Retrofittable Sensor Unit for Diverse Applications

A versatile sensor unit for controlling dosing devices in various industries, including water treatment, agriculture, food processing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The original patent disclosed a retrofittable sensor unit for controlling dosing devices in cleaning machines. However, the limitations of this technology were confined to a single industry. The new inventive concept addresses the need for a more adaptable and flexible sensor unit that can be applied to diverse industries, solving the problem of limited applicability.

The retrofittable sensor unit consists of an acquisition module, a communication unit, and an energy conversion system. The acquisition module includes a viscosity sensor, a turbidity sensor, and a plurality of optical sensors for capturing images. The communication unit transmits dosing commands to a dosing device based on the determined condition of the substance being monitored. The energy conversion system includes a dynamo for generating electrical energy. The new inventive concept expands the applicability of this technology to various industries, including monitoring water quality in swimming pools, optimizing crop yields in precision agriculture, controlling the consistency of food products, monitoring wastewater quality, and ensuring pharmaceutical product quality.

The new inventive concept's novelty lies in its adaptability to diverse industries, which is non-obvious compared to the original patent's limited application to cleaning machines. The inventive step is the recognition of the potential for this technology to be applied to a wide range of industries, requiring minimal modifications to the sensor unit's components.

Alternative embodiments of the inventive concept could include variations in the acquisition module's sensor configuration, different communication protocols, and alternative energy conversion systems. These variations would enable the retrofittable sensor unit to be tailored to specific industry requirements, ensuring broad conceptual coverage.

The retrofittable sensor unit has significant commercial potential in various industries, including water treatment, agriculture, food processing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The target market includes companies operating in these industries, as well as manufacturers of dosing devices and equipment.