Sensor and method for detecting a substance
AssigneeGreenwald Technologies, LLC
InventorsShlomo Greenwald, Zipora Greenwald, Uri Moshe Greenwald
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor for detecting a substance in a physical space, having an RF energy emitter fed by a signal source on one side of the space and an RF energy receiving element coupled to a detector at an opposite side of the channel, spaced apart by a distance (r) selected so that when the signal wavelength (λ) changes based on the value of the dielectric constant (ε) of the particular substance in the physical space between the emitter and receiver, the mode of field type within the sensor channel changes between near field and intermediate or far field mode.
Claims20
A sensor for detecting a substance within a physical space comprising:
- an RF energy signal source producing radio frequency energy having a frequency;
- an RF energy emitter on a first side of the physical space, coupled to the RF energy signal source;
- an RF energy receiving element on a second side of the physical space, spaced a determined distance from the RF energy emitter for reception of the radio frequency energy from the RF energy emitter in a near field, intermediate field or far field mode, and
- an RF energy detector providing a signal corresponding to an amount of RF energy received from the RF energy emitter;
- wherein the distance between the RF energy emitter and the RF energy receiving element is determined relative to the wavelength of the radio frequency energy in a substance such that:
- energy from the RF energy emitter is coupled to the RF energy receiving element in a selected one of near field mode, intermediate field mode or far field mode when the substance is not present in the physical space between the RF energy emitter and the RF energy receiving element, and
- energy coupled from the RF energy emitter to the RF energy receiving element changes to a different one of near field mode, intermediate field mode or far field mode when the substance is present in the physical space between the RF energy emitter and the RF energy receiving element.
A method for detecting a substance in a physical space using an RF energy signal source producing radio frequency energy having a frequency;
- an RF energy emitter on a first side of the physical space, coupled to the RF energy signal source;
- an RF energy receiving element on a second side of the physical space, spaced a determined distance from the RF energy emitter for reception of the radio frequency energy from the RF energy emitter in a near field, intermediate field or far field mode, and an RF energy detector providing a signal corresponding to an amount of RF energy received from the RF energy emitter;
- the method comprising:
- setting the distance between the RF energy emitter and the RF energy receiving element relative to the wavelength of the radio frequency energy in a substance such that:
- energy from the RF energy emitter is coupled to the RF energy receiving element in a selected one of near field mode, intermediate field mode or far field mode when the substance is not present in the physical space between the RF energy emitter and the RF energy receiving element, and
- energy coupled from the RF energy emitter to the RF energy receiving element changes to a different one of near field mode, intermediate field mode or far field mode when the substance is present in the physical space between the RF energy emitter and the RF energy receiving element;
- measuring the energy coupled from the RF energy emitter to the RF energy receiving element through the physical space;
- determining that the substance is not in the physical space from the measured energy at a value representing coupling in one of the near field mode, intermediate field mode or far field mode;
- and
- determining that the substance is in the physical space from the measured energy at a value representing a change to coupling in a different one of near field mode, intermediate field mode or far field mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.