Material level detector and control
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of material at a location comprising sensing means, including:
- a. oscillator means for providing an oscillatory output signal;
b. reference means, for receiving said oscillatory output signal and providing a reference;
c. sensor means, including antenna probe means for positioning at said location, and for receiving said oscillatory output signal;
d. switching means for alternately permitting said oscillatory output signal to be applied to said reference means and to said antenna probe means;
e. an electrical energy source for providing electrical energy for application to said oscillator means by connection means whereby the absence of material, to be sensed, at said location, is accompanied by substantially the same rate of electrical energy consumption by said oscillator means when said oscillatory output signal is applied to said antenna probe means as when said signal is applied to said reference, and, with such material present at said location, electrical energy is consumed by said oscillator means at a greater rate when said signal is applied to said antenna probe means compared to when said signal is applied to said reference; and
f. means for detecting a change in the rate of energy consumption from said electrical power source whereby the presence or absence of said material at said location may be determined.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a monitoring system and method for detecting the presence or absence of material at a location. The apparatus may generally be constructed to include a sensing unit, including an antenna probe for positioning at the location wherein material is to be detected, and a control unit for responding to signals from the sensing unit indicating the presence of material at the antenna probe. The control unit may include an indicator to inform an operator of the presence or absence of material at the antenna probe, and also an output which enables peripheral equipment to operate only under selected conditions at the antenna probe. The sensing signal from the sensing unit is dc, with fluctuations indicating the presence of material at the antenna probe. The sensing signal may be communicated a considerable distance to the control unit over ordinary electrical lead lines without electrical shielding, and the control unit responds to a break in such communication lines by not permitting enabling of such peripheral equipment.
59 Citations
43 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of material at a location comprising sensing means, including:
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a. oscillator means for providing an oscillatory output signal; b. reference means, for receiving said oscillatory output signal and providing a reference; c. sensor means, including antenna probe means for positioning at said location, and for receiving said oscillatory output signal; d. switching means for alternately permitting said oscillatory output signal to be applied to said reference means and to said antenna probe means; e. an electrical energy source for providing electrical energy for application to said oscillator means by connection means whereby the absence of material, to be sensed, at said location, is accompanied by substantially the same rate of electrical energy consumption by said oscillator means when said oscillatory output signal is applied to said antenna probe means as when said signal is applied to said reference, and, with such material present at said location, electrical energy is consumed by said oscillator means at a greater rate when said signal is applied to said antenna probe means compared to when said signal is applied to said reference; and f. means for detecting a change in the rate of energy consumption from said electrical power source whereby the presence or absence of said material at said location may be determined. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for monitoring the level of material in a container comprising:
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a. sensing means for locating at said container, including; i. a first oscillator for providing a first oscillatory signal of a first frequency; ii. a second oscillator for providing a second oscillatory signal of a second frequency smaller than said first frequency; iii. first gate means, and antenna probe means for positioning at a location within such container and couped to the output of said first gate means; and iv. second gate means with an open output for providing a reference; v. wherein said first oscillatory signal is communicated to first inputs of each of said first and second gates, said second oscillatory signal is communicated to a second input of one of said first and second gates and to an inverter, the output of said inverter being communicated to the second input of the other of said first and second gates, whereby said first and second gates alternately provide an output signal of said first frequency with the output signal from said first gate being communicated to said antenna probe coupled thereto; and b. control means, connected to said sensing means by conductor means, and including; i. electrical power means for providing an electrical voltage communicated along said conductor means to said sensing means; ii. detector means for responding to changes in the electrical current drawn by said sensing means from said power means due to the presence of material at said antenna probe means compared to the electrical current so drawn by said sensing means from said power means in the absence of such material at said antenna probe means; and iii. indicator means for displaying information indicative of the presence or absence of material at said antenna probe means as determined by said detector means. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A material detector and control system comprising:
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a. sensing means, including; i. a signal generator for generating a sensing signal; ii. first and second drivers for receiving said sensing signal; iii. an antenna probe for positioning at a predetermined location where the presence or absence of material is to be detected, said antenna probe being coupled to said first driver whereby an output signal from said first driver may be impressed on said antenna probe; and iv. switch means for alternately enabling said first an second drivers at a switching frequency for providing output signals in response to said sensing signal received thereby, respectively; v. wherein said second driver operates as a reference when enabled, by said switching means, to provide an output signal in response to said sensing signal so that, with no such material present at said antenna probe, the rate of electrical energy consumption by said signal generator is substantially constant, and, with detectable material at said antenna probe, said energy consumption fluctuates as said switching means alternately enables said first and second drivers, said rate of energy consumption thus providing a data signal indicating the presence or absence of material at said antenna probe; and b. control means comprising; i. electrical power means, in communication with said sensing means by connector means, for providing electrical energy for consumption by said sensing means such that said data signal comprises fluctuations in the rate of energy transmission by said connector means with material at said antenna probe, and comprises a substantially constant rate of energy transmission by said connector means when no detectable material is present at said antenna probe; ii. amplifier means coupled to said connector means for receiving said data signal and providing an amplifier output signal varying between two voltage levels at said switching frequency when material is detected at said antenna probe, and which is otherwise of constant value; iii. amplitude detector means for receiving and integrating said amplifier output signal, comparing the integration of said signal to a reference and providing an output voltage level whenever said reference is exceeded, signaling detection of the presence of material at said antenna probe; iv. indicator means, in communication with said amplitude detector means, for providing a display indicating the presence of material at said antenna probe whenever said output voltage level is provided by said amplitude detector means; v. logic means, in communication with said amplitude detector means, for providing a logic output signal depending on said amplitude detector means output; and vi. relay means for receiving said logic output signal as an enabling signal whereby said relay means provides switching control means to open or close peripheral circuitry in response to said logic output signal. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of monitoring the quantity of material at a location comprising the following steps:
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a. providing an antenna probe at the location, coupled to a probe driver; b. providing a dummy driver serving as a reference; c. providing an oscillator for generating an oscillatory sensing signal at a first frequency and communicating the oscillatory signal to each of the drivers; d. periodically and alternately enabling each of the drivers at a second frequency to output a signal of the first frequency; e. monitoring the rate of electrical energy consumption by the oscillator to detect fluctuations of increased energy consumption by the oscillator as the probe driver is enabled to output its signal to the antenna probe in the presence of material at the antenna probe, and providing an output amplifier signal at the second frequency in response to such detection of material at the antenna probe; f. integrating the output amplifier signal and comparing the integration level with a reference level and, whenever the integration level exceeds the reference level, providing an output voltage level. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification