WO2024100579A1

WO2024100579A1 - Ground and near-ground structured light sources for distant detection for chemicals of interest

Info

Publication number: WO2024100579A1
Application number: PCT/IB2023/061292
Authority: WO
Inventors: Iv Guido Fridolin Verbeck; Mark Ramirez; Andrew WORD; Jon MCCARRY
Original assignee: University Of North Texas; Nexus Research Technologies, Llc
Priority date: 2022-11-09
Filing date: 2023-11-08
Publication date: 2024-05-16

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a platform for performing rapid detection and quantification of chemistry within an environment in a decoupled manner. The disclosed systems and techniques utilize ground-based devices, aerial-based devices, or both to sample, detect, and quantify chemistry in a rapid manner. For example, ground- and/or aerial-based light emitting devices may transmit light through an environment and ground- and/or aerial-based detection devices may have detectors to detect the light. Chemistry of interest may be detected based on characteristics of the light signals observed by the detector, such as peaks at particular wavelengths within the detected light signals. The observed peaks may serve as signatures of chemistry of interest and may be used detect or identify chemistry of interest, as well as quantify the chemistry of interest present within the environment. The detection devices may be geographically remote from the light emitting devices during the analysis.

Description

GROUND AND NEAR-GROUND STRUCTURED LIGHT SOURCES FOR DISTANT DETECTION FOR CHEMICALS OF INTEREST

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/424,127, filed November 9, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates in general to the field of chemical detection and quantification and more particularly, to a system providing for remote detection of chemistry of interest using ground-based devices and/or aerial-based devices.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Systems for detection and quantification of chemistry within an environment are presently known. For example, mass spectrometers may be used to sample a volume of air within an environment and quantify a chemistry of the sampled volume of air. In such systems, the environment being sampled and the devices used to perform quantification of the chemistry present in the environment are tightly coupled — that is, the device(s) used for quantification of the chemistry must be present in the environment to be analyzed. One solution to address this tight coupling is to obtain samples of the air within an environment (e.g., in sealed containers) that may then be transported to a remote location where the chemistry of the sample may then be analyzed. However, such techniques exhibit inadequate performance due to the delays introduced by transporting the samples between the environment of interest and a location where an analysis device is present.

SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention provide a platform for performing rapid detection and quantification of chemistry within an environment remotely. The disclosed systems and techniques utilize ground-based devices, aerial-based devices, or combinations of these devices to sample, detect, and quantify chemistry in a rapid manner. For example, a system according to the present disclosure may include ground-based and/or aerial-based devices configured to emit light from a light source and ground-based and/or aerial-based devices having detectors configured to detect the light emitted by the light emitting devices. The light emitted from the ground- and/or aerial-based devices may be tuned to one or more particular wavelengths suitable for detecting specific chemistry of interest based on reception of the emitted light by detectors of the ground-based and/or aerial-based detection devices. Additionally or alternatively, the ground-based and/or aerial-based detection devices may detect specific chemistry of interest based on the emitted light using filters.

[0005] Using the ground- and/or aerial-based devices of the present disclosure, chemistry of interest may be detected in a decoupled manner, such that detection may be performed more rapidly despite the detectors being located remotely from the sampled environment. Such capabilities may be particularly well-suited to certain environments where sampling the environment may pose a danger to a human or may otherwise be difficult for humans to reach. Additionally, such systems may provide a lower cost way to sample environments, as the light emitting devices and detector devices may be manufactured at cheap costs in mobile form factors capable of sampling large areas of an environment while being remotely controlled. Such capabilities may enable rapid scanning of certain environments, such as pipelines, to detect leaks or other undesired sources of foreign chemistry being introduced to an environment.

[0006] The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures and in which:

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary aspects of a system for detection and quantification of chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0009] FIG. 2A is a block diagram of an exemplary light emitting device for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0010] FIG. 2B is a block diagram of another exemplary light emitting device for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0011] FIG. 2C is a block diagram of an exemplary detector light emitting device for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 2D is a block diagram of another exemplary detector light emitting device for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 3 is an image of an exemplary light source for use in detection and quantification of chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating exemplary light signal spectra for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 4B is another diagram illustrating exemplary light signal spectra for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 4C is another diagram illustrating exemplary light signal spectra for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; [0017] FIG. 4D is another diagram illustrating exemplary light signal spectra for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 4E is another diagram illustrating exemplary light signal spectra for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and

[0019] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method of detecting chemistry of interest in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the disclosed embodiments are sometimes illustrated diagrammatically and in partial views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the disclosed methods and apparatuses or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram illustrating exemplary aspects of a system for detection and quantification of chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure is shown as a system 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 includes a plurality of ground-based devices and aerial-based devices supporting operations for remote detection and quantification of chemistry of interest. The plurality of ground-based devices are shown to include one or more ground-based light emitting (GBLE) devices 110, 120 and one or more ground-based detection (GBD) devices 130. The plurality of aerial -based devices are shown to include one or more aerial -based light emitting (ABLE) devices 150 and aerial -based detection (ABD) devices 140, 160.

[0022] The GBLE devices may include mobile devices, such as GBLE device 110, as well as stationary device, such as GBLE device 120. As a non-limiting example, GBLE device 110 is shown in FIG. 1 as a ground-based vehicle having a light emitting device 112, traction components 114, and propulsion and control components 116. Exemplary traction components may include wheels, treads, or other components to facilitate movement of the GBLE device 110 over terrain of an environment of interest. The propulsion and control components 116 may include motors, gears, a transmission, navigation systems, communication systems (e.g., transceivers, receivers, transmitters, etc.), global positioning systems, other components for facilitating movement of the GBLE device 110, or combinations thereof. In an aspect, movement of the GBLE device 110 may be controlled remotely, such as under control of commands from a user via a remote control (not shown in FIG. 1). In additional or alternative aspects, a route or path of travel may be programmed using a remote computing device (not shown in FIG. 1) and stored in a memory of the GBLE device 110 for execution using the navigation and GPS systems of the GBLE device 110. The light emitting device 112 may be a light source configured to emit light. An exemplary light emitting device is describe in more detail with reference to FIG. 3 below. The propulsion and control components 116 may also include processors and a memory configured to control operations of the light emitting device 112, as described in more detail below.

[0023] In addition to mobile devices, the GBLE devices may include non-mobile devices, such as GBLE device 120. Unlike the GBLE device(s) 110, the GBLE device 120 may not include propulsion and control elements and instead may only include control elements 124. The control elements 124 may include processors and a memory configured to control operations of a light emitting device 122. Exemplary aspects of controlling the light emitting device 122 are described in more detail below. As a non-limiting example, the GBLE devices 120 may be standalone devices or devices integrated within existing infrastructure to facilitate operations of the system 100, as described in more detail below.

[0024] It is noted that while the examples described above include GBLE devices embodied as non-mobile devices or mobile devices including propulsion and control components to facilitate movement of the GBLE devices over a surface or terrain, other types of mobile GBLEs are also contemplated, such as aquatic-based light emitting devices (e.g., GBLEs having propulsion and control components to facilitate movement of the GBLE over, through, or under water. Additionally, the mobile GBLE devices also include aerial-based light emitting (ABLE) devices, such as ABLE device 150. Like GBLE device 110, the ABLE device 150 includes a light emitting device 152 and propulsion and control components 154. It is noted that as an aerial vehicle, the propulsion and control components 154 of the ABLE device 150 may be different from the propulsion and control components of the GBLE 110. For example, the propulsion and control components of the ABLE device 150 may include wings, rudders, propellers, or other components configured to facilitate flight of the ABLE device 150 through the air, rather than over the ground. The propulsion and control elements 154 of the ABLE device 150 may also include motors, gears, a transmission, navigation systems, communication systems (e g., transceivers, receivers, transmitters, etc ), global positioning systems, other components for facilitating movement of the ABLE device 150, or combinations thereof. It is noted that in some implementations the ABLE device 150 may also include traction components, such as wheels to facilitate takeoff / landing of the ABLE 150 from / on the ground (e.g., in a plane-type form factor), while in other implementations taking off and landing of the ABLE 150 may be facilitated without wheels (e g., in balloon-based, helicopter or quad-copter-based, or other form factors). In an aspect, movement of the ABLE device 150 may be controlled remotely, such as under control of commands from a user via a remote control (not shown in FIG. 1). In additional or alternative aspects, a route or path of travel may be programmed using a remote computing device (not shown in FIG. 1) and stored in a memory of the ABLE device 150 for execution using the navigation and GPS systems of the ABLE device 150. The propulsion and control components 154 may also include processors and a memory configured to control operations of the light emitting device 152, as described in more detail below. It is noted that the light emitting devices 112, 122, 152 may include laser light sources, infrared light sources, or other types of light sources suitable for supporting operations of the system 100 in accordance with the concepts described herein. In an aspect, filters may be used to control a spectrum of light output by the light emitting devices 112, 122, 152. For example, certain wavelengths of light may be more suitable for use in detection of particular chemistry of interest and so light emitting devices may be configured to emit light at those certain wavelengths, thereby eliminating potential noise and improving overall detection accuracy.

[0025] In addition to the ground-based and aerial -based light emitting devices, the system 100 also includes detector devices, such as GBD devices 130, ABD devices 140, 160. Each of the detector devices includes a detector configured to detect light emitted from the GBLE devices and ABLE devices. For example, GBD device 130 includes a detector 132, ABD device 140 includes a detector 142, and ABD 160 may include a detector (not shown in FIG. 1). In addition to detectors, the detection devices may also include processing and control components. To illustrate, GBD device 130 includes processing and control components 134, ABD device 140 includes a processing and control components 144, and ABD 160 may include processing and control components (not shown in FIG. 1). The detectors of the detection devices may be configured to detect light emitted from the GBLE devices and the ABLE devices. The one or more processing and control components of the GBD devices and the ABD devices may be configured to analyze outputs of the detectors to identify chemistry of interest.

[0026] It is noted that the GBD devices and ABD may be deployed for detecting signals from GBLE devices and/or ABLE devices in connection with detecting, quantifying, and analyzing chemistry of interest in a variety of ways and form factors. For example, GBD devices may be attached to existing infrastructure (e.g., a building, a street light, a cellular communications tower, a radio tower, etc.) or may be deployed independently at locations where GBLE and ABLE devices may be operated so that signals (e.g., light signals) from the GBLE and ABLE devices can be detected and used to identify, quantify, or otherwise analyze chemistry of interest within the environment where these devices operate. Similarly, ABD devices may be attached or integrated within existing air-based vehicles (e.g., airplanes, drones, helicopters, hot air balloons, etc.) to detect signals from GBLE or ABLE devices operating within the vicinity of the ABD devices as they travel from a point of origin to a destination (e.g., a commercial aircraft travelling between cities, etc.) or may be specially purposed ABD devices designed and deployed specifically for the purpose of identifying, quantifying, and analyzing chemistry of interest in an environment (e.g., a drone or other air-based vehicle launched for the sole purpose of monitoring signals from a GBLE or ABLE device).

[0027] During operation, one or more GBLE and/or ABLE devices may be controlled (e.g., remotely or by a human) to traverse a path of travel (e.g., using a propulsion and control system). As the GBLE and ABLE devices traverse the path of travel their respective light emitting devices (e.g., the light emitting devices 112, 152) may emit pulses or continuous beams of light. Alternatively or additionally, non-mobile GBLE devices may be deployed within a target environment and configured to generate light signals for detection by GBD devices and/or ABD devices. The emitted light may be configured or tuned to a particular spectrum or spectra of light, where the spectrum or spectra of light may be configured to facilitate detection of specific chemistry of interest, as described in more detail below. Timestamps correspond to the light emissions may be recorded as the GBLE and/or ABLE devices traverse the path of travel. Additionally, location information, such as GPS location, may be recorded during the movement of the GBLE and ABLE devices. The timestamp information and location information may be synchronized to enable specific portions of the light emitted by the light emitting devices to be associated with a particular location, thereby providing a way to associate any chemistry of interest detected by the GBD or ABD devices based on the light signals to be associated with specific locations.

[0028] In an aspect, the spectrum or spectra of light signals emitted by the light emitting devices may be controlled by selection and/or a configuration of specific light emitting devices (e.g., infrared light emitting devices, laser light emitting devices, light emitting diodes (LEDs), laser diodes, or other energy sources), as shown in FIG. 2A, which shows a light emitting device 202 without any additional filters. In additional or alternative aspects, tuning of spectrum or spectra of light signals emitted by the light emitting devices may be controlled using filters, as shown in FIG. 2B, which shows a light emitting device 210 having a filter 212 configured to filter a portion of the spectrum or spectra of light output by the light emitting device 110. In FIGs. 2C and 2D, exemplary configurations of detectors are shown. In particular, FIG. 2C shows a detector 220 that does not include any additional filters while FIG. 2D shows a detector 230 having one or more additional filters 232. The particular configuration of the detector (e.g., with or without filters) may depend on the targeted chemistry of interest and/or the light emitting device(s) being used. For example, where the light emitting device is utilized, a detector targeted chemistry of interest falling within a specific portion of the spectrum may have a filter, such as the filter 232, when the light emitting device 202 emits light having a broader spectrum or spectra than the chemistry of interest or may not include a filter (e.g., when the light emitting device outputs light within a spectrum or spectra specific to the chemistry of interest). It is noted that when filters are utilized, whether at the light emitting device, the detector device, or both, more than one filter may be used if desired. For example, multiple filters may be utilized to obtain light signals within a variety of spectrums or spectra to facilitate sufficient resolution for detecting different chemistry of interest. As an example, the detector may include one or more infrared spectrometers sensors or detectors configured to detect chemistry of interest based on infrared signals emitted by one or more light emitting devices. Moreover, the filters may be used to filter portions of the spectrum related to chemistry that is not of interest, thereby minimizing noise present at the detector. In an aspect, the filters may include Savitsky-Golay filters, Golay filters, hyperspectral filters, ultraviolet filters, near-infrared filters, mid-infrared filters, or a combination thereof. In an aspect, multiple filters may be provided, such as by providing an array of detectors, each associated with a different filter. In an aspect, the particular filters selected for use with the detectors may be configured based on the target chemistry of interest for detection. For example, a first type of filter or combination of filters may be suitable for certain types of chemistry of interest while other types of filters may be suitable for other types of chemistry of interest. Other optical light processing components may also be incorporated (e.g., diffractive gratings, etc.). It is also noted that different types of detectors may also be utilized. For example, an infrared detector, near-infrared detector, mid-infrared detector, RBG detector, photo diodes, or other types of detectors may be utilized to provide broad spectrum coverage and to facilitate robust sensing capabilities.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 3, an image of an exemplary light source for use in detection and quantification of chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure is shown as a light source 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the light source 300 may include one or more light emitting devices 310, each configured to output a light signal having a desired set of spectral properties (e.g., infrared to far ultraviolet (UV) spectra, etc.) suitable for use in detecting, quantifying, and identifying chemistry of interest. The light emitting devices may be arranged on a substrate having a mount 302, which may include one or more apertures 304 to facilitate coupling of the light source 300 to a GBLE device and/or an ABLE device in accordance with the concepts described herein. It is noted that while FIG. 3 shows mounting of the light source 300 being achieved via apertures 304, other mechanisms may be used to couple the light source 300 to GBLE and/or ABLE devices in accordance with the concepts disclosed herein.

[0030] Referring back to FIG. 1, the light emitted by the GBLE and/or ABLE devices propagates through space until it is detected by a detector of the GBD and/or ABD devices. As briefly explained above, the detector may be an infrared spectrometer device or other type of device configured to detect light signals (e.g., light signals in a range covering a light spectra between infrared and far UV). As an additional non-limiting example, the sensors may include a red/green/blue (RGB) light sensors. In such a configuration the pixels corresponding to each color may be aligned pixel to pixel so that in an array of pixels each of the pixels of each array are aligned in two-dimensional or three-dimensional space (e.g., the center pixel of the red array may be aligned with the center pixels of the blue and green arrays, etc.). It is noted that while the description above refers to the detector as a singular device or component, in some aspects, multiple detectors may be provided. Moreover, when multiple detectors are utilized, the different detectors may be configured to detect the same range of the light signal spectra or different ranges of light signal spectra. For example, the detector devices of the GBD and ABD devices may be configured to detect chemistry of interest based on particular portions of a light signal spectrum through infrared spectroscopy, which measures the interaction of infrared radiation with matter (i.e., chemistry of interest) by absorption, emission, or reflection.

[0031] For example, FIGs. 4A-4E are diagrams illustrating exemplary light signal spectra for detecting and quantifying chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure. In particular, FIGs. 4A and 4B illustrate transmission properties of different light wavelengths through different quartz glasses (e.g., JGS1 UV-grade fused silica quartz glass in FIG. 4A and JGS3 UV-grade fused silica IR quartz glass in FIG. 4B). As can be seen in FIGs. 4A and 4B, different types of quartz glasses may enable transmission of different portions of a light spectrum (i.e., different wavelengths of a light spectrum). It is noted that other types of glasses, whether made from quarts or another material, may be utilized in accordance with the concepts described herein and the specific examples shown in FIGs. 4A and 4B have been provided as non-limiting examples to illustrate how different glasses (e.g., quartz, pyrophyllite, kaolinite, montmorillonite, mullite, amorphous silica, muscovite, etc.) may be used to control operations of a detector device or light emitting device according to the transmission properties of the chosen glass(es).

[0032] In FIGs. 4C and 4D, diagrams illustrating characteristics of a spectrum of light that may be used to detect chemistry of interest are shown. In particular, FIG. 4C shows a diagram illustrating spectral characteristics of methane (plot 430), ethane (plot 432), and propane (plot 434) and FIG. 4D shows a diagram illustrating spectral characteristics of methane (plot 440), n-heptane (plot 442), and 43% (methane) Ch4+, 57% (heptane) C7H16 (plot 444). As can be seen in FIGs. 4C and 4D, the different plots exhibit peaks at various portions of the light spectrum, with substantially the same peaks being observed for the same chemistry of interest. For example, methane exhibits substantially similar peaks in FIGs. 4C and 4D, the plot 442 for n-heptane exhibits similar peaks to the plot 444 representing a mixture of heptane and methane. The characteristics of the observed peaks shown in the plots of FIGs. 4C and 4D may be utilized to identify chemistry of interest in accordance with the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4E, exemplary characteristics of observed peaks within an infrared spectrum for methane are shown as a plot 450, having characteristic peaks 452 at different wavelengths of the IR spectrum. As with the plots of FIGs. 4C and 4D, the peaks 452 may vary from one type of chemistry, such as methane as shown in FIG. 4E, to another type of chemistry, thereby enabling the observed peaks to be used to detect or identify chemistry of interest. In some aspects, the magnitude of the peaks may be used to quantify the amount of the chemistry of interest present in the environment.

[0033] As can be appreciated from FIGs. 4A-4E, GBLE devices and ABLE devices may be configured to utilize one or more light emitting devices to output light signals within broad or narrow ranges of a light spectrum to target chemistry of interest, and GBD devices and ABD devices may be configured to utilize one or more detector devices to detect and characterize chemistry of interest based on spectral characteristics observed in detected light signals. As an example, in a pipeline inspection use case a GBLE or ABLE may output light signals within a spectrum range in which peaks characteristic of methane may be observed. If there is additional chemistry of interest, the light emitting device may include additional light sources outputting light signals with different spectral properties corresponding to peaks or other characteristics of the additional chemistry of interest. Similarly, detectors of the GBD or ABD devices may be provided with one or more detectors suitable for detecting the peaks or other spectral characteristics of the chemistry of interest upon detection of the light signals output by the GBLE or ABLE devices.

[0034] Referring back to FIG. 1 and as described above, the system 100 supports various implementations of light emitting devices (e.g., GBLE devices 110, 120 and ABLE devices 150) and detector devices (e.g., GBD device 130 and ABD devices 140, 160) operating in a coordinated and decoupled manner to enable detection, quantification, and analysis of chemistry of interest within an environment. To illustrate, one or more the GBLE devices 110, 120 and/or ABLE devices 150 may be deployed to sample an environment 170. In the nonlimiting example illustrated in FIG. 1 the environment 170 may include molecules such as propane 172, methane 174, water (FEO) 176, and nitrogen 178. The light emitting device(s) may output one or more light signals having a desired spectrum (e.g., a spectrum ranging from infrared to far UV or portions thereof). For example, the light emitting device 112 of GBLE 110 may output a light signal 112’, the light emitting device 122 of GBLE 120 may output a light signal 122’, and/or the light emitting device 152 of ABLE 150 may output a light signal 152’ . As the light signal(s) propagate through the environment 170 the interaction between the light signal(s) and the chemistry within the environment (e.g., molecules corresponding to the propane 172, the methane 174, the FEO 176, and the nitrogen 178) may result in reflection, absorption, and/or emission, which may impact the portions of the spectra received at one or more detection devices, such as the detector 132 of the GBD 130, the detector 142 of the ABD 140, or a detector of the ABD 160. As explained above with reference to FIGs. 4A-4E, the impact that interaction between the chemistry within the environment 170, the light signal(s), and any filters utilized by the system 100 may result in peaks or other spectral properties being observed within the outputs of the detector(s). For example, due to the presence of the methane molecules 174 within the environment 170, peaks at wavelengths corresponding to those shown in FIGs. 4C and 4D may be observed, thereby enabling the detection of methane within the environment 170. In an aspect, the magnitude of the peaks at specific wavelengths in the observed spectrum of the light signals may enable quantification of the amount of methane (or other chemistry of interest) within the environment.

[0035] As shown above, the system 100 utilizes a decoupled approach to detect or identify, qualify, quantify, and locate licit and illicit chemicals and their associated precursors and byproducts. As non-limiting examples, the chemistry of interest may be associated with molecules indicative of a leak in an oil and gas pipeline or other type of oil and gas facility or infrastructure. Additionally, the chemistry of interest may be associated with manufacture or use of illegal drugs, bombs, or other types of substances indicative of a public danger. Other types of chemistry of interest may also be detected using the techniques described herein. Irrespective of the particular chemistry of interest, it is to be appreciated that the GBLE devices, GBD devices, ABLE devices, and ABD devices may be tuned to detect such chemistry of interest using the above-described techniques in a decoupled manner. Additionally exemplary aspects of the system 100 are described in the attached Appendix.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 5, a flow diagram of an exemplary method of detecting chemistry of interest in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown as a method 500. In an aspect, the steps of the method 500 may be performed by a system, such as the system 100 of FIG. 1. Steps of the method 500 may be performed by light emitting devices, such as the GBLE devices 110, 120 and the ABLE device 150, as well as detection devices, such as the GBD device 130 and ABD devices 140, 160 of FIG. 1. As can be appreciated from the discussion above, the light emitting devices and/or the detection devices may include mobile and non-mobile devices designed to provide suitable coverage of the target environment in which the chemistry of interest is to be analyzed.

[0037] At step 510, the method includes transmitting, by a light source of a light emitting device, a light signal through an environment. As described above, the light emitting device may be one of the GBLE deices 110, 120 or the ABLE device 150 of FIG. 1 and the light source may be one of the light emitting device 112, 122, 152 of FIG. 1. At step 520, the method 500 includes detecting, by a detector of a detection device, the light signal. As explained above with reference to FIG. 1, the detection device is remotely located from the light emitting device. For example, the detector may be one of the detectors 132, 142 or a detector of the ABD 160, which are remotely located from the GBLE devices 110, 120 and the ABLE device 150. In an aspect, the ABLE and ABD devices may also include satellites. At step 530, the method 500 includes analyzing, by one or more processors of the detection device, the light signals detected by the detector to identify characteristics of the light signals. As described above with reference to FIG. 1, the one or more characteristics may include peaks observed within a spectrum of the detected light signal, a magnitude of the observed peaks, or other characteristics of the light signals. The one or more processors may be part of the processing and control components 134, 144, as non-limiting examples. At step 540, the method 500 includes determining, by the one or more processors of the detection device, a presence of the chemistry of interest within the environment based on the characteristics of the light signals. As explained above with reference to FIGs. 4C-4E, different chemistry of interest may be associated with different peaks within the light spectrum, thereby providing a signature from which identification of the chemistry of interest may be identified, quantified, or otherwise evaluated.

[0038] Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. [0039] Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification.

Claims

1. A method for detecting chemistry of interest within an environment, the method comprising: transmitting, by a light source of a light emitting device, a light signal through an environment, detecting, by a detector of a detection device, the light signal, wherein the detector device is remotely located from the light emitting device; analyzing, by one or more processors of the detection device, the light signal detected by the detector to identify characteristics of the light signal; and determining, by the one or more processors of the detection device, a presence of the chemistry of interest within the environment based on the characteristics of the light signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is a mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is a stationary device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection device is a mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection device is a stationary device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the light signal comprises light within a spectrum ranging from infrared light to far ultraviolet light signal, or a portion thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the light signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the light signal is fdtered by a filter associated with the light emitting device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the light signal is filtered by a filter associated with the detection device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the light signal comprise one or more peaks within a spectrum associated with the light signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the chemistry of interest is identified based on a wavelength corresponding to each of the one or more peaks.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the chemistry of interest is quantified based on a magnitude of each of the one or more peaks.

13. A system for detecting chemistry of interest within an environment, the system comprising: a light emitting device comprising a light source of configured to transmit a light signal through an environment; a detection device comprising: a detector configured to detect the light signal, wherein the detector device is remotely located from the light emitting device; and one or more processors configured to: detect the light signal via the detector to identify characteristics of the light signal; and determine a presence of the chemistry of interest within the environment based on the characteristics of the light signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the light emitting device comprises a mobile device or a stationary device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the detection device is a mobile device or a stationary device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the light signal comprises light within a spectrum ranging from infrared light to far ultraviolet light signal, or a portion thereof.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a filtering device configured to filter the light signal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the filter is associated with the light emitting device or the detection device.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the characteristics of the light signal comprise one or more peaks within a spectrum associated with the light signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the chemistry of interest is identified based on a wavelength corresponding to each of the one or more peaks, quantified based on a magnitude of each of the one or more peaks, or both.