Apparatuses and methods for detecting the production of methamphetamine

• US 20120315705A1
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marc Lynn Allyn
• Original Assignee: Marc Lynn Allyn
• Inventors: Allyn, Marc Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 9,366,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/159
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/16 caused by burning or catalytic oxidation of surrounding material to be tested, e.g. of gas
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0057 Warfare agents or explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/007 Arrangements to check the analyser calibrating gas analysers G01N33/0006
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/227 Explosives, e.g. combustive properties thereof

Abstract

A system for detecting a gas released during production of methamphetamine in a residential building includes a sensor. The sensor is attached to a part of the residential building. The sensor outputs a signal in response to detection of a concentration of the gas up to a lower explosive limit of the gas. The system includes a communication link. The communication link receives a signal from the sensor and is configured to produce an output in response to the signal.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a gas released during production of methamphetamine in a residential building, comprising:

a sensor, the sensor is attached to a part of the residential building, the sensor outputs a signal in response to detection of a concentration of the gas; and

a communication link, the communication link receives a signal from the sensor and is configured to produce an output in response to the signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the part of the residential building is not in plain sight from an interior space of the residential building.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the part of the residential building is selected from the group consisting of inside of a heating and or ventilating duct, an attic space, a basement space, a stove exhaust duct, a bathroom exhaust duct, and a vent.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the residential building is selected from the group consisting of a house, an apartment, a motel room, a hotel room, a trailer, and a storage locker.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a combustible gas detector.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor is a catalytic sensor.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor, the second sensor detects a concentration of the gas at any volume percentage of the gas.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an externally mounted sensor, the externally mounted second sensor is mounted outside of the residential building and detects a concentration of the gas below a lower explosive limit of the gas.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication link triggers facilitates message transmission by telephone.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication link facilitates message transmission by radio frequency communication.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication link facilitates message transmission by general packet radio service.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication link facilitates message transmission by connection through the Internet.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication link provides a connection to a data acquisition system that stores information related to the concentration of the gas.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the gas is at least one of phosphine, ammonia, hydrocarbon, oxygen, or carbon monoxide.

16. A system for detecting a gas released during production of methamphetamine in a residential building, comprising:

a sensor, the sensor is configured to be attached to a part of the residential building, the sensor outputs a signal in response to detection of a concentration of the gas; and

a communication link, the communication link is configured to receive the signal and to produce an output in response to the signal.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a system controller, the system controller is in electrical communication with the communication link, the system controller permits a parameter to be set, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a calibration value, and a threshold value.

18. A method for detecting combustible gas released during production of methamphetamine in a residential building, comprising;

attaching a sensor to a part of a residential building, the sensor measures concentrations of combustible gases;

measuring a concentration of combustible gas with the sensor; and

reporting a condition based on the measuring.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the condition is a concentration of the gas.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the condition is a detection of a specific concentration of the gas.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the combustible gas is at least one of phosphine, ammonia, hydrocarbon, oxygen, or carbon monoxide.

22. A method for detecting the production of methamphetamine in a residential building, comprising:

measuring a concentration of a gas with a combustible gas sensor, the combustible gas sensor is mounted within the residential building;

comparing the concentration, from the measuring, against a threshold level; and

identifying methamphetamine production when the concentration meets or exceeds the threshold level for a predefined time.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the predefined time is approximately 30 minutes.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the predefined time is greater than 10 minutes.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the threshold level is a concentration within the lower explosive limit for the gas.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a first data processing device;

a network connection, the network connection facilitates receipt of data by the first data processing device; and

a computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions, which when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising;

measuring a concentration of a gas with a combustible gas sensor, the combustible gas sensor is mounted within the residential building;

comparing the concentration, from the measuring, against a threshold level; and

identifying methamphetamine production when the concentration meets or exceeds the threshold level for a predefined time.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

a sensor, the sensor outputs a signal in response to detection of a concentration of the gas up to a lower explosive limit of the gas.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

a sensor, the sensor outputs a signal in response to detection of a concentration of a combustible gas at any volume percentage.

29. A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions, which when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

measuring a concentration of a gas with a combustible gas sensor, the combustible gas sensor is mounted within the residential building;

comparing the concentration, from the measuring, against a threshold level; and

identifying methamphetamine production when the concentration meets or exceeds the threshold level for a predefined time.