Calibration of an optical detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11650152-B2
Application number	US-201917059944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2019
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	May 16, 2023
Grant date	May 16, 2023

Abstract

A method of calibrating an optical detector includes affixing a calibration material to a first surface of the optical detector and calibrating one or more parameters of the optical detector using the calibration material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of calibrating an optical detector comprising:
affixing a calibration material to a first surface of the optical detector; and
calibrating one or more parameters of the optical detector using the calibration material, wherein calibrating one or more parameters of the optical detector further comprises:
emitting a light from at least one light source of the optical detector;
receiving scattered light from the calibration material at one or more of light sensing devices;
determining an obscuration based on the scattered light;
comparing the obscuration with one or more predetermined thresholds; and
adjusting at least one parameter of the optical detector if the obscuration is outside of the one or more predetermined thresholds.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the calibration material from the optical detector if the determined obscuration is within the one or more predetermined thresholds.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein affixing a calibration material to a first surface of the optical detector includes adhering the calibration material to the optical detector such that the calibration material is in direct contact with the first surface of the optical detector.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the calibration material is adhered to the optical detector with an adhesive material, and an optical path of the optical detector is free of the adhesive material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein affixing a calibration material to a first surface of the optical detector includes positioning the calibration material within at least one sensing volume of the optical detector.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method of calibrating the optical detector occurs at any time prior to operation of the optical detector.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the calibration material from the optical detector once the one or more parameters have been successfully calibrated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters of the optical detector include operation of at least one of a light source and a light sensing device.

9. A calibration system comprising:
an optical detector having a first mounting surface and a second sensing surface; and
a calibration material affixed to the second surface of the optical detector, wherein the calibration material has a known obscuration and includes a substrate; and
an anti-reflective coating is applied to a surface of the substrate disposed between the substrate and the optical detector.

10. The calibration system of claim 9 , wherein the known obscuration is representative of aerosolized particulates.

11. The calibration system of claim 9 , wherein the calibration material is a film adhered to the second surface of the optical detector.

12. The calibration system of claim 9 , wherein one or more particles are provided at an exterior surface of the substrate.

13. The calibration system of claim 9 , wherein one or more particles are distributed through the substrate.

14. The calibration system of claim 9 , wherein an exterior surface of the substrate is processed to achieve the known obscuration.

15. The calibration system of claim 14 , wherein an absorptive layer is applied to the exterior surface of the substrate.

16. The calibration system of claim 9 , wherein the optical detector includes at least one sensing volume, and the calibration material extends through the at least one sensing volume.

17. A method of calibrating an optical detector comprising:
affixing a calibration material to a first surface of the optical detector, wherein affixing the calibration material to the first surface of the optical detector further comprises adhering the calibration material to the optical detector such that the calibration material is in direct contact with the first surface of the optical detector; and
calibrating one or more parameters of the optical detector using the calibration material.

18. A calibration system comprising:
an optical detector having a first mounting surface and a second sensing surface; and
a calibration material affixed to the second surface of the optical detector, wherein the calibration material has a known obscuration and includes a substrate; and
an absorptive layer is applied to the exterior surface of the substrate, wherein an exterior surface of the substrate is processed to achieve a known obscuration.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Guler Urcan
• Lincoln David L
• Piech Marcin

Classifications

• G01N2201/127

  Calibration; base line adjustment; drift compensation · CPC title

• G01N21/53 Primary

  within a flowing fluid, e.g. smoke · CPC title

• G08B29/22

  Provisions facilitating manual calibration, e.g. input or output provisions for testing; Holding of intermittent values to permit measurement · CPC title

• G08B17/107

  for detecting light-scattering due to smoke · CPC title

• G01N21/274 Primary

  Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction · CPC title