Claims
- 1. For use in a tire pressure monitoring system, an initiator generator comprising:an oscillator/divider configured to generate an output signal in response to a switched, regulated voltage, wherein the output signal has a fundamental frequency and a gating frequency, and the generator comprises a pre-driver/signal conditioning circuit configured to present the output signal to a driver circuit and to drive a differential FET current switch for powering a series RLC circuit for magnetic field generation.
- 2. The generator of claim 1 further comprising:a switching circuit configured to generate a switched, unregulated voltage in response to a supply voltage and an enable signal; and a regulator configured to generate the switched, regulated voltage in response to the unregulated voltage.
- 3. The generator of claim 1 wherein the oscillator/divider comprises an integrated circuit configured to generate the fundamental frequency and the gating frequency in response to the switched, regulated voltage and a signal having an oscillation frequency.
- 4. The generator of claim 3 wherein the fundamental frequency and the gating frequency are the same as, multiples of, or dividends of the oscillation frequency.
- 5. The generator of claim 3 wherein the signal having the oscillation frequency is generated by a crystal oscillator.
- 6. The generator of claim 1 wherein the generator is configured to drive a single transistor, an FET, a high current device, or a high voltage device.
- 7. For use in a tire pressure monitoring system, a method of generating an initiator output signal, the method comprising:generating the output signal at a fundamental frequency in response to a switched, regulated voltage; gating the output signal at a gating frequency; and presenting the output signal to a differential FET current switch for powering a series RLC circuit for magnetic field generation.
- 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating the fundamental frequency and the gating frequency in response to an oscillation signal.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the fundamental frequency and the gating frequency are the same as, multiples of, or dividends of a frequency of the oscillation signal.
- 10. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating the oscillation signal via a crystal oscillator.
- 11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:generating a switched, unregulated voltage in response to a supply voltage and an enable signal; and generating the switched, regulated voltage in response to the unregulated voltage.
- 12. The method of claim 7 further comprising:generating the output signal via a pre-driver/signal conditioning circuit; and presenting the output signal to a driver circuit.
- 13. The method of claim 7 further comprising presenting the output signal to a single transistor, an FET, a high current device, or a high voltage device.
- 14. A reduced power consumption tire pressure monitoring system initiator generator comprising:a switching circuit configured to generate a switched, unregulated voltage in response to a supply voltage and an enable signal; a regulator configured to generate a switched, regulated voltage in response to the unregulated voltage; an oscillator/divider configured to generate an output signal in response to the switched, regulated voltage, wherein the output signal has a fundamental frequency and a gating frequency; and a pre-driver/signal conditioning circuit configured to present the output signal to a driver circuit and to drive a differential FET current switch for powering a series RLC circuit for magnetic field generation.
- 15. The generator of claim 14 wherein the oscillator/divider comprises an integrated circuit configured to generate the fundamental frequency and the gating frequency in response to the switched, regulated voltage and a signal having an oscillation frequency.
- 16. The generator of claim 15 wherein the signal having the oscillation frequency is generated by a crystal oscillator.
- 17. The generator of claim 15 wherein the fundamental frequency and the gating frequency are the same as, multiples of, or dividends of the oscillation frequency.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/360,762 filed Mar. 1, 2002.
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