US4317033A — Gamma ray prospecting system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 136 words

Means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks received across an energy band from background energy at a particular physical location comprising: (a) means for receiving a gamma ray energy spectrum of radiation, (b) means for distinguishing the peak energy level within an energy band of said spectrum, and for integrating said energy within said band, (c) means for distinguishing a statistical value of the background gamma radiation within said band, and for integrating the background radiation within said band, (d) means for subtracting the integrated statistical value of background energy from the integrated peak energy, and (e) means for providing an output signal representative of the difference of the integrated peak energy level and said integrated statistical value within said band, to provide an indication of the presence of radiation emissive mineral at said particular location.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 136 words

Means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks received across an energy band from background energy at a particular physical location comprising: (a) means for receiving a gamma ray energy spectrum of radiation, (b) means for distinguishing the peak energy level within an energy band of said spectrum, and for integrating said energy within said band, (c) means for distinguishing a statistical value of the background gamma radiation within said band, and for integrating the background radiation within said band, (d) means for subtracting the integrated statistical value of background energy from the integrated peak energy, and (e) means for providing an output signal representative of the difference of the integrated peak energy level and said integrated statistical value within said band, to provide an indication of the presence of radiation emissive mineral at said particular location.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 77 words

Means for distinguishing photopeaks of energy received across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 1 in which said energy is continuously received from a plurality of juxtaposed and continuous physical locations, means for storing predetermined periods of said energy relating to said plurality of physical locations and means for applying serially said predetermined periods of said energy both said means for distinguishing as set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of claim 1.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 44 words

means for distinguishing photopeaks of energy received across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 2, in which said output signal is of the form indicative of levels of radiation emissive minerals sequentially related directly to said plurality of physical locations.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 44 words

Means for distinguishing photopeaks of energy received across an energy band from background energy at a particular physical location as defined in claim 1 or 2, further including means for displaying the output signal as an amplitude as a function of the energy spectrum.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 38 words

Means for distinguishing photopeaks of energy received across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 3 further including means for continuously displaying the output signal as an amplitude as a function of the energy spectrum.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 83 words

Means for distinguishing photopeaks of energy received across an energy band from Compton background energy at a particular physical location as defined in claim 1, in which the received energy is passed through a filter to obtain said integrated value of Compton energy, in which the filter has the transfer characteristics ##EQU5## where A N is the received energy level in a particular window, N is the window number and K 0 , K 1 , K 2 and K 3 are constants.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 40 words

Means for distinguishing photopeaks of energy received across an energy band from Compton background energy at a particular physical location as defined in claim 6 in which K 0 =1.0 K 1 =0.9 K 2 =0.75 and K 3 =0.5.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 163 words

Means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks received across an energy band from background energy at a particular physical location comprising: (a) means for receiving a gamma ray energy spectrum of radiation, (b) means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks of said received energy, (c) means for filtering the received energy, (d) means for defining a lower and an upper filtered spectrum window boundary of at least one of said peaks, (e) means for determining the amplitude of the energy at said boundaries, (f) means for integrating the energy between said boundaries, with a predetermined energy change between the energy amplitudes at said boundaries, to obtain a signal representative of the background energy, (g) means for integrating the filter-d energy amplitude between said boundaries, to obtain a total photopeak area signal, and (h) means for subtracting the signal representative of the background energy from the total photopeak area signal to obtain a signal representative of the net photopeak area within the spectrum window.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 163 words

Means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks received across an energy band from background energy at a particular physical location comprising: (a) means for receiving a gamma ray energy spectrum of radiation, (b) means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks of said received energy, (c) means for filtering the received energy, (d) means for defining a lower and an upper filtered spectrum window boundary of at least one of said peaks, (e) means for determining the amplitude of the energy at said boundaries, (f) means for integrating the energy between said boundaries, with a predetermined energy change between the energy amplitudes at said boundaries, to obtain a signal representative of the background energy, (g) means for integrating the filter-d energy amplitude between said boundaries, to obtain a total photopeak area signal, and (h) means for subtracting the signal representative of the background energy from the total photopeak area signal to obtain a signal representative of the net photopeak area within the spectrum window.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 55 words

Means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks received across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 8, further including means for continuously displaying updated said net photopeak areas as an ordinate bar on an abcissa representative of the spectrum window as the means for receiving radiation is passed over a land area.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 32 words

Means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks received across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 9 in which the means for receiving radiation is comprised of a spectrometer.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 60 words

Means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks received across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 10 in which the means for defining the upper and lower boundaries includes means for differentiating the received energy on the upper and lower energy sides of the energy absorption peak and determining spectrum locations where the energy curve changes sign.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 29 words

Means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks received across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 8 in which the filter means is a recursive filter.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 111 words

Means for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks received across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 9, 10 or 12 further including an analog-to-digital converter having its input connected to the output of the spectrometer, a microcomputer having its data input connected to the output of the analog-to-digital converter, an oscilloscope displaying means having its input connected to the output of the microcomputer, the microcomputer being adapted to form said means for filtering, said means for defining said boundaries, said means for determining the amplitude of the energy at said boundaries, said means for integrating, said means for subtracting, and said further means for driving said displaying means.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 141 words

A method for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks across an energy band from background energy comprising: (a) receiving an energy spectrum signal at least within the energy band to be distinguished, (b) filtering the signal, (c) defining at least one of said peaks, (d) defining upper and lower spectrum boundaries to said one peak, (e) determining the amplitudes of said filtered signal at said boundaries, (f) assigning a predetermined change in amplitude of said filtered signal between said amplitudes of said filtered signal, (g) integrating the signal between said boundaries from said amplitudes and predetermined change in amplitude to obtain a signal representative of background energy, (h) integrating the filtered signal between said boundaries to obtain a signal representative of total photopeak area, (i) subtracting the background energy signal from the total photopeak area signal to obtain a net photopeak signal.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 141 words

A method for distinguishing full energy absorption peaks across an energy band from background energy comprising: (a) receiving an energy spectrum signal at least within the energy band to be distinguished, (b) filtering the signal, (c) defining at least one of said peaks, (d) defining upper and lower spectrum boundaries to said one peak, (e) determining the amplitudes of said filtered signal at said boundaries, (f) assigning a predetermined change in amplitude of said filtered signal between said amplitudes of said filtered signal, (g) integrating the signal between said boundaries from said amplitudes and predetermined change in amplitude to obtain a signal representative of background energy, (h) integrating the filtered signal between said boundaries to obtain a signal representative of total photopeak area, (i) subtracting the background energy signal from the total photopeak area signal to obtain a net photopeak signal.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method of distinguishing full energy absorption peaks across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 14, in which said predetermined change in amplitude is linear.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method of distinguishing full energy absorption peaks across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 14, in which said predetermined change in amplitude is cubic.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 32 words

A method of distinguishing full energy absorption peaks across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 14, in which said predetermined change in amplitude is a smoothed polynomial curve.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method of distinguishing full energy absorption peaks across an energy band from background energy as defined in claim 14, 15, or 17, further including the step of displaying the photopeak signal as a function of a spectrum window.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1985-02-22	1985-08-24	1986-02-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1989-02-22	1989-08-24	1990-02-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1993-02-22	1993-08-24	1994-02-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Gamma ray prospecting system

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