SENSOR INTERFACE SYSTEM

• US 20110015886A1
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMR Resources, LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovative Americantechnology Incorporated
• Inventors: FRANK, DAVID L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,183,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/75
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 3/08 with semiconductor detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/26 Passive interrogation, i.e. by measuring radiation emitted by objects or goods
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/271 using a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like

Abstract

A sensor interface system interfaces a collection of one or more sensors that can sense chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) materials. The system includes one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces for communicating with one or more sensors including: chemical sensors, biological sensors, radiation sensors, nuclear sensors, and explosives sensors. A processor is configured to receive and process signals from the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces, and when the one or more sensors include a radiation sensor and/or nuclear sensor, the processor differentiates between gamma pulses and neutron pulses, by: receiving a signal from an output of a neutron detector; analyzing a pulse shape of the signal; differentiating the pulse shape between gamma pulses and neutron pulses; and determining that the pulse shape of the signal is one of a gamma pulse and a neutron pulse.

Claims

1. A sensor interface system for interfacing with a collection of one or more sensors that can sense chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) materials, the sensor interface system comprising:

one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces for coupling with one or more sensors comprising;

chemical sensors, biological sensors, radiation sensors, nuclear sensors, and explosives sensors;

a processor, communicatively coupled with the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces, configured for receiving and processing signals from the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces, and when the one or more sensors include a radiation sensor and/or nuclear sensor, the processor further configured for differentiating between gamma pulses and neutron pulses, by;

receiving a signal from an output of a neutron detector;

analyzing a pulse shape of the signal;

differentiating the pulse shape between gamma pulses and neutron pulses; and

determining that the pulse shape of the signal is one of a gamma pulse and a neutron pulse.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage power supply module, coupled with the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces, for supporting one or more sensors connected to the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces, respectively, and with software controls to adjust the power for calibration of the one or more sensors;

a software control interface, coupled with each one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces and with the processor, to couple software controls to the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces to adjust for calibration of sensors coupled with the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a digital data collection system, communicatively coupled with the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces, for collection of sensor data from the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a multi-channel analyzer system, communicatively coupled with the digital data collection system, for preparing histograms of the collected sensor data;

a spectral analysis system, communicatively coupled with the multi-channel analyzer system and the digital data collection system, for receiving and analyzing the collected sensor data to detect radiation and to identify one or more targeted materials associated with the sensor data;

a first data storage means for storing data representing chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) material spectra for use by the spectral analysis system, where one or more spectral images stored in the first data storage unit represent each CBRNE material the first data storage means being communicatively coupled with the spectral analysis system;

an information processing system, communicatively coupled with the spectral analysis system, for analyzing the identified one or more targeted CBRNE materials and to determine the possible materials or goods that they represent; and

a second data storage means for storing data representing a manifest relating to a container or object under examination, the second data storage means being communicatively coupled with the information processing system, the information processing system further for comparing the determined possible materials or goods with a manifest relating to a container or object under examination to determine if there are unauthorized materials or goods contained within the container, or in the object, under examination.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one analog signal to digital data converter for converting signals from analog sensors that are coupled with the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces, to digital data.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an individual TCP/IP address associated with each of the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor uses a reference signal associated with the one or more radiation sensors to adjust the received radiation data from the one or more radiation sensors to obtain proper calibration of the received radiation data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor uses a reference temperature signal associated with the one or more radiation sensors to adjust the received radiation data from the one or more radiation sensors to obtain proper calibration of the received radiation data.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communications device, communicatively coupled with the processor, for coupling digital data representing signals from one or more sensors coupled with the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces, to a communications port or network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor data to be communicated to the communications port or network is configured to address a wide variety of data communications ports or networks.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an individual TCP/IP address associated with each of the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces.