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US 6,687,004 B1Granted
Optical sensor for opaque and non-opaque materials
AssigneeMarquette University
InventorsZack A. Shana, Carljon Mercier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor is capable of detecting clear or opaque materials. The sensor can be disposed around a clear tube which carries a material such as liquid. The sensor utilizes a thin beam light source and a wide area photo detector. A window comparator determines the presence or absence of a material such as liquid.
Claims20
An apparatus for detecting a material in a translucent conduit, comprising:
- a light source disposed adjacent to a first outside surface of the conduit and generating a narrow beam of light;
- a light detector having an active surface disposed adjacent to the conduit and aligned to receive light from the light source, the light detector being operable to detect a surface area of light which impinges on the active surface and to provide an output signal proportional thereto, whereby the material in the conduit is detected by comparing the output signal to a threshold window.
A method of detecting a material in a translucent conduit, the method comprising:
- providing a narrow light beam through the conduit;
- detecting a width of the narrow light beam exiting the conduit;
- providing an output signal, wherein the output signal is proportional to the width of the narrow light beam detected in the detecting step;
- and
- determining a presence of the material by comparing the output signal to a threshold window.
2 more elements
A system for detecting a presence of a material, comprising:
- a first translucent surface;
- a second translucent surface being substantially in apposition to the first translucent surface, the material being located between the first translucent surface and the second translucent surface;
- a narrow-beam light source, the light source disposed adjacent the first surface;
- a light detector having an active surface disposed adjacent the second surface and along an axis defined by the light source and substantially in apposition to the light source, the light detector being operable to detect the surface area of light which impinges on the active surface and to provide an output signal proportional thereto;
- and
- whereby the light from the light source which passes through the material interposed between the first and second surfaces is refracted and impinges on the active surface, the output signal indicates a presence of the material when the output signal is above or below a threshold window.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.