Abstract: Systems and methods for obtaining telemetry environmental readings from within an electromagnetic-absorbing material are disclosed herein. The system may include a self-contained power source powering a switch-mode amplifier to drive a multi-turn coil to be driven with a low-frequency carrier.

Abstract: A circuit for improving instantaneous current flow in an AC-to-DC power supply for an electronic device, said circuit positioned immediately prior to an AC input for the AC-to-DC power supply and providing a reserve of electrical charge independent of the inductive impedance of the AC power line.

Abstract: A measuring circuit which includes an evaluation circuit (13, 63); a sensing circuit (39, 40) having a sensing element (6, 55) configured to generate a measuring signal from a measuring object (7) and a transmission line (26, 69) for transmitting the measuring signal to the evaluation circuit (13, 63); and a test signal injection circuit (21) including a signal injector (12) and an injection line (20) connecting a signal output of the signal injector (12) with the sensing circuit (39, 40) for feeding a test signal into the sensing circuit (39, 40) such that the test signal is transmittable to the evaluation circuit (13, 63) over the transmission line (26, 69). The injection line (20) and the transmission line (26, 69) are advantageously interconnected in series via the sensing element (6, 55) such that the test signal can be fed through the sensing element (6, 55).

Abstract: Device (1) for measuring moisture of materials flowing in the shape of dried, liquid or gaseous granulates, or in the shape of powders in at least one duct disposed at least partially along an axis (X-X) through which the material of which the moisture has to be measured flows, comprising: at least one capacitor (Cx) wherein the material of which the moisture has to be measured flows, characterized in that the capacitor (CX) comprises: at least two metallic rings (3) coaxially mounted to said axis X-X and adjacent to an inner wall of the duct through which the material of which the moisture has to be measured flows; at least one dielectric element (5) having: dielectric constant substantially linear with the temperature changing, and thermal expansion lower than ?=27×10?6/° C.

Abstract: A device for insulating an electrically conducting plane having a first electric potential relatively to a second electric potential is provided. The device comprises an insulating substrate including two parallel planar surfaces, a first conducting outer layer and an electrostatic field reducer. The electrostatic field reducer reduces the value of the electrostatic field in a point of the peripheral edge, the reducer includes at least one conducting area distinct from the first outer layer, positioned on the first surface of the insulating substrate and/or in the insulating substrate. The reducer reduces the value of the electrostatic field in this point relative to the value of the electrostatic field in this point in the absence of the conducting area. The conducting area has a potential with a value strictly comprised between the values of the first and second potentials.

Abstract: One embodiment of a capacitive sensor array may comprise a first plurality of sensor elements and a second sensor element comprising a main trace, where the main trace intersects each of the first plurality of sensor elements to form a plurality of intersections. A unit cell may be associated with each of the intersections, and each unit cell may designate a set of locations nearest to the corresponding intersection. A contiguous section of the main trace may cross at least one of the plurality of unit cells. Within each unit cell, the second sensor element may comprise at least one primary subtrace branching away from the main trace.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting the presence of a finger on a fingerprint sensor is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including transmitting a probing signal, comprising a series of probing pulses, to a fingerprint sensing area. A response signal, comprising a series of response pulses, is received from the fingerprint sensing area in response to the probing signal. An upper reference signal is generated and finger activity is detected on the fingerprint sensing area by monitoring whether the peaks of the response pulses exceed the reference signal.

Abstract: An occupant detection system that includes an electrode arranged proximate to an expected location of an occupant for generating an electric field between the electrode and the occupant proximate thereto. An electrical network coupled to the electrode forms a resonant circuit that includes the occupant as part of the resonant circuit. A controller coupled to the resonant circuit is configured to determine a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit indicative of an occupant presence, and a network signal magnitude at the resonant frequency indicative of a humidity value proximate to the electrode. 7. A method for detecting a vehicle applies an excitation signal to the resonant circuit, determine a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit and determines a humidity value based on a network signal magnitude at the resonant frequency.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement for determining a temporal change of an output voltage of a half-bridge circuit during a dead time. In one embodiment, the circuit arrangement includes a first input for applying the output voltage. A capacitive network is provided having a first and a second circuit node capacitively coupled to the input, and having a terminal for a reference potential. A recharging circuit is configured, during the switched-on phase of one of a first and second switching elements, to adjust electrical potentials of the first and second nodes, the electrical potentials each being different from the reference potential. A comparator arrangement is provided that is configured during the dead time to determine a time difference between such times at which the electrical potentials at the first and second node each assume a given potential value, the time difference being a measure for the change with time of the output voltage.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting the presence of a finger on a fingerprint sensor is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including transmitting a probing signal, comprising a series of probing pulses, to a fingerprint sensing area. A response signal, comprising a series of response pulses, is received from the fingerprint sensing area in response to the probing signal. An upper reference signal is generated and finger activity is detected on the fingerprint sensing area by monitoring whether the peaks of the response pulses exceed the reference signal.

Abstract: A method for measuring the degree of fiber concentration in a pulp in a machine, in particular a refiner for the manufacture of paper pulp, which machine includes a stator and an opposing rotor, which form a grinding gap for the pulp. The stator is provided with at least one sensor device, designed to interact with a rotor surface and including an impedance meter body with a sensor surface which impedance meter body is mounted in the stator in such a way that it can move axially. Measurements of the impedance between the rotor surface and the sensor surface are carried out during an axial movement of the impedance meter body and the measured impedance differences are utilized together with the size of the movement to determine the dielectric constant of the pulp, from which the degree of fiber concentration in the pulp is dervived.

Abstract: A longitudinal balance measuring bridge circuit includes a common mode signal injection circuit in the form of a center tapped, 4:1 balanced matching transformer. The signal injection circuit is coupleable to an item under test (IUT) and to a source of common mode signal, and provides the common mode signal to the IUT. The common mode signal injection circuit includes balanced outputs. A common mode filter is coupled to the balanced outputs of the common mode signal injection circuit and attenuates the common mode signal. The common mode filter also includes balanced outputs on which are provided a transverse signal resulting from the common mode signal provided to the IUT. A signal output balun is coupled to the balanced outputs of the common mode filter and converts the transverse signal to an unbalanced signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring at least one of steam purity and steam quality for steam used in a decontamination process. A capacitor is exposed to the steam, wherein the steam acts as a dielectric between the plates of the capacitor. Permittivity of the dielectric is affected by the purity and/or quality of the steam, and thus a measurement of electrical properties of the capacitor is used to monitor steam purity and/or quality.

Abstract: A chemical concentration detecting system for determining the relative concentration of a chemical component in a gas mixture. The gas mixture may include chemical components that are antimicrobial chemicals, as well as chemical components that are base chemicals, acting as a diluent for the antimicrobial chemical, or as a vehicle or carrier for the antimicrobial chemical. A capacitor is exposed to the gas mixture, wherein the gas mixture acts as a dielectric between the plates of the capacitor. Permittivity of the dielectric is affected by the relative concentrations of the chemical components, and thus a measurement of the capacitance is used to determine the relative concentration levels of the chemical components in the gas mixture.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an impedance variable in response to a sensed physical amount of a sensor is provided which comprises an impedance-frequency conversion unit and a counter. The impedance-frequency conversion unit converts the sensor impedance to an oscillation signal a frequency of which corresponds to the sensor impedance. The impedance-frequency conversion unit comprises an impedance-voltage converter for providing a voltage corresponding to the sensor impedance, and a Wien bridge oscillator including an element an impedance of which varies in response to the voltage from the impedance-voltage converter, for generating the oscillation signal. The Wien bridge oscillator is capable of generating a square wave signal as the oscillation signal. The counter counts the number of waves (or wave number) of the oscillation signal in a predetermined time period to output a count value which can be handled as a digital signal.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor is employed to measure the dielectric constant of miscible liquids, and thereby determine the relative concentration of the two liquids. Further, a feedback circuit may be provided to change the operation of the system in accordance with the relative concentration of the liquids. Further, circuit arrangements may be provided to adjust the sensitivity and offset of the electrical circuit included in the system to match the output of the sensor with the dielectric constants being measured.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system for the detection of human presence in hazardous situations near moving machinery; appropriately shaped electrodes are placed in an area to be safeguarded and a radio-frequency signal of appropriate frequency and voltage is applied on the electrodes creating an alternating electric field around them. A bridge circuit is used to measure the capacitive impedance created by the electrodes and a dissipation factor is calculated from the real and imaginary parts of the impedance. If a foreign object is introduced into the electric field, the characteristics of the dielectric are modified creating a change of the value of the dissipation factor. The dissipation of energy in the high frequency region is much greater if this foreign object is a biological tissue as compared to other types of materials, such as conductors or insulators.