The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 29, 2013
Filed:
Dec. 31, 2009
Miles Maiden, Blue Hill, ME (US);
Miles Maiden, Blue Hill, ME (US);
Hydro-Photon, Inc., Blue Hill, ME (US);
Abstract
The inventive optical sensor consists of an LED semiconductor material and elements (herein after the LED components) surrounded by a transparent encapsulant that allows much of the light produced by the LED components to pass while a certain small percentage of the light is internally reflected. The percentage of light internally reflected, depends upon whether at least a front face of the encapsulant is immersed in liquid or in air. The optical liquid sensor also consists of a strategically placed photo sensor that detects the intensity of light that is internally reflected by at least the front face of the encapsulant surrounding the LED. The photo sensor is able to detect the change in intensity of light being internally reflected by at least the front face of the encapsulated LED when the front face, for example, emerges from immersion in a liquid.