Airborne deployed radio frequency identification sensing system to detect an analyte
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An airborne passive radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:
- an unmanned air vehicle;
at least one RFID canister separable from said unmanned air vehicle;
a parachute for controlling a descent of a separated RFID canister;
a plurality of RFID sensors contained within said separated RFID canister;
a scattering mechanism contained within said separated RFID canister to scatter said plurality of RFID sensors over an area to be monitored resulting in an RFID monitored area;
a transceiver contained within said unmanned air vehicle for sequencing an interrogation signal and a response signal wherein said interrogation signal and said response signal are in communication with said plurality of RFID sensors;
an interrogation response processor contained within said unmanned air vehicle for processing said interrogation signal and said response signal;
a telemetry system partially contained within said unmanned air vehicle for communicating an output of said interrogation response processor to a receiving station;
a computer in communication with said receiving station wherein said computer processes said output of said interrogation response processor as transmitted by said telemetry system and received by said receiving station;
a shell to protect an RFID sensor compartment containing said plurality of RFID sensors and to protect a deployment system compartment containing said scattering mechanism wherein said RFID compartment and said deployment system compartment communicate using a two way valve;
an opening in said shell wherein said opening is an access for passing a firing pin lanyard;
said opening operating as a pressure equalization port wherein said pressure equalization port equalizes an air pressure within said deployment system compartment with an external air pressure; and
a parachute anchor point connected to said shell for anchoring said parachute.
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Abstract
The invention generally relates to an airborne deployed passive radio frequency identification system and a method to identify an analyte and then to communicate a result of the analyte identification to a receiving station for an analysis and generation of a set of recommended actions. The invention will enhance the situational awareness and preparedness of forward deployed combat troops or security forces by assessing the presence of benign substances or hazardous substances as they advance and enter an area.
19 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An airborne passive radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:
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an unmanned air vehicle; at least one RFID canister separable from said unmanned air vehicle; a parachute for controlling a descent of a separated RFID canister; a plurality of RFID sensors contained within said separated RFID canister; a scattering mechanism contained within said separated RFID canister to scatter said plurality of RFID sensors over an area to be monitored resulting in an RFID monitored area; a transceiver contained within said unmanned air vehicle for sequencing an interrogation signal and a response signal wherein said interrogation signal and said response signal are in communication with said plurality of RFID sensors; an interrogation response processor contained within said unmanned air vehicle for processing said interrogation signal and said response signal; a telemetry system partially contained within said unmanned air vehicle for communicating an output of said interrogation response processor to a receiving station; a computer in communication with said receiving station wherein said computer processes said output of said interrogation response processor as transmitted by said telemetry system and received by said receiving station; a shell to protect an RFID sensor compartment containing said plurality of RFID sensors and to protect a deployment system compartment containing said scattering mechanism wherein said RFID compartment and said deployment system compartment communicate using a two way valve; an opening in said shell wherein said opening is an access for passing a firing pin lanyard; said opening operating as a pressure equalization port wherein said pressure equalization port equalizes an air pressure within said deployment system compartment with an external air pressure; and a parachute anchor point connected to said shell for anchoring said parachute. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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2. An airborne passive radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:
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an unmanned air vehicle; at least one RFID canister separable from said unmanned air vehicle; a parachute for controlling a descent of a separated RFID canister; a plurality of RFID sensors contained within said separated RFID canister; a scattering mechanism contained within said separated RFID canister to scatter said plurality of RFID sensors over an area to be monitored resulting in an RFID monitored area; a transceiver contained within said unmanned air vehicle for sequencing an interrogation signal and a response signal wherein said interrogation signal and said response signal are in communication with said plurality of RFID sensors; an interrogation response processor contained within said unmanned air vehicle for processing said interrogation signal and said response signal; a telemetry system partially contained within said unmanned air vehicle for communicating an output of said interrogation response processor to a receiving station; a computer in communication with said receiving station wherein said computer processes said output of said interrogation response processor as transmitted by said telemetry system and received by said receiving station; a firing pin; a spring kept in a state of compression by said firing pin; a firing pin lanyard for removing said firing pin, said firing pin lanyard having a first end connected to said firing pin, said firing pin lanyard having a second end connected to said parachute wherein a deployment of said parachute removes said firing pin resulting in a decompression of said spring; a piezoelectric switch which is activated in response to said decompression of said spring wherein activating said piezoelectric switch connects a battery supply to a collector lead of a transistor and connects said battery supply to an input of a voltage regulator; an altitude sensor for sensing an altitude for said separated RFID canister, said altitude sensor having a power input port connected to an output voltage port of said voltage regulator, said altitude sensor having an altitude data output port wherein said altitude data output port communicates an altitude measurement; a microcontroller for processing said altitude measurement, said microcontroller having an input data port connected to said altitude data output port, said microcontroller having a triggering output port connected to a base lead of said transistor wherein said triggering output port communicates a result of said microcontroller processing said altitude measurement; a valve connected to an emitter lead of said transistor wherein said valve is activated by a voltage present at the emitter lead of said transistor, said valve controlling a release of a compressed gas into said RFID canister creating a pressure build up within said RFID canister to exert a separating force on a bottom plate of said RFID canister resulting in a scattering of said plurality of RFID sensors when said bottom plate is separated from said RFID canister.
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8. An passive radio frequency identification (RFID) system for detecting a plurality of substances comprising:
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means for detecting said plurality of substances whereby said means for detecting provides for and results in an identification of said plurality of substances; means for airborne delivery of said means for detecting; means for scattering said means for detecting over an area whereby a scattering of said means for detecting results in an area to be monitored; means for communicating with said means for detecting which are located within said area to be monitored whereby said means for communication outputs a detection report; means for detection report processing whereby said means for detection report processing outputs a telemetry message obtained from processing said detection report; means for transmitting said telemetry message; means for receiving said telemetry message whereby said means for receiving outputs a received telemetry message; means for processing said received telemetry message whereby said means for processing produces a processed telemetry message; means for converting said processed telemetry message into an observable alert and an observable recommendation; means for conveying said observable alert and said observable recommendation to a user; means for directing a current flow originating from a power supply means; an altitude sensing means for sensing an altitude of said means for scattering whereby said altitude sensing means has an altitude output; means for controlling a switching means whereby said switching means is responsive to said altitude output; and pressurization means for exerting a separation pressure on said means for scattering whereby activation of said pressurization means is responsive to said switching means. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for using an airborne passive radio frequency identification (RFID) system to identify a type of hazardous material, said method comprising the steps of:
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dropping a canister containing a plurality of RFID sensors wherein said RFID sensors are dropped from an airborne vehicle at a predetermined coordinate; recording in a first computer memory a first global positioning coordinate of said predetermined coordinate; scattering said plurality of RFID sensors over an area wherein said scattering results in a monitored area and said monitored area is monitored for the presence of said type of hazardous material; flying a predetermined flight path wherein said predetermined flight path is flown over said monitored area; identifying said type of hazardous material using said plurality of RFID sensors; interrogating each of said plurality of RFID sensors to obtain a response from each of said plurality of RFID sensors wherein said response identifies said type of hazardous material present in said monitored area; recording in a second computer memory a second global positioning coordinate of said response; storing in a third computer memory a first retrievable dataset wherein said first retrievable dataset includes said type of hazardous material present in said monitored area and said second global positioning coordinate of said response; operating a first computer software program operatively coupled to said retrievable dataset wherein said first computer software program includes a correlation window calculation; applying said correlation window calculation to a content of said first retrievable dataset wherein said content includes said type of hazardous material present in said monitored area and said second global positioning coordinate of said response resulting in a merged detection report; transmitting said merged detection report in a telemetry message to a telemetry receiver wherein said telemetry receiver is operatively coupled to a second computer software program; handling and interpreting said telemetry message received by said telemetry receiver wherein said second computer software program handles and interprets said telemetry message resulting in a second retrievable dataset; storing said second retrievable dataset in a fourth computer memory wherein said second retrievable dataset includes said merged detection report; converting said merged detection report into an observable alert and an observable recommendation using an analysis and recommendation algorithm; and conveying said observable alert and said observable recommendation to a user. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification