Transmission line for dielectric measurement and dielectric measuring device having the transmission line

• US 8,368,410 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Yoshihito, Omori, Shinji, Oshige, Ikuya
• Primary Examiner(s): He, Amy
• Application Number:
  US12/283,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20090134885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 324/693, 324/663
• US Class Current: 324/693
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/221 by investigating the dielectric properties using microwaves G01N22/00; measuring loss factors or dielectric constants per se G01R27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]

Abstract

A transmission line substrate includes at least an insulating layer of a predetermined thickness, a pair of conductor layers arranged in a state of being opposed to each other such that the insulating layer is interposed between the conductor layers, the pair of conductor layers functioning as a high-frequency transmission line, and a fault part formed so as to make the conductor layer on one side disconnected, into which a sample to be measured can be introduced.

Claims

1. A transmission line substrate comprising at least:

an insulating layer of a predetermined thickness;

a first conductor layer disposed adjacent to the insulating layer and having two ends located opposite one another;

a second conductor layer disposed adjacent to the insulating layer on a side opposite the first conductor layer and having two ends located opposite one another, the two ends of the second conductor layer being electrically connected to one another, the first and second conductor layers functioning as a high-frequency transmission line; and

a fault part formed in the first conductor layer so as to electrically disconnect the two ends of the first conductor layer unless a sample to be measured is introduced into the fault part.

2. The transmission line substrate according to claim 1, further comprising:

a flow path for sample introduction which flow path has said fault part as a part of the flow path.

3. The transmission line substrate according to claim 1, further comprising a receiver configured to measure an input wave signal to be transmitted through the high-frequency transmission line.

4. The transmission line substrate according to claim 3, wherein the receiver is configured to measure a reflected wave signal having been transmitted through at least a portion of the high-frequency transmission line.

5. A multiple transmission line substrate comprising:

a plurality of the high-frequency transmission lines of claim 1 arranged in parallel with each other.

6. The multiple transmission line substrate according to claim 5, wherein

a flow path for sample introduction which passes a plurality of fault parts is formed.

7. The transmission line substrate according to claim 5, further comprising a conductor switch configured to provide an electrical connection sequentially between a transmitter and each of the plurality of high-frequency transmission lines.

8. An electrical measuring device for obtaining information on an electrical characteristic of a sample to be measured using the transmission line substrate of claim 1, said electrical measuring device comprising:

a power supply section configured to supply power to said conductor layers forming said transmission line substrate;

a sample introducing section configured to introduce the sample into said fault part directly or via a flow path; and

a measuring section configured to measure impedance that can be changed by introducing the sample into said fault part.

9. The electrical measuring device according to claim 8, further comprising:

an analyzing section configured to obtain permittivity of the sample on a basis of said impedance.