Integrated level sensing printed circuit board
First Claim
1. A level sensing printed circuit board, comprising:
- a sensing capacitor having a sensing plate and a negative plate, the sensing plate being a positive plate and configured to sense the electrical conductivity of a material causing a stimulus and provide positive plate signaling containing information about the electrical conductivity sensed, and the negative plate corresponding to a ground plane of the level sensing printed circuit board;
a variable frequency oscillator having a comparator with an input configured to respond to the positive plate signaling, and provide variable frequency oscillator signaling containing information about variable frequency oscillations based upon the positive plate signaling sensed; and
a signal processing module configured at least to;
respond to the variable frequency oscillator signaling, anddetermine a corresponding signal containing information about a proportional frequency response caused by the stimulus and sensed by the sensing plate, based at least partly on the variable frequency oscillator signaling received.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A level sensing circuit board featuring at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, where the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: respond to a signal containing information related to the electrical conductivity of a material causing a stimulus to a sensing plate that corresponds to a positive plate of a capacitor directly connected to an input of a comparator that forms part of a variable frequency oscillator; and determine a proportional response containing information about the material causing the stimulus to the sensing plate based at least partly on the signal received. The level sensing circuit may be used as a means to turn a pump on or off based on a sensed fluid level.
64 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A level sensing printed circuit board, comprising:
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a sensing capacitor having a sensing plate and a negative plate, the sensing plate being a positive plate and configured to sense the electrical conductivity of a material causing a stimulus and provide positive plate signaling containing information about the electrical conductivity sensed, and the negative plate corresponding to a ground plane of the level sensing printed circuit board; a variable frequency oscillator having a comparator with an input configured to respond to the positive plate signaling, and provide variable frequency oscillator signaling containing information about variable frequency oscillations based upon the positive plate signaling sensed; and a signal processing module configured at least to; respond to the variable frequency oscillator signaling, and determine a corresponding signal containing information about a proportional frequency response caused by the stimulus and sensed by the sensing plate, based at least partly on the variable frequency oscillator signaling received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A level sensing printed circuit board, comprising:
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a variable frequency oscillator having a comparator with an inverting input, a non-inverting input and an output, having a sensing capacitor with a positive plate and a negative plate, and having resistors; a sensing plate that corresponds to the positive plate of the sensing capacitor directly connected to the inverting input of the comparator of the variable frequency oscillator, and the negative plate of the sensing capacitor corresponding to a ground plane of the level sensing printed circuit board; and a signal processing module configured at least to; respond to a signal containing information about the electrical conductivity of a material causing a stimulus sensed by the sensing plate, determine a corresponding signal containing information about a proportional frequency response caused by the stimulus and sensed by the sensing plate, based at least partly on the signal received, and provide the corresponding signal as an output signal containing information about the proportional frequency response for turning on or off a pump. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A pump, comprising:
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a pump controller, configured to respond to a control signal and turn the pump on or off; and a level sensing printed circuit board having a sensing capacitor having a sensing plate and a negative plate, the sensing plate being a positive plate and configured to sense the electrical conductivity of a material causing a stimulus and provide positive plate signaling, and the negative plate corresponding to a ground plane of the level sensing printed circuit board, a variable frequency oscillator having a comparator with an input configured to respond to the positive plate signaling, and provide variable frequency oscillator signaling containing information about variable frequency oscillations, based upon the positive plate signaling received, and a signal processing module configured at least to; respond to the variable frequency oscillator signaling, determine a corresponding signal containing information about a proportional frequency response caused by the stimulus and sensed by the sensing plate, based at least partly on the signal received, and provide the corresponding signal as the control signal containing information about the proportional frequency response for turning on or off a pump. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification