Embeddable moisture sensor, measurement device and method of use thereof
First Claim
1. A measurement device comprising:
- a transmitter configured to transmit energy by sweeping across a frequency range;
a receiver configured to measure energy absorbed by a resonant circuit that is embedded in a material and that is in a field of the transmitted energy when the measurement device is above or near a surface of the material;
wherein the measurement device is configured to automatically determine a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit from the energy measured by the receiver; and
wherein the measurement device is configured to automatically determine at least one of;
an estimated or precise resistance of the resonant circuit;
an estimated or precise quality factor of the resonant circuit; and
an estimated or precise voltage ratio of the resonant circuit, wherein the voltage ratio is a ratio of a voltage of the energy measured by the receiver at resonance and a voltage of the energy measured by the receiver at a fixed frequency shift from resonance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method of interrogating a resonant circuit that includes embedding a resonant circuit into a material, wherein a dielectric of a capacitor of the resonant circuit is the material. The method includes remotely determining the resonant frequency of the electrical circuit with a measurement device, wherein the determining is accomplished automatically. Finally, the method includes remotely automatically determining at least one of an estimated or precise resistance of the resonant circuit, an estimated or precise quality factor of the resonant circuit, and an estimated or precise voltage ratio of the resonant circuit, wherein the voltage ratio is a ratio of a voltage of the energy absorbed by the receiver at resonance and a voltage of the energy absorbed by the receiver at a fixed frequency shift from resonance.
9 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A measurement device comprising:
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a transmitter configured to transmit energy by sweeping across a frequency range; a receiver configured to measure energy absorbed by a resonant circuit that is embedded in a material and that is in a field of the transmitted energy when the measurement device is above or near a surface of the material; wherein the measurement device is configured to automatically determine a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit from the energy measured by the receiver; and wherein the measurement device is configured to automatically determine at least one of; an estimated or precise resistance of the resonant circuit; an estimated or precise quality factor of the resonant circuit; and an estimated or precise voltage ratio of the resonant circuit, wherein the voltage ratio is a ratio of a voltage of the energy measured by the receiver at resonance and a voltage of the energy measured by the receiver at a fixed frequency shift from resonance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of interrogating a resonant circuit comprising:
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embedding the resonant circuit in a material automatically determining a resonant frequency of an electrical circuit with a measurement device that is above or near the surface of the material; and automatically determining at least one of; an estimated or precise resistance of the resonant circuit; an estimated or precise quality factor of the resonant circuit; and an estimated or precise voltage ratio of the resonant circuit, wherein the voltage ratio is a ratio of a voltage of the energy measured by the receiver at resonance and a voltage of the energy measured by the receiver at a fixed frequency shift from resonance. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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a measurement device that includes a transmitter configured to transmit energy by sweeping across a frequency range and a receiver configured to measure energy absorbed by a resonant circuit that is embedded in a material and that is in a field of the transmitted energy when the measurement device is above or near a surface of the material, wherein the measurement device is configured to automatically determine a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit from the energy measured by the receiver, and wherein the measurement device is configured to automatically determine at least one of; an estimated or precise resistance of the resonant circuit; an estimated or precise quality factor of the resonant circuit; and an estimated or precise voltage ratio of the resonant circuit, wherein the voltage ratio is a ratio of a voltage of the energy measured by the receiver at resonance and a voltage of the energy measured by the receiver at a fixed frequency shift from resonance; and a moisture sensor that includes an electrical circuit embeddable into a material and having an inductor, a first capacitor and a second capacitor, and wherein the dielectric of the second capacitor is configured to be the material when the electrical circuit is embedded, and wherein the capacitance of the first capacitor is larger than the capacitance of the second capacitor such that the resonant frequency of the electrical circuit is not substantially altered by changes in capacitance of the second capacitor.
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Specification