Signal handling and processing
First Claim
1. An event monitoring system, the events being neutrons, the event monitoring system comprising:
- a plurality of detector units, at least one of the detector units comprising a detector for the events to be monitored and an amplifier to amplify signals generated by the detector;
a signal handler, the signal handler receiving the amplified signals from the detectors, an adder to add to the signals an indication of the detector unit from which the signals originated and a combiner to combine the signals after the addition of the indication;
a serial link for conveying the combined signals from the signal handler to a signal processor; and
a signal processor, the signal processor including a signal receiver for the combined signals which include the indication of the detector unit, a time stamper for applying to the signal an indication of time of the generation of the signal by the detector unit, and a computer for processing the signals using software to produce information on the signals or events they represent, the processing of the signals using the time and detector unit indications possessed by those signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An event monitoring system has a plurality of detector units for detecting neutrons or other emissions from radioactive materials (i.e., events). At least one of the detector units has a detector for the events and an amplifier to amplify signals generated by the detector. A signal handler receives the amplified signals and an adder adds to the signals an indication of the detector unit from which the signals originated. A combiner combines the signals. A serial link conveys the combined signals from the signal handler to a signal processor which includes a signal receiver for the combined signals. A time stamper applies to the signal an indication of time of the generation of the signal by the detector unit, and a computer processes the signals, including the time and detector unit indications, using software to produce information on the signals or events they represent.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An event monitoring system, the events being neutrons, the event monitoring system comprising:
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a plurality of detector units, at least one of the detector units comprising a detector for the events to be monitored and an amplifier to amplify signals generated by the detector;
a signal handler, the signal handler receiving the amplified signals from the detectors, an adder to add to the signals an indication of the detector unit from which the signals originated and a combiner to combine the signals after the addition of the indication;
a serial link for conveying the combined signals from the signal handler to a signal processor; and
a signal processor, the signal processor including a signal receiver for the combined signals which include the indication of the detector unit, a time stamper for applying to the signal an indication of time of the generation of the signal by the detector unit, and a computer for processing the signals using software to produce information on the signals or events they represent, the processing of the signals using the time and detector unit indications possessed by those signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An event monitoring system in which the events arise as a result of an emission by a radioactive material, the event monitoring system comprising:
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a plurality of detector units for the events, each detector unit generating an output signal in response to an event detected by that detector;
a signal handler which receives as signal inputs, the signal outputs of the detector units and generates signal handler signal outputs; and
a signal processor which receives as signal inputs the signal outputs of the signal handler, the signal processor processing the signals and generating an output indicative of the characteristic of the events being monitored;
wherein the signal handler includes an indication adder to add to the signal outputs of the detector units an indication of the detector unit from which the signal output originated, the combined signal forming the signal handler signal output. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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12. A method of monitoring events in which an event arises as a result of an emission by a radioactive material, the method comprising providing a plurality of detector units in detecting range of the events, each detector unit generating an output signal in response to an event detected by that detector unit;
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feeding the signal outputs of the detector units as signal inputs to signal handler, the signal handler generating signal outputs; and
feeding the signal outputs of the signal handler as signal inputs to a signal processor, the signal processor processing the signals and generating an output indicative of a characteristic of the events being monitored;
wherein the signal handler adds to the signal outputs of the detectors a signal component indicative of the detector from which the signal arose, the detector signals being combined, the combined signal forming the signal handler signal output.
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21. A radiation event monitoring system, the radiation event monitoring system comprising:
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a plurality of detector units, at least one of the detector units comprising a detector for the events to be monitored and an amplifier to amplify signals generated by the detector, the amplifier being provided within 50 cm of the detector;
a link for conveying the amplified signals to the signal handler, the link being at least 25 meters long;
a signal handler, the signal handler receiving the amplified signals from the detectors, the signal handler including an adder to add to the signals an indication of the detector unit from which the signals originated, a combiner to combine the signals after the addition of the indication and a discriminator for determining which parts of the amplified signals correspond to genuine signals and which parts of the received signals correspond to noise or interference;
a serial link for conveying the combined signals from the signal handler to a signal processor, the serial link being at least 50 meters long; and
a signal processor, the signal processor including a signal receiver for the combined signals which include the indication of the detector unit and a computer for processing the signals using software to produce information on the signals or the events they represent, the processing of the signals using the detector unit indications possessed by those signals.
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Specification