Method and apparatus for moisture detection
AssigneeHelvetia Wireless LLC
InventorsBrian C. Woodbury, Roc Lastinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for detecting moisture that includes at least three conductors. One of the conductors has a different resistance than the other conductors. A liquid extends between the conductors. The difference between the impedance through a pair of conductors and the liquid and the impedance of through another pair of conductors and the liquid may be used to determine the position of the liquid along a length of the conductors. Similar methods may be used to determine an area of a liquid with respect to the conductors.
Claims8
A system for cooperating with a provided reader to detect a position of a liquid, the system comprising:
- a first conductor, a second conductor, and a third conductor;
- a reader;
- wherein:
- the reader electrically couples to a first end portion of the first conductor, a first end portion of the second conductor, and a first end portion of the third conductor respectively;
- a magnitude of an impedance of the first conductor is different from a magnitude of an impedance of the second conductor and a magnitude of an impedance of the third conductor;
- in the absence of the liquid, the first conductor, the second conductor, and the third conductor do not electrically couple to each other;
- the reader determines a magnitude of a first resistance, the magnitude of the first resistance comprises a magnitude of a resistance of a portion of the first conductor, a magnitude of a resistance of the liquid between the first conductor and the second conductor, and a magnitude of a resistance of a portion of the second conductor;
- the reader determines a magnitude of a second resistance, the magnitude of the second resistance comprises the magnitude of the resistance of the portion of the second conductor, a magnitude of a resistance of the liquid between the second conductor and the third conductor, and a magnitude of a resistance of a portion of the third conductor;
- the reader takes a difference between the magnitude of the first resistance and the magnitude of the second resistance to determine the position of the liquid relative to the first end portion of at least one of the conductors.
A system for detecting a position of a liquid, the system comprising:
- a first conductor, a second conductor, a third conductor;
- a substrate;
- and
- a reader;
- wherein:
- the conductors couple to the substrate;
- the reader electrically couples to a first end portion of the first conductor, a first end portion of the second conductor, and a first end portion of the third conductor respectively;
- a magnitude of an impedance of the first conductor is different from a magnitude of an impedance of the second conductor and a magnitude of an impedance of the third conductor;
- in the absence of the liquid, the first conductor, the second conductor, and the third conductor do not electrically couple to each other;
- the reader determines a magnitude of a first resistance, the magnitude of the first resistance comprises a magnitude of a resistance of a portion of the first conductor, a magnitude of a resistance of the liquid between the first conductor and the second conductor, and a magnitude of a resistance of a portion of the second conductor;
- the reader determines a magnitude of a second resistance, the magnitude of the second resistance comprises the magnitude of the resistance of the portion of the second conductor, a magnitude of a resistance of the liquid between the second conductor and the third conductor, and a magnitude of a resistance of a portion of the third conductor;
- the reader takes a difference between the magnitude of the first resistance and the magnitude of the second resistance to determine the position of the liquid relative to the first end portion of at least one of the conductors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.