Patent ID: 8335670
Filing Date: 2012-12-18
Classification: G01T

Abstract:
1. A calibration factor uncertainty estimation system comprising: (a) a module for receiving a signal from a spectroscopic detector; (b) a radiation source/sensor mathematical model (RSMM), said RSMM further comprises known radiation source/sensor physical parameters (RSPP) and radiation source/sensor variable parameters (RSVP); and (c) a computing device, configured to accept said RSMM; wherein: said RSVP are assigned a lower source/sensor parameter value (LSPV) and an upper source/sensor parameter value (USPV) and a source/sensor shape parameter (SSHP) describing how said RSVP may vary between said LSPV and said USPV; and said computing device executes machine instructions operable to execute steps comprising: (1) selecting statistically random radiation source/sensor values (RRSV) for each RSVP, wherein said RRSV lies between said LSPV and said USPV and wherein said RRSV varies based on said SSHP: (2) computing radiation source/sensor calibration factors (RSCF) for said RSMM using said RSPP and said RRSV values; (4) computing the individual mean and standard deviation of each of said RSCF to determine the source/sensor calibration factor uncertainty estimation (SCFU) of each of said RSCF, wherein said RSCF and said SCFU are applied to the signal from a spectroscopic detector to produce an estimate of the radiation level sensed by said spectroscopic detector using the RSCF, and the estimated uncertainty of said radiation level.