Sensors and associated methods, including surface condition sensors

• US 20070163339A1
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zydax LLC
• Original Assignee: Zydax LLC
• Inventors: Keep, Dale, Doyle, Lance
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/170.190
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/02 Alarm responsive to formation or anticipated formation of ice
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a surface sensor system comprising a wet/dry sensor assembly, an electrically isolated passive sensor assembly, a thermally adjustable active sensor assembly, at least one temperature sensor, and a data processing device coupled together as a unit positionable adjacent to a surface, such as an outdoor surface. The unit is configured to determine the presence a surface material containing water or a water-based mixture on the surface and the solid or liquid phase of the surface material.

Claims

1. A surface sensor system for sensing conditions on a surface, comprising a wet/dry sensor assembly, an electrically isolated passive sensor assembly, a thermally adjustable active sensor assembly, at least one temperature sensor, and a data processing device coupled together as a unit positionable adjacent to the surface and configured to determine the presence a surface material containing water or a water-based mixture on the surface and the solid or liquid phase of the surface material.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wet/dry sensor assembly includes a temperature sensor, a controller, and an electrode assembly coupled to the data processing device, the electrode assembly having a plurality of sensing electrodes electrically isolated from each other by a plurality of electrically insulative layers interleaved between the sensing electrodes, the controller configured to controls a sequence and timing of electrical stimulation of each of the sensing electrodes to detect whether the surface material is wet, partially wet, or dry.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the passive sensor assembly has first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other and interconnected by an electrically conductive member, the electrically conductive member being positioned adjacent to at least one winding, and a detection device connected to the winding and configured to detect and measure an electrical condition in the electrically conductive member as a function of the electrical conductivity of material on the outdoor surface and in electrical contact with the first and second electrodes.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the passive sensor assembly has first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other and interconnected by a wire, the wire being positioned through at least one winding, a detection device being connected to the winding and configured to detect and measure an electrical condition in the wire as a function of the electrical conductivity of material on the outdoor surface and in electrical contact with the first and second electrodes.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the passive sensor assembly has first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other and interconnected by an electrically conductive member extending through first and second windings spaced apart from each other, a detection device being connected to the first and second windings and configured to detect and measure an electrical condition in the electrically conductive member as a function of the electrical conductivity of material on the surface and in electrical contact with the first and second electrodes.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the active sensor assembly comprises a temperature sensor, first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other, and a temperature adjustment device thermally connected to the first and second electrodes, the thermal adjustment device being configured to heat or cool at least one of the first and second electrodes to change at least one of the temperature and the phase of the surface material.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the active sensor assembly includes a first heat sink connected to the temperature adjustment device.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a thermally conductive base coupled to the first heat sink, the base forming a second heat sink.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the wet/dry sensor assembly, the electrically isolated passive sensor assembly, the thermally adjustable active sensor assembly, the temperature sensor, and a data processing device are substantially contained within an electrically insulated material.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one communication device coupled to the data processing device for sending or receiving data about weather-related surface conditions on the outdoor surface.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the wet/dry sensor assembly, the electrically isolated passive sensor assembly, the thermally adjustable active sensor assembly, the temperature sensor, and a data processing device are in a master sensor assembly, and further comprising a slave sensor assembly remotely located from the master sensor assembly and operatively coupled to the data processing device of the master sensor assembly.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the wet/dry sensor assembly, the electrically isolated passive sensor assembly, the thermally adjustable active sensor assembly, the temperature sensor, and a data processing device are in a contained sensor assembly unit, and further comprising at least one remotely located temperature sensor connected to the sensor assembly unit.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power connection device connectable a remote power source, and a self-contained back-up power source coupled to at least the data processing device.

14. A surface sensor system for sensing conditions on a surface, comprising an electrically isolated passive sensor assembly, the passive sensor assembly has first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other and interconnected by an electrically conductive member, the electrically conductive member being positioned adjacent to at least one winding, and a detection device connected to the winding and configured to detect and measure an electrical condition in the electrically conductive member as a function of the electrical conductivity of material on the surface and in electrical contact with the first and second electrodes.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the electrically conductive member of the passive sensor assembly is a wire that extends through the at least one winding.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the winding of the passive sensor assembly is a first winding, and the passive sensor assembly has a second winding spaced apart from the first winding, and the electrically conductive member extends through the first and second winding so that the first and second electrodes are isolated from the detection device.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising an active sensor assembly configured to determine the presence a surface material containing water or a water-based mixture on the surface and the solid or liquid phase of the surface material, the active sensor assembly comprises a temperature sensor, first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other, and a temperature adjustment device thermally connected to the first and second electrodes, the thermal adjustment device being configured to heat or cool at least one of the first and second electrodes to change at least one of the temperature and the phase of the surface material.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the active sensor assembly further comprises a first heat sink connected to the temperature adjustment device and a thermally conductive base that forms a second heat sink coupled to the first heat sink.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a wet/dry sensor assembly having a temperature sensor, a controller, and an electrode assembly coupled to the data processing device, the electrode assembly having a plurality of sensing electrodes electrically isolated from each other by a plurality of electrically insulative layers interleaved between the sensing electrodes, the controller configured to controls a sequence and timing of electrical stimulation of each of the sensing electrodes to detect whether the surface material is wet, partially wet, or dry.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a power connection device connectable a remote power source, and a self-contained back-up power source coupled to at least the data processing device.

21. The system of claim 14, further comprising a communication device coupled to the passive sensor assembly and configured to send or receive data related to the surface conditions on the surface portion.

22. A surface sensor system for sensing conditions on a surface, comprising an active sensor assembly configured to determine the presence a surface material containing water or a water-based mixture on the surface and the solid or liquid phase of the surface material, the active sensor assembly comprises a temperature sensor, first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other, and a temperature adjustment device thermally connected to the first and second electrodes, the thermal adjustment device being configured to heat or cool at least one of the first and second electrodes to change at least one of the temperature and the phase of the surface material.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the active sensor assembly further comprises a first heat sink connected to the temperature adjustment device and a thermally conductive base that forms a second heat sink coupled to the first heat sink.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a wet/dry sensor assembly having a temperature sensor, a controller, and an electrode assembly coupled to the data processing device, the electrode assembly having a plurality of sensing electrodes electrically isolated from each other by a plurality of electrically insulative layers interleaved between the sensing electrodes, the controller configured to controls a sequence and timing of electrical stimulation of each of the sensing electrodes to detect whether the surface material is wet, partially wet, or dry.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising a communication device coupled to the active sensor assembly and configured to send or receive data related to the surface conditions on the surface.

26. A surface sensor system for sensing conditions on a surface and configurable to provide data to a remote location, comprising:

an electrically insulative body having a surface portion positionable substantially coplanar with the surface;

a data processing system within the body;

a first sensor assembly coupled to the data processing system and having a first temperature sensor and a conductivity sensor unit within the body and coupled to the surface portion, the conductivity sensor unit having a plurality of sensing electrodes coupled to the surface portion and electrically isolated from each other by a plurality of non-conductive layers interleaved between the sensing electrodes, the conductivity sensor unit configured to detect if the surface portion is wet, partially wet, or dry; and

a second sensor assembly within the body and spaced apart from the first sensor assembly, the second sensor assembly being coupled to the data processing system, the second sensor assembly having first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other and interconnected by an electrically conductive member, at least a portion of the first and second electrodes being substantially coplanar with the surface portion, the electrically conductive member being positioned adjacent to first and second windings spaced apart from each other, and a detection device connected to the first and second windings and configured to detect and measure an electrical condition in the electrically conductive member based upon the conductivity of material on the surface portion and in contact with the first and second electrodes.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the second sensor assembly has a thermal adjustment device coupled to the first and second electrodes and configured to heat or cool at least a portion of the material on the surface portion adjacent to the first and second electrodes.

28. The system of claim 26, further comprising a communication device coupled to the data processing system and configured to send or receive data from the data processing system related to the surface conditions on the surface portion.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising a temperature sensor operatively coupled to the data processing system and positionable remotely from the body.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein the data processing system and the first and second sensors are substantially encapsulated in an electrically insulative material forming the body.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein the second sensor assembly is a passive sensor, and further comprising an active sensor that can change the temperature of the material on the surface portion adjacent to the first and second electrodes.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein the data processing system includes communication circuitry coupleable to at least one slave sensor assembly remote from the body.

33. A surface sensor system for sensing weather-related conditions on an outdoor surface, comprising:

a support structure with a surface portion positionable substantially coplanar with the outdoor surface;

a data processing system coupleable to a remote data processor;

a first sensor assembly coupled to the data processing system and having a first temperature sensor and a conductivity sensor unit, the temperature sensor being coupled to the surface portion and configured to sense the temperature at the surface portion, the conductivity sensor unit having a plurality of sensing electrodes coupled to the surface portion and electrically isolated from each other by a plurality of non-conductive layers interleaved between the sensing electrodes, and controller that controls a sequence and timing of electrical stimulation of each of the sensing electrodes to detect an electrical resistance of material on the surface portion and in electrical contact with the electrodes; and

a second sensor assembly coupled to the data processing system and to the support structure and spaced apart from the first sensor assembly, the second sensor assembly having a temperature sensor, and first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other and interconnected by an electrically conductive member, at least a portion of the first and second electrodes being substantially coplanar with the surface portion, the electrically conductive member being positioned adjacent to first and second windings spaced apart from each other, and a detection device connected to the first and second windings and electrically isolated from the electrically conductive member, the detection device being configured to detect and measure an electrical condition in the electrically conductive member based upon the conductivity of material on the surface portion and in contact with the first and second electrodes, and wherein the first and second electrodes are operatively coupled to a thermal adjustment device configured to heat or cool at least a portion of the material on the surface portion adjacent to the first and second electrodes, wherein the detection device is configured to detect a change in conductivity of the portion of the material on the surface portion adjacent to the first and second electrodes that was heated or cooled, wherein data from the temperature sensor and the first and second electrodes is provided to the data processing system for determining weather-related conditions of the material on the outdoor surface.