The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 02, 1997
Filed:
Jul. 18, 1995
Harold A Fasig, San Diego, CA (US);
Charles E Mallon, San Diego, CA (US);
Raymond Denson, San Diego, CA (US);
James R Fasig, San Diego, CA (US);
Peter G Coakley, Cardiff, CA (US);
Steven W Lutjens, San Diego, CA (US);
Terry M Flanagan, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Edward J Vasel, San Diego, CA (US);
Jaycor, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
An improved visibility detector and method emit infrared radiation away from an infrared emitter; detect an amount of infrared radiation backscattered by an airborne visibility impeding agent; and generate a backscatter signal in response to the amount detected. In one embodiment, the detector detects an amount of the infrared radiation that is not backscattered; generates a reference signal in response thereto; determines an actual amount of the infrared radiation backscattered; determines whether the actual amount exceeds a prescribed threshold; and generates an alarm signal in event the actual amount is determined to exceed the prescribed threshold. In other embodiments, the device employs a meniscus barrier between the emitter and the detector; another, lower, threshold in determining when to terminate the alarm signal; a second alarm signal to indicate that backscatter has increased above another, higher, threshold; a calibration scheme for calibrating the detector and/or a running average to avoid anomalous indications of low/high visibility.