Sensors incorporated into building materials to detect physical characteristic changes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12339272-B2
Application number	US-202217940246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2022
Priority date	Mar 27, 2019
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A disclosed construction structure unit may include at least one split-ring resonator, which may be embedded within a material. The split ring resonator may be formed from a three-dimensional (3D) monolithic carbonaceous growth and may detect an electromagnetic ping emitted from a user device. The split ring resonator may generate an electromagnetic return signal in response to the electromagnetic ping. The electromagnetic return signal may indicate a state of the material in a position proximate to a respective split ring resonator. In some aspects, the split-ring resonator may resonate at a first frequency in response to the electromagnetic ping when the material is in a first state, and may resonate at a second frequency in response to the electromagnetic ping when the material is in a second state. A resonant frequency of the 3D monolithic carbonaceous growth may be based on physical characteristics of the material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structural building component, comprising:
at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator embedded within a material of the structural building component, or placed on a surface of the material;
wherein the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is formed from a three-dimensional (3D) monolithic carbonaceous growth and wherein the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is configured to respond to a wireless electromagnetic stimulus; and
wherein the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is configured to resonate at one or more corresponding unique frequencies, the frequencies indicating a state of the material at a position proximate to the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator.

2. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein the material is concrete or steel.

3. The structural building component of claim 2 , wherein a first frequency of the one or more corresponding unique frequencies is associated with a calibration signature of the material.

4. The structural building component of claim 3 , wherein the calibration signature is measured after the concrete has been poured, cured, and hardened.

5. The structural building component of claim 3 , wherein a second signature is measured at a time after the calibration signature was measured.

6. The structural building component of claim 5 , wherein the second signature is associated with a second frequency.

7. The structural building component of claim 5 , wherein the second signature indicates at least one of a deformation, a change in compression, a change in flexion, a change in response, a fracture, a strain, or a stress.

8. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is configured to resonate at a first frequency in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus when the material is in a first state, and is configured to resonate at a second frequency in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus when the material is in a second state.

9. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein a tuned resonant frequency of the 3D monolithic carbonaceous growth is based at least in part on one or more physical characteristics of the material.

10. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is configured to indicate a first condition of the material by generating a first wireless electromagnetic return signal in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus, and is configured to indicate a second condition of the material by generating a second wireless electromagnetic return signal in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus.

11. The structural building component of claim 10 , wherein the first wireless electromagnetic return signal has a first frequency, and the second wireless electromagnetic return signal has a second frequency different than the first frequency.

12. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein the state of the material includes a deformation of the material.

13. The structural building component of claim 12 , wherein the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is configured to indicate the deformation of the material by generating a first electromagnetic return signal in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus, and is configured to indicate a lack of deformation of the material by generating a second electromagnetic return signal in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus.

14. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator includes a resonance portion.

15. The structural building component of claim 14 , wherein the resonance portion is configured to resonate at a first frequency in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus when the state of the material exceeds a threshold, and is configured to resonate at a second frequency in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus when the state of the material is beneath the threshold.

16. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein a resonant frequency of 3D monolithic carbonaceous growth is based at least in part on either or both of a permittivity and a permeability of the material.

17. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator further comprises a first meso-scale or micro-scale resonator including a plurality of first carbon particles configured to uniquely resonate in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus based at least in part on a concentration level of the first carbon particles within the first meso-scale or micro-scale resonator;
the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator further comprises a second meso-scale or micro-scale resonator and includes a plurality of second carbon particles configured to uniquely resonate in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus based at least in part on a concentration level of the second carbon particles within the second meso-scale or micro-scale resonator;
each of the first carbon particles and second carbon particles is chemically bonded with the material;
the first carbon particles include first aggregates forming a first porous structure; or
the second carbon particles include second aggregates forming a second porous structure.

18. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein the at least one meso-scale or micro-scale resonator comprises a first meso-scale or micro-scale resonator and a second meso-scale or micro-scale resonator.

19. The structural building component of claim 18 , wherein at least one of:
the first meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is configured to resonate at a first frequency in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus;
the second meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is configured to resonate at a second frequency in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus;
the first frequency is different than the second frequency;
an amplitude of resonance of the first meso-scale or micro-scale resonator or the second meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is indicative of an extent of wear of the material; or
an extent of shift of a natural resonance frequency in response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus of the first meso-scale or micro-scale resonator and the second meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is indicative of an amount of deformation of the material.

20. The structural building component of claim 18 , wherein each of the first meso-scale or micro-scale resonator and the second meso-scale or micro-scale resonator has an attenuation point, wherein the attenuation point of each the first meso-scale or micro-scale resonator and the second meso-scale or micro-scale resonator is associated with a frequency response to the wireless electromagnetic stimulus.

21. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein the structural building component comprises a load-bearing element of a building structure selected from the group consisting of: a foundation element, a wall, a column, a beam, a roof component, a bridge component, and a dam component.

22. The structural building component of claim 1 , wherein the structural building component is configured to provide at least one of: structural support, load distribution, or structural integrity to a building structure, and wherein the material comprises at least one of: c

Assignees

• Lyten Inc

Inventors

• Montalvo Carlos
• Stowell Michael
• Lanning Bruce

Classifications

• G01N33/383 Primary

  Concrete or cement · CPC title