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US 10,502,865 B2Granted
Sensing system and method for use in electromagnetic-absorbing material
AssigneeGroGuru, Inc.
InventorJeffrey E. Campbell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for obtaining telemetry environmental readings from within an electromagnetic-absorbing material are disclosed herein. The system may include a self-contained power source powering a switch-mode amplifier to drive a multi-turn coil to be driven with a low-frequency carrier.
Claims21
A telemetry system for obtaining environmental readings from within an electromagnetic-absorbing material, the system comprising:
- an environmental sensor having a sensor data output, wherein the environmental sensor comprises one or more of a moisture sensor, a temperature sensor, and a salinity sensor;
- a modulator having a data input coupled to the sensor data output and a signal output, wherein the modulator encodes data received at the data input onto a carrier produced at the signal output, and wherein the carrier has a carrier frequency between about 9 kHz and about 1705 kHz;
- a switch-mode amplifier coupled to the signal output and having an amplifier output;
- a multi-turn coil coupled to the amplifier output, wherein the multi-turn coil has a diameter of less than about 0.3 meter, and wherein the multi-turn coil has a reactance at the carrier frequency that forms a part of a frequency-dependent load network coupled to the amplifier;
- and
- a self-contained power source coupled to the switch-mode amplifier;
- a receiver coil positioned outside the material;
- and
- a data detector coupled to the receiver coil;
- and
- wherein the modulator, the amplifier, the multi-turn coil, and the self-contained power source are packaged within a water-tight enclosure and positioned inside the material.
8 more elements
A method of telemetering from within an electromagnetic-absorbing material, the method comprising:
- sensing an environmental condition using an environmental sensor within the material to produce sensor data, wherein the sensor data comprises one or more of a moisture sensor, a temperature sensor, and a salinity sensor;
- encoding the sensor data onto a carrier using a modulator having a carrier frequency between about 9 kHz and about 1705 kHz;
- amplifying the carrier using a switch-mode amplifier to produce an amplified signal, wherein the switch-mode amplifier is powered from a self-contained power source;
- and
- coupling the amplified signal into a multi-turn coil, wherein the multi-turn coil has a diameter of less than about 0.3 meter, and wherein the multi-turn coil has a reactance at the carrier frequency that forms a part of a frequency-dependent load network coupled to the amplifier;
- positioning a receiver coil outside the material;
- and
- detecting the data using current induced in the receiver coil by mutual induction with the multi-turn coil;
- and
- positioning the modulator, the amplifier, the multi-turn coil, and the self-contained power source are packaged within a water-tight enclosure inside the material.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.