Granted Patent B2

US 11,619,562 · App. 17/064,330 · Granted Apr 4, 2023

Inventors: J. Brian Leen (Sunnyvale, CA); Douglas S. Baer (Menlo Park, CA); Susan Kasper (Monte Sereno, CA); Zachary Plante (Menlo Park, CA)

Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG

G01M3/16G01W1/02

Abstract

Claims (98)

1. A method comprising:

generating, within a search area in which a probable gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm;

traversing, by an investigator, the route;

pausing traversal of the route in response to a determination that a detected wind velocity satisfies a predefined threshold;

determining that the detected wind velocity satisfies the predefined threshold for a predefined time period;

changing, in response to the determination that the detected wind velocity satisfied the predefined threshold for the predefined time period, at least a portion of the route to follow a raster scan pattern; and

sampling, with a gas detection device carried by the investigator, an environment along the route to identify a location of a gas leak.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein traversing the route comprises:

traveling on a path that includes movement perpendicular to a wind direction until a presence of a target gas is detected; and

traveling, in response to the detection of the presence of the target gas, upwind until (i) the location of the gas leak is identified, (ii) a predefined distance has been travelled, or (iii) a detected amount of the target gas has decreased by a predefined amount or percentage.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising traveling, in response to a determination that the predefined distance has been travelled without an identification of the location of the gas leak, to a previous position along the route.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising traveling on the path that includes movement perpendicular to the wind direction in response to a determination that the detected amount of the target gas has decreased by the predefined amount or percentage.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein traversing the route comprises:

traveling in a spiral pattern until a presence of a target gas is detected; and

traveling, in response to the detection of the presence of the target gas, upwind until (i) the location of the gas leak is identified, (ii) a predefined distance has been travelled, or (iii) a detected amount of the target gas has decreased by a predefined amount or percentage.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising traveling, in response to a determination that the predefined distance has been travelled without an identification of the location of the gas leak, to a previous position along the route.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising traveling in a spiral pattern in response to a determination that the detected amount of the target gas has decreased by the predefined amount or percentage.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

adjusting the route based on a gas plume model; and

traversing the adjusted route.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein traversing the route comprises:

traveling in a first direction that includes movement perpendicular to a wind direction;

determining whether a predefined distance has been travelled in the first direction without a detection of a predefined amount of a target gas; and

traveling, in response to a determination that the predefined distance has been travelled without the detection of the predefined amount of the target gas, in a second direction that is opposite the first direction and includes movement perpendicular to the wind direction.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the route as a function of an environmental condition.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising rotating the route based on a wind direction.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the route as a function of one or more objects present in the environment.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the route comprises adjusting the route to include at least a portion of a perimeter of a building.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the route comprises adjusting the route to follow an edge of a street.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the route comprises adjusting the route to follow at least a portion of a gas line or other gas management infrastructure.

16. A system comprising:

a gas detection device carried by an investigator; and

circuitry configured to:

generate, within a search area in which a probable gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm;

direct the investigator along the route;

direct the investigator to pause traversal of the route in response to a determination that a detected wind velocity satisfies a predefined threshold;

determine whether the detected wind velocity satisfies the predefined threshold for a predefined time period;

change, in response to a determination that the detected wind velocity satisfied the predefined threshold for the predefined time period, at least a portion of the route to follow a raster scan pattern; and

sample, with the gas detection device, an environment along the route to identify a location of a gas leak.

17. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed by a system, cause the system to:

generate, within a search area in which a probable gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm;

direct an investigator along the route;

direct the investigator to pause traversal of the route in response to a determination that a detected wind velocity satisfies a predefined threshold;

determine whether the detected wind velocity satisfies the predefined threshold for a predefined time period;

change, in response to a determination that the detected wind velocity satisfied the predefined threshold for the predefined time period, at least a portion of the route to follow a raster scan pattern; and

sample, with a gas detection device carried by the investigator, an environment along the route to identify a location of a gas leak.

18. A method comprising:

generating, within a search area in which a probable gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm;

traversing, by an investigator, the route;

determining one or more changes in a wind direction over a time period;

determining that the one or more changes in the wind direction are stochastic;

pausing, in response to the determination that the one or more changes in the wind direction are stochastic, traversal of the route;

determining that changes in the wind direction have remained stochastic for at least thirty seconds;

changing, in response to the determination that the changes in the wind direction have remained stochastic for at least thirty seconds, at least a portion of the route to follow a raster scan pattern; and

sampling, with a gas detection device carried by the investigator, an environment along the route to identify a location of a gas leak.

19. A system comprising:

a gas detection device carried by an investigator; and

circuitry configured to:

generate, within a search area in which a probable gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm;

direct the investigator along the route;

determine one or more changes in a wind direction over a time period;

determine whether the one or more changes in the wind direction are stochastic;

direct the investigator to pause, in response to a determination that the one or more changes in the wind direction are stochastic, traversal of the route;

determine whether changes in the wind direction have remained stochastic for at least thirty seconds;

change, in response to a determination that the changes in the wind direction have remained stochastic for at least thirty seconds, at least a portion of the route to follow a raster scan pattern; and

sample, with the gas detection device, an environment along the route to identify a location of a gas leak.

20. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed by a system, cause the system to:

generate, within a search area in which a probable gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm;

direct an investigator along the route;

determine one or more changes in a wind direction over a time period;

determine whether the one or more changes in the wind direction are stochastic;

direct the investigator to pause, in response to a determination that the one or more changes in the wind direction are stochastic, traversal of the route;

determine whether changes in the wind direction have remained stochastic for at least thirty seconds;

change, in response to a determination that the changes in the wind direction have remained stochastic for at least thirty seconds, at least a portion of the route to follow a raster scan pattern; and

sample, with a gas detection device carried by the investigator, an environment along the route to identify a location of a gas leak.

21. A method comprising:

generating, within a search area in which a probable gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm;

traversing, by an investigator, the route;

sampling, with a gas detection device carried by the investigator, an environment along the route to identify a location of a gas leak;

determining that the location of the gas leak has been identified along the route;

augmenting, in response to the determination that the location of the gas leak has been identified, the route to cover a remainder of the search area based on a raster scan pattern; and

traversing the augmented route while sampling the environment along the augmented route to locate an additional gas leak.

22. A system comprising:

a gas detection device carried by an investigator; and

circuitry configured to:

generate, within a search area in which a probable gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm;

direct the investigator to traverse the route;

sample, with the gas detection device, an environment along the route to identify a location of a gas leak;

determine whether the location of the gas leak has been identified along the route;

augment, in response to a determination that the location of the gas leak has been identified, the route to cover a remainder of the search area based on a raster scan pattern; and

direct the investigator to traverse the augmented route while sampling the environment along the augmented route to locate an additional gas leak.

23. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed by a system, cause the system to:

generate, within a search area in which a probable gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm;

direct an investigator to traverse the route;

sample, with a gas detection device carried by the investigator, an environment along the route to identify a location of a gas leak;

determine whether the location of the gas leak has been identified along the route;

augment, in response to a determination that the location of the gas leak has been identified, the route to cover a remainder of the search area based on a raster scan pattern; and

direct the investigator to traverse the augmented route while sampling the environment along the augmented route to locate an additional gas leak.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

Cited By (12)

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