REMOTE CHEMICAL DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20160123941A1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bowers, Jeffrey A., Chan, Alistair K., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US14/530,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20160123941A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0009 General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment G01N1/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for detecting the release of a chemical substance includes a release device configured to release a chemical substance into a surrounding environment based on receipt of a control signal; a signaling device configured to transmit the control signal to the release device; and a sensor device configured to detect the chemical substance in the surrounding environment based on an analysis of the surrounding environment.

Claims

1. A system for selective release of a chemical substance as a signal, comprising:

a release device configured to release a chemical substance into a surrounding environment based on receipt of a control signal;

a trigger device configured to transmit the control signal to the release device; and

a sensor device configured to detect the chemical substance in the surrounding environment.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the release device includes a chamber defining an interior configured to store the chemical substance and a closure member configured to seal the interior from the surrounding environment.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the closure member is configured to open to release the chemical substance from the interior based on receipt of the control signal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the closure member is configured to enable multiple releases of the chemical substance at different times.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the closure member includes a thermally-responsive member configured to open based on receipt of the control signal.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the closure member includes a valve.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the valve is a magnetostrictive valve.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the closure member includes at least one of a thermally degradable encapsulant and a chemically degradable encapsulant.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the chamber includes a plurality of sub-chambers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of sub-chambers is configured to store a different one of a plurality of different chemical substances.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein less than all of the plurality of sub-chambers release different chemical substances to the surrounding environment based on receipt of the control signal.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the control signal includes at least one of an ultrasonic signal, an optical signal, an acoustic wave, and a magnetic field signal.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the control signal is encoded to provide an indication of at least one of a timing of release, an identification of the chemical to release, and an amount of the chemical to release.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the control signal is encoded by way of at least one of signal frequency, signal duration, and signal modulation.

2-4. -4. (canceled)

12-14. -14. (canceled)

18-21. -21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

26-83. -83. (canceled)

84. A system for identifying items, comprising:

a release device configured for attachment to an item and to release a chemical substance into a surrounding environment based on receipt of a control signal;

a trigger device configured to transmit the control signal to the release device;

a sensor device configured to sense the presence of the chemical substance in the surrounding environment and acquire substance data regarding the presence of the chemical substance in the surrounding environment; and

a processing circuit configured to identify the item based on the substance data.

87. The system of claim 84, wherein the release device includes a chamber defining an interior configured to store the chemical substance, and a closure member configured to seal the interior from the surrounding environment.

88. The system of claim 87, wherein the closure member is configured to open to release the chemical substance from the interior based on receipt of the control signal.

89. The system of claim 88, wherein the closure member is configured to enable multiple releases of the chemical substance at different times.

90. The system of claim 88, wherein the closure member includes a thermally-responsive member configured to open in response to the control signal.

91. The system of claim 88, wherein the closure member includes a valve.

97. The system of claim 87, wherein the chamber includes a plurality of sub-chambers.

98. The system of claim 97, wherein each sub-chamber is configured to store a different one of a plurality of different chemical substances.

99. The system of claim 98, wherein less than all of the plurality of sub-chambers release the different chemical substances to the surrounding environment based on receipt of the control signal.

104. The system of claim 84, wherein the control signal includes at least one of an ultrasonic signal, an optical signal, an acoustic wave, and a magnetic field signal.

106. The system of claim 104, wherein the control signal is encoded to provide an indication of at least one of a timing of release, an identification of the chemical to release, and an amount of the chemical to release.

107. The system of claim 106, wherein the control signal is encoded by way of at least one of signal frequency, signal duration, and signal modulation.

308. The system of claim 84, wherein the chemical substance is a gaseous substance.

309. The system of claim 308, wherein the sensor device is configured to sample the surrounding environment to detect the presence of the gaseous substance.

310. The system of claim 84, wherein the closure member includes at least one of a thermally degradable substance and a chemically degradable substance.

311. The system of claim 84, wherein the control signal is a wireless control signal including electromagnetic waves.

312. The system of claim 84, wherein the sensor device is configured to be positioned proximate the release device and detect the presence of the chemical substance in a remote environment.

313. The system of claim 84, wherein the sensor is configured to be positioned remote from the release device and detect the chemical substance in a local environment.

314. The system of claim 84, wherein the sensor is configured to be positioned remote from the release device and detect the chemical substance in a remote environment.

85-86. -86. (canceled)

92-96. -96. (canceled)

100-103. -103. (canceled)

105. (canceled)

108-307. -307. (canceled)