Portable auxiliary detection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11830339-B2
Application number	US-201917053886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2019
Priority date	May 11, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A detection system includes a host detection system that has at least one primary hazard detector and a controller connected for communication with the at least one primary hazard detector. At least one portable auxiliary hazard detector can be temporarily introduced in a vicinity of the host detection system and link with the controller of the host detection system to provide additional detection capability. The portable auxiliary hazard detector has at least one light source that can emit a light beam, and at least one photosensor that is operable to emit sensor signals responsive to interaction of the light beam with an analyte.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A detection system comprising:
a host detection system including at least one primary hazard detector and a controller connected for communication with the at least one primary hazard detector;
at least one portable auxiliary hazard detector that can be temporarily introduced in a vicinity of the host detection system and link with the controller of the host detection system to provide additional detection capability, the at least one portable auxiliary hazard detector having at least one light source, each said light source, when operated, emitting a light beam, and at least one photosensor operable to emit sensor signals responsive to interaction of the light beam with an analyte; and
a surface plasmon sensor operable to emit second sensor signals responsive to interaction of the light beam with the surface plasmon sensor, the surface plasmon sensor including a prism.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a beam splitter operable to split the light beam into first and second secondary light beams, the first secondary light beam being directed at the prism and the second secondary light beam being directed external to the at least one portable auxiliary hazard detector.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source includes an ultraviolet light source and a visible light source.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a wireless transmitter operable to transmit the sensor signals to the controller.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a universal serial bus (USB) connector and a circuit board connected with the USB connector, wherein the at least one light source and the at least one photosensor are mounted on the circuit board.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the surface plasmon sensor is mounted on the circuit board.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a waterproof casing enclosing the at least one light source and the at least one photosensor.

8. A detector comprising:
a portable auxiliary hazard detector that can be temporarily introduced in a vicinity of a host detection system and link with a controller of the host detection system to provide additional detection capability, the portable auxiliary hazard detector having at least one light source, each said light source, when operated, emitting a light beam, at least one photosensor operable to emit sensor signals responsive to interaction of the light beam with an analyte, and a surface plasmon sensor operable to emit second sensor signals responsive to interaction of the light beam with the surface plasmon sensor, the surface plasmon sensor including a prism.

9. The detector as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a beam splitter operable to split the light beam into first and second secondary light beams, the first secondary light beam being directed at the prism and the second secondary light beam being directed external to the at least one portable auxiliary hazard detector.

10. The detector as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a universal serial bus (USB) connector and a circuit board connected with the USB connector, wherein the at least one light source, the at least one photosensor, and the surface plasmon sensor are mounted on the circuit board.

11. The detector as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one light source includes an ultraviolet light source and a visible light source.

12. The detector as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a wireless transmitter operable to transmit the sensor signals to the controller.

13. The detector as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a waterproof casing enclosing the at least one light source and the at least one photosensor.

14. A detector comprising:
a universal serial bus (USB) connector;
a circuit board connected with the USB connector;
at least one light source mounted on the circuit board, each said light source, when operated, emitting a light beam;
at least one photosensor mounted on the circuit board, each said photosensor operable to emit sensor signals responsive to interaction of the light beam with an analyte; and
a surface plasmon sensor mounted on the circuit board and operable to emit second sensor signals responsive to interaction of the light beam with the surface plasmon sensor, the surface plasmon sensor including a prism.

15. The detector as recited in claim 14 , further comprising a beam splitter operable to split the light beam into first and second secondary light beams, the first secondary light beam being directed at the prism and the second secondary light beam being directed external to the at least one portable auxiliary hazard detector.

16. The detector as recited in claim 14 , wherein the at least one light source includes an ultraviolet light source and a visible light source, and further comprising a wireless transmitter mounted on the circuit board and operable to transmit the sensor signals to the controller.

17. The detector as recited in claim 16 , further comprising a waterproof casing enclosing the at least one light source and the at least one photosensor.

18. A method comprising:
introducing a plurality of portable auxiliary hazard detector into a region and linking the portable auxiliary hazard detectors with a controller to provide detection capability in the region, each said portable auxiliary hazard detector having at least one light source, each said light source, when operated, emitting a light beam, and at least one photosensor operable to emit sensor signals responsive to interaction of the light beam with an analyte;
determining whether a target species is present in the analyte based the sensor signals; and
determining a chemical identity of the target species from a spectrum using the sensor signals of one of the detectors, and verifying the chemical identity by comparing the spectrum to another spectrum from the sensor signals of another of the detectors.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the determining whether the target species is present in the analyte is based on an aggregate of the sensor signals from at least two of the portable auxiliary hazard detectors.

20. The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising determining whether the target species is moving or spreading based on the sensor signals.

21. The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising changing operation of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in the region based upon a determination that the target species is present.

22. The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising determining whether there is a trend of increasing concentrations of the target species across two or more of the detectors, and triggering an alarm is there is the trend.

23. The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising determining a mean value and variability of a concentration of the target species across the detectors based on an aggregate distribution of the sensor signals, and triggering an alarm if both the mean value and the variability increase.

24. The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising increasing a sampling rate in one of the portable auxiliary hazard detectors based on a determination from another of the portable auxiliary hazard detectors that the target species is present.

25. The method as recited in claim 24 , including increasing the sampling rate only in one or more of

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Lincoln David L
• Piech Marcin
• Birnkrant Michael J

Classifications

• G08B21/12 Primary

  responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms · CPC title

• G08B17/107 Primary

  for detecting light-scattering due to smoke · CPC title

• G08B29/188

  Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors · CPC title

• G08B25/10

  using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G08B25/14

  Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements · CPC title