CLIAMS:1. A system comprising:

One or more electron capturing detectors positioned at every row of a seating arrangement in an aircraft for detecting explosive vapors from explosives materials;

A Raman analyzer configured to detect a fingerprint sample of the detected explosives vapors of the explosives materials for analyzing a type of explosive material; and

An alarm unit configured to provide an indication to a pilot of the aircraft based on the detected data of the explosives vapors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a memory unit configured to compare detected explosives vapors figure prints with predefined vapors figure prints for analyzing a type of explosives material.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a micro controller configured to control an operation of the one or more electron capturing detectors and Raman analyzer and the alarm unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein data acquisition unit configured coupled between the one or more electron capturing detectors and the micro controller.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the Raman analyzer configured to apply a standoff explosive detection technique for detecting the explosives vapors.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the Raman analyzer configured to determine a distance of the detected explosives materials.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more electron capturing detectors comprising fans for drawing air from the detected explosive materials.

8. A method, comprising:

detecting explosive vapors from explosives materials by one or more electron capturing detectors, whereby the one or more electron capturing detectors positioned at every row of seating arrangement of an aircraft;

analyzing a type of explosive material through a fingerprint sample of the detected explosives vapors by a Raman analyzer; and

Providing an indication based on the detected explosives vapors by an alarm unit.
,TagSPECI:TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of electronic systems used in an air craft. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to system and method for detecting explosives onboard.
BACKGROUND

[0002] Generally, airport security use cloth-like material to swipe luggage and cargo to collect explosives particles for detection. The explosive samples are analyzed one at a time in a process. The process requires the swipe to be heated to a temperature needed to volatilize the particles for detection. In some cases, airport security will turn to canines for detection, especially for large items similar to size of vehicles or cargo make particle sampling impractical. Specially-designed explosive detectors which are available can detect the presence of explosives. These explosive detectors are akin to metal detectors, which are now almost universally used in airports to prevent terrorists from smuggling guns on board aircraft. One disadvantage inherent in these commercially available explosives detectors is that, unlike metal detectors, they are not capable of detecting the presence of explosives instantaneously. Instead, such explosive detectors may require at least five to ten seconds to detect the presence of explosives, and may take up to a minute or longer if the explosives are hermetically sealed. As a result, the use of such explosives detectors would create greater delays prior to aircraft boarding than are now caused by the usage of metal detectors.

[0003] Another disadvantage in the use of exiting explosives detector systems for detecting explosives in the aircraft is that they fail in finding out the type of explosives material, and provide false alarm and the like.

[0004] In the light of aforementioned discussion there exists a need of system and method for detecting explosives onboard.
BRIEF SUMMARY

[0005] The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding to the reader. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure and it does not identify key/critical elements of the invention or delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts disclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0006] A more complete appreciation of the present invention and the scope thereof can be obtained from the accompanying drawings which are briefly summarized below and the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments.

[0007] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a system and method for detecting explosives onboard.

[0008] According to an exemplary aspect, the system includes one or more electron capturing detectors positioned at every row of a seating arrangement in an aircraft for detecting explosives vapors from explosives materials. The one or more electron capturing detectors comprising fans for drawing air from the detected explosive materials.

[0009] According to an exemplary aspect, the system includes a Raman analyzer configured to detect a fingerprint sample of the detected explosive vapors of the explosive materials for analyzing a type of explosive material. The Raman analyzer configured to apply a standoff explosive detection technique for detecting the explosive vapors.

[0010] According to an exemplary aspect, the system includes an alarm unit configured to provide an indication to a pilot of the aircraft based on the detected data of the explosive vapors.

[0011] According to an exemplary aspect, the system includes a micro controller configured to control an operation of the one or more electron capturing detectors and Raman analyzer and the alarm unit.

[0012] According to an exemplary aspect, the micro controller includes memory unit configured to compare detected explosives vapors figure prints with predefined vapors figure prints for analyzing a type of explosives material.

[0013] According to an exemplary aspect, the system includes a data acquisition unit configured to place between the one or more electron capturing detectors and the micro controller.

[0014] According to an exemplary aspect, the method includes detecting explosive vapors from explosives materials by one or more electron capturing detectors

[0015] According to an exemplary aspect, the method includes analyzing a type of explosivess material through a fingerprint sample of the detected explosives vapors by a Raman analyzer.

[0016] According to an exemplary aspect, the method includes providing an indication to a pilot in the aircraft based on the detected data of the explosive vapors by an alarm unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals have been used to designate like elements, and wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for detecting explosivess onboard, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 2 depicts a diagram of a process to detect explosives materials, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of a method for detecting explosivess onboard, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a method for providing alarm indication to the pilot, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0023] The use of “including”, “comprising” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. Further, the use of terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another.

[0024] FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a system for detecting explosivess onboard, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The block diagram 100 depicts multiple electron capturing detectors 102a, 102b and 102c which may be positioned at every row of seating arrangement in the aircraft. The multiple electron capturing detectors 102a, 102b and 102c may be configured to detect explosive vapors from the explosive materials in the aircraft. For convenience, the present block diagram of the disclosure discuss only about three electron capturing detectors 102a, 102b and 102c. However it should be understood that in practice multiple electron capturing detectors may be used in the system as similar as electron capturing detectors 102a, 102b and 102c. The multiple electron capturing detectors 102a, 102b and 102c may comprise fans for drawing the air from the explosive materials.

[0025] As shown in the FIG. 1, the system may include a Raman analyzer 104, which may be configured to detect a fingerprint sample of the detected explosive vapors of the explosives materials for analyzing a type of explosives material. The Raman analyzer 104 may use a light source for detecting the light received from the electron capturing detector 102a (also from 102b and 102c), wherein a filter is placed between the detected explosive vapors sample and the electron capturing detector 102a (also from 102b and 102c) to pass the light in a predetermined band, the band being sufficiently narrow and is not passed to the electron capturing detector 102a (also from 102b and 102c). The Raman analyzer 104 may be configured to apply a standoff explosive detection technique for detecting the explosive vapors.

[0026] As shown in the FIG. 1, the system may include a micro controller 106, which may be configured to control an operation of the multiple electron capturing detectors 102a, 102b and 102c and Raman analyzer 104. The micro controller 106 may include an integrated circuit a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Here the micro controller 106 may referred as computer or arduino microcontroller and the like without limiting the scope of the disclosure. The memory unit 106a configured to compare detected explosives vapors figure prints with predefined vapors figure prints for analyzing a type of explosives material.

[0027] As shown in the FIG. 1, the system may include an alarm unit 108, which may be configured to provide an indication to a pilot in the aircraft based on the detected data of the explosives vapors. The microcontroller 106 may provide an output signal on a line and an alarm indication output signal by using the alarm unit 108. The alarm indication signal indicates that one of the electron capturing detectors 102a, 102b and 102c detected the presence of explosivess. The alarm signal, which may communicate to display unit 112 positioned in the cockpit of the aircraft to alert the pilot that explosives are present in the aircraft. The alarm signal causes the monitor to indicate a respective row where the explosives are sensed. In addition, the display unit 112 produces an image of the row in which explosivess were detected.

[0028] FIG. 2 depicts a diagram of a process to detect explosivess materials, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The diagram 200 may include an electron capturing detector 102 positioned at every row seating arrangement of an aircraft. The electron capturing detector 102 may be configured to detect explosive vapors from the explosive materials in the aircraft. The detected explosive vapor signals may be amplified by the signal conditioning process for further processing.

[0029] As shown in the FIG. 2, the amplified detected explosivess vapor signals may be transmitted to a data acquisition unit 110. The data acquisition unit 110 may be configured for converting the detected explosivess vapors signals into digital numeric values. The digital numeric values of the detected explosive vapors may be manipulated by the micro controller 106.

[0030] As shown in the FIG. 2, the micro controller 106 may be connected with a Raman analyzer 104. The Raman analyzer 104 may detect a fingerprint sample of the detected explosives vapors of the explosivess materials for analyzing a type of explosivess material. The Raman analyzer 104 employs non contact technique that uses a laser to probe the vibration energy levels of molecules in an explosives substance. The vibration information provided by the Raman analyzer 104 is very specific for the chemical composition of the molecules. The spectrum of the laser may provide unique signature for identification of explosives vapor traces from various materials.

[0031] FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram 300 of a method for detecting explosivess onboard, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The method starts at step 302, wherein the multiple electron capturing detectors detects explosive vapors from the explosives materials in the aircraft. At step 304, the Raman analyzer analyzes a type of explosives material through a fingerprint sample of the detected explosive vapors by using a light source. Further at step 306, the alarm unit provides an indication to a pilot in the aircraft in response the detected data of the explosives vapors.

[0032] FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram 400 of a method for providing alarm indication to the pilot in the air craft, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The method starts at step 402, wherein an electron capturing detector may be placed in a row of the aircraft seating arrangement for detecting the explosive vapors in the aircraft. The row of the seating arrangement may be initiated to zero and a low signal may be transmitted to start the fan inside the electron capturing detector at step 404. Similarly, the rows are incremented and all the fans of the electron capturing detectors may be switched-on simultaneously at step 406. When the row count reaches the total row in the aircraft or limit and then it may come out of the loop at step 408. At step 410, the fans of the all electron capturing detectors may be switched-on to draw the air from the respective row, further the reading may precede for each electron capturing detector. Once the reading is completed, then it may be stored in variable A at step 412. The variable A value may be compared to the limit (which may be the threshold voltage value i.e., 4-5 volts, standing current inside the electron capturing detector) at step 414. After a significant drop in the voltage from a particular row, the fan speed is increased further to check if the voltage drop (electronegative compounds in the explosives vapors absorb the electrons in the electron capture detector resulting in voltage drop) still exists at step 416. If the voltage drop still exists, then it is evident that explosive material is present and alarm unit may be activated and Raman analyzer is switched on at step 418. Further at step 420, if the stored variable value A is less than that of the threshold voltage LIMIT, then increment of row is done and the value (detector reading) of the respective row is compared and the loop continues.

[0033] The claimed subject matter has been provided here with reference to one or more features or embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate that, despite of the detailed nature of the exemplary embodiments provided here; changes and modifications may be applied to said embodiments without limiting or departing from the generally intended scope. These and various other adaptations and combinations of the embodiments provided here are within the scope of the disclosed subject matter as defined by the claims and their full set of equivalents.