Systems and methods for sensing radiation using flash memory
View Patent ↗A radiation detection system may include a mobile device having a flash memory. The device may monitor various characteristics of the flash memory to determine when damage to the flash memory has occurred from radiation exposure. The device may associate damage to the flash memory with a radiation dose, and determine a level of radiation to which the memory, and thus the device, has been exposed. The device also may determine a length of time and locations where the radiation exposure has occurred. If the device determines that the level of radiation exposure exceeds a threshold associated with a safe level of radiation exposure for a human user, the device may generate an alert to the user.
1. A device for sensing radiation, comprising:
flash memory; and
at least one processor configured to perform at least one memory operation on the flash memory and to determine a value indicative of an amount of time for performing the at least one memory operation, the at least one processor further configured to determine whether the device has been exposed to at least a threshold level of radiation based on the value and to provide an output based on whether the device has been determined to be exposed to at least the threshold level of radiation.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory operation includes a read operation.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory operation includes a write operation.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory operation includes an erase operation.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to estimate an amount of radiation exposure for the device based on the value.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a smartphone.
7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a radiation sensing application stored in memory and executed by the at least one processor, the radiation sensing application having instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
submit, to an operating system of the device, a request for a memory operation for reading from, writing to, or erasing a portion of the flash memory;
receive a notification from the operating system that the memory operation for reading from, writing to, or erasing the portion of the flash memory has been completed; and
determine the value based on a time that the request is submitted to the operating system and a time that the notification is received from the operating system.
8. A device for sensing radiation, comprising:
flash memory; and
at least one processor configured to perform at least one memory operation on the flash memory and to determine a value indicative of an amount of time for performing the at least one memory operation, the at least one processor further configured to estimate an amount of radiation exposure for the device based on the value and to provide an output indicative of the estimated amount of radiation exposure.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory operation includes a read operation.
10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory operation includes a write operation.
11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory operation includes an erase operation.
12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to compare the value to a threshold.
13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the device is a smartphone.
14. The device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a radiation sensing application stored in memory and executed by the at least one processor, the radiation sensing application having instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
submit, to an operating system of the device, a request for a memory operation for reading from, writing to, or erasing a portion of the flash memory;
receive a notification from the operating system that the memory operation for reading from, writing to, or erasing the portion of the flash memory has been completed; and
determine the value based on a time that the request is submitted to the operating system and a time that the notification is received from the operating system.
15. A method for use in a device, comprising
performing at least one memory operation on flash memory within the device;
determining with at least one processor of the device a value indicative of an amount of time for performing the at least one memory operation;
determining an amount of radiation exposure for the device based on the value; and
providing an output indicative of the determined amount of radiation exposure.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the performing comprises reading the flash memory.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the performing comprises writing to the flash memory.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the performing comprises erasing the flash memory.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising comparing the value to a threshold, wherein the determining the amount of radiation exposure is based on the comparing.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the device is a smartphone.
21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the performing comprises:
submitting, to an operating system of the device, a request for a memory operation for reading from, writing to, or erasing a portion of the flash memory;
receiving a notification from the operating system that the memory operation for reading from, writing to, or erasing the portion of the flash memory has been completed; and
tracking an amount of time between the submitting and the receiving,
wherein the determining the value is based on a tracking.