Patent ID: 7123154
Filing Date: 2006-10-17
Classification: G08B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for detecting a presence of at least one of a wildfire and an electrical arc burning proximate to Earth's surface, said wildfire and said electrical arc being characterized by a wavelength that is emitted by the wildfire and electrical arc and which transmits in a first way at the Earth's surface as a result of a first ratio of oxygen compounds proximate to the surface of the Earth, but which wavelength transmits in a second way in Earth's stratosphere based on a second different ratio of oxygen compounds present in Earth's stratosphere wherein said wildfire and said electrical arc are characterized by emission of ultraviolet (UV) radiation at said detection wavelength, said apparatus comprising: a detection arrangement disposed such that said wavelength travels from said wildfire to the detection arrangement in the presence of said first ratio of said oxygen compounds and so that sunlight arriving at said detection arrangement travels through Earth's stratosphere so as to subject the sunlight to said second ratio of oxygen compounds in a way which attenuates content of the detection wavelength in the sunlight, said detection arrangement being configured to respond at the detection wavelength so as to enhance a detection response to the wildfire while attenuating the detection response to the wavelength to sunlight based on said first and second ratios of said oxygen compounds and said detection arrangement includes: