SMART PHONE SENSOR PLATFORM
A sensor device containing a gas sensor is exposed to a gas. The gas sensor emits a voltage based on a property of the gas. The voltage output by the gas sensor is received by an integrated circuit (“IC”). The IC may convert the voltage to a digital representation of the voltage. The IC may determine a property of the gas based on the voltage. The digital representation of the voltage or a representation of the property of the gas is then transmitted as data via an audio jack of the sensor device. A computer device receives the data via an audio jack. Using one or more processors, the computer device analyzes the data and generates a recommendation. The recommendation and the property of the gas may be displayed.
1 . A device comprising:
a housing,
an intake port through which a gas can pass into the housing;
an electronic gas sensor disposed within the housing, the electronic gas sensor configured to generate a sensor voltage based on an amount of a substance detected in the gas;
a processor configured to convert the sensor voltage to a result value; and
an audio jack protruding from the housing, the audio jack communicatively coupled to the electronic gas sensor and configured to output the result value via a communications protocol.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein
the result value is a representation of the sensor voltage.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein
the result value represents a property of the gas.
4 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive the representation of the sensor voltage outputted from the audio jack; and
determine a property of the gas based on the representation of the sensor voltage.
5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the substance is ethanol and the property is a concentration of ethanol in the gas.
6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate an indication of blood alcohol content of a person that exhaled the gas based on the concentration of the ethanol in the gas.
7 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the substance is ethanol and the property is a blood alcohol content of a person that exhaled the gas.
8 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the substance is carbon monoxide and the property is a concentration of carbon monoxide in the gas.
9 . The device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a second electronic sensor configured to emit a second sensor voltage based on water vapor detected in a gas passed over the second sensor; and wherein
the processor is configured to determine the property of the gas based on the second sensor voltage.
10 . The device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a third electronic sensor configured to emit a third sensor voltage based on a temperature of the gas; and wherein
the processor is configured to determine the property based on the third sensor voltage,
11 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
as flow-control tube that guides the gas over the sensor.
12 . A system comprising:
a property-detection device comprising:
an electronic gas sensor configured to generate a sensor voltage based on an amount of a substance detected in a gas to which the sensor is exposed;
an audio jack, communicatively coupled to the electronic gas sensor, configured to output a representation of the sensor voltage via a communications protocol;
a processor configured to:
receive the representation of the sensor voltage outputted from the audio jack; and
determine a property of the as based on representation of the sensor voltage; and
send the property of the gas and a location of the device over a network; and
a property-processing device comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive the property of the gas and the location of the device;
store the property and the location of the device in a database:,
transmit a request based on the property and the location of the device.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the substance is ethanol,
the property is a concentration of ethanol in the gas, and
request is for a taxi cab to be sent to the location of the device.
14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the substance is a pathogen,
the property is a concentration of the pathogen in the gas, and
the request is for a medical service to acknowledge a health risk at the location of the device.
15 . A method comprising:
receiving a representation of a sensor voltage output from an audio jack, the output generated by an electronic gas sensor in response to exposure to a gas exhaled by an individual;
based on the representation of the sensor voltage, determining the blood-alcohol content of the individual;
causing the blood-alcohol content of the individual to be displayed.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein identifying the blood-alcohol content of the individual accesses a table in a memory, the table storing a plurality of values corresponding to a plurality of sensor voltages.
17 . A method comprising:
receiving a representation of a sensor voltage output from an audio jack, the output generated by an electronic gas sensor;
based on the representation of the sensor voltage, identifying a property of the gas; and
causing the property of the gas to be displayed.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
sending the property of the gas over a network; and
receiving a recommendation based on the property.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the property is the ethanol concentration of the gas, and
the recommendation includes contacting taxi company.
20 . The method of claim 19 , farther comprising:
generating an indication of blood alcohol content of a person that exhaled the gas based on the concentration of the ethanol in the gas.