Method, Device and Sensor for Determining an Absorption Behavior of a Medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016178508-A1
Application number	US-201514975799-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method is used to determine an absorption behavior of a medium. The method includes establishing an absorption coefficient of the medium using a first intensity value and at least one second intensity value and a length different between a first measurement distance and a second measurement distance. The first intensity value represents a measured first light intensity after passing over a first measurement distance in the medium. The second intensity value represents a measured second light intensity after passing over a second measurement distance in the medium. The first intensity value and the second intensity value are measured using light with a common initial intensity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for determining an absorption behavior of a medium, comprising:
establishing an absorption coefficient of the medium using a first intensity value and at least one second intensity value and a length different between a first measurement distance and a second measurement distance, wherein the first intensity value represents a measured first light intensity after passing over a first measurement distance in the medium and the second intensity value represents a measured second light intensity after passing over a second measurement distance in the medium, and wherein the first intensity value and the second intensity value are measured using light with a common initial intensity.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring the first intensity value; modifying the measurement distance by the length difference; and measuring the second intensity value.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is operated in a pulsed fashion during measuring and/or the measurement distance is modified in a pulsed fashion during modifying.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first intensity value and the second intensity value are measured during measuring using light in a common wavelength range.

5 . A sensor for determining an absorption behavior of a medium, the sensor comprising:
a light source configured to provide light; a detector configured to detect a light intensity of light incident on the detector; and a modification apparatus configured to modify a variable measurement distance between the light source and the detector, wherein the medium is arrangeable within the measurement distance.

6 . The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein:
the modification apparatus is configured to move the light source relative to the detector, and the measurement distance is a gap between the light source and the detector.

7 . The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein:
the light source and the detector are arranged stationary relative to one another and/or the modification apparatus is configured to move a movable reflector, and the reflector is configured to reflect the light from the light source to the detector.

8 . The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the light source has an optical lens configured to shape the light in a direction of the detector and/or the detector has a lens configured to concentrate the light from the light source onto the detector.

9 . The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the detector has at least two light-sensitive regions, wherein the regions are sensitive to different wavelength regions of the light.

10 . A device for determining an absorption behavior of a medium, the device comprising:
a sensor, including:
a light source configured to provide light;
a detector configured to detect a light intensity of light incident on the detector; and
a modification apparatus configured to modify a variable measurement distance between the light source and the detector, wherein the medium is arrangeable within the measurement distance.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out by a computer program.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the computer program is stored on a machine-readable storage medium.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Ramsteiner Ingo

Classifications

• G01N21/31 Primary

  Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N21/314

  with comparison of measurements at specific and non-specific wavelengths (dual wavelength spectrometry G01J3/427) · CPC title

• G01N21/17 Primary

  Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated (where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63) · CPC title

• G01N2201/0668

  Multiple paths; optimisable path length · CPC title

• G01N21/8507

  Probe photometers, i.e. with optical measuring part dipped into fluid sample · CPC title