Environmental sensor system
First Claim
1. A method to detect one or more environmental conditions in proximity to a surface, comprising:
- activating an environmental sensor module proximate the surface, wherein the environmental sensor is coupled to a transmitter and comprises a metamaterial-based electrically resonant structure which comprises a complement of a metamaterial spiral or split ring resonator and having a resonance frequency which varies in response to changes in at least one of;
a humidity proximate the sensor module;
a temperature proximate the sensor module;
orthe presence of a chemical or biological agent proximate the sensor module;
generating, in the environmental sensor module, an electromagnetic signal which comprises information about the resonance frequency;
receiving, in a remote receiver, the electromagnetic signal comprising the signal generated by the environmental sensor module;
determining an environmental condition from the electromagnetic signal;
generating a first electromagnetic signal at a carrier frequency plus the local oscillator frequency; and
transmitting the first electromagnetic signal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a system to detect one or more environmental conditions in proximity to a surface comprises a first metamaterial environmental sensor module proximate the surface. The environmental sensor comprises a metamaterial-based electrically resonant structure having a resonance frequency which varies in response to changes in at least one of a humidity proximate the sensor module, a temperature proximate the sensor module, or the presence of a chemical or biological agent proximate the sensor module. The system further comprises a remote receiver to receive an electromagnetic signal comprising the signal generated by the electrically resonant structure and a signal analysis module to determine an environmental condition such as humidity, temperature, pre-ice conditions, ice, chemicals or biological species from the at least one environmental condition signal. Other embodiments may be described.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method to detect one or more environmental conditions in proximity to a surface, comprising:
-
activating an environmental sensor module proximate the surface, wherein the environmental sensor is coupled to a transmitter and comprises a metamaterial-based electrically resonant structure which comprises a complement of a metamaterial spiral or split ring resonator and having a resonance frequency which varies in response to changes in at least one of; a humidity proximate the sensor module; a temperature proximate the sensor module;
orthe presence of a chemical or biological agent proximate the sensor module; generating, in the environmental sensor module, an electromagnetic signal which comprises information about the resonance frequency; receiving, in a remote receiver, the electromagnetic signal comprising the signal generated by the environmental sensor module; determining an environmental condition from the electromagnetic signal; generating a first electromagnetic signal at a carrier frequency plus the local oscillator frequency; and transmitting the first electromagnetic signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A system to detect one or more environmental conditions in proximity to a surface, comprising:
-
an environmental sensor module proximate the surface, wherein the environmental sensor comprises; a local oscillator circuit, a mixer to generate a first electromagnetic signal at a carrier frequency plus the local frequency generated by the local oscillator circuit a metamaterial-based electrically resonant structure which modulates the local frequency generated by the local oscillator circuit and having a resonance frequency which varies in response to changes in at least one of; a humidity proximate the sensor module; a temperature proximate the sensor module;
orthe presence of a chemical or biological agent proximate the sensor module; and a transmitter to transmit the first electromagnetic signal; a remote receiver to receive an electromagnetic signal comprising the signal generated by the electrically resonant structure; and a signal analysis module to determine an environmental condition from the at least one environmental condition signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. An aircraft, comprising:
-
a fuselage; and a system to detect one or more environmental conditions in proximity to a surface of the fuselage, comprising; an environmental sensor module proximate the surface, wherein the environmental sensor comprises; a local oscillator circuit, a mixer to generate a first electromagnetic signal at a carrier frequency plus the local frequency generated by the local oscillator circuit a metamaterial-based electrically resonant structure which modulates the local frequency generated by the local oscillator circuit and having a resonance frequency which varies in response to changes in at least one of; a humidity proximate the sensor module; a temperature proximate the sensor module;
orthe presence of a chemical or biological agent proximate the sensor module; and a transmitter to transmit the first electromagnetic signal; a remote receiver to receive an electromagnetic signal comprising the signal generated by the electrically resonant structure; and a signal analysis module to determine an environmental condition from the at least one environmental condition signal.
-
Specification