System and method for monitoring atmospheric pollution

• US 10,006,895 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R.D. Centro Ricerche Ducati Trento S.r.l.
• Original Assignee: C.R.D. Centro Ricerche Ducati Trento S.r.l.
• Inventors: Zanfei, Adriano, Marzadro, Christian, Miorando, Ernesto
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lam
• Application Number:
  US14/429,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 73 232, 73 2331, 7311469, 7311471
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/13 Bicycles; Tricycles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/021 Correlating sampling sites with geographical information, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0006 Calibrating gas analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system for monitoring atmospheric pollution, includes a mobile appliance fitted on a vehicle and a remote processing unit, the mobile appliance including a location unit for detecting geographic coordinates of the vehicle, an atmospheric sensor for detecting an atmospheric pollution value, a transmission unit for transmitting the geographic coordinates and the atmospheric pollution value, the remote processing unit including a receiving unit for receiving the geographic coordinates and the atmospheric pollution value, a processing unit for processing the geographic coordinates and the atmospheric pollution value for monitoring the atmospheric pollution inside a geographic area. The system further includes: a verification sensor; comparison elements between the atmospheric pollution value and a reference pollution value detected by the verification sensor, substantially in correspondence to the same geographic coordinates; signalling elements operatively associated with the comparison elements for signalling the need for a calibration of the atmospheric sensor of the mobile appliance.

Claims

1. System (1) for monitoring atmospheric pollution, comprising at least a mobile appliance (2) fitted on a vehicle (V) and at least a remote processing unit (3), wherein said mobile appliance (2) comprises:

at least a location unit (6) suitable for detecting geographic coordinates (G) of said vehicle (V);

at least an atmospheric sensor (7) suitable for detecting at least an atmospheric pollution value (I);

at least a transmission unit (8) suitable for transmitting said geographic coordinates (G) and said atmospheric pollution value (I);

and wherein said remote processing unit (3) comprises;

at least a receiving unit (10) suitable for receiving said geographic coordinates (G) and said atmospheric pollution value (I);

at least a processing unit (11) suitable for processing said geographic coordinates (G) and said atmospheric pollution value (I) for monitoring the atmospheric pollution inside at least one geographic area;

wherein said system (1) comprises;

at least a verification sensor (7, 13);

comparison means (16) between said atmospheric pollution value (I) and at least a reference pollution value (I_r) detected by said verification sensor (7, 13), substantially in correspondence to the same geographic coordinates (G);

signalling means (17) operatively associated with said comparison means (16) and suitable for signalling the need for a calibration of said atmospheric sensor (7) of the mobile appliance (2), if said atmospheric pollution value (I) substantially differs from said reference pollution value (I_r),

wherein said system (1) comprises at least an automatic calibration unit (20) operatively connectable to said mobile appliance (2) and suitable for automatically calibrating at least an adjusting parameter (R) of said atmospheric sensor (7) of the mobile appliance (2), so that said atmospheric pollution value (I) detected by the atmospheric sensor (7) substantially corresponds to said reference pollution value (I_r) detected by the verification sensor (7, 13), and wherein;

said mobile appliance (2) is fitted onto an electric vehicle (V),

said system (1) comprises at least a recharging column (4) with electric recharging means (5) of said electric vehicle (V) and said automatic calibration unit (20) is associated with said recharging column (4) and is suitable for automatically calibrating said atmospheric sensor (7) when said electric vehicle (V) is connected to said electric recharging means (5).

2. System (1) according to claim 1, wherein said system (1) comprises at least a fixed appliance (12) fitted in correspondence to predetermined geographic coordinates (G) and having said verification sensor (13).

3. System (1) according to claim 1, wherein said system (1) comprises a plurality of said mobile appliances (2) fitted on different vehicles (V) and by the fact that said at least one verification sensor (7) is made up of at least an atmospheric sensor (7) of said mobile appliances (2).

4. System (1) according to claim 3, wherein said system (1) comprises a plurality of verification sensors (7) made up of said atmospheric sensors of respective mobile appliances (2), and by the fact that said comparison means (16) comprise determination means of said reference pollution value (Ir), determined as the median of the pollution values detected by said verification sensors (7), substantially in correspondence to the same geographic coordinates (G) and to at least a predefined time instant.

5. System (1) according to claim 1, wherein said comparison means (16) comprise calculation means (18) of at least an offset value (0), calculated as the difference between said atmospheric pollution value (I) and said reference pollution value (I_r), substantially in correspondence to the same geographic coordinates (G) and to at least a predefined time instant.

6. System (1) according to claim 5, wherein said comparison means (16) comprise comparing means (19) of said offset value (0) with at least a predefined threshold value (T), said signalling means (17) being suitable for signalling the need for a calibration of said atmospheric sensor (7) if the module of said offset value (0) is bigger than said threshold value (T).

7. System (1) according to claim 5, wherein said system (1) comprises storage means (23, 24) of said conversion coefficient (R).

8. System (1) according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting parameter (R) comprises at least a conversion coefficient (R) suitable for obtaining said atmospheric pollution value (I) starting from at least an output electric signal (V_out) of said atmospheric sensor (7).

9. System (1) according to claim 8, wherein said system (1) comprises storage means (23, 24) of said offset value (0).

10. System (1) according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting parameter (R) comprises at least a variable electric physical quantity of at least one of the electronic components of said atmospheric sensor (7).

11. Method for monitoring the atmospheric pollution, comprising the following steps:

fitting at least one atmospheric sensor (7) onto at least a vehicle (V);

detecting the geographic coordinates (G) of said vehicle (V);

detecting the atmospheric pollution value (I) by means of said atmospheric sensor (7);

processing said geographic coordinates (G) and said atmospheric pollution value (I) for monitoring the atmospheric pollution inside at least one geographic area;

wherein said method comprises the following steps;

comparing the detected atmospheric pollution value (I) with at least a reference pollution value (I_r) detected by at least a verification sensor (7, 13), substantially in correspondence to the same geographic coordinates (G);

if said pollution value substantially differs from said reference pollution value (I_r), then signalling the need for a calibration of said atmospheric sensor (7),

wherein, following said step of signalling, said method comprises the step of automatically calibrating at least an adjusting parameter (R) of said atmospheric sensor (7), and

wherein;

said vehicle (V) is an electric vehicle (V),

said method comprises the step of fitting at least a recharging column (4) with electric recharging means (5) of said electric vehicle (V) and

said step of automatically calibrating the atmospheric sensor (7) is performed when said electric vehicle (V) is connected to said electric recharging means (5).

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein said method comprises fitting at least a fixed appliance (12) with said verification sensor (13) in correspondence to predetermined geographic coordinates (G).

13. Method according to claim 11, wherein said method comprises fitting a plurality of said atmospheric sensors (7) onto different vehicles (V) and by the fact that at least one verification sensor (7) is made up of at least one of said atmospheric sensors (7).

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein said step of comparing comprises at least a step of determining said reference pollution value (I_r) as the median of the atmospheric pollution values (I) detected by said verification sensors (7), substantially in correspondence to the same geographic coordinates (G) and in correspondence to at least a predefined time instant.

15. Method according to claim 11, wherein said step of comparing comprises calculating at least an offset value (O) as the difference between said atmospheric pollution value (I) and said reference pollution value (I_r) in correspondence to at least a predefined time instant.

16. Method according to claim 15, wherein said step of comparing comprises comparing said offset value (0) with at least a predefined threshold value (T) and by the fact that said step of signalling the need for a calibration of said atmospheric sensor (7) is performed if the module of said offset value (0) is bigger than said threshold value (T).

17. Method according to claim 11, wherein said adjusting parameter (R) comprises at least a conversion coefficient (R) suitable for obtaining said pollution value starting from at least an output electric signal (V_out) of said atmospheric sensor (7).

18. Method according to claim 11, wherein said adjusting parameter (R) comprises at least a variable electric physical quantity of at least one of the electronic components of said atmospheric sensor (7).