lifetime of at least about 20 days at a transmission rate of 3 seconds.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the transmitting includes transmitting the acoustic signal from the at least one piezoelectric transducer over an operation lifetime of at least about 90 days at a transmission rate of 3 seconds.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein transmitting the acoustic signal includes delivering a power source voltage through a booster circuit of the device up converting the voltage to form a drive and delivering the drive voltage to the at least one piezoelectric transducer.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein transmitting the acoustic signal at the selected resonance frequency includes delivering a drive voltage that is above the power source voltage from a resonance induction circuit to the at least one piezoelectric transducer generating the resonance frequency therein.

26. The method of claim 19 , wherein the transmitting the acoustic signal includes transmitting sensor data collected from one or more sensors in the acoustic transmission device encoded in at least one of the one or more tag codes transmitted from the acoustic transmission device.

27. The method of claim 19 , wherein transmitting the acoustic signal includes transmitting the acoustic

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute
• Army Corps Of Eng

Inventors

• Deng Z Daniel
• Myjak Mitchell J
• Carlson Thomas J
• Xiao Jie
• Li Huidong
• Cartmell Samuel S
• Lu Jun
• Chen Honghao
• Eppard M Bradford
• Gross Mark E

Classifications

• H04B11/00 Primary

  Transmission systems employing ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• A01K61/90

  Sorting, grading, counting or marking live aquatic animals, e.g. sex determination · CPC title

• G08C23/02

  using infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic waves · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• G01S1/725

  Marker, boundary, call-sign or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information · CPC title