Remote fire detection method and implementation thereof
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for detecting a fire, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable radial scanning antenna, said rotatable radial scanning antenna defining a rotatable plane of radial scanning;
a turntable mechanically connected to said rotatable radial scanning antenna, said turntable defining a vertical axis of angular scanning that is coincident said rotatable plane of radial scanning; and
wherein said rotatable radial scanning antenna includes a spinning drum that defines an axis of radial scanning that is coincident said rotatable plane of radial scanning such that said axis of radial scanning and said axis of angular scanning define an angle of elevation within said rotatable plane of radial scanning.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for thermal imagining are described. An apparatus includes a rotatable radial scanning antenna. The systems and methods provide advantages in that fires can be detected, and their positions determined, over substantial distances and through obscurants such as smoke and/or rain.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting a fire, the apparatus comprising:
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a rotatable radial scanning antenna, said rotatable radial scanning antenna defining a rotatable plane of radial scanning; a turntable mechanically connected to said rotatable radial scanning antenna, said turntable defining a vertical axis of angular scanning that is coincident said rotatable plane of radial scanning; and wherein said rotatable radial scanning antenna includes a spinning drum that defines an axis of radial scanning that is coincident said rotatable plane of radial scanning such that said axis of radial scanning and said axis of angular scanning define an angle of elevation within said rotatable plane of radial scanning. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for detecting a fire, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a radial scanning antenna; and
thenreceiving a signal having a wavelength within the millimeter wavelength (MMW) range through said radial scanning antenna; radially scanning said radial scanning antenna by rotating at least a portion of the scanning antenna about an axis of radial scanning; and angularly scanning said radial scanning antenna by rotating the radial scanning antenna about a vertical axis of angular scanning. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of detecting a fire in a predetermined area, the method comprising the steps of:
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radially scanning the area with a MMW scanning device, said radially scanning step comprising rotating at least a portion of the scanning device about a radial scanning axis; angularly scanning the area with the scanning device to scan a perimeter of the area, said angularly scanning step comprising rotating the scanning device about an angular scanning axis; stopping said angularly scanning step when the scanning device detects the fire at a general location; focusing an optical sensor on the general location in response to said stopping step; and using the optical sensor to (1) confirm the presence of the fire, and (2) if the fire is present, determine a particular location of the fire, wherein the particular location is disposed within the general location. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification