Wetness sensors, wetness monitoring system, and related methods
First Claim
1. A liquid sensor, comprising:
- a substrate having a plurality of electrodes, a circuit, and a transmitter thereon;
the plurality of electrodes being coupled to generate electrical power when in contact with liquid;
the circuit being electrically connected to the electrodes and configured to;
be activated by the electrical power,detect an electrical parameter of the electrical power,store the electrical power, andgenerate and transmit a plurality of data packets indicating a degree of wetness corresponding to the detected electrical parameter to the transmitter until a pre-determined electrical power value of the stored electrical power is met, wherein successive data packets are separated by a time interval, the time interval being proportional to the time required to reach the pre-determined electrical power; and
the transmitter being electrically coupled to the circuit and configured to;
receive the plurality of data packets and transmit representations of the plurality of data packets as electromagnetic signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An aspect of the invention is a liquid sensor having a galvanically energizable power source capable of activating a remotely detectable signal in response to liquid. In a preferred embodiment, a liquid sensor includes a plurality of electrodes, a circuit, and a transmitter thereon. The electrodes are coupled to generate electrical power when in contact with liquid. The circuit is electrically connected to the electrodes so as to be activated by the electrical power, detect an electrical parameter of the electrical power, and generate a plurality of data packets indicating a degree of wetness corresponding to the detected electrical parameter. The transmitter is electrically coupled to the circuit to receive the plurality of data packets and transmit representations of the plurality of data packets as electromagnetic signals. Other aspects include a liquid absorbent wetness sensor and a computer-based wetness monitoring system, and method of detecting liquid.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A liquid sensor, comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of electrodes, a circuit, and a transmitter thereon; the plurality of electrodes being coupled to generate electrical power when in contact with liquid; the circuit being electrically connected to the electrodes and configured to; be activated by the electrical power, detect an electrical parameter of the electrical power, store the electrical power, and generate and transmit a plurality of data packets indicating a degree of wetness corresponding to the detected electrical parameter to the transmitter until a pre-determined electrical power value of the stored electrical power is met, wherein successive data packets are separated by a time interval, the time interval being proportional to the time required to reach the pre-determined electrical power; and the transmitter being electrically coupled to the circuit and configured to;
receive the plurality of data packets and transmit representations of the plurality of data packets as electromagnetic signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of detecting liquid, the method comprising:
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detecting the presence of liquid in proximity to a sensor, the sensor having a substrate with a plurality of electrodes, a circuit, and a transmitter positioned thereon;
the plurality of electrodes being coupled to generate electrical power when in contact with liquid;
the circuit being electrically connected to the electrodes and configured to;be activated by the electrical power, detect an electrical parameter of the electrical power, store the electrical power, generate and transmit a plurality of data packets indicating a degree of wetness corresponding to the detected electrical parameter to the transmitter until a pre-determined electrical power value of the stored electrical power is met, wherein successive data packets are separated by a time interval, the time interval being proportional to the time required to reach the pre-determined electrical power; and receiving a transmitted signal from the sensor, the signal including representations of the plurality of data packets. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A wetness detection system, comprising:
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a wetness sensor comprising; a substrate having a plurality of electrodes, a circuit, and a transmitter thereon; the plurality of electrodes being coupled to generate electrical power when in contact with liquid; the circuit being electrically connected to the electrodes and configured to; be activated by the electrical power, detect an electrical parameter of the electrical power, store the electrical power, generate and transmit a plurality of data packets indicating a degree of wetness corresponding to the detected electrical parameter to the transmitter until a pre-determined electrical power value of the stored electrical power is met, wherein successive data packets are separated by a time interval, the time interval being proportional to the time required to reach the pre-determined electrical power; the transmitter being electrically coupled to the circuit and configured to;
receive the plurality of data packets and transmit representations of the plurality of data packets as electromagnetic signals; andone or more transceivers adapted to receive the plurality of data packets and communicate data over a communication network to an electronic database. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification