AMBIENT GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING SYSTEM

Description

1 / 17 DESCRIPTIVE REPORT AMBIENT GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING SYSTEM Technical sector

[001] The present invention belongs to the technological sector of environmental gamma radiation monitoring, more specifically it refers to a network of equipment that sends readings via mobile phone network and three computer programs developed specifically for the system. The main characteristics of the technology are its low cost and the ability to operate completely autonomously, without any need for an operator. State of the art

[002] There are various types of environmental gamma radiation monitors, various models, based on various technologies. Depending on the technology used, the cost can reach many thousands of dollars per unit. There are also monitoring networks, among which the German network stands out with more than 1800 monitors, Geiger-Muller counters. This network is composed of fixed monitors installed throughout the country. Similarly, there is the European network which, including the German network, totals more than 5000 fixed monitors.Alternatively, there is Safecast, which consists of a Geiger-Muller counter that connects to the user's cell phone to transmit georeferenced data. It was developed shortly after the Fukushima accident, when the population of the region resented the lack of information provided by the government. The population wanted more information about the contamination, preferably from independent and reliable sources. It was in this context that Safecast emerged, developed for use by volunteers, providing readings that can be viewed via georeferencing.

[003] A monitoring network like the German and European ones mentioned is extremely important, since radiological or nuclear accidents do not respect fences, walls or country borders, and due to economic or political conveniences or even ignorance they can Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 16 / 33 2 / 17 having its disclosure postponed or even avoided.

[004] The existence of this type of network can allow accidents to be identified even before their consequences begin to appear, which can drastically reduce the number of victims.

[005] The big problem is that for countries like Brazil, countries with large land areas and limited financial resources, deploying a network of this type becomes unfeasible, not only because of the difficulties in providing the resources for the initial installation of the network, but also for maintaining it over the years.

[006] The system aims to fill this gap, offering the possibility of large-scale monitoring, potentially covering all or a large part of the national territory at a fraction of the cost of European systems, since it is based on a very low-cost, fully autonomous device capable of taking readings and transmitting them without the support of any equipment or operator, also noting that the equipment does not even require installation, simply connecting it to a USB port or the vehicle's cigarette lighter and positioning it appropriately.

[007] These features allow the equipment to be placed in third-party vehicles, such as civil defense, municipal and / or state government vehicles, or even private fleet vehicles such as buses and trucks, with great ease and with relatively little concern about loss or misplacement.

[008] The use of third-party vehicles becomes an important component to reduce the total cost of using the system, which would then be able to perform large-scale monitoring with very low use of specialized labor that would be limited to the maintenance of the equipment and final analysis of the results presented.

[009] These results are initially presented as colored dots where the color reflects the intensity of the radiation; these georeferenced points can then be visualized using programs. Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, p. 17 / 33 3 / 17 existing apps like Google My Maps, Google Earth, QGIS, etc. The system can also automatically send an alert via email or SMS to predefined people whenever it detects radiation levels above certain thresholds. New features and purpose of the invention

[010] The present invention is an environmental gamma radiation monitoring system characterized by low cost and reduced use of specialized labor, basically composed of a network of equipment that sends readings via mobile phone network, and three computer programs developed specifically for the system. The main characteristics of the equipment are its low cost and ability to operate completely autonomously, without the need for any operator intervention. At each predetermined time interval, the equipment assembles a data package containing date, time, measured radiation, and georeferencing data; temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure may or may not be included in the package.After assembly, the package is sent via mobile phone network to the computer that centralizes all the results from all the system's operating equipment. As soon as the readings are received, they undergo a preliminary analysis, and if abnormally high results are found, an alert message is sent to the registered users. In a second stage, the received readings are processed, where invalid readings are discarded, and readings related to the same location are grouped. This grouping is of great importance and aims to reduce the amount of data to be displayed in the visualization programs.

[011] The great advantage of the proposed system is the very low cost in terms of equipment and labor involved, and since the technology operates and transmits data via the mobile phone network in a completely autonomous way, without any need for operator action or intervention, it becomes possible for it to operate in third-party vehicles, for non-dedicated use, Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 18 / 33 4 / 17 fulfilling their normal work routine, which is an important component in further lowering the overall system cost. List of attached drawings

[012] In order that the present invention may be fully understood and put into practice by any technician in this technological sector, it is described in a clear, precise and sufficient manner, based on the attached drawings, listed below, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the Equipment as well as the results of its use: Figure 1 - View of the TEMORGAM equipment; Figure 2 - View with the casing open (interior / components); Figure 3 - View showing the connections between the components Figure 4 - Geiger counter module with the STS-5 Geiger tube; Figure 5 - BME-280 module, temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure sensor; Figure 6 - BME280 assembly, it sits directly on the control module; Figure 7 - Control and telecommunications module with telephony and GPS antennas; Figure 8 - Map of Brazil with georeferenced data generated by TEMORGAM, in the pilot project; Figure 9 - Map of the city of Rio de Janeiro with georeferenced data generated by TEMORGAM in the pilot project. Detailed description of the invention

[013] The system consists of a device of the same name and three programs; the device is the monitor itself and transmits the readings to a computer which, using the reception program, receives and records the readings. The received readings are processed by the post-processing program, making them ready for georeferenced visualization. Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 19 / 33 5 / 17 as shown in figures 8 and 9, which display maps of two areas with data collected in the system's pilot project. These maps are generated using third-party programs such as Google Earth, My Maps, or QGIS.

[014] The equipment described in Figures 1, 2 and 3 basically consists of the union of three modules (Figure 3): - A Geiger Muller counter module (Figure 4); - The temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure sensor (Figure 5). - The control, telecommunications and GPS module (Figure 7).

[015] The Geiger counter module is a very simple Geiger Muller counter, which has among its main characteristics the ability to detect low-intensity ambient gamma radiation, has a digital output that emits a signal for each emission identified, and has a low cost.

[016] The second module has the function of measuring the temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure in the equipment.

[017] The third module is the control module; it is programmed to process the Geiger counts and assemble a data package combining the date, time, computed Geiger readings with georeferencing data (latitude, longitude, and altitude), as well as temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure. The data package is then sent via mobile phone network to a computer that centralizes the readings from all active network equipment. Subsequently, the readings undergo post-processing to prepare them for visualization on a digital map.

[018] To ensure the desired high degree of automation, the equipment control module program is prepared to handle various problems that may occur during its operation, such as loss of mobile phone signal, loss of GPS signal, or interruptions that may be caused by variations in the power supply voltage, by turning the vehicle on or off, etc. To this end, the program has several routines prepared to handle these events, among which a routine known as stands out. Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 20 / 33 6 / 17 “watch dog”, which restarts the program if any stage of it exceeds the expected time.

[019] In this way, the system works based on a network / set of equipment that would be installed in common vehicles, cars from municipalities, state governments or even private fleets, passenger buses, trucks, etc., any vehicle that in its daily routine travels significant distances, whether at the municipal, state or federal level.

[020] Over time, this network will be able to produce an unparalleled radiological survey, covering large distances and permeating city streets, and as the same device or different devices from the system retrace the same route, the results could be compared in order to identify any abnormality in time and space.

[021] Thus, the equipment proposes to be an Environmental Gamma Radiation monitor in the same way as the monitoring networks existing in Europe, but instead of being fixed equipment, the network proposed here would be based on mobile equipment, and each device, instead of monitoring only a pre-determined location, would monitor the entire route traveled by the vehicle, carrying out the radiological survey of thousands of points in a single day.

[022] As a result, we will have an unprecedented radiological survey for the country. The proposed system would allow mapping environmental radiation over extensive areas, at a fraction of the cost of other alternatives. This would significantly increase the probability of identifying an accident with radioactive material, such as the one in Goiânia, much earlier, even before the consequences appear, and could significantly reduce the number of possible victims.

[023] An essential point to highlight is the low cost of the equipment, low acquisition cost and especially low operating cost, since it is programmed to identify and correct any anomaly that arises during its own operation, the equipment becomes fully automated, Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 21 / 33 7 / 17 completely eliminating the need for an operator, thus allowing its use in third-party vehicles in their normal work routine.

[024] The combination of the low cost of the equipment, with the lack of need for an operator, no need for installation and use in third-party vehicles makes the cost of implementing and operating the proposed monitoring system incomparably low compared to other alternatives that may lead to comparable results. Making it a viable system to be applied to a country like Brazil.

[025] It is worth highlighting that the great advantage of the system is the massive amount of information that can be obtained at low cost, which would compensate for the fact that the proposed system is based on simple, low-resource monitors. From anomalies identified by the system, more detailed studies could be developed using more sophisticated equipment or using the same system in urban vehicles such as municipal cars, taxis, Ubers and municipal buses for permanent, more detailed, and more refined monitoring of the area.

[026] With the proposed monitoring system, it would be possible to obtain a much superior mapping than the country has today, being able to provide a volume of information that could very hardly be obtained by other means, since to date only a fraction of the country has on-site research or even aero-radiometric surveys.

[027] The system would also allow the identification of variations in readings from the same location over time that could be due to accidents. Thus, although the proposed system is composed of simple equipment, for example, being incapable of performing spectrometry, it would already offer the country a great gain in information that would not otherwise be possible.

[028] The system should be viewed not by the gain that a reading from a monitoring station with few resources can provide, but rather by the gain that a network of many hundreds of thousands or millions of reading points can provide. Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, p. 22 / 33 The 8 / 17 gains achieved with relatively few devices can be significant, as each device would not only be capable of taking thousands of readings along a route, but would also be able to repeat the readings at the same location from time to time, as the round trips were repeated.

[029] The system should be seen as that large network that would allow an initial identification of the existence of a problem, indicating the location where a technician should go with equipment that would allow a more complete and accurate analysis of the entire context. Component 1: Geiger counter

[030] There are several Geiger Muller contactor boards available on the market that are applicable to the present need. After research and taking into account the ease of acquisition, the characteristics, and the price, a module from the manufacturer Geekcreit was adopted. It should be noted that this module is only one of the components and could be replaced by one from another manufacturer (Figure 4).

[031] This is a small module that is supplied with a glass Geiger tube. This module does not have any processing capabilities for the counts made; it only detects the radiation, and for each detection it flashes an LED, may or may not emit a sound, and additionally it sends an electrical signal to one of its output ports.

[032] The parameters with the original Geiger tube are: diameter: 10±0.5mm; total length: 90±2 mm; initial voltage: < 350V; recommended operating voltage: 380V; minimum plateau length: 80V; maximum plateau slope: 10% / 80V; extreme operating voltage: 550V; life: > 1 x 109 pulse; average temperature: -40 ~ 55 °C, size: 108x63x20mm; power supply 5V, or 3x1.5V battery; 4x1.2V battery, current: 30mA - 12mA.

[033] Available features include: gamma ray detection of 20mR / ha 120mR / ha 100-1800 variables / points / cm2 of soft beta rays; audible and visual alarm; has an output port where it can be connected to a microcontroller; compatible with Arduino and similar; supports most of Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 23 / 33 9 / 17 Geiger tubes: M4011, STS-5, SBM20, J305, etc. (Geiger tube operating voltage can be 330 to 600V). Supports computer (PC) data acquisition, analysis, and processing in Matlab.

[034] Since the Geiger tube supplied with the device did not have a sensitivity compatible with the intended use, it was replaced with one of the tubes indicated by the manufacturer as compatible, the STS-5 tube (figure 4), which proved to be very suitable. Component 2: Temperature, Humidity, and Pressure Sensor

[035] A sensor was sought on the market that already incorporated the three functions: temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure sensor. The BME286 sensor from the manufacturer Bosch was chosen (Figure 5).

[036] The main features are: supply voltage: 1.8 - 5V DC, Interface: I2C (up to 3.4MHz), SPI (up to 10 MHz),

[037] Measurement ranges: Temperature: -40 to +85°C; Humidity: 0-100% and Pressure: 300-1100 hPa.

[038] Resolution: Temperature: 0.01°C, Humidity: 0.008%, Pressure: 0.18Pa.

[039] Accuracy: Temperature: +-1°C, Humidity: +-3%, Pressure: +-1Pa.

[040] -I2C Address: SDO LOW : 0x76 SDO HIGH: 0x77. Component 3: Control Module

[041] To avoid interface problems between the different components, and to lower costs, a control module was chosen (Figure 7), which had the following components already integrated: A microprocessor with a large amount of memory and that was fast, Geopositioning (GSP) resources, communication resources via mobile phone network, support for memory card, SD card type and that was compatible with the Arduino IDE; .

[042] Among the various alternatives found on the market, taking functionality, amount of memory and price as the main criteria, the MakerFabs Maduíno Zero was found to be the most suitable alternative. This module integrates a SAMD21 microcontroller with a telephony module. Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 24 / 33 10 / 17 GPRS / GSM / GPS, the A9G from the manufacturer AiThinker, which operates on the frequencies (850MHz, 900MHz, 1.8GHz, 1.9GHz). All interaction between the SAM21 and the A9G is done through AT commands. These AT commands are a set of commands that allow GSM devices / terminals to communicate with the GSM network and follow the GSM 07.07 specification.

[043] The following are the main features of the AIThinker A9G; further information can be obtained from the manufacturer's datasheet: Operates on four bands (Quad Band) with the frequencies: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz; Amperage: 1.14mA @DRX=51.03mA @DRX=9; AT commands: 3GPP TS 27.007.27.005; GPRS Class 12: max 85.6 kbps (up & down); Sends and receives SMS text messages / PDU mode; Sends and receives voice calls; SIM card: 1.8V / 3V; has 2 antennas: GSM and GPS; GPS initialization time: Cold start: <27.5s; Warm start: <1s; Recapture: <1s; accuracy: horizontal positioning 2.5m; vertical positioning accuracy: 3.5m; Operating temperature: -20°C to +75°C; weight: approximately 3.0g.

[044] The following are the main features of the Makerfabs Arduino; more information can be found in the manufacturer's datasheet; voltage: 3.4 - 4.2V, processor: ATSAMD21G18, 32-Bit ARM Cortex M0+, Micro SIM connector, integrated power control system; support for AT commands, quad-band: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900MHz, supports GPS, supports GPRS data traffic, download speed 85.6Kbps, upload speed 42.8Kbps, supports SMS text messages, battery can be charged via USB input, has Micro SD card support, has interface: I2C / SPI / UART / 18*GPIO, compatible with Arduino IDE, temperatures: -40 to 85°C, default Baud Rate: 115200, Dimensions: 40mm x 55mm.

[045] The Geiger output port is connected directly to the digital port D2 of the control module; the connecting wire must have sufficiently thick insulation to prevent electromagnetic interference. The SAMD21 microcontroller counts the pulses sent by the Geiger module as interrupts on its digital port D2. An interrupt in this case Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 25 / 33 11 / 17 refers to a command that, when received, causes the processor to interrupt any activity it is performing, transferring the processing flow to a specific routine that processes / records the counts. After its execution, the flow returns to the point where it was and the normal flow continues.

[046] The device can operate with its own battery or connected to the vehicle's electrical system (USB input). Using its own battery offers the advantage of a more uniform electrical charge, however it has the disadvantages of needing to recharge it as well as possible loss of readings due to lack of battery charge, while connecting it to the vehicle's electrical system will have the disadvantage of greater voltage variations, which can affect readings or even compromise the operation of the equipment.

[047] While one of the advantages is the use of non-dedicated vehicles, third-party fleet vehicles, traveling long distances daily, on the other hand, this leads to a great diversity of vehicles, and a great alternation between regions with good coverage, poor coverage or no coverage, as well as an alternation of operators, since some regions have better coverage from one operator while others will have coverage from others, a situation that alternates along the same route. The issue of coverage was one of the first problems identified in the development of the equipment; there was frequent signal loss, and once the device traveled through a region without signal, it often could not reconnect, even after reaching a region with good coverage.

[048] All connections made by different types of devices to the mobile phone network are made through Access Point Names (APNs). Each operator, which in this case could be one of the major operators, Vivo, Tim, Claro or Algar, or a virtual operator, has its own specific APN. The APNs of the major operators are public APNs, while the others are private APNs, which are made available by virtual operators offering services. Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 26 / 33 12 / 17 focused on Machine to Machine (M2M) communication, for various equipment, vehicle trackers for example.

[049] At this point it is important to emphasize that due to the large number of devices connected to public APNs, signal loss and consequent reduction in transmission quality occur more frequently in these APNs. While private APNs typically offer a more stable connection with less frequent signal loss, operating more securely, they also allow for better management of the use of each chip, month by month, in the case of fleets. The problem of frequent signal loss was solved by switching from using the common mobile phone chip to using a specific chip for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, capable of operating with five different operators.

[050] Communication between each device and the server is done through the Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol, which was conceived and developed in the late 1990s by IBM. It is a messaging protocol with support for asynchronous communication. This type of protocol decouples the sender from the receiver of the message, both spatially and temporally. It is a lightweight and flexible protocol, proving ideal for the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). Its lightweight nature allows its use in highly restricted devices and in networks with limited bandwidth and high latency, while its flexibility enables support for the diverse scenarios present in applications related to these small devices.

[051] The use of MQTT allows for easy and fast communication between remote monitoring stations and the computer that centralizes all results. Description of System Programs

[052] For the proposed system to function, the following are necessary: ​​(a) a computer that is switched on 24 hours a day connected to the internet, responsible for receiving the data sent by the equipment, running a program Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, p. 27 / 33 13 / 17 developed specifically for this purpose; (b) a program designed to process the raw data received from the equipment and prepare it for georeferenced visualization; and (c) a third-party commercial program for georeferenced visualization of the results, such as Google Earth, My Maps, or QGIS.

[053] For the monitoring station program, it should be noted that the control module in practice contains two microcontrollers, the SAMD21 and the A9G. All programming is done for the SAMD21, while the A9G is dedicated exclusively to the telecommunications and GPS part. All commands sent from the SAMD21 to the A9G are via AT commands.

[054] The monitoring station program was developed in C++, using the Arduino API.

[055] The microcontroller receives the pulses / signals sent by the Geiger Counter through the digital input D2, and treats each signal as an interrupt. With each signal received, any task being executed by the microprocessor is interrupted and processing proceeds to a special function that accumulates the counts. After its execution, processing returns to the point where it was interrupted to continue.

[056] The program counts the signals emitted by the Geiger counter, accumulating them over a time interval (integration time, which by default is 15 seconds). The readings are sent at a time interval that may or may not be equal to the integration time; the default interval is 15 seconds. The counts are gathered into a packet containing: Device identification; Date and time; Counts per minute (cpm); coordinates, latitude, longitude, and altitude; counts accumulated over the integration time; counts accumulated in each second of the integration time; temperature; humidity; atmospheric pressure.

[057] The resulting packet is then sent over the internet via the MQTT protocol and subsequently saved to a file on the device's own SD memory card, as a security record.

[058] When the equipment attempts to send the packet in an area Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, pp. 28 / 33 14 / 17 without mobile network coverage, or with poor coverage, the program will receive a notification of packet transmission failure, and in this case it will automatically record this reading, as well as subsequent readings not sent due to lack of signal, in a file on the SD card. As soon as the device returns to an area with mobile network coverage, it will automatically start transmitting these stored packets, without interrupting the transmission of new data.

[059] The entire process occurs automatically without any human intervention. It is worth noting that the use of this strategy proved to be extremely efficient, as can be seen in Figure 8, where even when traversing various areas along the roads without signal, the readings were subsequently sent.

[060] Since the device is intended to be installed in third-party vehicles, in its normal working routine, it needs to be prepared for the situation of this vehicle remaining stationary in the same location for minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months. In this case, to avoid unnecessarily overloading the system with a large amount of unnecessary data relating to the same location, note that the equipment sends a reading every 15 seconds by default. In this case, the equipment will identify that the vehicle is stationary by calculating the distance between the position of the current reading and the immediately preceding reading. If the distance is less than the test distance, which by default is 10m, the equipment assumes that it is stationary, and instead of sending the readings at the pre-determined time interval, these are accumulated, calculating the average count for the entire time the device remained in the same location.This feature can be turned on or off, and the test distance can be changed as desired.

[061] As the device is not to be handled by an operator, it does not have LEDs or any display, and is housed in a textured black plastic box measuring 19cm x 11cm x 5cm (length, width and height). Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, pp. 29 / 33 15 / 17

[062] Finally, it is worth mentioning that the operating / configuration mode commands, restart commands, etc., have been implemented to be sent via SMS or through the MQTT protocol, so they can be sent to the equipment remotely from a mobile phone or computer, without the need to install any additional application on the mobile phone. Once the commands are received, the configuration data is saved to the SD card in the configuration file, which is read whenever the equipment is turned on or restarted, maintaining the same desired configuration until it is changed.

[063] As already mentioned, the device configuration can be changed remotely, the following are the accepted commands and configuration changes: operating mode: calibration, true or false; identify if the device is stopped and accumulate data, true or false; test distance to check if the device is stopped, (Default 10m); integration time and packet sending time (for both the default value is 15 seconds); command to restart the device.

[064] For the data reception program, software was developed for the computer that receives the data, in this case a virtual computer from Amazon. This type of computer was chosen because it would be connected to the internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Initially, the plan was to perform automatic processing and analysis of the data as soon as it was received. However, a separate post-processing stage was later chosen, thus reducing the risk of losing readings sent too close together. Therefore, this program only receives the data and saves it to a text file. If the reading sent shows an abnormally high value, above 3μSv / h (the default value), this program also sends an alert to registered users. This program was developed in the Python language.

[065] The post-processing program for the readings was developed in Fortran, it processes the readings already received, preparing them for georeferenced visualization, discarding incomplete and / or inconsistent readings and Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, pages 30 / 33 16 / 17 converting the counts (cpm) of each piece of equipment to equivalent dose.

[066] In view of the large number of readings already available, more than 350,000 (as of October 2024), and in view of the limitations observed in the georeferencing programs used until then, Google Earth, My Maps and QGIS. Each layer in Google Earth or My Maps can accommodate up to a maximum of 2000 points, with My Maps being limited to only 10 layers. It became necessary to use some strategies to reduce the number of plotted points in order to meet the limitations of these programs, namely: Depending on the interest, the program selects for visualization only the readings of a region or discards the readings of a certain region, defining a central point and a radius around this point. The program also has a filter to select only the readings below or above a desired value.

[067] A limit distance can be defined, which will cause the program to group all readings that are close to each other, at a distance less than this limit distance. The program will calculate the average reading, the maximum reading, the minimum reading and the standard deviation, for each group of readings, associating these values ​​with the average coordinates of this set of points, drastically reducing the number of points to be georeferenced.

[068] This program can also subdivide the generated result set into several files, respecting a limit on the number of reads, so that each file can be assigned to a specific layer of the visualization program.

[069] The system uses commercial or public-use programs for georeferenced visualization of the results.

[070] The monitoring equipment was calibrated using the IRD's large planar sources.

[071] Four prototypes were assembled, which were named M01, M02, M03 and M04, after the first recalibration the identification was changed to M1a, M2a, M3a, M4a in the second recalibration the names were changed to M1b, M2b, Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, pp. 31-33 17 / 17 M3b, M4b, and so on with each recalibration. The calibration and recalibration procedure should be the same for new equipment added to the network. The change in nomenclature is necessary because they only transmit the counts, and the post-processing program for visualization is what actually converts the counts to equivalent dose.

[072] As a reference for calibration, a Geiger-Muller Eberline E600, recently calibrated at DIMET, IRD, with readings integrating four minutes, was used.

[073] In addition to calibration on the IRD planar sources, the M01 prototype was also calibrated at DIMET, IRD with Cobalt and Cesium sources. Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, pp. 32 / 33

Claims

1 / 2 CLAIMS 1. ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING SYSTEM, characterized by comprising 3 modules / components: (a) a Geiger Muller counter; (b) a temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure sensor; and (c) a control module. The equipment operates by taking Gamma radiation readings and transmitting them via a mobile phone network.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING SYSTEM, according to claim 1, characterized by module (c), the control module which is composed of a telephony and GPS part and another which is the control itself.

3. ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING SYSTEM, according to claim 1, characterized by the ability to identify if the vehicle is stationary, in which case it starts accumulating the results, and as soon as the vehicle starts moving again it sends a single reading relating to the entire time it was stationary.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING SYSTEM, according to claim 1, characterized by sending readings in counts per minute, which are converted to equivalent dose by the post-processing program.

5. ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING SYSTEM, according to claim 1, characterized by the ability to identify when crossing an area without telephone network coverage, in which case it automatically starts accumulating readings, and as soon as the telephone network signal is recovered, the equipment begins to transmit all accumulated readings, without the loss of any reading.

6. ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING SYSTEM, according to claim 1, characterized by performing post-Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 14 / 33 2 / 2 processing of the collected data, being capable of processing a large volume of data generated by the equipment network, discarding invalid readings and grouping nearby readings, having filters to include or exclude readings based on location or measured values, in order to enable broader or more detailed visualization in pre-existing georeferenced visualization programs.

7. ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING SYSTEM, according to claim 1, characterized by receiving data through a program that stores it in a text file; in parallel, this program verifies the magnitude of the received values, and if an abnormal reading value is received, an alert is sent via SMS or email to registered individuals in real time.

8. ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION REMOTE MONITORING SYSTEM, according to claim 1, characterized by the ability to receive configuration commands remotely, via SMS or MQTT, which can be sent by cell phone or computer without the need to install any application; upon receiving the commands, the equipment saves the new configuration to the SD card, so that the new configuration will be maintained even if the system restarts.

9. USE OF THE SYSTEM AND EQUIPMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL GAMMA RADIATION TELEMONITORING, characterized by measuring and processing radiation data, grouping it with the date, time, georeferencing data, latitude and longitude, optionally the data package may or may not include temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure, and sending it via mobile phone network, in a completely autonomous manner from the computer that acts as the system server. Petition 870240111419, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, p. 15 / 33

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