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A method and apparatus for remote laser-based detection of gas at levels exceeding natural background levels preferably utilizing wavelength modulated tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. In a preferred embodiment, background gas and noise are estimated using statistical moving average and v

A method and apparatus for remote laser-based detection of gas at levels exceeding natural background levels preferably utilizing wavelength modulated tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. In a preferred embodiment, background gas and noise are estimated using statistical moving average and variance calculations. Gas concentration length measurements resulting from the spectroscopy are preferably compared in real-time or near-real-time to the sum of the background and noise estimates and an alarm limit to detect gas presence of concern. Gas levels exceeding this detection threshold are preferably indicated by a prolonged output tone with a pitch indicative of the magnitude of the gas measurement, and gas levels below the detection threshold are preferably indicated by silence.

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What is claimed is: 1. A method of detecting the presence of a gas comprising the steps of, illuminating a target with a light beam from a laser having a wavelength generally corresponding to an absorption band of said gas, receiving at a detector a received portion of said light beam which is ref

What is claimed is: 1. A method of detecting the presence of a gas comprising the steps of, illuminating a target with a light beam from a laser having a wavelength generally corresponding to an absorption band of said gas, receiving at a detector a received portion of said light beam which is reflected from said target, sampling said received portion of said light beam to produce a series of measurements which are indicative of a concentration length product of said gas through which said received portion of said light beam has traveled, periodically determining a detection threshold from a statistical analysis of said series of measurements which estimates a threshold level above which a current measurement of said series of measurements is significant, comparing said current measurement of said series of measurements with a recent determination of said detection threshold, and producing a signal which indicates the presence of said gas at a level greater than said threshold level when said current measurement exceeds the recent determination of said detection threshold. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of periodically determining a detection threshold includes the step of, periodically determining said threshold level from a statistical average of a first plurality of said series of measurements. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of periodically determining said threshold level includes the step of, calculating an average of said first plurality of said series of measurements. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein, said first plurality of said series of measurements consists of a first number of consecutive measurements which are most recent in said series of measurements just prior to said current measurement. 5. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of, determining said background gas level estimate includes the step of calculating, and respectively, where Mi is an ith measurement of said series of measurements, Bi is said background gas level estimate, {overscore (Mi)} is an average of a number n of previous consecutive measurements of said series of measurements, and ΔM is a background change threshold value. 6. Then method of claim 1 wherein said step of periodically determining a detection threshold comprises the step of, periodically determining a measurement noise level estimate from a statistical variance of a second plurality of said series of measurements. 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of periodically determining a measurement noise level estimate comprises the step of, calculating a standard deviation of said second plurality of said series of measurements. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein, said second plurality of said series of measurements consists of a second number of consecutive measurements which are most recent in said series of measurements just prior to said current measurement. 9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of, determining said measurement noise level estimate by Ni and {circumflex over (M)}i functions, and where Mi is an ith measurement of said series of measurements, Ni is said measurement noise level estimate, {circumflex over (M)}i is a standard deviation of a number m of previous consecutive measurements of said series of measurements, NLL is a lower noise limit, and NUL is an upper noise limit. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of periodically determining a detection threshold includes the step of, including a user-set alarm level set point in said detection threshold. 11. The method of claim 1 wherein, said step of periodically determining a detection threshold from a statistical analysis of said series of measurements occurs for each measurement in said series of measurements. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of producing a signal which indicates the presence of said gas comprises the steps of, producing no tone signal when said current measurement does not exceed the recent determination of said detection threshold, and producing a tone signal when said current measurement exceeds the recent determination of said detection threshold. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of producing a signal which indicates the presence of said gas further comprises the step of, extending the duration of said tone signal beyond a time when said current measurement no longer exceeds the recent determination of said detection threshold. 14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of, producing said tone signal with a pitch which is indicative of the magnitude of said current measurement. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of periodically determining a detection threshold from a statistical analysis of said series of measurements is completed in real-time or near-real-time. 16. A method of detecting the presence of a gas comprising the steps of, illuminating a target with a light beam from a laser having a wavelength generally corresponding to an absorption band of said gas, receiving at a detector a reflected portion of said light beam which is reflected from said target, sampling said reflected portion of said light beam into a series of measurements which are indicative of a concentration length product of said gas through which said received portion of said light beam has traveled, periodically determining a background gas level estimate by calculating a moving statistical average calculation of a first plurality of said series of measurements, periodically determining a measurement noise level estimate from a moving statistical variance calculation of a second plurality of said series of measurements, providing a user determined alarm limit, comparing a current measurement of said series of measurements with a function of a sum of a recent determination of said background gas level estimate, a recent determination of said measurement noise level estimate and said alarm limit, and indicating the presence of said gas when said current measurement of said series of measurements exceeds said function of said sum by a predetermined threshold. 17. An apparatus (11) for detecting the presence of a gas (20) comprising, a laser (30) capable of emitting light (18) characterized by a wavelength generally corresponding to an absorption band of said gas, an optical detector (32) capable of measuring said light disposed near said laser and positioned to receive a portion ( 24) of said light emitted by said laser and that is reflected back thereto by a distant target (22), a signal processing module (34) operatively coupled to an output of said optical detector and designed and arranged to produce a series of discreet measurements indicative of the concentration length product of the gas through which said portion of said light has traveled, a statistical detection processor module (50) operatively coupled to an output of said signal processing module and designed and arranged to statistically calculate a gas background estimate, and a measurement noise estimate, and to differentiate which of said measurements exceeds a sum of said gas background estimate and said measurement noise estimate, and a user provided alarm limit, and a user interface (38) operatively coupled to an output of said detection processor module. 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said user interface comprises, a tone generator.