초록 ▼

A protective system having an upstream detection subsystem to detect a contaminant in an airflow and to provide a contaminant signal, an upstream detection subsystem, a filtration subsystem to filter the contaminant from the airflow, a valve adapted to allow selective routing of the airflow, and a c

A protective system having an upstream detection subsystem to detect a contaminant in an airflow and to provide a contaminant signal, an upstream detection subsystem, a filtration subsystem to filter the contaminant from the airflow, a valve adapted to allow selective routing of the airflow, and a control system adapted to control the valve to route the airflow through the protective system upon receiving the contaminant signal from the upstream detection subsystem. In one embodiment, the upstream detection subsystem includes at least two different types of detectors for detecting same type of contaminants. In another embodiment, the upstream detection subsystem is adapted to detect a contaminant, and a daughter compound. In another embodiment, the protective system includes a downstream detection subsystem. In yet another embodiment, the protective system includes a vehicle data link subsystem.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A protective system at least partially integrated with a vehicle for protecting occupants of the vehicle from contaminants, said protective system comprising: an upstream detection subsystem adapted to detect a contaminant in an airflow provided to a cabin of said vehicle, an

What is claimed is: 1. A protective system at least partially integrated with a vehicle for protecting occupants of the vehicle from contaminants, said protective system comprising: an upstream detection subsystem adapted to detect a contaminant in an airflow provided to a cabin of said vehicle, and to provide a contaminant signal indicating presence of said contaminant in said airflow, said upstream detection subsystem including at least two detectors that use different means of detecting contaminants to detect said contaminant; a filtration subsystem adapted to filter at least said contaminant from said airflow; a valve adapted to allow selective routing of said airflow through said protective system; a control system adapted to control said valve to route said airflow through said protective system upon receiving said contaminant signal from said upstream detection subsystem; a downstream detection subsystem positioned downstream of said filtration subsystem, and being adapted to detect said contaminant in said airflow after filtration by said filtration subsystem, and to provide secondary contaminant signal indicating presence of said contaminant in said airflow after filtration by said filtration subsystem; and a reprocessing valve downstream of said downstream detection subsystem; wherein said control system is further adapted to control said reprocessing valve to route said airflow downstream of said filtration subsystem back through said filtration subsystem upon receiving said secondary contaminant signal from said downstream detection subsystem. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least two detectors are adapted to detect one of a chemical contaminant, biological contaminant, radiological contaminant, or nuclear contaminant in said airflow. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said downstream detection subsystem includes at least two detectors that use different means of detecting contaminants from each other. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said upstream detection subsystem is further adapted to detect a daughter compound associated with said contaminant, and to provide contaminant signal indicating presence of said daughter compound in said airflow. 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle data link subsystem adapted to obtain information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein said vehicle data link subsystem is connected to a data network adapted to disseminate said information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an archival subsystem adapted retrievably store said information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 8. A protective system at least partially integrated with a vehicle for protecting occupants of the vehicle from contaminants, said protective system comprising: an upstream detection subsystem adapted to detect a contaminant and a daughter compound associated with said contaminant in an airflow provided to a cabin of said vehicle, and to provide contaminant signal indicating presence of said contaminant and said daughter compound in said airflow; a filtration subsystem adapted to filter at least said contaminant from said airflow; a valve adapted to allow selective routing of said airflow through said protective system; and a control system adapted to control said valve to route said airflow through said protective system upon receiving said contaminant signal from said upstream detection subsystem. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein said upstream detection subsystem is adapted to detect at least one of a chemical contaminant, biological contaminant, radiological contaminant, or nuclear contaminant in said airflow. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein said upstream detection subsystem includes at least two different types of detectors that use different sensing methodologies. 11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a downstream detection subsystem positioned downstream of said filtration subsystem, said downstream detection subsystem being adapted to detect said contaminant in said airflow after filtration by said filtration subsystem system. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said downstream detection subsystem is further adapted to provide secondary contaminant signal indicating presence of said contaminant in said airflow after filtration by said filtration subsystem. 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a reprocessing valve downstream of said downstream detection subsystem, and wherein said control system is further adapted to control said reprocessing valve to route said airflow downstream of said filtration subsystem back through said filtration subsystem upon receiving said secondary contaminant signal from said downstream detection subsystem. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein said downstream detection system is adapted to detect said daughter compound of said contaminant. 15. The system of claim 11, wherein said downstream detection subsystem includes at least two different types of detectors for detecting same type of contaminants. 16. The system of claim 8, further comprising a vehicle data link subsystem adapted to obtain information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said vehicle data link subsystem is connected to a data network adapted to disseminate information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 18. The system of claim 8, further comprising an archival subsystem adapted retrievably store said information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 19. A protective system at least partially integrated with a vehicle for protecting occupants of the vehicle from contaminants, said protective system comprising: an upstream detection subsystem adapted to detect a contaminant in an airflow provided to a cabin of said vehicle and to provide contaminant signal indicating presence of said contaminant in said airflow, said upstream detection subsystem including at least two detectors that detect said contaminant using different sensing technologies; a filtration subsystem adapted to filter at least said contaminant from said airflow; a valve adapted to allow selective routing of said airflow through said protective system; a control system adapted to control said valve to route said airflow through said protective system upon receiving said contaminant signal from said upstream detection subsystem; a downstream detection subsystem positioned downstream of said filtration subsystem, said downstream detection subsystem being adapted to detect said contaminant in said airflow after filtration by said filtration subsystem, and is further adapted to provide secondary contaminant signal indicating presence of said contaminant in said airflow after filtration by said filtration subsystem; and a reprocessing valve downstream of said downstream detection subsystem; wherein said control system is further adapted to control said reprocessing valve to route said airflow downstream of said filtration subsystem for further processing upon receiving said secondary contaminant signal from said downstream detection subsystem. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein said reprocessing valve routes said airflow back through said filtration subsystem. 21. A protective system at least partially integrated with a vehicle for protecting occupants of the vehicle from contaminants, said protective system comprising: an upstream detection subsystem adapted to detect a contaminant in an airflow provided to a cabin of said vehicle and to provide contaminant signal indicating presence of said contaminant in said airflow; a filtration subsystem adapted to filter at least said contaminant from said airflow; a valve adapted to allow selective routing of said airflow through said protective system; a control system adapted to control said valve to route said airflow through said protective system upon receiving said contaminant signal from said upstream detection subsystem; and a vehicle data link subsystem adapted to obtain information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein said vehicle data link subsystem is connected to a data network adapted to disseminate information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein said data network is at least one of a wide area data network and a local area data network. 24. The system of claim 21, further comprising an archival subsystem adapted retrievably store said information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 25. The system of claim 24, further comprising an analysis subsystem for analyzing said information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein said analysis subsystem is further adapted to perform spatial data fusion using said information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle to determine information regarding area contaminated. 27. The system of claim 25, wherein said analysis subsystem is further adapted to perform temporal data fusion using said information regarding detection of said contaminant and location of said vehicle to determine persistence of contaminants in an area.