Ultraviolet radiometer

Abstract

According to one aspect, a UV radiometer is provided. The UV radiometer includes a sensor assembly and a sensor controller. The sensor assembly includes a UV sensor element and a temperature sensing component configured to thermally adjust a sensed UV input from the UV sensor element to produce a compensated UV signal. The sensor controller includes a signal conditioning circuit configured to receive the compensated UV signal from the sensor assembly and generate a conditioned and compensated UV signal. The sensor controller also includes a communication interface configured to transmit the conditioned and compensated UV signal to a UV processing controller.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 389,622, filed on July 15, 2022, and entitled “Ultraviolet Radiometer,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Art

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to sensor systems and, more particularly, to an ultraviolet radiometer.

[0004] Ultraviolet (UV) light can be used in a wide variety of applications, such as industrial processes and medical and dental practices. For example, UV light can be used to cure resins and inks, sterilize surfaces and fluids, erase memory contents in UV-erasable programmable read-only memories, and other such applications. For some applications, UV light must be tightly controlled to produce highly consistent and repeatable results. As UV light sources age, output intensity can change. Therefore, in tightly controlled processes using UV light, accurately monitoring UV intensity over a period of time can be critical. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to some embodiments, a UV radiometer is provided. The UV radiometer includes a sensor assembly and a sensor controller. The sensor assembly includes a UV sensor element and a temperature sensing component configured to thermally adjust a sensed UV input from the UV sensor element to generate a compensated UV signal. The sensor controller includes a signal conditioning circuit configured to receive the compensated UV signal from the sensor assembly and generate a conditioned and compensated UV signal. The sensor controller also includes a communication interface configured to transmit the conditioned and compensated UV signal to a UV processing controller.

[0006] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above or below, an embodiment may include: the sensor assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB), having a UV sensor element on a first side of the PCB, having an amplifier on a second side of the PCB, and wherein the temperature sensing component is in a feedback configuration with the amplifier to provide a temperature compensation gain to the compensated UV signal.

[0007] In addition to one or more of the features described above or below, or as an alternative, an embodiment may include: the sensor controller includes a signal level verification circuit, which is configured to: perform a comparison to detect whether the compensated UV signal is above a lower threshold level and below an upper threshold level; and output a UV signal verification indicator based on the result of the comparison.

[0008] Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the features described above or below, embodiments may include that the sensor controller includes a local power supply configured to receive power from the UV process controller and provide isolated power to the sensor assembly.

[0009] Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the features described above or below, an embodiment may include that the signal conditioning circuit includes a voltage spike suppressor.

[0010] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above or below, an embodiment may include that the communication interface includes an analog-to-digital converter and a communication encoder / decoder configured to communicate with the UV treatment controller.

[0011] Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the features described above or below, an embodiment may include a reflector configured to reflect a portion of the emitted UV light towards a UV light input port of the sensor assembly proximate to the UV sensor element.

[0012] According to one aspect, a UV system includes: a UV light source; a UV treatment controller configured to control the UV light source; and a UV radiometer interfaced with the UV treatment controller. The UV radiometer includes a sensor assembly having a UV sensor element and a temperature sensing component configured to thermally adjust a sensed UV input from the UV sensor element to produce a compensated UV signal. The sensor assembly may also include a sensor controller having a signal conditioning circuit configured to receive the compensated UV signal from the sensor assembly and produce a conditioned and compensated UV signal. The sensor controller also includes a communication interface configured to transmit the conditioned and compensated UV signal to the UV treatment controller.

[0013] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above or below, an embodiment may include: the sensor assembly includes a PCB, having a UV sensor element and an amplifier on the PCB, and wherein the temperature sensing component is in a feedback configuration with the amplifier to provide a temperature compensation gain to the compensated UV signal.

[0014] In addition to one or more of the features described above or below, or as an alternative, an embodiment may include: the sensor controller includes a signal level verification circuit, which is configured to: perform a comparison to detect whether the compensated UV signal is above a lower threshold level and below an upper threshold level; and output a UV signal verification indicator based on the result of the comparison.

[0015] Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the features described above or below, embodiments may include that the sensor controller includes a local power supply configured to receive power from the UV process controller and provide isolated power to the sensor assembly.

[0016] In addition to one or more of the features described above or below, or as an alternative, an embodiment may include a UV irradiation zone, wherein the UV processing controller is configured to control exposure of one or more workpieces in the UV irradiation zone to UV light emitted by a UV light source based on a conditioned and compensated UV signal received from a UV radiometer.

[0017] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above or below, an embodiment may include: the UV radiometer includes a reflector configured to rotate around a UV light input port of the sensor assembly near the UV sensor element, and the reflector is adjustable to direct a portion of the UV light emitted from the UV light source into the UV light input port.

[0018] According to one aspect, a method for detecting UV light by a UV radiometer includes: receiving UV light as a sensed UV input at a sensor element of a sensor assembly of the UV radiometer; thermally adjusting the sensed UV input to compensate for a temperature of the sensor element and generate a compensated UV signal; outputting the compensated UV signal to a sensor controller of the UV radiometer; signal conditioning the compensated UV signal at the sensor controller to generate a conditioned and compensated UV signal; and transmitting the conditioned and compensated UV signal from the sensor controller to a UV processing controller.

[0019] In addition to one or more of the features described above or below, or as an alternative, an embodiment may include: the sensor assembly includes a PCB, having a UV sensor element on a first side of the PCB, having an amplifier on a second side of the PCB, and the method further includes: providing a temperature compensation gain to the compensated UV signal based on a temperature sensing component in a feedback configuration with the amplifier.

[0020] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above or below, embodiments may include: performing a comparison to detect whether the compensated UV signal is above a lower threshold level and below an upper threshold level; and outputting a UV signal verification indicator based on a result of the comparison.

[0021] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above or below, embodiments may include: receiving power at the sensor controller from the UV process controller; and providing isolated power from the sensor controller to the sensor assembly.

[0022] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above or below, embodiments may include: performing analog-to-digital conversion at the sensor controller; and communicating with the UV treatment controller using a communication encoder / decoder of the sensor controller.

[0023] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above or below, embodiments may include capturing UV light directed by a reflector to the sensor assembly at a UV light input port proximate to the UV sensor element.

[0024] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above or below, an embodiment may include: controlling, by a UV processing controller, exposure of one or more workpieces to UV light emitted by a UV light source in a UV irradiation area based on a conditioned and compensated UV signal received from a UV radiometer.

[0025] Unless otherwise expressly indicated, the aforementioned features and elements may be performed or utilized in various combinations without exclusivity. These features and elements and their operation will become more clear in conjunction with the following description and drawings. However, it should be understood that the following description and drawings are intended to be illustrative and explanatory in nature and are non-restrictive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 depicts a block diagram of a UV system according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 depicts a block diagram of a UV radiometer according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 depicts a block diagram of a UV radiometer according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 depicts a block diagram of a sensor assembly of a UV radiometer according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 depicts a graph of UV sensor element response according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 depicts a cross-sectional view of a sensor assembly of a UV radiometer according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 depicts an exploded view of a sensor assembly of a UV radiometer according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 depicts an example of a UV radiometer combining a sensor assembly and a sensor controller in a common housing according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0035] Fig. 9 depicts an example of a reflector for a sensor assembly of a UV radiometer according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0036] Fig.10 depicts an example of a UV system according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0037] Fig.11 The present invention is described in more detail according to some embodiments of the present invention. Fig.10 Part of the UV system; and

[0038] Fig.12 A flow chart of a method of detecting UV light by a UV radiometer according to some embodiments of the present invention is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, an ultraviolet (UV) radiometer that can be incorporated into a UV system is provided. The UV radiometer can be used to monitor UV light sources and processes using UV light. In some UV light sensing applications, a photodetector that responds to a wide range of light source wavelengths (such as the visible light range and the infrared light range) may be used. Such a broadband sensor may be effective in the absence of other light sources or when the UV light intensity detection accuracy does not need to be precise. Further, some UV light sensing applications may work well for intermittent UV light sensing, but may not be practical for long-term or continuous monitoring of UV light. The embodiments disclosed herein can support a variety of monitoring conditions, including conditions with multiple light sources other than UV light, and can be installed in various positions, such as perpendicular to the UV beam. The embodiments may include a modular structure, in which a sensor assembly including a UV sensor element is packaged separately from a sensor controller to support placement flexibility. Alternative packaging may include combining the sensor assembly and the sensor controller in a shared housing, while making the total package size compact, reducing the distance between the sensor assembly and the sensor controller.

[0040] Now go to Figure 1 , depicts a UV system 100 according to some embodiments. The UV system 100 includes a UV radiometer 110 configured to communicate with a UV process controller 120. The UV system 100 also includes a UV irradiation area 130 having a UV light source 132. The UV irradiation area 130 may include one or more actuation systems 134, which may be controlled by the UV process controller 120 via an actuator control link 135. The UV process controller 120 may also control the UV light source 132 via a source control link 133. The UV light 136 emitted by the UV light source 132 may be used to control UV exposure of one or more workpieces 138 in the UV irradiation area 130. For example, the one or more workpieces 138 may include a UV sensitive resin that is cured by exposure to the UV light 136. The one or more actuation systems 134 may control the positioning of the one or more workpieces 138 relative to the UV light 136 emitted by the UV light source 132. For example, the one or more actuation systems 134 may include conveyors, turntables, multi-axis positioning systems, robotic components, and / or other such actuators that may move one or more workpieces 138 into and / or out of the UV irradiation area 130 as part of an automated manufacturing or processing line. As a further example, the UV light source 132 may be controlled relative to the one or more workpieces 138 for UV-based sterilization, erasure of UV erasable programmable read-only memory, curing inks, and / or other such applications.

[0041] To monitor the intensity of the UV light 136 and track the time that one or more workpieces 138 are exposed to the UV light 136, the UV radiometer 110 can be interfaced with the UV process controller 120. Figure 1 In the example shown, the UV radiometer 110 may include a sensor assembly 112 and a sensor controller 114. A sensor link 115 between the sensor assembly 112 and the sensor controller 114 may allow the sensor assembly 112 to be positioned inside or physically proximate to the UV irradiation area 130, while the sensor controller 114 is positioned outside or physically remote from the UV irradiation area 130. As an example, the UV irradiation area 130 may be inside a housing, with the sensor assembly 112 inside the housing and the sensor controller 114 outside the housing. The controller link 116 may establish communication between the sensor controller 114 and the UV process controller 120. The UV radiometer 110 may also include a reflector 118 configured to surround the sensor assembly 112 near the UV sensor element 202 ( Figure 2 ) of the UV light input port 119. The reflector 118 can reduce the amount of direct exposure of the UV sensor element 202 to the UV light 136 and support multiple positioning options because both the sensor assembly 112 and the reflector 118 can be repositioned within the UV illumination area 130. In applications where the intensity of the UV light 136 is below the upper exposure threshold of the UV sensor element 202, the reflector 118 can be omitted and the UV sensor element 202 can be positioned to directly receive the UV light 136. Further, in some embodiments, a filter or lens element can be positioned between the UV sensor element 202 and the UV light source 132. In some embodiments, the reflector 118 can be a fixed component that does not rotate relative to the UV light input port 119.

[0042] The UV treatment controller 120 may include a processing device 122, a storage device 124, an input / output interface 126, a user interface 128, and may also include a network interface 129. The UV treatment controller 120 may be a programmable logic controller and use a combination of off-the-shelf components and software and custom components and software. The processing device 122 may include a hardware device for executing software such as software stored in the storage device 124. The processing device 122 may be any custom or commercially available computer processor, central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), microcontroller, programmable gate array, auxiliary processor in several processors, semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chipset), macroprocessor, or any device generally used to execute instructions.

[0043] The storage device 124 may include any one or a combination of volatile storage elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.) and non-volatile storage elements (e.g., ROM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic tape, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), flash drive, magnetic disk, hard drive, floppy disk, cassette, cartridge, etc.). In addition, the storage device 124 may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and / or other types of storage media. Accordingly, the storage device 124 is an example of a tangible computer-readable storage medium on which instructions executable by the processing device 122 may be implemented as a computer program product. The storage device 124 may have a distributed architecture in which various components are remote from each other but can be accessed by one or more instances of the processing device 122.

[0044] The instructions in the storage device 124 may include one or more separate programs, each of which includes an ordered list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. Figure 1 In the example of , the instructions in the storage device 124 may include appropriate operating system (O / S) and program instructions. The O / S is primarily used to control the execution of programs and provide scheduling, input-output control, file and data management, memory management, and communication control and related services. When operating, the processing device 122 is configured to execute instructions stored in the storage device 124, transfer data to and from the storage device 124, and generally control the operation of the UV processing controller 120 according to the instructions.

[0045] The input / output interface 126 may include, for example, one or more buses or other wired or wireless connections, as known in the art. The input / output interface 126 may have additional elements (omitted for simplicity), such as controllers, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, filters, clocks, buffers (cache), drivers, repeaters, and receivers to enable communication. For example, a controller link 116, a source control link 133, and / or an actuator control link 135 may establish communication and / or power transfer between the input / output interface 126 and the sensor controller 114, the UV light source 132, and / or one or more actuation systems 134, respectively. The signal may be analog or digitally encoded, and may include clocks, power, grounding, etc. in a unidirectional or bidirectional path.

[0046] The user interface 128 may include a display screen and input elements, such as a touch screen, buttons, knobs, switches, keyboard, mouse, and / or other such user interface elements known in the art. Further, the user interface 128 may include audio and / or video capabilities.

[0047] The network interface 129 can establish a communication channel with one or more other computer systems via one or more network links. The network interface 129 can support wired and / or wireless communication protocols known in the art. For example, the network interface 129 can support data transmission with a remote computer system and / or a local computing device (such as a server, a laptop, a workstation, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), and / or other such computer devices known in the art). Further, the network interface 129 can support connection with multiple instances of the UV process controller 120 and / or other control systems as part of a large-scale manufacturing process.

[0048] Despite Figure 1 Although only a single instance of the UV radiometer 110 and the UV light source 132 is depicted in the example of FIG, it should be understood that the UV process controller 120 can interface with multiple instances of the UV radiometer 110 and / or the UV light source 132. Further, other interface elements such as routers, switches, drivers, and buffers can be placed between the UV process controller 120 and Figure 1 In addition, the components of UV system 100 may be combined or further subdivided in embodiments.

[0049] Figure 2 A block diagram of a UV radiometer 210 is depicted according to some embodiments. The UV radiometer 210 is Figure 1 UV radiometer 210 may include a sensor assembly 212 and a sensor controller 214. Sensor assembly 212 is Figure 1 An example of the sensor assembly 112, the sensor controller 214 is Figure 1 An example of a sensor controller 114. Figure 2 In the example of , the sensor assembly 212 includes a UV sensor element 202, a temperature sensing component 204, a signal filter 206, and an amplifier 208. The sensor assembly 212 can be divided into a plurality of sections. For example, the sensor assembly 212 can include a printed circuit board (PCB) having a UV sensor element 202 on a first side (e.g., top) of the PCB and an amplifier 208 on a second side (e.g., bottom) of the PCB. The temperature sensing component 204 can also be located on the first side of the PCB, and the signal filter 206 can be located on the second side of the PCB. Placing the amplifier 208 below the UV sensor element 202 can reduce signal noise and drift through a shorter physical connection. The signal filter 206 can filter out noise sources and attenuate out-of-band signals.

[0050] UV sensor element 202 may be selected as a highly tuned component that responds to UV light having a wavelength of about 200 nm to about 405 nm, while producing minimal output at other wavelengths. In an embodiment, UV sensor element 202 may have an analog output of about 0 to 400 mV. The output response of UV sensor element 202 may vary over a temperature range. See, for example, Figure 5 , the graph 500 shows that what is observed for the plurality of data sets 502, 504 in the test associated with the UV sensor element 202 is that the voltage output exhibits a substantially linear change with increasing temperature over the temperature range. In an embodiment, this temperature sensitive offset can be offset by thermal adjustment based on the temperature sensing component 204. As an example, the temperature sensing component 204 can be in a feedback configuration with the amplifier 208 to provide a temperature compensation gain to the compensated UV signal, such as Figure 4 4 , which shows that the UV sensor element 202 passes the sensed UV input to the amplifier 208 through the signal filter 206. The amplifier 208 can apply gain to the sensed UV input, and the temperature sensing component 204 can adapt to the temperature effect and pass the temperature-adjusted signal output generated by the amplifier 208 to the connection interface 402 to pass the compensated UV signal 209 to the Figure 2 The sensor controller 214 of FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a temperature sensing component 204. The temperature sensing component 204 can be selected to increase the gain as the temperature increases (e.g., a thermistor) to compensate for the decrease in the gain of the UV sensor element 202 as the temperature increases. As an example, the amplifier 208 and the temperature sensing component 204 can work together to provide a temperature adjusted gain of about 11. It should be understood that the example ranges and gains are provided for illustration purposes and that other ranges and gains may be supported in different embodiments.

[0051] Continue to refer Figure 2 , the sensor controller 214 may include a local power source 220 configured to receive Figure 1 The UV treatment controller 120 receives power 215 and provides isolated power 211 to the sensor assembly 212. The power 215 provided by the UV treatment controller 120 can be at a high voltage level, such as 12Vdc or 24Vdc, while the sensor assembly 212 can operate at a low voltage level (such as about 4.5Vdc to 5Vdc). The local power supply 220 can be a linear power supply that isolates the sensor assembly 212 from electromagnetic interference and voltage drops. The local power supply 220 can accept a wide range of input voltages, such as 6Vdc to 100Vdc, for local regulation.

[0052] The sensor controller 214 may also include a signal conditioning circuit 222. The signal conditioning circuit 222 is configured to receive the compensated UV signal 209 from the sensor assembly 212 and generate a conditioned and compensated UV signal 217. The signal conditioning circuit 222 may include a voltage spike suppressor. For example, the voltage spike suppressor may be configured to limit the range of the conditioned and compensated UV signal 217 to a maximum value of, for example, about 5.1 Vdc so that it is consistent with the UV signal. Figure 1 The input / output interface 126 can receive the conditioned and compensated UV signal 217 as an analog signal and perform analog-to-digital conversion to generate a UV signal. Figure 1 The processing device 122 performs processing.

[0053] The sensor controller 214 may also include a threshold voltage circuit 224 for establishing one or more reference voltages 225 for a signal level verification circuit 226. The signal level verification circuit 226 may compare the compensated UV signal 209 to the one or more reference voltages 225. The signal level verification circuit 226 may include one or more comparator circuits and / or other logic gates and functions. As an example, the one or more reference voltages 225 may include a lower voltage threshold and an upper voltage threshold. The lower voltage threshold may be, for example, between 10% and 30% of the maximum output of the compensated UV signal 209, such as about 20%. The upper voltage threshold may be, for example, between 70% and 90% of the maximum output of the compensated UV signal 209, such as about 80%. Other values ​​of the lower voltage threshold and the upper voltage threshold are contemplated. The combination of thresholds may be centered around about 50% of the maximum output of the compensated UV signal 209. When the compensated UV signal 209 is within range (i.e., between a lower voltage threshold and an upper voltage threshold), the in-range indicator 227 can be set to a voltage level of, for example, about 5 Vdc to illuminate a valid indication 228, which can be a light emitting diode (LED) and can provide an input to an amplifier 230. The amplifier 230 can have a gain of about 1 and act as a signal driver for the communication interface to pass an amplified version 231 of the in-range indicator 227 to the signal conditioner 232 and out of the sensor controller 214 as a UV signal validation indicator 233. The signal conditioner 232 can be a voltage spike suppressor to prevent voltages above about 5.1 Vdc from being driven into the Figure 1 The input / output interface 126 of the embodiment of the present invention. The voltage spike suppression provided by the signal conditioner 232 and the signal conditioning circuit 222 can also protect the sensor controller 214 from damage when a higher voltage input is inadvertently applied to the connector for the conditioned and compensated UV signal 217 and / or the UV signal verification indicator 233.

[0054] The power 215, the conditioned and compensated UV signal 217, and the UV signal verification indicator 233 may collectively form Figure 1 The compensated UV signal 209 and the isolated power supply 211 can together form a connector line of the controller link 116. Figure 1 In addition to the valid indication 228, the sensor controller 214 may also include other visual indicators (e.g., LEDs) for other status information (such as whether the sensor controller 214 is powered). Figure 1 In the case where the sensor assembly 212 is outside the UV irradiation area 130 and the sensor assembly 212 is located inside the UV irradiation area 130, it may be helpful to use a visual indicator on the sensor controller 214. The valid indication 228 may help confirm the placement and Figure 1 The reflector 118 is positioned relative to the UV light 136 to confirm that the UV sensor element 202 is positioned to detect the UV light emitted by Figure 1 The UV light source 132 emits UV light 136 while also remaining below the potential saturation limit of the UV sensor element 202 .

[0055] Figure 3 A block diagram of a UV radiometer 310 is depicted according to some embodiments. The UV radiometer 310 is Figure 1 UV radiometer 310 includes Figure 2 The sensor assembly 212 and the sensor controller 314. The sensor controller 314 is Figure 1 Another example of a sensor controller 114. As previously discussed with respect to Figure 2 As described in the example of FIG. 2 , the sensor assembly 212 includes a UV sensor element 202, a temperature sensing component 204, a signal filter 206, and an amplifier 208. The sensor assembly 212 receives an isolated power supply 211 from a sensor controller 314 and can output a compensated UV signal 209 to the sensor controller 314. Figure 3 In the example, Figure 2 Similar to the sensor controller 214, the sensor controller 314 may include a local power source 220 configured to receive a local power source from the sensor controller 214. Figure 1 The UV treatment controller 120 receives power 215 and provides isolated power 211 to the sensor assembly 212 .

[0056] The sensor controller 314 also includes a signal conditioning circuit 322 configured to receive the compensated UV signal 209 from the sensor assembly 212 and generate a conditioned and compensated UV signal 323 as an analog signal. The communication interface 324 of the sensor controller 314 may include an analog-to-digital converter 326 and a communication encoder / decoder 328 configured to communicate with the sensor assembly 212. Figure 1 The communication interface 324 can receive the conditioned and compensated UV signal 323 and determine a digital representation of the conditioned and compensated UV signal 323 using an analog-to-digital converter 326. The communication encoder / decoder 328 can output an encoded (e.g., serialized) version of the conditioned and compensated UV signal 323 as a communication output 329, which can be passed through a signal conditioner 330 and transmitted from the sensor controller 314 to the sensor controller 314 as a digitized, conditioned and compensated UV signal 331. Figure 1 The input / output interface 126 may also transmit an encoded (e.g., serialized) input stream 333 to the communication encoder / decoder 328. For example, the UV processing controller 120 may transmit configuration commands, self-test commands, and other such commands and data to the communication interface 324 via the encoded input stream 333. The power 215, the digitized, conditioned, and compensated UV signal 331, and the encoded input stream 333 may together form Figure 1 116 of the controller link 116. As an example, the signals on lines 331 and 333 can conform to a standardized communication format, such as a serial peripheral interface (SPI), RS-232, RS-422, RS-488, CAN bus, or other such formats. In some embodiments, a wireless link (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other such wireless communications) can be used instead of using physical lines for communication.

[0057] In embodiments, various packaging designs may be used, for example, depending on size and placement constraints. Figure 1 Components of the sensor assembly 112 (which may be used Figure 2 and Figure 3 sensor assembly 212), Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of sensor assembly 112 is depicted according to some embodiments. According to some embodiments, components of sensor assembly 112 are Figure 7608, and the top plate 610. The sensor assembly 112 may include a bottom plate 602 having a coupler 604. The coupler 604 may be in the form of a tube that passes through a sheath 606, a sensor circuit board 608, and a top plate 610. The hollow center of the tube shape of the coupler 604 may provide a mounting or alignment guide to help position and retain the sensor assembly 112 when it is fully assembled. For example, a lower portion 612 of the sheath 606 may include an alignment hole 613, and an upper portion 614 of the sheath 606 may include an alignment hole 615 to mate with the coupler 604. Similarly, the sensor circuit board 608 may include an alignment hole 616, and the top plate 610 may include an alignment hole 618 to mate with the coupler 604. The sheath 606 may be made of an elastomeric material to hold the sensor circuit board 608 in place and provide insulation for the sensor circuit board 608. The sheath 606 may prevent UV light 136 from entering the sensor assembly 112 at locations other than the UV light input port 119. Further, the jacket 606 can provide cable strain relief for the sensor link 115. The connector 620 of the jacket 606 can serve as a connection point through a hole 622 in a side wall 624 of the bottom plate 602. The upper portion 614 of the jacket 606 can include a UV light input port 119 that aligns with the UV sensor element 202 when assembled. The top plate 610 can include a recess 626 configured to fit around the UV light input port 119.

[0058] The reflector 118 can be attached or detached as needed. The reflector 118 is configured to rotate around the UV light input port 119 of the sensor assembly 112 near the UV sensor element 202. The reflector 118 may include a rotating base 630, a body 632, and a reflector head 634, wherein the body 632 extends from the rotating base 630 and the reflector head 634 protrudes from the body 632. As an example, the rotating base 630, the body 632, and the reflector head 634 are formed of a single material, such as stainless steel. The angle of the reflector head 634 relative to the upper surface of the top plate 610 can be about 45 degrees; however, the angle can be adjustable and can have other values. The rotating base 630 is configured to be coupled to the UV light input port 119 for rotational attachment. The rotating base 630 can allow the reflector 118 to rotate 360 ​​degrees and can be held in place by friction.

[0059] Figure 8 An example of a UV radiometer 710 is depicted that combines a sensor assembly 712 and a sensor controller 714 in a common housing 705 in accordance with some embodiments. The sensor assembly 712 may include Figure 2 Of the components of the sensor assembly 212, the sensor controller 714 may include Figure 2 and Figure 3A sensor link 715, with Figure 1 Similar to the sensor link 115 in FIG. 1 , communications can be established and power can be transferred between the sensor assembly 712 and the sensor controller 714. However, rather than using a harness of wires, the sensor link 715 can be implemented as a circuit board trace, a jumper, or a short point-to-point connection. The short-distance connection of the sensor link 715 within the common housing 705 may not require shielding that may otherwise be required when the sensor assembly 712 and the sensor controller 714 are in separate housings that are spaced apart. The sensor assembly 712 and the sensor controller 714 can be constructed on a shared circuit board or on two separate circuit boards that are physically adjacent to each other within the common housing 705. As an example, the common housing 705 can be approximately the size of a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick / thumb drive. The sensor controller 714 can communicate with the sensor assembly 712 via the controller link 716. Figure 1 The sensor controller 714 can communicate with the UV treatment controller 120. The controller link 716 can be a wired connection or a wireless connection. In some embodiments, such as when the controller link 716 is wireless, the sensor controller 714 can receive power from a source other than the UV treatment controller 120 (such as battery power or other such source).

[0060] Fig. 9 An example of a reflector 818 for a sensor assembly of a UV radiometer is depicted in accordance with some embodiments. The reflector 818 is Figure 1 An alternative embodiment of the reflector 118. Fig. 9 In the example of FIG. 8 , the reflector 818 includes a reflector body 832 and a reflector head 834. The reflector body 832 may be a tube, wherein the lower portion of the tube acts as a rotating base, similar to Figure 6 and Figure 7 Thus, the reflector body 832 can be attached to the rotating base 630. Figure 1 The UV light input port 119 of the embodiment of the present invention can be configured to allow the reflector head 834 to rotate 360 ​​degrees. The reflector head 834 can also be adjustable to change the angle of the reflector head 834 relative to the normal position.

[0061] Fig.10An example of a UV system 900 according to an embodiment is depicted. The UV system 900 includes a UV light source 932 configured to emit UV light 936 into a UV irradiation area 930. One or more workpieces 138 can be exposed to the UV light 936 in the UV irradiation area 930. The UV light source 932 can be mounted to a support structure 950, for example, using an adjustable coupling 952 that allows the UV light source 932 to be positioned at different orientations and at different distances relative to the one or more workpieces 138. The UV system 900 can also include a UV radiometer 910. The UV radiometer 910 can include a sensor controller (e.g., Figure 1 The sensor controller 114) and the sensor assembly 912. The mounting bracket 954 can be connected to the UV light source 932 and provide an attachment point for the sensor assembly 912. The sensor assembly 912 can include Figure 1 954; however, instead of a swivel mounted reflector 118, the reflector 918 can be attached to or integrally formed with the mounting bracket 954. Where the reflector 918 is integrally formed with the mounting bracket 954, the reflector 918 can be in a fixed position for more consistent long-term use compared to a separately movable component (e.g., the reflector 118). In some aspects, the mounting bracket 954 can be configured to slide up and down relative to the UV light source 932 to adjust the distance of the reflector 918 from the UV emission region 960 (in Fig.11 The reflector 918 can reflect a portion of the UV light 936 to the UV light input port 919 of the sensor assembly 912 (similar to Figure 1 The sensor link 915 can send signals to / from the sensor assembly 912, such as from / to a sensor controller (e.g., Figure 1 The UV system 900 can be combined with a workbench, a production line machine, or partially enclosed to reduce UV exposure to non-target locations. As a further configuration, the reflector 918 can be a separate component and does not need to be connected to the sensor assembly 912 or the UV light source 932.

[0062] Now go to Fig.12, depicts a process 1000 of a method for detecting UV light by a UV radiometer according to an embodiment. Process 1000 includes multiple steps that can be performed in the order depicted or in an alternative order, and refers to Figures 1 to 12 Additional steps may be added to process 1000, and steps may be combined or further subdivided. Process 1000 may be composed of Figures 1 to 3 as well as Figure 8 The process 1000 may be performed by the UV radiometer 110, 210, 310, 710 or other such variants. Fig.10 For the purpose of explanation, the process 1000 is mainly described with reference to the UV radiometer 210.

[0063] At block 1002, UV light 136 is received as sensed UV input at UV sensor element 202 of sensor assembly 212 of UV radiometer 210. Power for sensor assembly 212 may be provided to sensor assembly 212 from sensor controller 214, and power may be received at sensor controller 214 from UV process controller 120.

[0064] At block 1004, the sensed UV input is thermally adjusted to compensate for the temperature of the UV sensor element 202 and produce a compensated UV signal 209. The thermal adjustment may be performed using a temperature sensing component 204. A temperature compensation gain may be provided to the compensated UV signal 209 based on the temperature sensing component 204 in a feedback configuration with the amplifier 208 of the sensor assembly 212.

[0065] At block 1006, the compensated UV signal 209 is output to the sensor controller 214 of the UV radiometer 210. A comparison may be performed to detect whether the compensated UV signal 209 is above a lower threshold level and below an upper threshold level. A UV signal verification indicator 233 may be output based on the result of the comparison.

[0066] At block 1008, the compensated UV signal 209 is signal conditioned at the sensor controller 214 to produce a conditioned and compensated UV signal 217. The signal conditioning may include voltage spike suppression.

[0067] At block 1010, the conditioned and compensated UV signal 217 is transmitted from the sensor controller 214 to the UV treatment controller 120. In some embodiments, the conditioned and compensated UV signal 217 is transmitted as an analog signal. In other embodiments, such as the sensor controller 314, the analog-to-digital conversion is performed by the analog-to-digital converter 326 of the sensor controller 314, and the communication encoder / decoder 328 of the sensor controller 314 can be used to communicate with the UV treatment controller 120, for example, as a digitized, conditioned and compensated UV signal 331.

[0068] In the context of the UV system 100, the UV process controller 120 can be configured to control exposure of one or more workpieces 138 in the UV irradiation area 130 to UV light 136 emitted by the UV light source 132 based on the conditioned and compensated UV signal received from the UV radiometer 110. The UV radiometer 110 can include a reflector 118 configured to rotate around a UV light input port 119 of the sensor assembly 112 near the UV sensor element 202, and the reflector 118 can be adjustable to direct a portion of the UV light 136 emitted from the UV light source 132 into the UV light input port 119. The UV light 136 can be captured when directed by the reflector 118 to the UV light input port 119 to the UV sensor element 202. In other embodiments, the reflector 918 can be mounted in a fixed position and can be integrated with a mounting bracket 954 for positioning the sensor assembly 912 relative to the UV light source 932.

[0069] It should be understood that aspects of the present invention may be implemented as a system, method, or computer program product, and may take the form of a hardware embodiment, a software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or a combination thereof. In addition, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable media having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

[0070] One or more computer readable media can be utilized. Computer readable media can include computer readable signal media or computer readable storage media. Computer readable storage media can include, for example, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer readable storage media include the following: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In one aspect, a computer readable storage medium can include a tangible medium that contains or stores a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, a device and / or an apparatus.

[0071] Computer readable signal media may include a propagated data signal embedded with computer readable program code, for example, in baseband form or as part of a carrier wave. Such propagated signals may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Computer readable signal media may include any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can transmit, propagate and / or transfer a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device and / or apparatus.

[0072] The computer readable medium may include a program code implemented thereon, which may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, fiber optic cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In addition, the computer program code for performing the operations of implementing the various aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​(such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, etc.) and conventional procedural programming languages ​​(such as "C" programming language or similar programming languages). The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as an independent software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server.

[0073] It should be understood that various aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each frame or step of the flowchart and / or block diagram and the combination of frames or steps in the flowchart and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that instructions executed via a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more frames of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0074] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to function in a particular manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0075] In addition, some embodiments described herein are associated with "indication". As used herein, the term "indication" can be used to refer to any mark and / or indication or information associated with a subject, project, entity and / or other object and / or concept. As used herein, the phrases "indication of information ..." and "mark" can be used to refer to any information that represents, describes and / or is otherwise associated with a related entity, subject or object. The mark of the information may include, for example, a code, a reference, a link, a signal, an identifier, and / or any combination thereof and / or any other information representation associated with the information. In some embodiments, the mark of the information (or indication information) may be or include the information itself and / or any part or component of the information. In some embodiments, the indication may include a request, solicitation, broadcast, and / or any other form of information collection and / or dissemination.

[0076] Many embodiments are described in this patent application and are presented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not and are not intended to be restrictive in any sense. It is apparent from this disclosure that the invention currently disclosed is widely applicable to many embodiments. It should be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed invention can be practiced through various modifications and changes, such as structural, logical, software, and electrical modifications. Although the specific features of the disclosed invention can be described with reference to one or more specific embodiments and / or drawings, it should be understood that, unless otherwise expressly stated, such features are not limited to use in the one or more specific embodiments or drawings referenced.

[0077] Devices that communicate with each other need not communicate with each other continuously unless otherwise explicitly stated. Instead, such devices need only transmit to each other when necessary or desired, and may in fact avoid exchanging data most of the time. For example, a machine that communicates with another machine via a network may not transmit data to the other machine for weeks. In addition, devices that communicate with each other may communicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

[0078] The description of an embodiment having several components or features does not imply that all or even any such components and / or features are required. Rather, a wide variety of optional components are described to illustrate the numerous possible embodiments of the present invention. Unless otherwise expressly stated, no component and / or feature is essential or required.

[0079] Further, although process steps, algorithms, etc. may be described in order, such processes may be configured to work in different orders. In other words, any order or sequence of steps that may be explicitly described does not necessarily indicate a requirement to perform the steps in that order. The process steps described herein may be performed in any practicable order. Further, although described or implied as non-simultaneous (e.g., because one step is described after another step), some steps may be performed simultaneously. In addition, illustrating a process by depicting in the accompanying drawings does not mean that the illustrated process excludes other variations and modifications thereto, does not mean that the illustrated process or any of its steps is essential to the present invention, and does not mean that the illustrated process is preferred.

[0080]

[0063] Something can be "determined" in a variety of ways, and thus the term "determining" (and similar terms) includes calculating, computing, deriving, looking up (eg, looking up in a table, database or data structure), ascertaining, and the like.

[0081] It is apparent that the various methods and algorithms described herein can be implemented by, for example, appropriately and / or specially programmed computers and / or computing devices. Typically, a processor (e.g., one or more microprocessors) will receive instructions from a memory or similar device, and execute those instructions, thereby executing one or more processes defined by these instructions. Further, various media (e.g., computer-readable media) can be used to store and transmit programs implementing such methods and algorithms in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, hard-wired circuits or custom hardware can be used to replace software instructions, or combined with software instructions, to implement the processes of various embodiments. Therefore, the embodiments are not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0082] A "processor" generally refers to any one or more microprocessors, CPU devices, computing devices, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or similar devices, as further described herein.

[0083] The term "computer-readable medium" refers to any medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions or other information) that can be read by a computer, processor, or similar device. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other permanent memories. Volatile media include DRAM, which usually constitutes the main memory. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wires, and optical fibers, including wires that constitute the system bus connected to the processor. Transmission media may include or transmit sound waves, light waves, and electromagnetic emissions, such as those generated during RF and IR data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, floppy disks, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, any other magnetic media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, any other optical media, punch cards, paper tapes, any other physical media with hole patterns, RAMs, PROMs, EPROMs, FLASH-EEPROMs, any other memory chips or cassettes, carrier waves, or any other medium that can be read by a computer.

[0084] The term "computer-readable memory" may generally refer to a subset and / or class of computer-readable media that does not include transmission media, such as waveforms, carrier waves, electromagnetic emissions, etc. Computer-readable memory may typically include physical media that store data (e.g., instructions or other information), such as optical or magnetic disks and other permanent memory, DRAM, floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, magnetic tapes, any other magnetic media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, any other optical media, punch cards, paper tapes, any other physical media with patterns of holes, RAM, PROMs, EPROMs, FLASH-EEPROMs, any other memory chips or cartridges, computer hard drives, backup tapes, Universal Serial Bus (USB) storage devices, etc.

[0085] Various forms of computer-readable media may be involved in transmitting data (including instruction sequences) to a processor. For example, the instruction sequence (i) may be transferred from a RAM to a processor, (ii) may be transmitted via a wireless transmission medium, and / or (iii) may be formatted according to any number of formats, standards, or protocols, such as Bluetooth. TM , TDMA, CDMA, 3G.

[0086] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that when used in this specification, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components and / or groups thereof.

Claims

1. An ultraviolet (UV) radiometer, comprising: A sensor assembly, the sensor assembly comprising: UV sensor element; and a temperature sensing component configured to thermally adjust a sensed UV input from the UV sensor element to produce a compensated UV signal; and A sensor controller, the sensor controller comprising: a signal conditioning circuit configured to receive the compensated UV signal from the sensor assembly and generate a conditioned and compensated UV signal; and A communication interface is configured to transmit the conditioned and compensated UV signal to a UV processing controller.

2. The UV radiometer of claim 1, wherein: The sensor assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having the UV sensor element on a first side of the PCB, an amplifier on a second side of the PCB, and wherein the temperature sensing component is in a feedback configuration with the amplifier to provide a temperature compensation gain to the compensated UV signal.

3. The UV radiometer of claim 1, wherein: The sensor controller includes a signal level verification circuit configured to: performing a comparison to detect whether the compensated UV signal is above a lower threshold level and below an upper threshold level; as well as A UV signal verification indicator is output based on the result of the comparison.

4. The UV radiometer of claim 1, wherein: The sensor controller includes a local power supply configured to receive power from the UV process controller and provide isolated power to the sensor assembly.

5. The UV radiometer of claim 1, wherein: The signal conditioning circuit includes a voltage spike suppressor.

6. The UV radiometer of claim 1, wherein: The communication interface includes an analog-to-digital converter and a communication encoder / decoder configured to communicate with the UV treatment controller.

7. The UV radiometer of claim 1, further comprising: A reflector is configured to reflect a portion of the emitted UV light toward a UV light input port of the sensor assembly proximate to the UV sensor element.

8. An ultraviolet (UV) system comprising: UV light source; a UV treatment controller configured to control the UV light source; as well as A UV radiometer, the UV radiometer is connected to the UV processing controller interface, the UV radiometer comprising: A sensor assembly, the sensor assembly comprising: UV sensor element; and a temperature sensing component configured to thermally adjust a sensed UV input from the UV sensor element to produce a compensated UV signal; and A sensor controller, the sensor controller comprising: a signal conditioning circuit configured to receive the compensated UV signal from the sensor assembly and generate a conditioned and compensated UV signal; and A communication interface is configured to transmit the conditioned and compensated UV signal to the UV treatment controller.

9. The UV system of claim 8, wherein: The sensor assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having the UV sensor element and an amplifier thereon, and wherein the temperature sensing component is in a feedback configuration with the amplifier to provide a temperature compensation gain to the compensated UV signal.

10. The UV system of claim 8, wherein: The sensor controller includes a signal level verification circuit configured to: performing a comparison to detect whether the compensated UV signal is above a lower threshold level and below an upper threshold level; as well as A UV signal verification indicator is output based on the result of the comparison.

11. The UV system of claim 8, wherein: The sensor controller includes a local power supply configured to receive power from the UV process controller and provide isolated power to the sensor assembly.

12. The UV system of claim 8, further comprising: A UV irradiation zone, wherein the UV process controller is configured to control exposure of one or more workpieces in the UV irradiation zone to UV light emitted by the UV light source based on the conditioned and compensated UV signal received from the UV radiometer.

13. The UV system of claim 8, wherein: The UV radiometer includes a reflector configured to rotate about a UV light input port of the sensor assembly proximate the UV sensor element and the reflector is adjustable to direct a portion of UV light emitted from the UV light source into the UV light input port.

14. A method for detecting ultraviolet (UV) light by a UV radiometer, the method comprising: receiving UV light as sensed UV input at a sensor element of a sensor assembly of the UV radiometer; thermally adjusting the sensed UV input to compensate for the temperature of the sensor element and generate a compensated UV signal; outputting the compensated UV signal to a sensor controller of the UV radiometer; performing signal conditioning on the compensated UV signal at the sensor controller to produce a conditioned and compensated UV signal; as well as The conditioned and compensated UV signal is transmitted from the sensor controller to a UV processing controller.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein: The sensor assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having the UV sensor element on a first side of the PCB, an amplifier on a second side of the PCB, and the method further includes: A temperature compensation gain is provided to the compensated UV signal based on a temperature sensing component in a feedback configuration with the amplifier.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: performing a comparison to detect whether the compensated UV signal is above a lower threshold level and below an upper threshold level; as well as A UV signal verification indicator is output based on the result of the comparison.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising: receiving power at the sensor controller from the UV treatment controller; as well as An isolated power supply is provided from the sensor controller to the sensor assembly.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising: performing analog-to-digital conversion at the sensor controller; as well as The communication encoder / decoder of the sensor controller is used to communicate with the UV treatment controller.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising: UV light directed by the reflector to the sensor assembly at a UV light input port proximate to the UV sensor element is captured.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising: Exposure of one or more workpieces to UV light emitted by a UV light source in a UV irradiation zone is controlled by the UV process controller based on the conditioned and compensated UV signal received from the UV radiometer.

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