Patent ID: 8829924

Claim:
A method for extending the measurement range of a microwave cavity sensor to determine a parameter measurement value, said method comprising: a. transmitting a first interrogation signal at a first frequency, to a microwave cavity sensor having a first resonant frequency; b. measuring the strength of the signal re-radiated by said microwave cavity sensor attributable to said first interrogation signal; c. transmitting a second interrogation signal to said microwave cavity sensor, at a second frequency; d. measuring the strength of the signal re-radiated by said microwave cavity sensor attributable to said second interrogation signal; e. repeating steps (c) and (d) until a selected band of frequencies has been sampled for said microwave cavity sensor; f. analyzing the set of re-radiated signal strength measurements to determine the interrogation frequency at which the re-radiated signal strength is at its maximum; g. establishing a new resonant frequency of said microwave cavity sensor at the interrogation frequency at which the re-radiated signal strength is maximized; and h. comparing the new resonant frequency to said first resonant frequency, in order to determine a microwave cavity sensor parameter measurement value.