System and apparatus for measurement and mapping of pollutants

• US 9,494,511 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duvas Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Duvas Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Wilkins, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L
• Application Number:
  US13/139,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20110251800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 702/24, 340/905, 340/601, 340/995.12, 340/435, 340/995.14, 701/301, 701/117, 701/45, 701/469
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1795 Atmospheric mapping of gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/031 Multipass arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/33 using ultraviolet light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0216 Vehicle borne
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0004 Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

Apparatus and systems, preferably using UV spectroscopy, for the dynamic and continuous detection and quantification of a range of chemicals, particularly pollutants, in the environment, and to the production of a real-time display or map to display chemical levels in the environment are provided. By providing data packets which combine details of pollutants in the atmosphere with very accurate position and temporal information, and real-time map of pollution is provided.

Claims

1. A system for mapping environmental factors in the atmosphere, comprising:

a mobile detection apparatus, comprising;

a sensor for detecting environmental factors in a plurality of atmospheric samples taken at an adjustable sample rate and providing atmospheric sample data;

a navigation system for tracking a geographic position of the sensor, the navigation system comprising;

a first navigation unit comprising a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) receiver, and a second navigation unit comprising an Inertial Navigation System (“

INS”

) comprising one or more Inertial Measurement Units (“

IMU”

);

a processing unit coupled to the sensor and the navigation system and configured to;

integrate the first navigation unit and the second navigation unit to calculate position data and velocity data,

adjust the adjustable sampling rate based on the velocity data such that a sample period of the sensor is shorter when a velocity is higher and longer when the velocity is lower,

receive, from the sensor, the data related to the plurality of atmospheric samples taken at the adjustable sampling rate, and

combining the atmospheric sample data with position data into data packets; and

a server including a database where the data packets from the mobile detection apparatus are stored and processed.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of an ultraviolet spectrometer, an ultraviolet-light spectrometer, an infrared spectrometer, or a combination thereof.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor detects within a wavelength range of 160-500 nm.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a wind velocity unit to collect wind velocity data, the processor utilizing the wind velocity data in conjunction with the geographical location data to predict a distribution of environmental factors.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein integrating the first navigation unit and the second navigation unit comprises calculating continuously refined position data.

6. The system of claim 1, the server processing the data packets to generate a map of environmental factors in relation to known points.

7. The system of claim 1, the server processing additional data from a second mobile detection apparatus.

8. A device for use in mapping environmental factors in the atmosphere, comprising:

a sensor for detecting environmental factors in a plurality of atmospheric samples taken at an adjustable sample rate and providing atmospheric sample data;

a navigation system for tracking a geographic position of the sensor the navigation system comprising;

a first navigation unit comprising a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) receiver, and a second navigation unit comprising an Inertial Navigation System (“

INS”

) comprising one or more Inertial Measurement Units (“

IMU”

);

a processing unit coupled to the sensor and the navigation system and configured to;

integrate the first navigation unit and the second navigation unit to calculate position data and velocity data,

adjust the adjustable sampling rate based on the velocity data such that a sample period of the sensor is shorter when a velocity is higher and longer when the velocity is lower,

receive, from the sensor, the data related to the plurality of atmospheric samples taken at the adjustable sampling rate,

combine the atmospheric sample data with position data into data packets, and

transmit, the data packets to a server.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of an ultraviolet spectrometer, an ultraviolet-light spectrometer, an infrared spectrometer, or a combination thereof.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the sensor detects a wavelength range of 160-500 nm.

11. The device according to claim 8, further comprising a wind velocity unit to collect wind velocity data, the processor utilizing the wind velocity data in conjunction with the geographical location data to predict a distribution of environmental factors.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein integrating the said first navigation unit and the second navigation unit comprises calculating continuously refined position data.

13. A method of mapping environmental factors in the atmosphere, comprising:

detecting, with a sensor of a mobile detection apparatus, environmental factors in a plurality of atmospheric samples taken at an adjustable sample rate;

tracking, by a navigation system of the mobile detection apparatus, a geographical position of the sensor, the navigation system comprising;

a first navigation unit comprising a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) receiver, and a second navigation unit comprising an Inertial Navigation System (“

INS”

) comprising one or more Inertial Measurement Units (“

IMU”

);

integrating, by a processor of the mobile detection apparatus, the first navigation unit and the second navigation unit to calculate position data and velocity data;

adjusting, by the processor, the adjustable sampling rate based on the velocity data such that a sample period of the sensor is shorter when a velocity is higher and longer when the velocity is lower;

receiving, from the sensor, the data related to the plurality of atmospheric samples taken at the adjustable sampling rate;

combining, by the processor, the atmospheric sample data with position data into data packets; and

transmitting, by the processor, the data packets to a server.

14. The method according to claim 13, the processor transmitting the data packets to the server for storage, visualization, and analysis.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein integrating the first navigation unit and the second navigation unit comprises calculating continuously refined position data.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

collecting, using a wind velocity unit of the mobile detection apparatus, wind velocity data; and

predicting, by the processor, a distribution of environmental factors using the wind velocity.

17. The method of claim 16, the method further comprising generating, by the server based on the data packets, a map of environmental factors in relation to known points.