IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,216,037
Granted Patent B2
US 12,216,037 · App. 18/169,356 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Multispectral sensor based alert condition detector

Inventor: William D. Houck (Santa Rosa, CA)
Assignee: VIAVI Solutions Inc.
G01N15/0211G01J3/4412G01N21/53G01N33/0063G08B17/107
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,216,037
App. No.
18/169,356
Filed
Feb 15, 2023
Granted
Feb 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2877
USPC
356/336
Abstract

An optical detector device may receive a spectroscopic measurement from a multispectral sensor. The optical detector device may determine, based on the spectroscopic measurement, a particulate size of a particulate. The optical detector device may determine, based on the spectroscopic measurement, an identification of the particulate. The optical detector device may determine, based on the particulate size and the identification of the particulate, that an alert condition is satisfied. The optical detector device may trigger an alert based on determining that the alert condition is satisfied.

Claims (57)

1. A device, comprising:

an optical transmitter configured to emit light in a first range of wavelengths;

an optical receiver configured to receive a reflection of the light, the reflection including a second range of wavelengths different from the first range of wavelengths;

a multispectral filter disposed in an optical path of one or more of the optical transmitter or the optical receiver and configured to direct the reflection towards the optical receiver; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine, based on the second range of wavelengths, particulate characteristics of particulate matter that has reflected the light;

determine whether the particulate characteristics indicate a presence of water vapor from cooking; and

selectively trigger an alert based on whether the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of water vapor from cooking.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein, to selectively trigger the alert, the one or more processors are configured to:

refrain from triggering the alert when the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of water vapor from cooking.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical receiver comprises a sensor element array.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first range of wavelengths is between 100 nanometers (nm) and 2000 nm.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first range of wavelengths is a wavelength range of 190 nm to 1100 nm.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical receiver comprises a first sensor element and a second sensor element.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the particulate characteristics comprise one or more of a particulate size, a particulate identification, or a particulate concentration.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein, to determine whether the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of water vapor from cooking, the one or more processors are configured to:

determine that the particulate size and the particulate identification indicate the presence of water vapor from cooking.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a predictive model trained using training data of spectra from cooking-based water vapor and gas fire-based water vapor, and

wherein, to determine whether the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of water vapor from cooking, the one or more processors are configured to:

use the predictive model to determine whether the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of water vapor from cooking.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein, to receive the reflection, the optical receiver is configured to at least:

receive the reflection after the light reflects off a wall of a room.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical transmitter is configured to emit a first beam with a first subset of the first range of wavelengths and a second beam with a second subset of the first range of wavelengths.

12. A device, comprising:

an optical transmitter comprising one or more light emitters configured to emit light in a first range of wavelengths;

an optical receiver configured to receive one or more reflections of the light, the one or more reflections including a second range of wavelengths different from the first range of wavelengths;

a multispectral filter disposed in an optical path of one or more of the optical transmitter or the optical receiver; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine, based on the second range of wavelengths, particulate characteristics of particulate matter that has reflected the light;

determine whether the particulate characteristics indicate a presence of smoke from fire; and

selectively trigger an alert based on whether the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of smoke from fire.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the particulate characteristics comprise one or more of a particulate size, a particulate identification, or a particulate concentration.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein, to determine whether the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of smoke from fire, the one or more processors are configured to:

determine that the particulate concentration and the particulate size indicate the presence of smoke from fire.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein, to determine whether the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of smoke from fire, the one or more processors are configured to:

use a predictive model to determine whether the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of smoke from fire.

16. The device of claim 12 , wherein, to selectively trigger the alert, the one or more processors are configured to:

transmit, when the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of smoke from fire, an indication of an alert condition to a dispatch device or emergency responder device.

17. The device of claim 12 , wherein, to selectively trigger the alert, the one or more processors are configured to:

transmit, when the particulate characteristics indicate the presence of smoke from fire, contextual information regarding an alert condition,

wherein the contextual information comprises one or more of:

information identifying a type of fire,

information identifying a size of fire, or

identifying a growth rate of fire.

18. The device of claim 12 , wherein, to receive the one or more reflections, the optical receiver is configured to at least:

receive the one or more reflections after the light reflects off a wall of a room.

19. A method, comprising:

emitting, using an optical transmitter of a device, light in a first range of wavelengths;

receiving, using an optical receiver of the device, a reflection of the light after the reflection passes through a multispectral filter disposed in an optical path of one or more of the optical transmitter or the optical receiver, the reflection including a second range of wavelengths different from the first range of wavelengths;

determining, by the device and based on the second range of wavelengths, particulate characteristics of particulate matter that has reflected the light;

determining, by the device, whether an alert condition is satisfied based on whether the particulate characteristics indicate one of:

a presence of water vapor from cooking, or

a presence of smoke from fire; and

selectively triggering, by the device, an alert based on whether the alert condition is satisfied.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein receiving the reflection comprises:

receiving the reflection after the light reflects off a wall in a room.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 73189/0873 Recorded May 28, 2026
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
Reel/Frame 075642/0381 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2025
From: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC; INERTIAL LABS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 073571/0137 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 21, 2025
From: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 073189/0873 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2023
From: HOUCK, WILLIAM D.
To: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 062728/0043 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17447734 · Sep 15, 2021
Division 16530524 · Aug 2, 2019
Provisional Application 62720455 · Aug 21, 2018
Related Publication 20230194405A1 · Jun 22, 2023
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