Fluid level and composition sensor
AssigneeTigmill Technologies, LLC
InventorBobby David Strong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid sensor system comprises a radio frequency transmitter with adjustable output power, a radio frequency detector proximal to the radio frequency transmitter; a constant current source, and a switch coupled between the radio frequency detector and the constant current source. A method of determining the identity of a fluid using the fluid sensor system includes immersing the sensor system in a first fluid, increasing a transmit power of a radio frequency (RF) transmitter of the fluid sensor system until an RF signal is detected by a RF detector of the fluid sensor system, and determining the transmit power of the RF transmitter that first resulted in a detection of the RF signal by the RF detector to be the transmit power that is required for detecting the RF signal in the first fluid.
Claims19
A fluid sensor system, comprising:
- a fluid sensor, comprising:
- a radio frequency transmitter, configured to output radio frequency signals at adjustable levels of transmit power into a fluid;
- a radio frequency detector, configured to detect the radio frequency signals transmitted by the radio frequency transmitter into the fluid;
- a first constant current source;
- and
- a first switch coupled between the radio frequency detector and the first constant current source, wherein the fluid sensor is configured to be submerged as a whole into the fluid;
- and
- a microcontroller coupled to the fluid sensor by a mono-conductor cable.
A fluid sensor system, comprising:
- a fluid sensor, comprising:
- a radio frequency transmitter;
- a radio frequency detector;
- a first constant current source;
- and
- a first switch coupled between the radio frequency detector and the first constant current source, wherein the fluid sensor is configured to be submerged as a whole into a fluid;
- and
- a microcontroller coupled to the fluid sensor by a cable;
- wherein the radio frequency transmitter is configured to send a first radio frequency signal at a first transmit power that corresponds to detecting a first fluid;
- wherein the radio frequency detector is configured to attempt to detect the first radio frequency signal;
- and
- wherein the fluid sensor system is configured to perform the following in response to the radio frequency detector detecting the first radio frequency signal:
- cause the first switch to connect the first constant current source to the microcontroller to indicate the first radio frequency signal is detected;
- and
- cause the radio frequency transmitter to send a second radio frequency signal at a second power that corresponds to detecting a second fluid;
- and
- cause the radio frequency detector to attempt to detect the second radio frequency signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.