Mobile device which senses particulate matter and method of sensing particulate matter with the mobile device

• US 9,488,575 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chung, Seokwhan, Kim, Jongseok
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): NIXON, OMAR H
• Application Number:
  US14/663,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20160025628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/02 for measuring temperature of moving fluids or granular materials capable of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/024 of moving gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2273 Atmospheric sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/075 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2276 Personal monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/53 within a flowing fluid, e.g. smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/066 Modifiable path; multiple paths in one sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/004 CO or CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

A mobile device which senses particulate matter is provided. The mobile device includes a housing having an air flow path through which air flows when the mobile device is shaken; an inertia sensor that detects acceleration of the mobile device; a light-scattering type sensor that irradiates the air flow path with light and detects particulate matter in air flowing through the air flow path; and a controller that includes a counter for counting the particulate matter detected by the light-scattering type sensor, and a flow rate calculator for detecting an air flow rate of the air flow path based on a detection signal of the inertia sensor.

Claims

1. A mobile device which senses particulate matter, the mobile device comprising:

a housing configured to have an air flow path through which air flows in response to the mobile device being shaken;

an inertia sensor configured to detect an acceleration of the mobile device;

a light-scattering type sensor configured to irradiate the air flow path with light and detect particulate matter in air flowing through the air flow path; and

a controller which comprises a counter configured to count the particulate matter detected by the light-scattering type sensor, and a flow rate calculator configured to detect an air flow rate of the air passing through the air flow path based on the acceleration of the mobile device detected by the inertia sensor.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the air, wherein the controller revises a density value of the air based on the measured temperature.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a first opening and a second opening through which the air flow path communicates with an external region outside the housing.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the housing comprises an upper housing and a lower housing, and

wherein the first opening is provided at the upper housing and the second opening is provided at the lower housing, and air flows through the air flow path when the mobile device is shaken in a thickness direction of the mobile device.

5. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the housing comprises an upper housing, a lower housing, and a side housing which connects the upper housing and the lower housing, and

wherein the first opening and the second opening are respectively provided at two side walls of the side housing, the two side walls forming a corner, and air flows through the air flow path when the mobile device is shaken in a width direction of the mobile device.

6. The mobile device of claim 3, further comprising a shutter configured to open or close the first opening and the second opening.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, further comprising a switching sensor configured to detect whether the first opening and the second opening are opened or closed by the shutter.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein, when the switching sensor is configured to detect that the first opening and the second opening are opened, the controller is configured to control the mobile device to start sensing for particulate matter.

9. The mobile device of claim 3, further comprising a shutter provided at the housing,

wherein the shutter is movable to a first location to open the first opening and the second opening such that the air flow path communicates with the external region outside the housing, and to a second location to close the first opening and the second opening such that a sensing region for sensing carbon dioxide (CO2) is formed, and

wherein the controller further comprises a CO2 concentration calculator configured to calculate CO2 concentration based on an amount of light that passes through the sensing region and is detected by the light-scattering type sensor.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the light-scattering type sensor comprises a light-emitter configured to emit light and a light-receiver configured to receive light,

wherein, when the shutter is at the first location, the light-receiver receives light scattered by particulate matter in the air flow path.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising a light path changing unit configured to change a light path such that light that passes through the air flow path is not incident on the light-receiver when the shutter is at the first location.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein, when the shutter is at the second location, the light-receiver receives light that passes through the sensing region.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of reflecting units configured to guide light emitted from the light-emitter to be incident on the light-receiver after passing through the sensing region a plurality of times, when the shutter is at the second location.

14. A method of sensing particulate matter with a mobile device, the method comprising:

supplying air to an air flow path of the mobile device through a first opening and a second opening provided at a housing of the mobile device by shaking the mobile device;

detecting and counting particulate matter in air flowing through the air flow path, with a light-scattering type sensor;

detecting an acceleration of the mobile device with an inertia sensor, and calculating an air flow rate of the air passing through the air flow path based on the detected acceleration; and

outputting a pollution level calculated based on a result of the counting of the particulate matter when the calculated air flow rate is equal to a reference flow rate, and stopping sensing of the particulate matter after the outputting of the pollution level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the supplying of the air is performed when a detection signal of a switching sensor which detects a location of a shutter which closes or opens the first opening and the second opening is received, and the shutter is detected to be open.

16. A mobile device which senses particulate matter and carbon dioxide, the mobile device comprising:

a housing configured to have an air flow path through which air flows;

a shutter configured to move to a first location to open the air flow path, and move to a second location to close the air flow path;

a light-scattering type sensor configured to irradiate the air flow path with light, and to detect particulate matter in air flowing in the air flow path when the shutter is located at the first location; and

a carbon dioxide concentration calculator configured to control the light-scattering type sensor to irradiate the air flow path with light and to sense carbon dioxide in the air flow path based on the output of the light-scattering type sensor when the shutter is located at the second location.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the housing comprises a first opening and a second opening through which the air flow path communicates with an external region outside the housing.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the light-scattering type sensor comprises a light-emitter configured to emit light and a light-receiver configured to receive light.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the carbon dioxide concentration calculator detects a concentration of carbon dioxide based on a rating light amount of the light emitter and a received light amount of the light receiver.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, further comprising a light path changing unit configured to change a light path such that light that passes through the air flow path is not incident on the light-receiver when the shutter is at the first location.