Radio frequency identification sensor for fluid level
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A fluid sensor comprising:
- a substrate; and
a tuned RLC circuit configured on the substrate, the tuned RLC circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor coupled through said substrate, anda film configured to limit exposure of the inductor coil to fluid, the film having one or more windows positioned such that fluid exposure is defined by the one or more windows, wherein fluid introduced through the one or more windows can cause a short in the RLC circuit;
wherein an exposure to an electrically conductive fluid causes a shift in resonant frequency form a first to a second non-zero frequency through a change in inductance of the circuit;
wherein the one or more windows in the film is covered with a material that becomes conductive upon exposure to a fluid containing a specific component or class of components and;
wherein there are multiple windows at least two of which are independently covered with differing receptive/reactive compounds that become conductive in response to exposure to differing components of the fluid.
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Abstract
A sensor can detect the presence of fluid by the changing of the response characteristics of an RLC circuit. A window in the sensor is used to position a short caused by the fluid.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A fluid sensor comprising:
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a substrate; and a tuned RLC circuit configured on the substrate, the tuned RLC circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor coupled through said substrate, and a film configured to limit exposure of the inductor coil to fluid, the film having one or more windows positioned such that fluid exposure is defined by the one or more windows, wherein fluid introduced through the one or more windows can cause a short in the RLC circuit;
wherein an exposure to an electrically conductive fluid causes a shift in resonant frequency form a first to a second non-zero frequency through a change in inductance of the circuit;wherein the one or more windows in the film is covered with a material that becomes conductive upon exposure to a fluid containing a specific component or class of components and; wherein there are multiple windows at least two of which are independently covered with differing receptive/reactive compounds that become conductive in response to exposure to differing components of the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 18)
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2. A fluid sensor comprising:
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a substrate; and a tuned RLC circuit configured on the substrate, the tuned RLC circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor coupled through said substrate, and a film configured to limit exposure of the inductor coil to fluid, the film having one or more windows positioned such that fluid exposure is defined by the one or more windows, wherein fluid introduced through the one or more windows can cause a short in the RLC circuit; wherein the presence of the fluid modifies the response characteristics of the RLC circuit such that the fluid sensor can be used in a three state system where the fluid sensor in the presence of fluid has a different response characteristic from an absent fluid sensor;
wherein an exposure to an electrically conductive fluid causes a shift in resonant frequency through changing inductance;wherein the one or more windows in the film is covered with a material that becomes conductive upon exposure to a fluid containing a specific component or class of components and; wherein there are multiple windows at least two of which are independently covered with differing receptive/reactive compounds that become conductive in response to exposure to differing components of the fluid.
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5. A fluid sensor comprising:
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a substrate; and a tuned RLC circuit configured on the substrate, the tuned RLC circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor coupled through said substrate, and a film configured to limit exposure of the inductor coil to fluid, the film having one or more windows positioned such that fluid exposure is defined by the one or more windows, wherein fluid introduced through the one or more windows can cause a short in the RLC circuit; wherein exposure to a fluid causes a change in impedance of the RLC circuit before and after exposure to an electrically conductive fluid; wherein the one or more windows in the film is covered with a material that becomes conductive upon exposure to a fluid containing a specific component or class of components and; wherein there are multiple windows at least two of which are independently covered with differing receptive/reactive compounds that become conductive in response to exposure to differing components of the fluid.
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8. A fluid sensor comprising:
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a substrate; and a tuned RLC circuit configured on the substrate, the tuned RLC circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor coupled through said substrate, and a film configured to limit exposure of the inductor coil to fluid, the film having one or more windows positioned such that fluid exposure is defined by the one or more windows, wherein fluid introduced through the one or more windows can cause a short in the RLC circuit; wherein the window is positioned such that the fluid exposure causes a predictable change in electrical impedance of the circuit; wherein the one or more windows in the film is covered with a material that becomes conductive upon exposure to a fluid containing a specific component or class of components and; wherein there are multiple windows at least two of which are independently covered with differing receptive/reactive compounds that become conductive in response to exposure to differing components of the fluid.
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10. A fluid sensor comprising:
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a substrate; and a tuned RLC circuit configured on the substrate, the tuned RLC circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor coupled through said substrate, and a film configured to limit exposure of the inductor coil to fluid, the film having one or more windows positioned such that fluid exposure is defined by the one or more windows, wherein fluid introduced through the one or more windows can cause a short in the RLC circuit; wherein an exposure to an electrically conductive fluid causes a shift in resonant frequency through a change in capacitance of the circuit; wherein the one or more windows in the film is covered with a material that becomes conductive upon exposure to a fluid containing a specific component or class of components and;
wherein there are multiple windows at least two of which are independently covered with differing receptive/reactive compounds that become conductive in response to exposure to differing components of the fluid.
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11. A fluid sensor comprising:
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a substrate; and a tuned RLC circuit configured on the substrate, the tuned RLC circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor coupled through said substrate, and a film configured to limit exposure of the inductor coil to fluid, the film having one or more windows positioned such that fluid exposure is defined by the one or more windows, wherein fluid introduced through the one or more windows can cause a short in the RLC circuit; wherein an exposure to an electrically conductive fluid causes a shift in resonant frequency through a change in resistance of the circuit; wherein the one or more windows in the film is covered with a material that becomes conductive upon exposure to a fluid containing a specific component or class of components and; wherein there are multiple windows at least two of which are independently covered with differing receptive/reactive compounds that become conductive in response to exposure to differing components of the fluid.
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13. A fluid sensor comprising:
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a substrate; and a tuned RLC circuit configured on the substrate, the tuned RLC circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor coupled through said substrate, and a film configured to limit exposure of the inductor coil to fluid, the film having one or more windows positioned such that fluid exposure is defined by the one or more windows, wherein fluid introduced through the one or more windows can cause a short in the RLC circuit; wherein the substrate is non-porous; wherein the one or more windows in the film is covered with a material that becomes conductive upon exposure to a fluid containing a specific component or class of components and; wherein there are multiple windows at least two of which are independently covered with differing receptive/reactive compounds that become conductive in response to exposure to differing components of the fluid.
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14. A sensor comprising:
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a substrate; and a tuned RLC circuit configured on the substrate, the tuned RLC circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor coupled through said substrate, and a film configured to limit exposure of the inductor coil to an environmental element, the film having one or more windows positioned such that environmental exposure is defined by the one or more windows, wherein an environmental element introduced through the one or more windows can cause a short in the RLC circuit so that the RLC circuit responds at a different frequency after the environmental element is introduced; wherein the one or more windows in the film is covered with a material that becomes conductive upon exposure to a fluid containing a specific component or class of components and; wherein there are multiple windows at least two of which are independently covered with differing receptive/reactive compounds that become conductive in response to exposure to differing components of the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification