LASER INDICATOR FOR REMOTE MEASURING DEVICES AND METHODS THEREFOR

• US 20090193875A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radiaulics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Radiaulics, Inc.
• Inventors: Komninos, Nikolaos I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,468,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/40
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0265 Handheld, portable ear thermometers G01J5/049
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/07 Arrangements for adjusting the solid angle of collected radiation, e.g. adjusting or orienting field of view, tracking position or encoding angular position optical collimating elements G01J5/0806
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0859 Sighting arrangements, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0896 using a light source, e.g. for illuminating a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/04 by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/205 Accessories or associated equipment; Pump constructions

Abstract

Provided is a device for use in locating the origin of a phenomenon of interest, including a sensor capable of detecting the presence of the phenomenon of interest and generating a detection signal in response thereto. The device also includes a phenomenon origin locator to monitor the detection signal and project light toward the origin when the detection signal satisfies a selected criteria level, thereby indicating the origin of the phenomenon of interest.

Claims

1. A device for use in locating the origin of a phenomenon of interest, comprising:

a) a sensor capable of detecting the presence of the phenomenon of interest and generating a detection signal in response thereto; and

b) a phenomenon origin locator to monitor the detection signal and project light toward the origin when the detection signal satisfies a selected criteria level, thereby indicating the origin of the phenomenon of interest.

2. A device according to claim 1 including a level selector for selectively varying said criteria level.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said criteria is selected from a group consisting of amplitude, frequency, temperature, time, light, sound pressure, and radiation.

4. A device according to claim 3 including an output device for producing perceptible output in response to said detection signal.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein said perceptible output is one of an alphanumeric display, a graphic display, and a bar graph.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said sensor has a field of detection extending along a sensor axis and said light is projected along a projection axis that is generally parallel to the sensor axis.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein said sensor has a field of detection extending along a sensor axis and said light is projected along a projection axis that is generally coaxial to the sensor axis.

8. A device according to claim 6 including an override switch for manually activating said phenomenon origin locator for aiming the device in a desired direction.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein said phenomenon origin locator includes at least one laser.

10. A device according to claim 9 including a microcontroller for receiving said detection signal and activating said phenomenon origin locator.

11. A device for use in locating the origin of a phenomenon of interest, comprising:

a) a sensor having a field of detection extending along a sensor axis, said sensor capable of detecting presence of the phenomenon of interest and generating a detection signal in response thereto;

b) a phenomenon origin locator to monitor the detection signal and project light along a projection axis that is generally parallel to said sensor axis when the detection signal satisfies a selected criteria level, thereby indicating the origin of the phenomenon of interest;

c) a first level indicator to monitor the detection signal and project light along a first indicator axis when the detection signal satisfies a selected first threshold level of said selected criteria; and

d) a second level indicator to monitor the detection signal and project light along a second indicator axis when the detection signal satisfies a selected second threshold level for said selected criteria.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein said first and second indicator axis are parallel.

13. A device according to claim 12 wherein said projection axis and said first and second indicator axis are parallel.

14. An instrument for use in locating a gas leak, comprising:

a) a sensor capable of detecting the presence of the gas and generating a detection signal in response thereto; and

b) a gas leak locator to monitor the detection signal and project light toward the leak when the detection signal satisfies a selected criteria level, thereby indicating location of the leak.

15. An instrument according to claim 14 wherein said sensor is an acoustic emission sensor operative upon exposure to sound attendant with leakage of the gas to generate the detection signal.

16. An instrument according to claim 15 wherein said acoustic emissions sensor is a microphonic sensor.

17. A method for locating the origin of a phenomenon of interest, comprising:

sensing the phenomenon of interest;

determining whether said sensed phenomenon of interest satisfies selected criteria; and

projecting light along a projection axis while said selected criteria is satisfied.

18. A method according to claim 17 including orienting the sensor axis to home in on the origin.

19. A method for locating the origin of a phenomenon of interest, comprising:

providing a sensor operative upon exposure to the phenomenon of interest to generate a corresponding detection signal;

providing a phenomenon origin locator having an active state whereby light is projected toward the origin, thereby to indicate its location;

exposing said sensor to the phenomenon of interest, whereby said sensor generates the detection signal; and

maintaining said phenomenon origin locator in the active state while the detection signal satisfies selected criteria.

20. A method according to claim 19 comprising generating an analog detection signal from said sensor and converting said analog detection signal to a digital detection signal.

21. In a leak detection instrument having an instrument housing, a gas sensor supported relative to said instrument housing and operative upon exposure to a selected gas to generate a corresponding gas detection input signal, a gas pump disposed within said instrument housing and operative upon actuation to draw the selected gas toward said gas sensor, an acoustic emissions sensor supported relative to said instrument housing and operative upon exposure to sound attendant with leakage of the selected gas to generate a corresponding sound detection input signal, processing circuitry for receiving said gas detection input signal and said sound detection input signal and for producing at least one output signal in response thereto, and an output device for producing perceptible output in response to said output signal, the improvement comprising:

a gas leak locator operative to monitor the output signal and project light toward the leak when the output signal satisfies selected threshold criteria, thereby indicating the origin of the leak.

22. In a leak detection instrument having an instrument housing, an acoustic emissions sensor supported relative to said instrument housing that is operative upon exposure to sound attendant with leakage from a device to produce a corresponding sound detection signal, the improvement comprising:

a leak locator operative to monitor the sound detection signal and project light toward the origin of the leak when the sound detection signal satisfies selected threshold criteria, thereby indicating the leak location.

23. In an infrared (IR) temperature measurement instrument having an instrument housing, an IR sensor supported relative to said instrument housing that is operative upon exposure to an IR radiation source to produce a corresponding temperature detection signal, the improvement comprising:

an IR radiation source locator operative to monitor the temperature detection signal and project light toward the origin of the IR radiation source when the temperature detection signal satisfies selected threshold criteria, thereby indicating the IR radiation source location.

24. In a radiation measurement instrument having an instrument housing, a radiation sensor supported relative to said instrument housing that is operative upon exposure to a radiation source to produce a corresponding radiation detection signal, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of radiation source locators each being associated with a selected threshold criteria and operative to monitor the radiation detection signal and project light toward the origin of the radiation source when the radiation detection signal satisfies the radiation source locator'"'"'s selected threshold criteria.

25. The improvement according to claim 24 wherein said radiation is infrared (IR) radiation.

26. The improvement according to claim 24 wherein said radiation is radio frequency (RF) radiation.