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.
Claims26
A telemetry system for obtaining environmental readings from within an electromagnetic-absorbing material, the system comprising:
- two or more environmental sensors, wherein each sensor provides a sensor data output;
- a modulator having two or more data inputs coupled to the sensor data outputs and a signal output, wherein the modulator encodes data received at the two or more data inputs onto a carrier produced at the signal output, wherein the modulator is capable of adjusting the data prior to encoding if calibration instructions are present, 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;
- a self-contained power source coupled to the switch-mode amplifier;
- and
- wherein the modulator, the amplifier, the multi-turn coil, and the self-contained power source are packaged within an enclosure.
A method of telemetering from within an electromagnetic-absorbing material, the method comprising:
- sensing two or more environmental conditions within the material to produce sensor data;
- adjusting the sensor data if calibration instructions are present;
- encoding within an enclosure the sensor data onto a carrier having a carrier frequency between about 9 kHz and about 1705 kHz;
- amplifying within the enclosure 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 within the enclosure, 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.
A telemetry system for obtaining environmental readings from within an electromagnetic-absorbing material, the system comprising:
- a means for obtaining sensor data from two or more environmental sensors;
- a means for adjusting sensor data if calibration instructions are present;
- a means for encoding the sensor data onto a carrier, wherein the carrier has a carrier frequency between about 9 kHz and about 1705 kHz, wherein the means for encoding resides within an enclosure;
- a means for amplifying the carrier having a power-conversion efficiency of at least 90 percent, wherein the means for amplifying resides within the enclosure;
- a multi-turn coil coupled to the means for amplifying, wherein the multi-turn coil has a diameter of less than about 0.3 meter, wherein the multi-turn coil resides within the enclosure;
- and
- a self-contained power source coupled to the means for amplifying, wherein the self-contained power source resides within the enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.