Autonomous monitoring method and system using sensors of different sensitivities

• US 8,694,267 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Detection (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Detection (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sunshine, Steven A., Burch, Timothy E., Steinthal, Gregory, Hsiung, Chang-Meng, Plotkin, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US13/610,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 702/32
• US Class Current: 702/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0032 using two or more different physical functioning modes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and system of monitoring for chemical or other toxic agents includes operating a plurality of first type sensors having a first level of sensitivity to an agent in a monitored area. Concurrently a second type sensor is operated having a second level of sensitivity to the agent in the monitored area, where the second level of sensitivity is at least ten times more sensitive than the first level of sensitivity. Input from the plurality of first type sensors and the second type sensor is received and analyzed, at a central location, in order to determine the presence of the agent in the monitored area.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a facility for a plurality of agents, comprising:

a plurality of agent detection sensor arrays, each of the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays comprising a first agent detection sensor and a second agent detection sensor, the first agent detection sensor being operable to detect a presence of a first agent of the plurality of agents, and the second agent detection sensor being operable to detect the presence of a second agent of the plurality of agents;

an environmental sensor configured to monitor an environmental condition within the facility; and

a central analysis unit configured to communicate with the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays and the environmental sensor in a network, the central data analysis unit operable to at least partially configure operation of one or more of the plurality of agent detection sensors in response to the monitored environmental condition.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor comprises a meteorological sensor, and the monitored environmental condition comprises at least one of humidity, pressure, or temperature within the facility.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and the monitored environmental condition comprises a location of an agent detection sensor.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays is a part of a hand-held device.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays includes a sensor array configured to detect an airborne agent.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the central analysis unit is configured to communicate in the network with the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays to receive alarm data from one or more of the agent detection sensor arrays when the one or more agent detection sensor arrays detect the presence of an agent, and wherein the central analysis unit is configured to communicate alarm data received from the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays to a central location.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the facility comprises a building.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the second level of sensitivity is at least approximately 10 to at least approximately 100 times greater than the first level of sensitivity.

9. A system for monitoring a facility for a plurality of agents, comprising:

a plurality of agent detection sensor arrays, each of the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays comprising a first agent detection sensor and a second agent detection sensor, the first agent detection sensor and the second agent detection sensor being configured to provide orthogonal detection of the plurality of agents, the first agent detection sensor being operable to detect a presence of a first agent of the plurality of agents, and the second agent detection sensor being operable to detect the presence of a second agent of the plurality of agents; and

a central analysis unit configured to communicate in a network with the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays to receive alarm data indicating the detection of an agent within the facility, the central analysis unit operable to communicate alarm data to a central location.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, further comprising an environmental sensor, the at least one environmental sensor operable to monitor an environmental condition within the facility.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the environmental sensor comprises a meteorological sensor, and the monitored environmental characteristic comprises at least one of humidity, pressure, or temperature within the facility.

12. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays includes a sensor array configured to detect an airborne agent.

13. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the central location is configured to communicate alarm data received from the plurality of agent detection sensor arrays to a hand-held computing system.

14. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the facility comprises a building.

15. A system for monitoring a facility for one or more agents, comprising:

a plurality sensors of a first type configured to detect the presence of the one or more agents within the facility, the sensors of the first type having a first level of sensitivity to the one or more agents;

a plurality of sensors of a second type operable to detect the presence of the one or more agents within the facility, the sensors of the second type having a second level of sensitivity to the one or more agents that is greater than the first level of sensitivity, wherein the number of sensors of the second type is less than the number of sensors of the first type; and

a central analysis unit configured to communicate in a network with the plurality of agent detection sensors of the first type and the plurality of agent detection sensors of the second type to monitor the facility for the one or more agents, the central analysis unit configured to initiate operation of at least a selected one of the plurality of sensors of the second type in response to detection of one or more agents by one or more sensors of the first type.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors of the first type is configured to detect one or more agents at an immediately dangerous to life or health level and at least one of the plurality of sensors of the second type is configured to detect the agent at a permissible exposure limit level.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the central analysis unit is configured to communicate alarm data from the plurality of agent detection sensors to a central location via an other network.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, the central location is configured to communicate alarm data received from the plurality of agent detection sensors to a hand-held computing system via a third network that is different from the network and the other network.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the facility comprises a building.