Patent ID: 7263875

Claim:
A moisture detection system comprising: a moisture detector including a first electrical conductor disposed on a surface of a first substrate and having a resonant frequency that varies as a function of an amount of moisture present adjacent the first electrical conductor, an electrically conductive layer disposed on the surface of a second substrate, and a spacing layer disposed between the first and second substrates for maintaining at least portions of the first electrical conductor and the electrically conductive layer in spaced relation; an oscillator which outputs an oscillator signal at a predetermined frequency; a resonator circuit coupled to the first electrical conductor and responsive to the oscillator signal for outputting a resonator signal having an amplitude related to the resonant frequency of the first electrical conductor and the predetermined frequency; a filter circuit responsive to the resonator signal for outputting a rectified and filtered signal; an analog-to-digital converter responsive to the rectified and filtered signal for outputting a digital signal related to the rectified and filtered signal; and a controller responsive to the digital signal for causing another system to operate in accordance with the digital signal.