Granted Patent B2

US 12,723,977 · App. 17/611,116 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Inventors: Craig Aker (Stillwater, OK); John Lynch (Stillwater, OK); Matthew Szabo (Stillwater, OK); Clinton M. Wichert (West Lafayette, IN); Robert C. Proebstel (Goleta, CA); Philip Tackett (West Lafayette, IN); Markus Erbeldinger (Pittsburgh, PA)

Assignee: Teledyne FLIR Defense, Inc.

G01N21/3504B64C13/18G05D1/0038G05D1/102B64U10/14B64U10/25B64U2101/31B64U2101/35B64U2201/20G01N2021/3155G01N2201/0214

Abstract

Claims (110)

1 . A system comprising:

a mobile platform;

a sensor cradle mounted to the mobile platform, wherein the sensor cradle comprises a first electrical interface and a first pneumatic interface;

a modular sensor core comprising a communication module, a sensor assembly, and a cradle attachment interface comprising:

mounting flanges to releasably couple the modular sensor core to the sensor cradle,

a second electrical interface and a second pneumatic interface configured to releasably couple to the first electrical interface and the first pneumatic interface, respectively, of the sensor cradle, and

wherein the modular sensor core is configured to receive power over the first and second electrical interfaces and receive samples from a survey area over the first and second pneumatic interfaces;

a logic device configured to communicate with the communication module and the sensor assembly;

wherein the communication module is configured to establish a wireless communication link with a base station associated with the mobile platform, the sensor assembly is configured to provide analyte sensor data as the mobile platform is maneuvered within the survey area, and the logic device is configured to:

receive the analyte sensor data as the mobile platform is maneuvered within the survey area,

receive position data corresponding to the analyte sensor data, and

generate analyte survey information corresponding to the survey area based, at least in part, on a combination of the position data and the analyte sensor data; and

a user interface associated with the mobile platform, wherein the logic device is configured to:

render a display view in a display of the user interface, the display view comprising:

a spatial map comprising the analyte survey information, and

a hazard warning associated with the analyte sensor data.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly comprises a plurality of sensor elements, wherein the logic device is configured to:

detect that a first sensor element of the sensor assembly is exhausted by detecting an analyte response of the first sensor element is degraded or absent relative to a second sensor element of the sensor assembly sensitive to a common analyte;

report the exhausted first sensor element;

detect that a new sensor element has been inserted into the sensor assembly; and

report a status of the new sensor element based on a response of the new sensor element to a metered analyte sample provided to the new sensor element.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a calibration system for the modular sensor core, wherein:

the calibration system is configured to:

perform a bump check or a calibration of the modular sensor core, and

report a bump check result or a calibration result of the modular sensor core; and

the logic device is configured to:

detect the modular sensor core is secured to the calibration system,

control a power supply of the modular sensor core to draw power from the calibration system,

detect removal of the modular sensor core from the calibration system, and

control the power supply of the modular sensor core to draw power from an internal power supply of the modular sensor core.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic device is configured to:

detect entry of the mobile platform into a hazardous portion of an analyte plume based, at least in part, on the analyte survey information;

adjust a course of the mobile platform to avoid the hazardous portion of the analyte plume;

control a propulsion system of the mobile platform to allow the mobile platform to drift with a wind impacting the mobile platform;

determine a first estimated drift velocity associated with the wind impacting the mobile platform;

control the propulsion system of the mobile platform to yaw the mobile platform approximately ninety degrees and then allow the mobile platform to drift with the wind impacting the mobile platform;

determine a second estimated drift velocity associated with the wind impacting the mobile platform; and

determine a local wind velocity based, at least in part, on the first and second estimated drift velocities.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic device is configured to:

determine one or more analyte concentration boundaries based, at least in part, on the analyte survey information; and

render a display view comprising the analyte concentration boundaries in a display of a user interface associated with the mobile platform.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an imaging module coupled to the mobile platform, wherein the logic device is configured to:

receive visible spectrum and/or infrared images of the survey area from the imaging module as the mobile platform maneuvers within the survey area; and

generate the analyte survey information corresponding to the survey area based, at least in part, on a combination of the position data, the analyte sensor data, and the visible spectrum and/or infrared images of the survey area.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the sensor cradle is selectively mounted to the mobile platform;

the cradle attachment interface is configured to releasably couple the modular sensor core to an external gas snorkel and/or a calibration system; and

the sensor cradle comprises mechanical latches and mechanical lock releases allowing the mounting flanges to selectively engage or disengage with the mechanical latches.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the modular sensor core comprises:

sample element receptacles associated with corresponding sample elements of the sensor assembly; and

a piezoelectric pump configured to draw sample gas into the sample element receptacles to allow the sample elements to detect one or more analytes and/or concentrations of such analytes in the sample gas.

9 . A method of operating the system of claim 1 , the method comprising:

maneuvering the mobile platform within the survey area;

providing, by the sensor assembly, the analyte sensor data in response to analytes detected by the sensor assembly during the maneuvering;

receiving the position data corresponding to the analyte sensor data; and

generating the display view.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic device is configured to: detect that the modular sensor core is secured to the sensor cradle mounted to the mobile platform; and control a power supply of the modular sensor core to draw power from the mobile platform over the sensor cradle.

11 . A method comprising:

receiving analyte sensor data from a modular sensor core coupled to a mobile platform as the mobile platform is maneuvered within a survey area, wherein the modular sensor core comprises a sensor assembly and a cradle attachment interface, the cradle attachment interface comprising:

mounting flanges to releasably couple the modular sensor core to a sensor cradle mounted to the mobile platform, wherein the sensor cradle comprises a first electrical interface and a first pneumatic interface,

a second electrical interface and a second pneumatic interface configured to releasably couple to the first electrical interface and the first pneumatic interface, respectively, of the sensor cradle, and

wherein the modular sensor core is configured to receive power over the first and second electrical interfaces and receive samples at the sensor assembly from the survey area over the first and second pneumatic interfaces;

receiving position data corresponding to the analyte sensor data;

generating analyte survey information corresponding to the survey area based, at least in part, on a combination of the position data and the analyte sensor data;

rendering a display view in a display of a user interface associated with the mobile platform, the display view comprising:

a spatial map comprising the analyte survey information, and

a hazard warning associated with the analyte sensor data; and

wherein the method is performed by a logic device.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor assembly comprises a plurality of sensor elements, the method further comprising:

detecting that a first sensor element of the sensor assembly is exhausted by detecting an analyte response of the first sensor element is degraded or absent relative to a second sensor element of the sensor assembly sensitive to a common analyte;

reporting the exhausted first sensor element;

detecting that a new sensor element has been inserted into the sensor assembly; and

reporting a status of the new sensor element based on a response of the new sensor element to a metered analyte sample provided to the new sensor element.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

initializing a calibration system for the modular sensor core;

mounting the modular sensor core to a sensor cradle of a calibration system;

performing a bump check or a calibration of the modular sensor core;

detecting the modular sensor core is secured to a calibration system;

controlling a power supply of the modular sensor core to draw power from the calibration system;

detecting removal of the modular sensor core from the calibration system;

controlling the power supply of the modular sensor core to draw power from an internal power supply of the modular sensor core;

detecting the modular sensor core is secured to a sensor cradle of a mobile platform; and

drawing power from the mobile platform over the sensor cradle of the mobile platform.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising performing by the logic device:

detecting entry of the mobile platform into a hazardous portion of an analyte plume based, at least in part, on the analyte survey information;

adjusting a course of the mobile platform to avoid the hazardous portion of the analyte plume;

controlling a propulsion system of the mobile platform to allow the mobile platform to drift with a wind impacting the mobile platform;

determining a first estimated drift velocity associated with the wind impacting the mobile platform;

controlling the propulsion system of the mobile platform to yaw the mobile platform approximately ninety degrees and then allow the mobile platform to drift with the wind impacting the mobile platform;

determining a second estimated drift velocity associated with the wind impacting the mobile platform; and

determining a local wind velocity based, at least in part, on the first and second estimated drift velocities.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising performing by the logic device:

determining one or more analyte concentration boundaries based, at least in part, on the analyte survey information; and

rendering a display view comprising the analyte concentration boundaries in a display of a user interface associated with the mobile platform.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising performing by the logic device:

receiving visible spectrum and/or infrared images of the survey area from an imaging module as the mobile platform maneuvers within the survey area; and

generating the analyte survey information corresponding to the survey area based, at least in part, on a combination of the position data, the analyte sensor data, and the visible spectrum and/or infrared images of the survey area.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the sensor cradle is selectively mounted to the mobile platform;

the cradle attachment interface is configured to releasably couple the modular sensor core to an external gas snorkel and/or a calibration system;

the sensor cradle comprises mechanical latches and mechanical lock releases allowing the mounting flanges to selectively engage or disengage with the mechanical latches.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the modular sensor core comprises:

sample element receptacles associated with corresponding sample elements of the sensor assembly, and

a piezoelectric pump configured to draw sample gas into the sample element receptacles to allow the sample elements to detect one or more analytes and/or concentrations of such analytes in the sample gas.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

maneuvering the mobile platform within the survey area;

providing, by the sensor assembly, the analyte sensor data in response to analytes detected by the sensor assembly during the maneuvering;

receiving the position data corresponding to the analyte sensor data; and

generating the display view.

20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: detecting that the modular sensor core is secured to the sensor cradle mounted to the mobile platform; and controlling a power supply of the modular sensor core to draw power from the mobile platform over the sensor cradle.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (44)