Method and apparatus for collecting data for detecting and locating disturbances
First Claim
1. A method for detecting a physical disturbance in a space, the method comprising:
- providing a sensing device having an inertial guidance system;
moving the device through the space and obtaining therewith a plurality of sets of position data representing positions of the device determined by the inertial guidance system and sensed data representing a physical characteristic of the space at said positions;
identifying, within the space, distinct regions thereof;
quantizing, for each of said regions, the positions therein, where at least one of said regions has associated therewith at least two of said positions;
combining, for each of said regions, the sensed data associated with the quantized positions therein; and
providing results data representing at least the presence or absence of the disturbance, the results data being based, at least in part, on the result of said step of combining.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for collecting data for detecting and locating disturbances. A plurality of distinct regions of the space are identified, and, preferably, a hand-held device adapted for sensing positions of the device and respective representations of a field parameter at the positions is used. The positions are quantized within the regions and the corresponding representations within a region are combined. Separate scans are used to obtain baseline and detection scan results corresponding to the regions. The baseline and detection scan results are compared within a region, and the results of the comparison are used to produce scan results from which can be discerned whether a disturbance has occurred within the region. A triangulation is performed for determining the location of the disturbance, preferably using combinations of indeterminate sets of the scan results.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A method for detecting a physical disturbance in a space, the method comprising:
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providing a sensing device having an inertial guidance system; moving the device through the space and obtaining therewith a plurality of sets of position data representing positions of the device determined by the inertial guidance system and sensed data representing a physical characteristic of the space at said positions; identifying, within the space, distinct regions thereof; quantizing, for each of said regions, the positions therein, where at least one of said regions has associated therewith at least two of said positions; combining, for each of said regions, the sensed data associated with the quantized positions therein; and providing results data representing at least the presence or absence of the disturbance, the results data being based, at least in part, on the result of said step of combining. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for detecting a physical disturbance in a space, the method comprising:
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moving a sensing device through the space in a first pass and obtaining therewith first sets of first position data representing first positions of the device and first sensed data representing a first physical characteristic of the space at said first positions in a baseline condition of the space so as to define baseline scan results; moving said device through space in a second pass distinct from said first pass to obtain second sets of position data representing second positions of the device and second sensed data representing a second physical characteristic of the space at said second positions in a potentially disturbed condition of the space so as to define test scan results; identifying, within the space, distinct regions thereof; quantizing, for each of said regions, the positions therein, where at least one of said regions has associated therewith at least two of said positions; combining, for each of said regions having associated baseline scan results, the baseline scan results associated with the quantized positions therein, defining combined, quantized baseline scan results; combining, for each of said regions having associated test scan results, the test scan results associated with the quantized positions therein, defining combined, quantized test scan results; forming respective data of the difference between the combined, quantized test scan results and the combined, quantized baseline scan results, defining ultimate data associated with said regions; and providing results data representative of at least the presence or absence of the disturbance, the results data being based at least in part on evaluating whether the ultimate data corresponding to at least one said regions exceeds a threshold. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for detecting a physical disturbance in a space, the method comprising:
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moving a sensing device through the space in a first pass and obtaining therewith first sets of first position data representing first positions of the device and first sensed data representing a first physical characteristic of the space at said first positions in a baseline condition of the space so as to define baseline scan results; moving said device through space in a second pass distinct from said first pass to obtain second sets of position data representing second positions of the device and second sensed data representing a second physical characteristic of the space at said second positions in a potentially disturbed condition of the space so as to define test scan results; identifying, within the space, distinct regions thereof; quantizing, for each of said regions, the positions therein; combining, for each of said regions having associated baseline scan results, the baseline scan results associated with the quantized positions therein, defining combined, quantized baseline scan results; combining, for each of said regions having associated test scan results, the test scan results associated with the quantized positions therein, defining combined, quantized test scan results; forming respective data of the difference between the combined, quantized test scan results and the combined, quantized baseline scan results, defining ultimate data associated with said regions; and providing results data representative of at least the presence or absence of the disturbance, the results data being based at least in part on evaluating whether the ultimate data corresponding to at least one said regions exceeds a threshold. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A method for detecting a physical disturbance in a space, the method comprising:
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providing a sensing device having an inertial guidance system; moving the device through the space and obtaining therewith a plurality of sets of position data representing positions of the device determined by the inertial guidance system and sensed data representing a physical characteristic of the space at said positions; identifying, within the space, distinct regions thereof; quantizing, for each of said regions, the positions therein, where at least one of said regions has associated therewith at least two of said positions; combining, for each of said regions, the sensed data associated with the quantized positions therein; and providing results data representing at least the presence or absence of the disturbance, the results data being based, at least in part, on the result of said step of combining, wherein said step of combining includes averaging, for each of said regions, the sensed data associated with the quantized positions therein.
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Specification