Extended analog computer apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9594930-B2
Application number	US-201314383084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2013
Priority date	Mar 5, 2012
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

An extended analog computer includes an electrically conductive material with a plurality of sides. At least one of the sides is isolated from an electrical ground and at least one other side is electrically grounded. A plurality of electrically conductive pins is arranged in the electrical conductor. At least one voltage sensor is arranged in the electrical conductor proximate to the at least one side that is isolated from the electrical ground.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An extended analog computer comprising:
an electrically conductive material formed with a plurality of sides, at least one of the plurality of sides being isolated from an electrical ground;
a ground conductor electrically connected to another one of the plurality of sides of the electrically conductive material, the ground conductor adapted for electrical connection to the electrical ground;
a plurality of electrically conductive pins connected to the electrically conductive material, each of the plurality of electrically conductive pins being configured to input an electric current into the electrically conductive material; and
at least one voltage sensor connected to the electrically conductive material, the voltage sensor being configured to generate a voltage signal corresponding to a charge potential generated in the electrically conductive material by the electric current from each of the plurality of electrically conductive pins.

2. The extended analog computer of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material is a substantially isotropic electrical conductor.

3. The extended analog computer of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material is formed with a predetermined length, width and height, the height less than the length and the width, wherein the electrically conductive material comprises an anisotropic electrical conductor having a lower electrical conductivity through the height of the electrically conductive material than another electrical conductivity through the length and the width of the electrically conductive material.

4. The extended analog computer of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrically conductive pins in the plurality of electrically conductive pins is disc shaped.

5. The extended analog computer of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electric electrically conductive pins in the plurality of electrically conductive pins is spherically shaped.

6. The extended analog computer of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrically conductive pins in the plurality of electrically conductive pins is cylindrically shaped.

7. The extended analog computer of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive material is an electrically conductive foam having an electrical conductivity of approximately 1 Siemen per meter.

8. The extended analog computer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrically conductive pins are arranged in a substantially uniform three-dimensional grid in the electrically conductive material.

9. The extended analog computer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller operatively connected to the plurality of electrically conductive pins and the at least one voltage sensor, the controller being configured to:
selectively connect an input electrical current source to at least one of the electrically conductive pins in the plurality of electrically conductive pins to input an electrical signal;
detect an output voltage signal with the at least one voltage sensor; and
generate an output electrical signal in response to the detected output voltage signal.

10. The extended analog computer of claim 9 , wherein the controller connects the input electrical current source to the at least one of the electrically conductive pins to generate a finite input response filtered signal from the electrical signal, the finite input response filtered signal being detected by the output voltage sensor.

11. The extended analog computer of claim 9 , further comprising:
a voltage to current converter configured to generate another electrical signal in response to a voltage of the output electrical signal; and
the controller being further configured to:
selectively connect at least another pin in the plurality of electrically conductive pins to the voltage to current converter to receive the another electrical signal to generate an infinite input response filtered signal.

12. The extended analog computer of claim 9 , the controller being further configured to:
selectively connect the input electrical current source to at least one of the electrically conductive pins in the plurality of electrically conductive pins to form a matched filter;
and
identify a spike in the output electrical signal corresponding to a shape of the matched filter.

13. The extended analog computer of claim 12 , wherein the input electrical signal is an electroneurograph of nerve activity including a single fiber action potential (SFAP) and the matched filter matches a spike in the SFAP.

14. The extended analog computer of claim 9 , wherein the electrical signal is a time varying electrical signal.

15. The extended analog computer of claim 1 , wherein a second of the plurality of sides of the of the electrically conductive material is isolated from the electrical ground, the second of the plurality of sides and the another of the plurality of sides are joined at an edge, and the at least one voltage sensor is positioned adjacent to the edge.

16. The extended analog computer of claim 15 , wherein a third of the plurality of sides of the electrically conductive material is isolated from the electrical ground, the second, the third, and the another of the plurality of sides are joined at a corner, and the at least one voltage sensor is positioned adjacent to the corner.

17. The extended analog computer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrically conductive pins are arranged in a plurality of radial lines extending outward from the at least one voltage sensor.

18. The extended analog computer of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of electrically conductive pins are arranged in a denser configuration near the at least one voltage sensor and are spaced at increasingly greater intervals as a distance from the at least one voltage sensor increases.

19. An extended analog computer comprising:
an electrically conductive material;
a plurality of electrically conductive pins connected to the electrically conductive material, each of the plurality of electrically conductive pins being configured to input an electric current into the electrically conductive material;
at least one voltage sensor connected to the electrically conductive material, the voltage sensor being configured to generate a voltage signal corresponding to a charge potential generated in the electrically conductive material by the electric current from each of the plurality of electrically conductive pins;
sample and hold buffers configured to sample a time varying input signal in a delayed manner;
a controller operatively connected to the plurality of electrically conductive pins and the at least one voltage sensor, the controller being configured to:
selectively connect the sample and hold buffers to electrically conductive pins in the plurality of electrically conductive pins to input the sampled time varying input signal;
detect an output voltage signal with the at least one voltage sensor; and
generate a finite input response filtered signal in response to the detected output voltage signal.

20. The extended analog computer of claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to:
selectively connect the sample and hold buffers to the electrically conductive pins based on respective distances between the electrically conductive pins and the at least one voltage sensor to form a matched filter; and
identify a spike in an output electrical signal corresponding to a shape of the matched filter.

21. The extended analog computer of claim 20 , wherein the time

Assignees

• Univ Indiana Res & Tech Corp
• Univ Indiana Res & Tech Corp

Inventors

• Yoshida Ken
• Himebaugh Bryce
• Qiao Shaoyu
• Soliman Muller

Classifications

• G06G7/00 Primary

  Devices in which the computing operation is performed by varying electric or magnetic quantities · CPC title

• G06F1/16

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• G01R19/0084

  Measuring voltage only · CPC title