METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING MOISTURE IN BUILDING MATERIALS
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A moisture sensor system is described. In one embodiment, the provides an adjustable threshold level for the sensed moisture level. The adjustable threshold allows the moisture sensor to adjust to ambient conditions, aging of components, and other operational variations while still providing a relatively sensitive detection capability. In one embodiment, the adjustable threshold moisture sensor is used in an intelligent sensor system that includes one or more intelligent sensor units and a base unit that can communicate with the moisture sensor units. When one or more of the moisture sensor units detects a excess moisture the moisture sensor unit communicates with the base unit and provides data regarding the moisture condition. The base unit can contact a supervisor or other responsible person by a plurality of techniques, such as, telephone, pager, cellular telephone, Internet (and/or local area network), etc. In one embodiment, one or more wireless repeaters are used between the moisture sensor units and the base unit to extend the range of the system and to allow the base unit to communicate with a larger number of sensors.
-
Citations
54 Claims
-
1-36. -36. (canceled)
-
37. A system for detecting moisture of a substrate, comprising:
-
a first probe comprising a first conductor with a plurality of pins; a second probe comprising a second conductor with a plurality of pins; wherein the first probe and the second probe are configured to engage a substrate; a moisture sensor configured to measure an impedance between said first probe and said second probe; a self-test module; and a processor configured to collect moisture readings by receiving a plurality of measured values from said moisture sensor, said processor configured to compute an impedance from said plurality of measured values and report a possible moisture problem when said impedance falls below a threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A moisture sensor system, comprising:
sensor unit comprising a moisture sensor provided to a moisture probe, said sensor unit configured to receive instructions, the sensor unit configured to report a severity of moisture level when the sensor unit determines that data measured by the moisture sensor fails a threshold test based on impedance, the sensor unit configured to adjust the threshold test according to sensor reading taken during a specified time period. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
Specification