Abstract: A thin film/MEMS electrochemical gas sensor includes a body having first and second joined subassemblies to form an interior portion of the body, and is composed of a semiconductor material. The body includes at least one opening configured to allow air to pass into the interior portion of the body. A membrane stack is located in the interior of the body, producing an electrical signal that represents a concentration of target gas in the air at the membrane stack. Conductive contacts are configured to provide electrical connection to the membrane stack to access the electrical signal produced by the membrane stack.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems for, and methods of, providing low nuisance, fast response hazard notification. Advantageously, the disclosed techniques avoid sounding an alarm in response to typical nuisance events, such as burnt food.

Abstract: A method for detecting smoke via a chamber-less smoke sensor includes applying one or more filters to eliminate a flooding of ambient light upon the smoke sensor and emitting, by a source, light. At least one detector detects at least a portion of the emitted light and a processor processes the detected light to signal an alarm condition when one or more threshold levels are reached. A chamber-less smoke sensor includes a light source configured to emit light and at least one detector configured to detect at least a portion of the emitted light. An electronic filter and/or a processor is configured to apply one or more filters to eliminate a flooding of ambient light upon the smoke sensor and process the detected light to signal an alarm condition when a threshold level is reached.

Abstract: A learning alarm includes a sensor operatively connected to a processor to detect environmental properties and an alarm operatively connected to the processor to provide an alert if the environmental properties are outside an acceptable range. A user interface is operatively connected to the processor to accept user input indicating an alert corresponds to a nuisance condition. A memory is also operatively connected to the processor for storing detected environmental properties corresponding to the nuisance condition. The processor is configured to suppress alerts from the alarm based on detected environmental properties corresponding to the environmental properties of the nuisance condition stored in the memory.

Abstract: A mounting assembly and method for installing an alarm unit are provided. The mounting assembly includes a backplate having a front face and one or more keys extending from the front face, with the backplate being configured to be secured to a wall. The mounting assembly also includes a receptacle including one or more triggers electrically connected to a power source of the alarm unit, and defining one or more hanger recesses. The receptacle is configured to receive the one or more keys of the backplate in the one or more hanger recesses such that the one or more triggers are actuated by engagement with the one or more keys and relative movement between the backplate and the receptacle. The receptacle is physically secured to the backplate via engagement with the one or more keys.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided for managing energy harvested from one or more environmental sources and using the harvested energy to power an electronic device. An apparatus includes a primary power source and an energy harvester onboard the apparatus for converting energy from the environmental sources into harvested energy. The apparatus further includes an energy controller connected to the primary power source and the energy harvester, where the energy controller uses the harvested energy to power an electronic device onboard the apparatus. The electronic device can include a hazard detector or an access control device. The apparatus can also provide backup power using the harvested energy to power the electronic device when the primary power source fails.

Abstract: A mounting assembly and method for installing an alarm unit are provided. The mounting assembly includes a backplate having a front face and one or more keys extending from the front face, with the backplate being configured to be secured to a wall. The mounting assembly also includes a receptacle including one or more triggers electrically connected to a power source of the alarm unit, and defining one or more hanger recesses. The receptacle is configured to receive the one or more keys of the backplate in the one or more hanger recesses such that the one or more triggers are actuated by engagement with the one or more keys and relative movement between the backplate and the receptacle. The receptacle is physically secured to the backplate via engagement with the one or more keys.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems for, and methods of, providing low nuisance, fast response hazard notification. Advantageously, the disclosed techniques avoid sounding an alarm in response to typical nuisance events, such as burnt food.

Abstract: A thin film/MEMS electrochemical gas sensor includes a body having first and second joined subassemblies to form an interior portion of the body, and is composed of a semiconductor material. The body includes at least one opening configured to allow air to pass into the interior portion of the body. A membrane stack is located in the interior of the body, producing an electrical signal that represents a concentration of target gas in the air at the membrane stack. Conductive contacts are configured to provide electrical connection to the membrane stack to access the electrical signal produced by the membrane stack.

Abstract: Optical detection systems and optical spectrometric systems are presented. One embodiment is a parallelized optical detection system. The detection system includes collector optics configured to receive an input optical signal, a plurality of optical filters and a plurality of tunable cavities. The collector optics includes at least one collector lens and at least one fiber multiplexer. The plurality of optical filters are configured to receive the input optical signal from the fiber multiplexer, and have serially varying pass band configured to filter the input optical signal at respective bandwidths. Each of the plurality of tunable cavities is optically coupled to each filter of the respective plurality of optical filters to receive a respective filtered output signal. The plurality of tunable cavities have band-pass frequencies with center frequencies staggered.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) based current & magnetic field sensor includes a MEMS-based magnetic field sensing component having a capacitive magneto-MEMS component, a compensator and an output component for sensing magnetic fields and for providing, in response thereto, an indication of the current present in a respective conductor to be measured. In one embodiment, first and second mechanical sense components are electrically conductive and operate to sense a change in a capacitance between the mechanical sense components in response to a mechanical indicator from a magnetic-to-mechanical converter.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a micro-electrical mechanical system apparatus includes (i) a comb drive actuator having at least one irregularly shaped finger and (ii) a movable Fabry-Perot filter cavity mirror coupled to the comb drive actuator. According to some embodiments, a relationship between a voltage applied to the comb drive actuator and an amount of displacement associated with the movable mirror is substantially linear.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a micro-electrical mechanical system apparatus includes an actuator within a plane and at least one movable mirror oriented substantially normal to the plane. The actuator may move the movable mirror with respect to a fixed mirror oriented substantially normal to the plane and substantially parallel to the movable mirror. The space between the fixed and movable mirrors might comprise, for example, a Fabry-Perot filter cavity for a spectrometer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a micro-electrical mechanical system apparatus includes (i) a comb drive actuator having at least one irregularly shaped finger and (ii) a movable Fabry-Perot filter cavity mirror coupled to the comb drive actuator. According to some embodiments, a relationship between a voltage applied to the comb drive actuator and an amount of displacement associated with the movable mirror is substantially linear.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a nanodevice. Disclosed herein too is a method of manufacturing a nanodevice. In one embodiment the nanodevice includes a first substrate; a second substrate; a nanowire; the nanowire contacting the first substrate and the second substrate; the nanowire comprising a metal, a semi-conductor or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A system and method for managing optical power for controlling thermal alteration of a sample undergoing spectroscopic analysis is provided. The system includes a moveable laser beam generator for irradiating the sample and a beam shaping device for moving and shaping the laser beam to prevent thermal overload or build up in the sample. The moveable laser beam generator includes at least one beam shaping device selected from the group consisting of at least one optical lens, at least one optical diffractor, at least one optical path difference modulator, at least one moveable mirror, at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) integrated circuit (IC), and/or a liquid droplet. The system also includes an at least two degree of freedom (2 DOF) moveable substrate platform and a controller for controlling the laser beam generator and the substrate platform, and for analyzing light reflected from the sample.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a first capacitive element may be provided and associated with a surface where a fouling layer is to be detected. A second capacitive element may also be provided, and a capacitance between the first and second capacitive elements may be used to detect formation of the fouling layer. According to another embodiment, a thermal device is provided proximate to a surface where a fouling layer is to be detected. A detector (e.g., a thermometer or vibration detector) may detect a condition associated with the surface, and formation of the fouling layer may be determined based at least in part on the condition.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a method for sensing. Other embodiments include a method for sensing molecules, for example, homonuclear diatomic molecules. The method may include transmitting light from a light source through a hollow-core wave-guiding device that exhibits a low attenuation at predetermined operating optical frequencies; introducing a gaseous medium between the light source and the hollow-core wave-guiding device; and detecting molecules within the gas.

Abstract: A method for determining analyte concentration levels is provided. The method includes acquiring radiation scattered off or transmitted by a target, analyzing at least a first portion of the radiation via a first technique to generate a first measurement of analyte concentration levels, and analyzing at least a second portion of the radiation via a second technique to generate a second measurement of analyte concentration levels. The method further determines analyte concentration levels based on at least one of the first measurement or the second measurement. In addition, a system for implementing the method and a probe for measuring and monitoring the analyte concentration levels is provided.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a system for sensing homonuclear diatomic molecules, such as, for example, nitrogen. Other embodiments include a method for sensing homonuclear diatomic molecules. The system may include a light source, a hollow-core wave-guiding device that exhibits a low attenuation at predetermined operating optical frequencies and is in optical communication with the light source, a gas introduction system for introducing a gaseous medium between the light source and the hollow-core wave-guiding device, and a detector in optical communication with the hollow-core wave-guiding device.