Self-adjusting single contact voltage sensor

• US 10,209,339 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verivolt LLC
• Original Assignee: Verivolt LLC
• Inventors: Lizarazo, Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): McAndrew, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/216,679
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 324130
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6874 involving nucleic acid arrays, e.g. sequencing by hybridisation
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2533/101 Primer extension
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/301 Pyrophosphate (PPi)
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/14 Adaptations providing voltage or current isolation, e.g. for high-voltage or high-current networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/165 measuring electrostatic potential, e.g. with electrostatic voltmeters or electrometers, when the design of the sensor is essential electrometers with passively moving electrodes G01R5/28; measuring electrostatic fields G01R29/12; measuring charge G01R29/24; measuring in circuits with high internal resistance G01R19/0023
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/25 using digital measurement techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a voltage sensing apparatus comprising a signal generator coupled to a first conducting layer and a conductive element having a first voltage, the signal generator configured to superimpose a second voltage to the first voltage. The voltage sensing apparatus also comprises a meter disposed between the first conducting layer and a second conducting layer or between the signal generator and the second conducting layer. An output parameter of the meter is a function of one or more of the group consisting of: the first voltage and the second voltage. The output parameter and the second voltage can be used to adjust a determination of the first voltage.

Claims

1. A voltage sensing apparatus, comprising:

a signal generator coupled to a first conducting layer and a conductive element, the conductive element comprising a power line, the conductive element having a first voltage,

wherein the first conducting layer is separated from the conductive element by an insulating layer,

wherein the signal generator is adapted to superimpose a second voltage to the first voltage;

a meter disposed between the first conducting layer and a second conducting layer or between the signal generator and the second conducting layer, an output parameter of the meter being a function of one or more of the group consisting of;

the first voltage and the second voltage,

wherein the second conducting layer substantially surrounds a portion of the first conducting layer,

wherein the output parameter accounts for a charge accumulated by the second conducting layer from an environment surrounding the first conducting layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output parameter and the second voltage can be used to adjust a determination of the first voltage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the meter is a charge meter adapted to measure a change in charge induced on the second conducting layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the meter is a voltage meter adapted to measure a change in voltage induced on the second conducting layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the meter is a current meter adapted to measure current flow into the second conducting layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in a calibration mode, the signal generator applies the second voltage as a series of signal pulses or a sinusoidal wave at a given frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in a measurement mode, the signal generator shorts to allow a measurement of the first voltage based on a previous calculation that uses the output parameter to the second voltage.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the meter outputs a voltage that could be used to reconstruct the first voltage, or the voltage of the second conducting layer.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter adapted to convert the output voltage to a digital format.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery or a power harvester adapted to provide power to the components of the voltage sensing apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an isolator adapted to isolate the application of the second voltage.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an isolator adapted to isolate the power being fed into the meter.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a means for amplifying the second voltage applied by the signal generator, said means being disposed between the signal generator and the second conducting layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a transducer to scale down a voltage of the second conducting layer and output the scaled down voltage to an analog-to-digital converter.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a communications module communicatively coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, the communications module adapted to enable transmission of measured or calculated data.

16. A method of voltage sensing comprising:

applying, through a signal generator coupled to a first conducting layer and a conductive element having a first voltage, a second voltage to the first voltage,

wherein the first conducting layer is separated from the conductive element by an insulating layer;

outputting, through a meter disposed between the first conducting layer and a second conducting layer or between the signal generator and the second conducting layer, a parameter being a function of one or more of the group consisting of;

the first voltage and the second voltage,

wherein the second conducting layer substantially surrounds the first conducting layer

wherein the output parameter accounts for a charge accumulated by the second conducting layer from an environment surrounding the first conducting layer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

calculating the first voltage through a digital control unit coupled to the meter based on the parameter and the second voltage.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second voltage is applied as a series of signal pulses or a sinusoidal wave at a given frequency.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

measuring, through the digital control unit, a voltage of the conductive element based on a previous calculation of the output parameter to the applied second voltage.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the meter outputs a voltage proportional to a voltage of the second conducting layer.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

scaling down, through a transducer, a voltage of the second conducting layer to be output to an analog-to-digital converter.