Method for displaying concentration data of a substance and an associated apparatus
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12276649-B2
Publication Date
2025-04-15
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method for displaying gas concentration values on a graphical display of a leak detector comprises detecting a presence of a gas using a gas sensor. A signal is generated by the gas sensor and transmitted from the gas sensor to a processor. The received signal is processed to determine a gas concentration value and a corresponding time stamp. The gas concentration values and corresponding time stamps are displayed graphically as they are determined and newly determined gas concentration values and corresponding time stamps are displayed in relation to previously determined gas concentration values and time stamps in streaming manner.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a portable gas leak detector that detects a presence of a gas using a gas sensor and generates a signal from the gas sensor. A processor receives the signal and determines gas concentration values, and each newly determined gas concentration value is associated with a corresponding time stamp and stored together with the time stamp for later display.
The detector continuously monitors transmitted signals from the gas sensor over a predetermined time period and stores determined gas concentration values and corresponding time stamps. The processor determines an average environmental gas concentration and displays the newly determined gas concentration values relative to the average environmental gas concentration and the corresponding time stamps graphically, with the graphical output presented in streaming fashion while monitoring continues.
The graphical presentation provides a real-time streaming graphical trace that tracks changes during scanning. The description further indicates optional threshold-based display behavior, optional conditioning, filtering, zeroing, timing and scaling, and display scaling or zoom, together with optional corrections and plotting relationships such as wind-current correction and plotting relative to multiple variables.
Claims Coverage
The partial claims set includes three independent claims that share the same core inventive concept: continuously determining gas concentration values and displaying them in streaming fashion graphically relative to a determined average environmental gas concentration. The inventive features are implemented as a method with time-stamped streaming graphical display, a second method variant with streaming graphical display relative to the environmental baseline, and a gas leak detector apparatus with sensor-to-processor conversion, memory storage, and streaming graphical display relative to the environmental baseline.
Time-stamped streaming graphical display relative to average environmental gas concentration
Detecting a presence of a gas using a gas sensor; generating a signal from the gas sensor; transmitting the signal from the gas sensor to a processor; processing a received signal from the gas sensor to determine a gas concentration value; associating the gas concentration with a corresponding time stamp; storing the gas concentration value and the corresponding time stamp; monitoring transmitted signals from the gas sensor over a predetermined time period and storing determined gas concentration values and corresponding time stamps; determining an average environmental gas concentration; and displaying the gas concentration values relative to the average environmental gas concentration and corresponding time stamps graphically as they are determined in streaming fashion relative to previously determined values and time stamps.
Streaming graphical display of gas concentration values relative to average environmental gas concentration
Detecting a presence of a gas using a gas sensor; generating a signal from the gas sensor; transmitting the signal from the gas sensor to a processor; processing a received signal from the gas sensor to determine a gas concentration value; storing the gas concentration value; monitoring transmitted signals from the gas sensor over a predetermined time period and storing determined gas concentration values; determining an average environmental gas concentration; and displaying the gas concentration values relative to the average environmental gas concentration graphically as they are determined in streaming fashion relative to previously determined gas concentration values.
Gas leak detector with streaming graphical display relative to average environmental gas concentration
Providing a housing at least partially surrounding a gas sensor configured to generate a signal in response to a presence of a gas; a processor in communication with the gas sensor and configured to receive the signal generated by the gas sensor and convert the signal to gas concentration data, wherein the processor is configured to continuously monitor the signal over a predetermined period; a memory unit in communication with the processor and configured to store gas concentration data; and a display in communication with the processor and configured to display gas concentration data as the gas concentration data is obtained, wherein an average environmental gas concentration is determined and newly obtained gas concentration data is displayed graphically in a streaming manner relative to the average environmental gas concentration along with previously displayed gas concentration data relative to the average environmental gas concentration.
Across the independent claims, the inventive focus is on continuously monitoring and converting sensor signals to gas concentration values, determining an average environmental gas concentration, and presenting newly determined gas concentration data graphically in a streaming fashion relative to that environmental baseline, with one method emphasizing association with corresponding time stamps.
Stated Advantages
Helps pinpoint leak location by tracking changes during scanning using a real-time streaming graphical trace.
Detects small and/or rapid baseline changes that may be difficult with prior bar/number displays.
Supports operation under nonzero ambient conditions by determining an average environmental gas concentration (automatic/self-calibration baseline).
Provides optional compact threshold-based display behavior by keeping a trace constant at or below a predetermined value and updating when exceeded.
Allows an alarm concept to trigger when gas concentration values exceed a predetermined value.
Documented Applications
Portable gas leak detection using a real-time streaming graphical trace to track gas concentration changes during scanning and help pinpoint leak location.
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