Inspection apparatus and inspection system

• US 10,254,397 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kayano, Hiroyuki, Hiraoka, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Brainard, Timothy A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pervin, Nuzhat
• Application Number:
  US14/483,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 342 22, 342 70, 342639, 342 25, 342 17, 342 18, 342179, 342 27, 250341, 343915
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/887 for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/005 operating with millimetre waves, e.g. measuring the black losey radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/364 using a particular conducting material, e.g. superconductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays

Abstract

An inspection apparatus of an embodiment includes a transmitting antenna device connected to a transmitting unit including a transmitting device configured to transmit a microwave, and a receiving antenna device connected to a receiving unit including a receiving device. Each of the transmitting antenna device and the receiving antenna device faces a subject to be inspected. The receiving antenna device receives at least one of a microwave transmitted from the transmitting antenna device and penetrating the subject to be inspected, a microwave of which phase has been delayed, and a microwave diffracted in the subject to be inspected. The receiving unit is a directional antenna.

Claims

1. An inspection apparatus configured to inspect a subject, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitting flat antenna comprising a first substrate, a first superconducting antenna pattern on the first substrate, and a second superconducting antenna pattern on the first substrate, and configured to transmit a microwave via the first superconducting antenna pattern and the second superconducting antenna pattern, wherein a first distance between the first superconducting antenna pattern and the second superconducting antenna pattern is less than λ

/10, wherein λ

is a resonance frequency of each of the first and second superconducting antenna patterns; and

a receiving flat antenna comprising a second substrate, a third superconducting antenna pattern on the second substrate, and a fourth superconducting antenna pattern on the second substrate, and configured to receive at least one of a first microwave penetrating the subject and having a delayed phase, and a second microwave diffracting the subject, via the third superconducting antenna pattern and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern, wherein a second distance between the third superconducting antenna pattern and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern is less than λ

/10,

wherein the transmitting flat antenna and the receiving flat antenna face each other, and

the subject is placed between the transmitting flat antenna and the receiving flat antenna.

2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the receiving flat antenna is a variable directional antenna.

3. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of the transmitting flat antenna are included in the inspection apparatus and are placed at an equal distance from the receiving flat antenna, and

the microwaves transmitted from the plurality of the transmitting flat antenna are received in the receiving flat antenna.

4. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transmitting flat antenna is configured to receive a microwave reflected in the subject.

5. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of the transmitting flat antenna are included in the apparatus and transmit microwaves having different frequencies.

6. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electromagnetic wave absorber on at least one of an outer edge of the transmitting flat antenna and an outer edge of the receiving flat antenna.

11. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a size of each of the first superconducting antenna pattern, the second superconducting antenna pattern the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern is λ

/10 or less, where λ

is the resonance frequency of each of the first superconducting antenna pattern, the second superconducting antenna pattern, the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern, respectively.

13. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first superconducting antenna pattern and the second superconducting antenna pattern are on a same plane, and

the third superconducting antenna pattern and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern are on a same plane.

15. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first ground pattern, the first superconducting antenna pattern, and the second superconducting antenna pattern are on a same plane, and

a second ground pattern, the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern are on a same plane.

17. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first ground pattern and the first superconducting antenna pattern is on a first plane of the first substrate,

a third ground pattern and the second superconducting antenna pattern are on a second plane of the first substrate, and the second plane is opposite to the first plane,

a second ground pattern and the third superconducting antenna pattern are on a third plane of the second substrate, and

a fourth ground pattern and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern are on a fourth plane of the second substrate, and the fourth plane is opposite to the third plane.

19. The inspection apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first ground pattern and the second ground pattern are superconductive material.

21. The inspection apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first ground pattern, the second ground pattern, the third ground pattern, and the fourth ground pattern are superconductive material.

23. The inspection apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first superconducting antenna pattern, the second superconducting antenna pattern, the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern, the first ground pattern, and the second ground pattern are a same superconductive material.

25. The inspection apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first superconducting antenna pattern, the second superconducting antenna pattern, the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern, the first ground pattern, the second ground pattern, the third ground pattern, and the fourth ground pattern are a same superconductive material.

28. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving flat antenna is a directional antenna,

the receiving flat antenna includes a driving device configured to move in one of an up-and-down direction, a right-and-left direction, and an up-and-down and right-and-left direction relative to the subject;

and

the receiving flat antenna device directly receives at least one of the first microwave and the second microwave.

7. An inspection system configured to inspect a subject, the system, comprising:

a transmitting flat antenna comprising a first substrate, a first superconducting antenna pattern on the first substrate, and a second superconducting antenna pattern on the first substrate, and transmitting a microwave via the first superconducting antenna pattern and the second superconducting antenna pattern, wherein a first distance between the first superconducting antenna pattern and the second superconducting antenna pattern is less than λ

/10, wherein λ

is a resonance frequency of each of the first and second superconducting antenna patterns, to the subject;

a receiving flat antenna comprising a second substrate, a third superconducting antenna pattern on the second substrate, and a fourth superconducting antenna pattern on the second substrate, and receiving at least one of a first microwave penetrating the subject and having a delayed phase, and a second microwave diffracting the subject via the third superconducting antenna pattern and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern, wherein a second distance between the third superconducting antenna pattern and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern is less than λ

/10; and

a detecting unit detecting a foreign material in the subject by analyzing a received signal,

wherein the receiving flat antenna receives two-dimensional information of the subject; and

the subject is placed between the transmitting flat antenna and the receiving flat antenna.

8. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the detecting unit creates a distribution image including at least one of a metal and dielectric in the subject to be inspected according to the received signal.

9. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the detecting unit performs a foreign material detection by comparing previously-formed reference data about each type of subject to be inspected without a foreign material with measured data.

10. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the detecting unit measures an amount or distribution of one of a metal and a dielectric and, when the amount or the distribution exceeds a threshold, gives a notice of the excess.

12. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein a size of each of the first superconducting antenna pattern, the second superconducting antenna pattern, the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern is λ

/10 or less, where λ

is the resonance frequency of each of the first superconducting antenna pattern, the second superconducting antenna pattern, the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the forth superconducting antenna pattern, respectively.

14. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the first superconducting antenna pattern and the second superconducting antenna pattern are on a same plane, and

the third superconducting antenna pattern and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern are on a same plane.

16. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein a first ground pattern, the first superconducting antenna pattern, and the second superconducting antenna pattern are on a same plane, and

a second ground pattern, the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern are on a same plane.

18. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein a first ground pattern and the first superconducting antenna pattern are on a first plane of the first substrate,

a third ground pattern and the second superconducting antenna pattern are on a second plane of the first substrate, and the second plane is opposite to the first plane,

a second ground pattern and the third superconducting antenna pattern are on a third plane of the second substrate, and

a fourth ground pattern and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern are on a fourth plane of the second substrate, and the fourth plane is opposite to the third plane.

20. The inspection system according to claim 16, wherein the first ground pattern and the second ground pattern are superconductive material.

22. The inspection system according to claim 18, wherein the first ground pattern, the second ground pattern, the third ground pattern, and the fourth ground pattern are superconductive material.

24. The inspection system according to claim 16, wherein the first superconducting antenna pattern, the second superconducting antenna pattern, the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern, the first ground pattern, and the second ground pattern are a same superconductive material.

26. The inspection system according to claim 18, wherein the first superconducting antenna pattern, the second superconducting antenna pattern, the third superconducting antenna pattern, and the fourth superconducting antenna pattern, the first ground pattern, the second ground pattern, the third ground pattern, and the fourth ground pattern are a same superconductive material.

27. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting flat antenna is configured to receive a microwave reflected in the subject, and

the microwave reflected in the subject includes signals of metal information of a surface of the subject and does not includes signals of non-metal information of a surface of the subject itself.

29. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the receiving flat antenna is a directional antenna,

the receiving flat antenna includes a driving device configured to move in one of an up-and-down direction, a right-and-left direction, and an up-and-down and right-and-left direction relative to the subject to be inspected, and

the receiving flat antenna directly receives at least one of the first microwave and the second microwave.