Pulsed ultra-wideband sensor and the method thereof

Abstract

A pulsed ultra-wideband sensor comprises a control unit designed for forming a time delay of a synchronizing pulse, a probing signal forming path, a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna, a path of a probing signal transmitter, with an output of said path being connected to the transmitting antenna, a path of a return signal receiver, with an input of the path being connected to the receiving antenna, and a first electronic switch. The input of the first electronic switch is connected to the output of the path for forming a probing signal, and its outputs—to the input of the path of the probing signal transmitter and to the path of a return signal receiver. The outputs of the channels for processing a return signal, which are parts of the path of the return signal receiver, are connected to the path for calculating a respiratory rate and a heart rate.

1 . A pulsed ultra-wideband sensor, comprising a control unit ( 1 ) designed for forming a time delay of a synchronizing pulse, a probing signal forming path including a coherent radio pulse generator ( 2 ) connected to said control unit ( 1 ), a transmitting and receiving antennas ( 3  and  4 ), a path of a probing signal transmitter, whose output is connected to the transmitting antenna ( 3 ), a path of a return signal receiver, comprising two channels for processing a return signal, each of said channels comprising a signal mixer ( 13  and  18 ) whose first input is connected to the receiving antenna ( 4 ), and a phase-shifting circuit ( 12 ) with an input of the phase-shifting circuit ( 12 ) connected to an output of the probing signal forming path and an output of the phase-shifting circuit ( 12 ) connected to a second input of the signal mixer ( 18 ) of the second channel for processing a return signal, is characterized in that the said sensor additionally comprises a first electronic switch ( 5 ) and a respiratory rate and heart rate calculating path including two frequency filters ( 28  and  29 ), two adders ( 30  and  31 ), two blocks ( 32  and  33 ) for calculating a signal amplitude, two blocks ( 34  and  35 ) for calculating a signal energy, two integrators ( 36  and  37 ), two comparators ( 38  and  39 ), two signal multiplying blocks ( 40  and  41 ), two blocks ( 42  and  43 ) for generating a reference signal, second and third electronic switches ( 44  and  45 ), a respiratory rate calculating block ( 46 ) and a heart rate calculating block ( 47 ), the input of the first electronic switch ( 5 ) being connected to the output of the probing signal forming path, the first output of the first electronic switch ( 5 ) being connected to the input of path of the probing signal transmitter and the second output of the first electronic switch ( 5 ) being connected to the second input of the signal mixer ( 13 ) of the first channel for processing a return signal and to the input of the phase-shifting circuit ( 12 ), the control input of the first electronic switch ( 5 ) being connected to the control unit ( 1 ), the inputs of the first and second frequency filters ( 28  and  29 ) being connected respectively to the outputs of the first and second channels for processing a return signal, the first input of the first adder ( 30 ) being connected to the output of the first channel for processing a return signal, the second input of the first adder ( 30 ) being connected to the output of the first frequency filter ( 28 ), the first input of the second adder ( 31 ) being connected to the output of the second channel for processing a return signal, the second input of the second adder ( 31 ) being connected to the output of the second frequency filter ( 29 ), the first input of the first signal multiplying block ( 40 ) being connected to the output of the first adder ( 30 ), the second input of the first signal multiplying block ( 40 ) being connected to the output of the first block ( 42 ) for generating a reference signal, the first input of the second signal multiplying block ( 41 ) is connected to the output of the second adder ( 31 ), the second input of the second signal multiplying block ( 41 ) is connected to the output of the second block ( 43 ) for generating a reference signal, the input of the first integrator ( 36 ) is connected to the output of the first signal multiplying block ( 40 ), the output of the first integrator ( 36 ) is connected to the first input of the second electronic switch ( 44 ) and to the input of the first block ( 34 ) for calculating a signal energy, the input of the second integrator ( 37 ) is connected to the output of the second signal multiplying block ( 41 ), the output of the second integrator ( 37 ) is connected to the second input of the second electronic switch ( 44 ) and to the input of the second block ( 35 ) for calculating a signal energy, the output of the first block ( 34 ) for calculating a signal energy is connected to the first input of the first comparator ( 38 ), the output of the second block ( 35 ) for calculating a signal energy is connected to the second input of the first comparator ( 38 ), the output of the first comparator ( 38 ) is connected to the control input of the second electronic switch ( 44 ), the input of the first block ( 32 ) for calculating a signal amplitude is connected to the output of the first frequency filter ( 28 ), the output of the first block ( 32 ) for calculating signal amplitude is connected to the first input of the second comparator ( 39 ), the input of the second block ( 33 ) for calculating a signal amplitude is connected to the output of the second frequency filter ( 29 ), the output of the second block ( 33 ) for calculating a signal amplitude is connected to the second input of the second comparator ( 39 ), the output of the second comparator ( 39 ) is connected to the control input of the third electronic switch ( 45 ), whose first input is connected to the output of the first frequency filter ( 28 ) and its second input—to the output of the second frequency filter ( 29 ), the output of the third electronic switch ( 45 ) is connected to the input of the respiratory rate calculating block ( 46 ), the output of the second electronic switch ( 44 ) is connected to the input of the heart rate calculating block ( 47 ). 
   
   
       2 . The sensor according to the  claim 1 , is characterized in that it comprises a data displaying block ( 48 ), with a first input of said block ( 48 ) being connected to the output of the heart rate calculating block ( 47 ) and a second input of said block ( 48 ) being connected to the output of the respiratory rate calculating block ( 46 ). 
   
   
       3 . The sensor according to the  claim 1 , is characterized in that the blocks ( 42  and  43 ) for generating a reference signal provided with inputs, the input of the first block ( 42 ) for generating a reference signal being connected to the output of the first adder ( 30 ) and the input of the second block ( 43 ) for generating a reference signal being connected to the output of the second adder ( 31 ). 
   
   
       4 . The sensor according to the  claim 1  is characterized in that the blocks ( 42  and  43 ) for generating a reference signal are designed for forming a reference signal of constant shape. 
   
   
       5 . The sensor according to the  claim 1  is characterized in that the probing signal forming path comprises a buffer amplifier ( 6 ) and a band pass filter ( 5 ), which are connected in series with the coherent radio pulse generator ( 2 ), with the output of said filter being connected to the input of the first electronic switch ( 5 ). 
   
   
       6 . The sensor according to the  claim 1  is characterized in that the output of the signal mixer ( 13  and  18 ) of each channel for processing a return signal is connected to the path for calculating a respiratory rate and a heart rate through the band pass filter ( 14  and  19 ), the low-frequency amplifier ( 15  and  20 ) and the low-frequency filter ( 16  and  21 ), which are connected in series to each other. 
   
   
       7 . The sensor according to the  claim 1  is characterized in that the path of the return signal receiver includes a band pass filter ( 10 ) and a signal amplifier ( 11 ), which are connected in series to the receiving antenna ( 4 ), with the output of said signal amplifier being switched to the channels for processing a return signal. 
   
   
       8 . The sensor according to the  claim 1  is characterized in that the path of the probing signal transmitter comprises a band pass filter ( 8 ) and a signal amplifier ( 9 ) which are connected in series to the transmitting antenna ( 3 ), with the input of said signal amplifier being connected to the first output of the first electronic switch ( 5 ). 
   
   
       9 . The sensor according to the  claim 1  is characterized in that the control unit ( 1 ) designed for forming a time delay of a synchronizing pulse comprises a driving generator ( 23 ), to which are connected in parallel a path for forming a synchronizing signal of the transmitter, the said path comprising a first short-pulse former ( 24 ), and a path for forming a synchronizing signal of the receiver, the said path comprising a controlled digital delay line ( 25 ) and a second short-pulse former ( 26 ) with an output forming a first output of the control unit ( 1 ), the said output being connected to the control input of the first electronic switch ( 5 ), and an “OR” circuit ( 27 ), the inputs of the said circuit being connected to the outputs of the path for forming a synchronizing signal of the transmitter and the path for forming a synchronizing signal of the receiver, with the output of the “OR” circuit ( 27 ) forming a second output of the control unit ( 1 ), the said output being connected to the coherent radio pulse generator ( 2 ). 
   
   
       10 . A pulsed ultra-wideband sensor comprising a processing circuit, the processing circuit comprising:
 a first frequency filter configured to receive an in-phase signal;   a second frequency filter configured to receive a quadrature signal;   a first signal amplitude calculating unit configured to calculate an signal amplitude of an output signal of the first frequency filter;   a second signal amplitude calculating unit configured to calculate an signal amplitude of an output signal of the second frequency filter;   a first electronic switch configured to output one of the output signals of the first and the second frequency filters according to calculated results of the first and the second signal amplitude calculating units;   a first adder configured to subtract the output signal of the first frequency filter from an input signal of the first frequency filter;   a second adder configured to subtract the output signal of the second frequency filter from an input signal of the second frequency filter;   a first signal integrating unit configured to calculate correlation integrals of output signals of the first adder and a first reference signal;   a second signal integrating unit configured to calculate correlation integrals of output signals of the second adder and a second reference signal;   a first signal energy calculating unit configured to calculate signal energy of an output signal of the first signal integrating unit;   a second signal energy calculating unit configured to calculate signal energy of an output signal of the second signal integrating unit; and   a second electronic switch configured to output one of the output signals of the first and the second signal integrating units according to calculated results of the first and the second signal energy calculating units.   
   
   
       11 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the first reference signal exhibits a constant shape. 
   
   
       12 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the first reference signal is generated according to the output signal of the first adder. 
   
   
       13 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the second reference signal exhibits a constant shape. 
   
   
       14 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the second reference signal is generated according to the output signal of the second adder. 
   
   
       15 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the first signal integrating unit comprises:
 a first signal multiplying block configured to multiply the output signal of the first adder by the first reference signal; and   a first integrator configured to calculate an integral of an output signal of the first signal multiplying block.   
   
   
       16 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the second signal integrating unit comprises:
 a second signal multiplying block configured to multiply the output signal of the second adder by the second reference signal; and   a second integrator configured to calculate the integral of an output signal of the second signal multiplying block.   
   
   
       17 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit further comprises a first comparator configured to compare the calculated results of the first and the second signal amplitude calculating units and to control the first electronic switch. 
   
   
       18 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit further comprises a second comparator configured to compare the calculated results of the first and the second signal energy calculating units and to control the second electronic switch. 
   
   
       19 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit further comprises a first reference signal generating block for generating the first reference signal. 
   
   
       20 . The pulsed ultra-wideband sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit further comprises a second reference signal generating block for generating the second reference signal. 
   
   
       21 . A method for measuring physiological parameters, comprising:
 filtering a first information signal and a second information signal indicative of both a first physiological parameter and a second physiological parameter to generate a first filtered signal and a second filtered signal indicative of merely the first physiological parameter;   summing the first information signal and the first filtered signal to generate a first summed signal indicative of merely the second physiological parameter;   summing the second information signal and the second filtered signal to generate a second summed signal indicative of merely the second physiological parameter;   correlating the first summed signal with a first reference signal to generate a first correlated signal;   correlating the second summed signal with a second reference signal to generate a second correlated signal;   selecting a first physiological parameter signal from the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal based on the amplitude of the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal; and   selecting a second physiological parameter signal from the first correlated signal and the second correlated signal based on the energy of the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first information signal exhibits a 90-degree phase difference from the second information signal. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the correlation of the first summed signal and the first reference signal is accomplished by integrating a product of the first summed signal multiplied by the first reference signal. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the correlation of the second summed signal and the second reference signal is accomplished by integrating a product of the second summed signal multiplied by the second reference signal. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining a first physiological parameter according to local extremes of the first physiological parameter signal.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining a second physiological parameter according to local extremes of the second physiological parameter signal.   
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first physiological parameter is a respiratory rate. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second physiological parameter is a heart rate.