UV radiation meter using visible light sensors
First Claim
1. A method for quantifying irradiance comprising:
- sensing irradiance within a first radiation band;
filtering irradiance within a first radiation band, where the filtering is a function of irradiance within a second radiation band;
sensing the filtered irradiance;
calculating irradiance within the second radiation band by combining the sensed irradiance to the sensed filtered irradiance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for quantifying irradiance has a first sensor having an output for providing a reference signal of irradiance within a first band, such as the visible light band. A filter and a second sensor are in optical series so that irradiance sensed at the second sensor is filtered. The second sensor outputs a filtered signal of irradiance within the first band. The filter particularly filters irradiance in the first band as a function of irradiance in the second band, such as the UV light band. In an exemplary embodiment, the filter is made from a material that darkens with increasing UV irradiance. A processor has inputs coupled to the outputs of the first and second sensors for determining irradiance in the second band from the reference signal and the filtered signal. Mathematical formulations for the processor are provided, as are methods and a computer program embodied on a medium. A single sensor embodiment is also described.
79 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for quantifying irradiance comprising:
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sensing irradiance within a first radiation band;
filtering irradiance within a first radiation band, where the filtering is a function of irradiance within a second radiation band;
sensing the filtered irradiance;
calculating irradiance within the second radiation band by combining the sensed irradiance to the sensed filtered irradiance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus comprising:
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a first sensor having an output for providing a reference signal of irradiance within a first radiation band;
a filter and a second sensor in optical series, the second sensor having an output for providing a filtered signal of irradiance within the first radiation band, where the filter operates to filter irradiance in the first radiation band as a function of irradiance in the second radiation band; and
a processor having inputs coupled to the outputs of the first and second sensors for determining irradiance in the second radiation band from the reference signal and the filtered signal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus comprising:
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means for measuring irradiance in a first radiation band;
means for filtering irradiance in the first radiation band as a function of irradiance in a second radiation band; and
means for resolving irradiance in the second band by comparing measured irradiance in the first band with and without the means for filtering. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A program of machine-readable instructions, tangibly embodied on an information bearing medium and executable by a digital data processor, to perform actions directed toward quantifying irradiance in a first radiation band, the actions comprising:
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receiving a reference signal and a filtered signal of irradiance within a second radiation band;
accessing an information bearing medium to obtain at least a value directly related to gain by which the reference signal is transformed from irradiance in the first radiation band;
using the gain, the reference signal, and the filtered signal, determining a value of irradiance in a first radiation band. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. An apparatus comprising:
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a sensor having an output for providing a reference signal of irradiance within a first radiation band;
a filter, movable relative to the sensor to be in or out of optical series therewith, for causing the sensor to output a filtered signal of irradiance within a second radiation band as a function of irradiance in the first radiation band when in optical series with the sensor;
a computer readable storage medium for storing at least one of the reference signal and the filtered signal; and
a processor, having inputs coupled to the output of the sensor and to an output of the storage medium, for determining irradiance in the second radiation band from the reference signal and the filtered signal.
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Specification