Non-contact flood and moisture detector

• US 8,248,256 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph J. Gerardi, Thomas Banas
• Original Assignee: Joseph J. Gerardi, Thomas Banas
• Inventors: Gerardi, Joseph J, Banas, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US12/435,337
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 340/604, 340/605, 340/619, 340/616, 340/618, 250/227.14, 733/07, 73/13.1, 73/17.3
• US Class Current: 340/619
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture

Abstract

A non-contact flood and moisture detector for detecting water on remote surface includes a source of IR radiation directed towards the remote surface and projecting a field of illumination on the remote surface, and a receiver of IR radiation directed towards the remote surface, and collecting the IR radiation from a field of view on the remote surface, with the field of illumination and the field of view at least partially overlapping. A portion of the IR radiation is backscattered and received by the receiver and a portion of the IR radiation is specularly reflected and not received by the receiver. An electronic circuit synchronized with the source and the receiver compares the IR radiation measured by the receiver to a dry baseline condition level where a decrease in the backscattered IR radiation measured by the receiver indicates the presence of water.

Claims

1. A non-contact flood and moisture detector for detecting water on a remote surface, comprising:

a source of IR radiation directed towards the remote surface and emitting an IR radiation and projecting a field of illumination on the remote surface;

a receiver of IR radiation directed towards the remote surface, and collecting the IR radiation from a field of view of the remote surface;

a non-contact flood and moisture detector for detecting water on a remote surface, comprising;

a source;

wherein a second portion of the IR radiation emitted by the source is specularly reflected from the remote surface and received by the receiver;

wherein a first portion of the IR radiation emitted by the source is backscattered from the remote surface and received by the receiver;

wherein a second portion of the IR radiation emitted by the source is specularly reflected from the remote surface and is not received by the receiver;

An electronic circuit connected with the source and the receiver and adapted to compare the IR radiation received by the receiver by the receiver to a baseline dry condition level of the IR radiation;

wherein a decrease in the IR radiation received by the receiver indicates presence of water;

wherein the electronic circuit comprises an electronic logic circuit adapted to perform a self-test and a self-calibration and notify a user of contamination with dirt or grime;

with the electronic logic circuit further adapted to automatically setting the receiver gain independent of an emissivity of the remote surface and of a distance between the remote surface and the non-contact flood and moisture detector.

2. The non-contact flood and moisture detector according to claim 1;

further comprising an alarm connected to the electronic circuit;

WHEREIN the electronic circuit is activating the alarm in presence of water;

wherein the alarm is an audible alarm, a visible alarm, an electronic communication alarm, a wired alarm, a wireless alarm, or combination thereof.

3. The non-contact flood and moisture detector according to claim 2;

wherein the source comprises a Light Emitting Diode operating in range of wavelengths in the near infrared region from 1400 to 1550 nm.

4. The non-contact flood and moisture detector according to claim 3, that further comprising an IR filter adapted to fitter out unwanted light sources and unwanted reflections into the receiver.

5. The non-contact flood and moisture detector according to claim 4;

wherein the receiver is an IR LED or a photo-detector;

wherein the receiver is a synchronous detector; and

wherein the source is a modulated LED synchronized with the receiver.

6. The non-contact flood and moisture detector according to claim 5;

wherein the source comprises a source IR LED emitter; and

wherein the source IR LED emitter and the receiver IR LED emitter are physically the same IR LED emitter.

7. The non-contact flood and moisture detector according to claim 6;

further comprising a water detect threshold stored in the electronic logic circuit;

wherein the electronic logic circuit is adapted to compare the water detect threshold with a voltage output of the receiver and to trigger the alarm when the voltage output of the receiver decreases below the water detect threshold.

8. The non-contact flood and moisture detector according to claim 7;

further comprising an integrated visible laser pointer adapted for determining the field of view and the field of illumination on the remote surface.

9. The non-contact flood and moisture detector according to claim 8,

further comprising a sensor adapted to detect ambient light conditions,

wherein the electronic logic circuit is adapted to use ambient light conditions to improve accuracy of the non-contact flood and moisture detector.

10. The non-contact flood and moisture detector according to claim 9,

wherein the source and the receiver are positioned avoiding direct specular reflection of the IR radiation emitted by the source into the receiver.

11. A method for detecting water on a remote surface, comprising the steps of:

directing a source of IR radiation towards the remote surface and emitting an IR radiation and projecting a field of illumination on the remote surface, with a portion of the IR radiation backscattering off the remote surface, and a portion of the IR radiation specularly reflecting off the remote surface;

directing a receiver of IR radiation towards the remote surface and measuring IR radiation levels from a field of view on the remote surface;

positing the receiver and the source resulting in the field of illumination and the field of view at least partially overlapping and resulting in substantially no specularly reflected IR radiation measured by the receiver;

comparing the IR radiation levels to a baseline dry condition and detecting water on the remote surface from decreased IR radiation levels;

performing a self-test and a self-calibration and notifying a user of contamination with dirt or grime;

automatically setting the receiver gain independent of an emissivity of the remote surface and of a distance between the remote surface and the non-contact flood and moisture detector, storing a water detect threshold in the electronic circuit;

comparing the water detect threshold with a voltage output of the receiver and triggering the alarm when the voltage output of the receiver decreases below the water detect threshold;

wherein the electronic circuit comprises an electronic logic circuit.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

providing an alarm connected to the electronic circuit;

activating the alarm by the electronic circuit in presence of water;

wherein the alarm is an audible alarm, a visible alarm, an electronic communication alarm, a wired alarm, a wireless alarm, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

filtering out unwanted light sources and unwanted reflections into the receiver with an IR filter, and

operating the source as a Light Emitting Diode in range of wavelengths in the near infrared region from 1400 to 1550 nm.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

operating the receiver as a synchronous IR LED or a photo-detector;

operating the source as modulated IR LED source synchronizing the source with the receiver.

15. The method of claim 14:

wherein the source comprises a source IR LED emitter;

wherein the receiver comprises a receiver IR LED emitter; and

wherein the source IR LED emitter and the receiver IR LED emitter are physically the same IR LED emitter.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

providing an integrated visible laser pointer, determining the field of view and the field of illumination on the remote surface using the integrated visible laser pointer, and positioning the source and the receiver avoiding direct specular reflection of the IR radiation emitted by the source into the receiver.