Detection of distant substances
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting substances at a distance, the apparatus comprising:
- a mount structure;
an emitter mounted to the mount structure and configured to be substantially collimated to illuminate on a target located at an unknown distance from the emitter, the emitter comprising a source configured to emit radiation and a mirror configured to direct the radiation toward targets located more than 10 yards from the emitter;
a collector mounted to the mount structure and configured to be trained on the target at the same time the emitter illuminates the target, the collector configured to collect radiation from the direction of the target and concentrate the collected radiation on a sensor, the collected radiation comprising radiation reflected by the target as modified by interactions with any vapor adjacent the target;
a detection system located on the same side of the target as the emitter and collector, the detection system comprising the sensor and a Michelson interferometer configured to produce an interferogram based at least in part on a signal from the sensor in response to the collected radiation, the detection system further configured to perform a Fourier transform on the interferogram to produce a spectrogram and analyze the spectrogram to determine presence or absence of a substance or plurality of substances in or around the target;
wherein the emitter, collector, and detection system are grouped together on the same side of the target and thereby form a reflection-based analysis system configured to direct radiation toward—
and collect reflected radiation from—
targets located more than 10 yards from the emitter, thereby allowing the apparatus to detect a substance at or within vapor adjacent to the distant target without placing any equipment on the far side of the target from the reflection-based analysis system.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are embodiments of methods and apparatus related to detection of substance(s) at a distance. For example, an apparatus can have a mount structure and an emitter mounted to the mount structure and configured to be trained on a target. The emitter can have a source configured to emit radiation and a mirror configured to direct the radiation toward the target. The apparatus can also have a collector mounted to the mount structure and configured to be trained on the target at the same time the emitter is trained on the target and concentrate collected radiation on a sensor. The apparatus can also have a detection system comprising the sensor and an interferometer configured to produce an interferogram. The processor can be configured to perform a Fourier transform on the interferogram to produce a spectrogram and analyze the spectrogram to determine presence or absence of known substances in or around the target.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for detecting substances at a distance, the apparatus comprising:
-
a mount structure; an emitter mounted to the mount structure and configured to be substantially collimated to illuminate on a target located at an unknown distance from the emitter, the emitter comprising a source configured to emit radiation and a mirror configured to direct the radiation toward targets located more than 10 yards from the emitter; a collector mounted to the mount structure and configured to be trained on the target at the same time the emitter illuminates the target, the collector configured to collect radiation from the direction of the target and concentrate the collected radiation on a sensor, the collected radiation comprising radiation reflected by the target as modified by interactions with any vapor adjacent the target; a detection system located on the same side of the target as the emitter and collector, the detection system comprising the sensor and a Michelson interferometer configured to produce an interferogram based at least in part on a signal from the sensor in response to the collected radiation, the detection system further configured to perform a Fourier transform on the interferogram to produce a spectrogram and analyze the spectrogram to determine presence or absence of a substance or plurality of substances in or around the target; wherein the emitter, collector, and detection system are grouped together on the same side of the target and thereby form a reflection-based analysis system configured to direct radiation toward—
and collect reflected radiation from—
targets located more than 10 yards from the emitter, thereby allowing the apparatus to detect a substance at or within vapor adjacent to the distant target without placing any equipment on the far side of the target from the reflection-based analysis system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for detecting substances at a stand-off distance, the method comprising:
-
emitting infrared radiation from a source of infrared radiation at a power of at least 100 watts; reflecting the infrared radiation from a mirror to provide collimated radiation that remains substantially collimated for at least 10 yards; propagating the collimated radiation for at least 10 yards, through a vapor halo adjacent a target that is located at least 10 yards from the source of infrared radiation; illuminating a portion of the target with the collimated radiation; collecting reflected radiation from the illuminated target after the radiation has been modified from interaction with the vapor in the vapor halo; focusing the collected radiation on an infrared sensor to generate a signal; processing the signal using an interferometer to generate an interferogram; mathematically transforming the interferogram to generate a spectrogram; analyzing the spectrogram, via execution of instructions by a computing device, to indicate presence or absence in the vapor halo adjacent the target of a substance with known spectroscopic properties; and storing results of the analysis in a memory. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An apparatus for detecting substances at a distance of greater than 10 yards, the apparatus comprising:
-
a mount configured to be rotatable in at least one plane; an emitter attached to the mount, the emitter configured to propagate a collimated beam of emitted radiation at least 10 yards toward a target; a collector attached to the mount, the collector configured to receive radiation that propagates at least 10 yards from the target, at least some of the received radiation comprising radiation that has interacted with the target or a vapor halo adjacent the target in response to the collimated, emitted beam and then been reflected or scattered back toward the collector; a Fourier Transform spectrometer operatively associated with the collector, the Fourier Transform spectrometer configured to generate a spectrum based at least in part on the received radiation; and a processor configured to analyze the spectrum to detect a presence of at least one substance near the target. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
Specification