Patent ID: 7411196

Claim:
A method of acquiring data using multiple sensors integrated in one or more vehicles, the method comprising the steps of: (a) turning ON a DIAL sensor to detect one or more targets of interest, during a first pass over a preplanned path, wherein the targets include gas or oil pipeline leaks located at regions of interest (ROI); (b) storing locations of the detected targets of the ROI in a computer Look Up Table (LUT); (c) during a second pass over the ROI, triggering another sensor to turn ON at or about the location stored in the LUT; and (d) confirming presence of the detected targets using both the other sensor and the DIAL sensor; (e) quantifying the detected targets using data acquired during the first and second pass; (f) mapping quantities and associated locations of the detected targets of the ROI; (g) storing the quantities and associated locations of the detected targets of the ROI in a computer as a map image; and (h) displaying the map image; wherein the other sensor is a multi-spectral camera which is turned ON by a trigger from the DIAL sensor.