×

Liquid consumption tracker

  • US 10,161,782 B2
  • Filed: 07/21/2015
  • Issued: 12/25/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A self-powered liquid level sensor, the sensor comprising:

  • a mechanical connector configured to mate with a container of a liquid;

    a power source coupled to the mechanical connector;

    an ultrasonic transducer coupled to the mechanical connector;

    a radio coupled to the mechanical connector;

    a processor coupled to the mechanical connector and communicatively coupled to the power source, the ultrasonic transducer, and the radio; and

    memory coupled to the mechanical connector and communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuate operations comprising;

    waking the processor from a lower-power state to a higher-power state;

    causing the ultrasonic transducer to vibrate and drive an ultrasonic sound wave into the container of the liquid;

    determining a value indicative of an amount of liquid in the container by measuring a duration of time elapsed between when the ultrasonic transducer drives the ultrasonic sound wave and when an echo of the sound wave is received by the ultrasonic transducer;

    storing the value in a buffer memory;

    returning the processor to the lower power state; and

    transmitting the value in the buffer memory with the radio,wherein;

    the memory, the processor, and a digital signal processor coupled to the ultrasonic transducer are part of a system-on-a-chip;

    the memory comprises flash memory configured to preserve data in the absence of power; and

    the processor is a special-purpose processor coupled to a crystal configured to vibrate and output a clock signal by which the special-purpose processor determines a time-of-flight of the sound wave to the surface of the liquid in the container and back to the ultrasonic transducer.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×