Wireless sensors, systems, and methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016265984-A1
Application number	US-201615069926-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 13, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor is provided that is capable of sensing a level of a parameter in an environment surrounding the sensor, wirelessly transmitting data regarding the level of the parameter to another device, and converting a wireless signal to a current and powering the sensors with the current. The sensor may measure capacitance data and transmit the data to a computer to be converted into temperature readings. The sensor may provide temperature readings from multiple locations within a container into which the sensor is placed.

First claim

1 . A device comprising:
a sensor for sensing a level of a parameter in an environment surrounding the sensor, the sensor mounted to a substrate; a wireless transmitter configured to transmit data regarding the level of the parameter to a device external to the sensor; and an energy harvesting unit operatively connected to the sensor and the wireless transmitter, the energy harvesting unit configured to convert a wireless signal to energy for powering the wireless transmitter and the sensor; and and antenna connected to the energy harvesting unit.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor measures capacitance data and transmits the data to a computer to be converted into temperature readings.

3 . The device of claims 2 , wherein sensor is configured to measure the parameter at two or more locations on the substrate.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the energy harvesting unit comprises an RF power rectifier.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the energy harvesting unit comprises an energy regulator.

6 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive temperature sensor.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of capacitive temperature sensing elements.

8 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure temperatures down to −80 degrees Celsius.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the sensor has a resolution of less than 0.01 degrees Celsius.

10 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the energy harvesting unit is configured to harvest energy from wireless signals in the range between 300 MHz and 1 GHz.

11 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the device is incased in a temperature conducting cryogenic epoxy.

12 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the device is configured to fit within a pharmaceutical vial.

13 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the sensor comprises plurality of sensors in an array.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Peroulis Dimitrios
• Raghunathan Nithin
• Hall Michael Todd

Classifications

• H04W4/005

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01K7/34

  using capacitative elements (capacitors per se H01G) · CPC title

• G01K1/024

  for remote indication · CPC title

• H04W52/0229

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title