Abstract: A gas sample separated from transformer oil is circulated through an NDIR gas sensor system which obtains an acetylene concentration by calculating a detected acetylene concentration obtained by an absorption biased (“AB”) NDIR acetylene gas sensor, calculating a detected carbon dioxide concentration obtained by an AB NDIR carbon dioxide gas sensor, calculating a detected water vapor concentration obtained by an AB NDIR water vapor NDIR gas sensor and then determining the acetylene concentration from the detected acetylene concentration through use of the detected carbon dioxide and water vapor concentrations to compensate for their interference.

Abstract: A miner's personal gas alarm can be mounted in a helmet powered by a rechargeable battery for a light or be self-contained. A visual indicator will generate an alarm when the concentration of gas detected by the gas sensor triggers an alarm condition. An audio alarm can also be generated by the alarm condition. The gas sensor is a non-dispersive infrared (“NDIR”) gas sensor. When the gas sensor detects methane, the alarm condition is triggered by either an abnormally high rate of increase of methane concentration level or by an elevated concentration of methane that is above approximately 500 ppm and substantially below a lower explosion limit of methane (e.g., approximately 10,000 ppm), and the gas sensor is recalibrated whenever the sample concentration of methane falls below an ambient threshold level of methane.

Abstract: A differential temperature source methodology for the design of a single beam NDIR gas sensor is advanced. This methodology uses a low and a high amplitude voltage cycle to drive a closely approximated Blackbody source for generating at different times two distinct detector outputs obtained from the same detector equipped the same narrow band pass filter but strategically designed for the detection of only a particular portion of the absorption band for the gas of interest. The ratio of the high amplitude cycle detector output over the low amplitude cycle detector output is used to calibrate such an NDIR gas sensor after it is normalized by a similar ratio when there is no target gas present in the sample chamber.

Abstract: A system for detecting engine fluid constituents includes an engine having a sample channel having a conduit for a working engine fluid. The system includes an electromagnetic (EM) source that emits EM radiation through a first metal tube, where the EM radiation is EM energy at a wavelength of interest. The system further includes an EM detector that receives a remainder radiation through a second metal tube, the remainder radiation including the remaining EM radiation after passing through the sample channel. The system includes a controller that determines a composition indicator signal representative of an amount of a constituent in the working engine fluid in response to a strength of the remainder radiation, and determines a concentration of a component of interest according to the composition indicator signal.

Abstract: A miner's personal gas alarm can be mounted in a helmet powered by a rechargeable battery for a light or be self-contained. A visual indicator will generate an alarm when the concentration of gas detected by the gas sensor triggers an alarm condition. An audio alarm can also be generated by the alarm condition. The gas sensor is a non-dispersive infrared (“NDIR”) gas sensor. When the gas sensor detects methane, the alarm condition is triggered by either an abnormally high rate of increase of methane concentration level or by an elevated concentration of methane that is above approximately 500 ppm and substantially below a lower explosion limit of methane (e.g., approximately 10,000 ppm), and the gas sensor is recalibrated whenever the sample concentration of methane falls below an ambient threshold level of methane.

Abstract: An electronic card has a power source, a user selection mechanism operable to allow a user to select a customization variable for a single transaction, a processor for generating a transaction specific data packet that includes a card number and a customized number and an electronic communication device operable to cause the data packet to be read by a read head of a magnetic strip reader. The electronic communication device is operable to dynamically convey the transaction specific data packet to a read head of a magnetic card reader so that the transaction specific data packet is read by the read head. The transaction specific data packet is dynamically generated for use by the card for the single transaction of the card and the customized number is determined based upon the customization variable selected by the user selection mechanism.

Abstract: An Absorption Biased (AB) methodology for NDIR gas sensors is used with a single infrared source and a detector to detect a single gas of interest by using a motion device to change the path length between that of the signal and reference channels. As in the case of the AB designed NDIR gas sensor, the ratio of the output of the Signal channel, measured during location arrangement X, over that of the Reference channel, measured during location arrangement Y, will be used to process the gas measurement. Multiple gases of interest can be detected by using one detector to detect multiple gases and/or by locating a second detector to detect multiple gases more distant from the source than the first detector, thereby creating longer path lengths for the second detector.

Abstract: An electronic card has a power source, a user selection mechanism operable to allow a user to select a customization variable for a single transaction, a processor for generating a transaction specific data packet that includes a card number and a customized number and an electronic communication device operable to cause the data packet to be read by a read head of a magnetic strip reader. The electronic communication device is operable to dynamically convey the transaction specific data packet to a read head of a magnetic card reader so that the transaction specific data packet is read by the read head. The transaction specific data packet is dynamically generated for use by the card for the single transaction of the card and the customized number is determined based upon the customization variable selected by the user selection mechanism.

Abstract: A system capable of flowing gases including combustion byproducts past an exposed face of an optical element in an engine fluid conduit, and depositing debris on the exposed face of the optical element. The debris may be soot, unburned hydrocarbons, sulfates, and/or a reductant precipitate. The system is further capable of passing electromagnetic (EM) radiation through the optical element and the flowing gases and interrogating the EM radiation after passing through the optical element and the flowing gases to determine an amount of debris accumulated on the exposed face of the optical element. The system is further capable of heating an electric heating element thermally coupled to the optical element sufficiently to remove accumulated debris from the exposed face in response to the amount of debris exceeding a threshold.

Abstract: An NDIR gas sensor is housed within a mechanical housing made up of a header housing, a can mounted to the header housing, and a sample chamber mounted above the can. The can has a top surface with a pair of windows formed in it to allow radiation to enter and return from the sample chamber. An electronics module is mounted on a printed circuit board hermetically sealed within the can. A signal channel path length detected by the signal detector is greater than a reference channel path length detected by the reference detector and an absorption bias between the signal and reference outputs can be used to determine a gas concentration in the sample chamber. Both the signal detector and the reference detector have an identical narrow band pass filter with the same Center Wavelength (“CWL”), Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) and transmittance efficiency at the CWL.

Abstract: An NDIR gas sensor is housed within a mechanical housing made up of a header housing, a can mounted to the header housing, and a sample chamber mounted above the can. The can has a top surface with a pair of windows formed in it to allow radiation to enter and return from the sample chamber. An electronics module is mounted on a printed circuit board hermetically sealed within the can. A signal channel path length detected by the signal detector is greater than a reference channel path length detected by the reference detector and an absorption bias between the signal and reference outputs can be used to determine a gas concentration in the sample chamber. Both the signal detector and the reference detector have an identical narrow band pass filter with the same Center Wavelength (“CWL”), Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) and transmittance efficiency at the CWL.

Abstract: A system for detecting engine fluid constituents includes an engine having a sample channel having a conduit for a working engine fluid. The system includes an electromagnetic (EM) source that emits EM radiation through a first metal tube, where the EM radiation is EM energy at a wavelength of interest. The system further includes an EM detector that receives a remainder radiation through a second metal tube, the remainder radiation including the remaining EM radiation after passing through the sample channel. The system includes a controller that determines a composition indicator signal representative of an amount of a constituent in the working engine fluid in response to a strength of the remainder radiation, and determines a concentration of a component of interest according to the composition indicator signal.

Abstract: Methods in which an encrypted transaction validation code is received which positively identifies a first transaction for a first entity, the first entity having a first entity identifier, and the first transaction is electronically verified as being valid by use of the first entity identifier and the validation code. The first entity identifier can be transferred as an account number and the validation code transferred to the money source in a non-account data field. A money source can validate the validation code by duplicating the encryption process used to create the validation code and by then comparing the result to the validation code received. The validation code can be, at least in part, encrypted, and a money source can validate the validation code by duplicating a validation code encryption process and by then comparing the result to the validation code received.

Abstract: Methods for providing secure transactions in which a customization parameter and an encrypted transaction validation code are received from a user to positively identify a transaction for a user who has a first entity identifier. The validation code and first entity identifier are used by a money source which electronically verifies that the transaction is valid by use of the first entity identifier and the validation code while the first transaction is customized through use of the customization parameter.

Abstract: An electronic card ha a power source, a user selection mechanism operable to allow a user to select a customization variable for a single transaction, a processor for generating a transaction specific data packet that includes a card number and a customized number and an electronic communication device operable to cause the data packet to be read by a read head of a magnetic strip reader. The electronic communication device is operable to dynamically convey the transaction specific data packet to a read head of a magnetic card reader so that the transaction specific data packet is read by the read head. The transaction specific data packet is dynamically generated for use by the card for the single transaction of the card and the customized number is determined based upon the customization variable selected by the user selection mechanism.

Abstract: The construct of a specially designed air sampler and its function in order to carry out the Effortless Recalibration (ERB) procedure to an Absorption Biased (AB) designed NDIR gas sensor with the use of a Calibration Master is described.

Abstract: Two detectors of the same kind, each having an identical neutral band-pass filter to the target gas, are installed next to Signal channel and Reference channel detectors as pairs in an AB designed NDIR gas sensor layout, which are called Standard Signal channel detector and Standard Reference channel detector. “Standard” GAMMA is the ratio of Standard signal channel detector output over that of Standard Reference channel detector. “Standard” GAMMA is independent of the measurement Physics of NDIR gas sensors, is dependent only upon the performance characteristics of the sensor component and is also independent of the presence of any amount of target gas in the sample chamber. Consequently, “Standard” GAMMA can be used to proportionally correct and update GAMMA of the sensor as its components age over time thereby rendering such an AB designed NDIR gas sensor self-commissioning or staying accurate over time after initial calibration.

Abstract: A system for detecting engine fluid constituents includes an engine having a sample channel having a conduit for a working engine fluid. The system includes an electromagnetic (EM) source that emits EM radiation through a first metal tube, where the EM radiation is EM energy at a wavelength of interest. The system further includes an EM detector that receives a remainder radiation through a second metal tube, the remainder radiation including the remaining EM radiation after passing through the sample channel. The system includes a controller that determines a composition indicator signal representative of an amount of a constituent in the working engine fluid in response to a strength of the remainder radiation, and determines a concentration of a component of interest according to the composition indicator signal.

Abstract: Multiple secure transactions are provided through use of a method that uses customer one-time unique purchase order numbers (“Coupons”) generated by an algorithm that uses a permutated user key and a user insertion key as input variables. A user key (such as a Personal Identification Number, or “PIN”) is combined with a permutation variable that is correlated with a customer sequence number to create the permutated user key. A random number generator is used to generate the user insertion key correlated with the customer sequence number. The algorithm can insert the permutated user key into a user account number through use of the user insertion key. A Coupon is validated by confirming that it is contained in a set of money source Coupons generated by a money source using the user key and a random number generator that is synchronized with the random number used to generate Coupons.

Abstract: A re-calibration method for a dual-beam NDIR gas sensor uses a calibration curve based upon a combination of physics and sensor measurement components of the sensor to calculate sample gas concentration, then determines a second gas concentration measurement by a secondary gas standard which is used with a reversed calibration curve algorithm to adjust the sensor measurement component. The calibration curve is based upon a gamma ratio (“G”) that has been normalized by G when no sample gas is present in the sample chamber (“G0”), G being a ratio of a signal channel output (“VS”) of the sensor divided by a reference channel output (“VR”) of the sensor. The concentration (“P”) of sample gas in the sensor is calculated through use of the calibration curve by a gas detection equation of P=F(x)=F(y/G0), where x is a normalized ratio of VS/VR and y is G.