Method and system for detecting an airborne trigger

• US 10,161,847 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2018
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, II, Robert Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akhter, Sharmin
• Application Number:
  US16/026,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20180328833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 175 Days
• Field of Search: 340540, 3405452, 3405454, 340547, 340561, 340562, 340566, 340577-579, 340628-630, 324686
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/06 Investigating concentration of particle suspensions by weighing G01N5/00; investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions G01N15/04; investigating individual particles G01N15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/10 Investigating individual particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02408 Solids in gases, e.g. particle suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/12 by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves measuring frequency or resonant frequency of mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in general G01H1/06, G01H3/04, G01H13/00; acoustic resonators G10K11/04; vibration or shock testing of structures G01M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/44 Processing the detected response signal , e.g. electronic circuits specially adapted therefor digital signal processing per se G06F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 5/02 by absorbing or adsorbing components of a material and determining change of weight of the adsorbent, e.g. determining moisture content absorption bulbs B01D53/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 19/02 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms

Abstract

A method includes receiving multiplexed sensor data from a sensor array. The multiplexed sensor data includes first data from a first sensor of the sensor array and second data from a second sensor of the sensory array. The first data includes first frequency information of a first cantilevered element, the first cantilevered element including a coating material having an affinity for a compound and no diffusion barrier. The second data includes second frequency information of a second cantilevered element, the second cantilevered element including the coating material and a diffusion barrier. The diffusion barrier inhibits mass transfer to the second cantilevered element. The method also includes conditionally generating, based on an analysis of the first data and the second data, an output. The output is conditioned on the first frequency information and the second frequency information indicating more than a threshold amount of the compound present at the sensor array.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, multiplexed sensor data from a sensor array, the multiplexed sensor data including first data from a first sensor of the sensor array and second data from a second sensor of the sensory array, the first data including first frequency information of a first cantilevered element, the first cantilevered element including a coating material having an affinity for a compound and no diffusion barrier, and the second data including second frequency information of a second cantilevered element, the second cantilevered element including the coating material and a diffusion barrier, wherein the diffusion barrier inhibits mass transfer to the second cantilevered element; and

conditionally generating, by the computing device based on an analysis of the first data and the second data, an output, the output conditioned on the first frequency information and the second frequency information indicating more than a threshold amount of the compound present at the sensor array.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before receiving the multiplexed sensor data, sending a scan start command to the sensor array, wherein the multiplexed sensor data is received in response to the scan start command; and

after receiving the multiplexed sensor data, sending a stop scan command to the sensor array, wherein the sensor array ceases transmitting sensor data based on the stop scan command.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the output to a facility control system, wherein the output enables the facility control system to implement a command associated with presence of the compound.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the command adjusts operation of a ventilation system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the output to a caretaker device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the output to a device associated with a person susceptible to respiratory distress due to presence of the compound.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplexed sensor data includes location data indicating a location of the sensor array.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cantilevered element is an element of a micro-electromechanical system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second cantilevered element is an element of a micro-electromechanical system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device uses the second data to adjust the first data for vibrations due to temperature of the sensor array.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive multiplexed sensor data from a sensor array, the multiplexed sensor data including first data from a first sensor of the sensor array and second data from a second sensor of the sensory array, the first data including first frequency information of a first cantilevered element, the first cantilevered element including a coating material having an affinity for a compound and no diffusion barrier, and the second data including second frequency information of a second cantilevered element, the second cantilevered element including the coating material and a diffusion barrier, wherein the diffusion barrier inhibits mass transfer to the second cantilevered element; and

a processor configured to analyze the first data and the second data and to conditionally generate an output, the output conditioned on the first data and the second data indicating more than a threshold amount of the compound at the sensor array.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a database to store the multiplexed sensor data.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the multiplexed sensor data includes information indicating a location of the sensor array.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the multiplexed sensor data includes third data from a third sensor configured to detect a different compound.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the compound is a volatile organic compound, a particulate, or both.

16. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving sensor data from sensors of a sensor array, the sensor data including first data from a first sensor of the sensor array and second data from a second sensor of the sensor array, the first data including first frequency information of a first cantilevered element, the first cantilevered element including a coating material having an affinity for a compound and no diffusion barrier, and the second data including second frequency information of a second cantilevered element, the second cantilevered element including the coating material and a diffusion barrier, wherein the diffusion barrier inhibits mass transfer to the second cantilevered element;

multiplexing the sensor data from the sensors to produce multiplexed sensor data; and

transmitting the multiplexed sensor data to a receiver.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the multiplexed sensor data identifies the sensor array and a location of the sensor array.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the first sensor includes a frequency counter to determine a frequency of a signal induced in a first capacitive plate by vibration of the first cantilevered element.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the first sensor includes a second capacitive plate configured to induce vibration of the first cantilevered element.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the second data enables adjustment of the first data to compensate for temperature of the sensor array.