CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND NUCLEAR WEAPON DETECTION SYSTEM COMPRISING ARRAY OF SPATIALLY-DISPARATE SENSORS

• US 20060187018A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Maurer, Scott M., Derksen, Mark J., Kofler, Kevin J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,084,753 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 31/00 Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data

Abstract

A chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons detection system is disclosed that comprises an array of spatially-disparate hazardous material sensors that all feed into a centralized system control center. This enables the embodiment to receive and coordinate in one place all of the hazardous material sensors spread over a wide area, and, therefore, enables an alarm to be quickly issued in the event of a real attack. The illustrative embodiment also incorporates a mechanism to reduce the probability that a false alarm will be issued. In particular, the illustrative embodiment requires that at least 2 stations report an alarm for the same hazardous material within an interval of time. This prevents a false alarm from one hazardous material detection station from issuing a false system-wide alarm. This is based on the assumption that a real attack is more likely to be detected by stations that are near each other than by stations that have no proximity.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations, wherein each of said K hazardous material detection stations issues a first alarm when the amount of a first hazardous material reaches a first threshold; and

a first system-wide alarm that is triggered when N of M of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues said first alarm;

wherein N, M, and K are positive integers and 1<

N≦

M≦

K.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first system-wide alarm is triggered when first P of Q of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues said first alarm and then when N of M of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues said first alarm;

wherein P and Q are positive integers, 1<

P≦

Q, Q<

M, and said Q neighboring hazardous material detection stations are a proper subset of said M neighboring hazardous material detection stations.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said K hazardous material detection stations issues a second alarm when the amount of a second hazardous material reaches a second threshold;

and further comprising;

a second system-wide alarm that is triggered when R of S of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues a second alarm;

wherein R and S are positive integers, R≦

S≦

K, and R≠

N.

4. A method comprising:

receiving a first alarm status from K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations; and

triggering a first system-wide alarm when N of M of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues said first alarm;

wherein N, M, and K are positive integers and 1<

N≦

M≦

K.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said first system-wide alarm is triggered when first P of Q of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues a first alarm and then when N of M of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues a first alarm;

wherein P and Q are positive integers, 1<

P≦

Q, Q<

M, and said Q neighboring hazardous material detection stations are a proper subset of said M neighboring hazardous material detection stations.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving a second alarm status from said K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations; and

triggering a second system-wide alarm when R of S of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues a second alarm;

wherein R and S are positive integers, R≦

S≦

K, and R≠

N.

7. A system comprising:

K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations, wherein each of said K hazardous material detection stations issues a first alarm when the amount of a first hazardous material reaches a first threshold; and

a first system-wide alarm that is triggered when A % neighboring hazardous material detection stations within B meters issues said first alarm;

wherein K is a positive integer, wherein A and B are positive real numbers, wherein 0%≦

A %≦

100%, and wherein at least one of A and B change based on an environmental factor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said first system-wide alarm is triggered when first C % of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations within D meters issues said first alarm and then when A % of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations within B meters issues said first alarm;

wherein D is a positive real number, and C is a positive real number, and 0%<

C %<

100%.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein each of said K hazardous material detection stations issues a second alarm when the amount of a second hazardous material reaches a second threshold;

and further comprising;

a second system-wide alarm that is triggered when E % of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations within F meters issues a second alarm;

wherein F is a positive real number, and E is a positive real number, and 0%<

E %≦

100%.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a first alarm status from K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations; and

triggering a first system-wide alarm when A % of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations within B meters issues said first alarm;

wherein K is a positive integer, B is a positive real number, and A is a positive real number, and 0%<

A %≦

100%.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said first system-wide alarm is triggered when first C % of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations within D meters issues said first alarm and then when A % of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations within B meters issues said first alarm;

wherein D is a positive real number, and C is a positive real number, and 0%<

C %≦

100%.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein each of said K hazardous material detection stations issues a second alarm when the amount of a second hazardous material reaches a second threshold;

and further comprising;

triggering a second system-wide alarm when E % of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations within F meters issues a second alarm;

wherein F is a positive real number, and E is a positive real number, and 0%<

E %≦

100%.

13. A system comprising:

K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations, wherein each of said K hazardous material detection stations issues a first alarm when the amount of a first hazardous material reaches a first threshold;

a wind direction sensor for measuring the direction of wind in the vicinity of said K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations; and

a first system-wide alarm that is triggered when N of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues said first alarm in the same order as the direction of said wind;

wherein N and K are positive integers and 1<

N≦

K.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said first system-wide alarm is triggered when first P of Q of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues said first alarm and then when N of M of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues said first alarm;

wherein P and Q are positive integers, 1<

P≦

Q, Q<

M, and said Q neighboring hazardous material detection stations are a proper subset of said M neighboring hazardous material detection stations.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein each of said K hazardous material detection stations issues a second alarm when the amount of a second hazardous material reaches a second threshold;

and further comprising;

a second system-wide alarm that is triggered when R of S of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues a second alarm;

wherein R and S are positive integers, R≦

S≦

K, and R≠

N.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a first alarm status from K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations;

measuring the direction of wind in the vicinity of said K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations; and

triggering a first system-wide alarm when N of M of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues said first alarm;

wherein N, M, and K are positive integers and 1<

N≦

M≦

K.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said first system-wide alarm is triggered when first P of Q of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues a first alarm and then when N of M of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues a first alarm;

wherein P and Q are positive integers, 1<

P≦

Q, Q<

M, and said Q neighboring hazardous material detection stations are a proper subset of said M neighboring hazardous material detection stations.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a second alarm status from said K spatially-disparate hazardous material detection stations; and

triggering a second system-wide alarm when R of S of said neighboring hazardous material detection stations issues a second alarm;

wherein R and S are positive integers, R≦

S≦

K, and R≠

N.