Method and apparatus for sensor calibration in a dewatering system

• US 8,109,126 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seewater, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seewater, Inc.
• Inventors: Gibb, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Devito, Alex
• Application Number:
  US12/246,265
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 73/17.3
• US Class Current: 73/1.73
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/266 measuring circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2921 for discrete levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/20 of apparatus for measuring liquid level

Abstract

A dewatering system includes a selective calibrating sensor circuit configured to receive sensor readings from an electronic sensor, to determine if the electronic sensor is immersed in water, and to generate a control output signal accordingly. The selective calibrating sensor circuit periodically performs a self-calibration when the electronic sensor is not immersed in water to cancel the effect of potential contaminants deposited on the electronic sensor over its operating life. The selective calibrating sensor circuit inhibits calibration when the electronic sensor is immersed in water.

Claims

1. A selective calibrating sensor circuit comprising:

an electronic sensor configured to provide a sensor reading based on a characteristic of substances in proximity to the electronic sensor;

a self-calibrating sensing circuit configured to receive the sensor reading from the electronic sensor and to generate a water detection signal to indicate whether the electronic sensor is immersed in water based on the sensor reading, wherein the self-calibrating sensing circuit adjusts one or more internal parameters during calibration to null an effect on the sensor reading due to contaminants or non-water substance in contact with the electronic sensor; and

a sensor controller configured to receive the water detection signal, to generate a control output signal based on the water detection signal, to prohibit calibration by the self-calibrating sensing circuit when the water detection signal indicates that the electronic sensor is immersed in water, and to selectively enable calibration by the self-calibrating sensing circuit when the water detection signal does not indicate that the electronic sensor is immersed in water.

2. The selective calibrating sensor circuit of claim 1, wherein the electronic sensor is a capacitance sensor that generates the sensor reading based on a conductivity of the substances in proximity to the capacitance sensor.

3. The selective calibrating sensor circuit of claim 1, wherein the self-calibrating sensing circuit automatically conducts calibration at power-up and the sensor controller triggers subsequent calibrations in the self-calibrating sensing circuit during normal operations by temporarily interrupting power to the self-calibrating sensing circuit.

4. The selective calibrating sensor circuit of claim 3, wherein the self-calibrating sensing circuit is powered by a primary source derived from an external AC power line and a secondary source derived from a local battery that activates during a power outage of the external AC power line to avoid inadvertent calibrations by the self-calibrating sensing circuit.

5. The selective calibrating sensor circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensor controller comprises a microcontroller chip with a programmable calibration algorithm and programmable input/output terminals.

6. The selective calibrating sensor circuit of claim 5, wherein the programmable calibration algorithm uses one or more timers to periodically trigger calibration in the self-calibrating sensing circuit while the water detection signal does not indicate that the electronic sensor is immersed in water.

7. The selective calibrating sensor circuit of claim 1, wherein the control output signal is configured to activate a water pump while the water detection signal indicates that the electronic sensor is immersed water and to continue activating the water pump for a predetermined duration after the water detection signal indicates that the electronic sensor is no longer immersed in water.

8. The selective calibrating sensor circuit of claim 1, wherein the control output signal is configured to activate an alarm when the water detection signal indicates that the electronic sensor is immersed in water.