Illumination and detection architecture

• US 7,973,658 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tim Arion, Warren G. Parish
• Original Assignee: Tim Arion, Warren G. Parish
• Inventors: Arion, Tim, Parish, Warren G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/722,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20100164718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/541, 340/550, 340/545.6, 340/539.17, 340/539.2, 250/390.04, 250/370.01, 356/71, 356/72, 356/73, 356/301, 356/318, 356/320, 356/436, 356/437
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held

Abstract

An illumination and detection architecture that illuminates a target for detecting a material of interest. The architecture includes an illumination component that illuminates the target using a predetermined light wavelength known to energize and thereby cause a detectable change in the desired chemical and/or compounds associated with the target in a particular way. The change is then captured by an image capture system and processed to determine the presence or absence detected of the desired material of interest at the target.

Claims

1. A portable handheld system, comprising:

an illumination component as part of an integral unit that directs electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined wavelength at a target associated with a material of interest, and which electromagnetic radiation causes a change in the electromagnetic radiation wavelength to occur when in contact with the material of interest;

a sensor component as part of the integral unit that senses the change in the electromagnetic radiation wavelength as change data;

an image processing component as part of the integral unit that receives the change data and creates images of the change data for analysis;

a change detection component as part of the integral unit that receives the images, analyzes the images to determine a type of the material of interest, and outputs the type as type information; and

a presentation component as part of the integral unit that displays the type information for visual perception by a user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the illumination component includes a laser unit that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined wavelength at the target, and which electromagnetic radiation causes the change in the electromagnetic radiation wavelength to occur when in contact with the material of interest.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a geolocation component as part of the integral unit that provides location information as to location of the unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the material of interest is associated with at least one of an atmospherically suspended or surface absorbed energetic nitrocompound, hazardous material, or drug.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the integral unit is employed in combination a viewer through which a user views the target, and the presentation component displays a user-identifiable indication on the viewer that the material of interest is present or not present at the target.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the illumination component illuminates the target with a range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths to determine presence of multiple different types of materials of interest.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the components of the integral unit operate to ultimately display the type information under low light and nighttime conditions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the illumination component disperses the electromagnetic radiation of a single wavelength over an area that includes the target to detect the material of interest in the area or a range of electromagnetic radiation having different wavelengths over the area that includes the target to detect correspondingly different materials of interest in the area.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the integral unit is temporarily or destructively disabled, locally or from a remote location.

10. A portable handheld system, comprising:

an illumination component as part of an integral unit that directs electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined wavelength at a target associated with a material of interest, and which electromagnetic radiation causes a change in the electromagnetic radiation wavelength to occur when in contact with the material of interest;

a sensor component as part of the integral unit that senses the change in the electromagnetic radiation wavelength as change data;

an image processing component as part of the integral unit that receives the change data and creates images of the change data for analysis;

a change detection component as part of the integral unit that receives the images, analyzes the images to determine a type of the material of interest, and outputs the type as type information;

a range finder component as part of the integral unit that computes distance to the target;

a viewer through which a user views the target; and

a presentation component as part of the integral unit that displays the type information for visual perception by a user via the viewer and a user-identifiable indication on the viewer that the material of interest is present or not present at the target.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a geolocation component as part of the integral unit that provides location information as to location of the integral unit.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the material of interest is associated with at least one of an atmospherically suspended or surface absorbed energetic nitrocompound, hazardous material, or drug.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the components of the integral unit operate to ultimately display the type information under low light and nighttime conditions.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the illumination component disperses the electromagnetic radiation of a single wavelength over an area that includes the target to detect the material of interest in the area or a range of electromagnetic radiation having different wavelengths over the area that includes the target to detect correspondingly different materials of interest in the area.

15. A computer-implemented method of determining a material of interest associated with a target, comprising:

illuminating a target from a handheld unit using electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined wavelength to identify a material of interest;

sensing a changed wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation as change data when the electromagnetic radiation impinges on the material of interest creating an image of the change data;

analyzing the change data via the image;

detecting a type of the material of interest based on analysis of the change data;

outputting the type as type information to a display; and

presenting the type information for viewing.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising viewing the target through a viewer while illuminating the target.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting the type information on the viewer when viewing the target.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

computing distance to the target for presentation on the viewer; and

adjusting illumination on the target based on the distance.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

illuminating the target using electromagnetic radiation of additional predetermined wavelengths to identify additional materials of interest; and

presenting the type information of sensed additional materials of interest on a viewer through which the target is being viewed.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising tracking location of the unit via a geolocation technology.