System and method for detecting an intruder using impulse radio technology

• US 20040021599A1
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Hall, David J., Yano, Scott M., Schantz, Hans G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,822,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/003 Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/282 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/285 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/292 Extracting wanted echo-signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/187 by interference of a radiation field
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/6908 using time hopping

Abstract

An intrusion detection system and method are provided that can utilize impulse radio technology to detect when an intruder has entered a protection zone. In addition, the intrusion detection system and method can utilize impulse radio technology to determine a location of the intruder within the protection zone and also track the movement of the intruder within the protection zone. Moreover, the intrusion detection system and method can utilize impulse radio technology to create a specially shaped protection zone before trying to detect when and where the intruder has penetrated and moved within the protection zone.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an intruder, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, from a transmitting impulse radio unit, an impulse radio signal including a series of impulses;

receiving, at a receiving impulse radio unit, the impulse radio signal;

generating, at the receiving impulse radio unit, a first waveform corresponding to the impulse shape of the received impulse radio signal;

receiving, at the receiving impulse radio unit and at a subsequent time, the impulse radio signal;

generating, at the receiving impulse radio unit, a second waveform corresponding to the impulse shape of the impulse radio signal received after the subsequent time; and

comparing the first waveform to the second waveform to determine whether there is a change between the first waveform and the second waveform caused by the intruder entering a protection zone.

2. An intrusion detection system comprising:

a transmitting impulse radio unit capable of transmitting an impulse radio signal including a series of impulses; and

a receiving impulse radio unit capable of comparing at least two scanned waveforms corresponding to at least two impulse shapes of the impulse radio signal that were generated at different times to determine whether a protection zone has been breached by an intruder.

3. The intrusion detection system of claim 2, further comprising at least one more receiving impulse radio units that operate in a similar manner as the receiving impulse radio unit thus enabling the transmitting impulse radio unit to determine a current position of the intruder within the protection zone.

4. The intrusion detection system of claim 3, wherein said transmitting impulse radio unit is capable of interacting with each of the receiving impulse radio units to track the movement of a test subject so as to create a shape of the protection zone.

5. The intrusion detection system of claim 3, wherein said transmitting impulse radio unit further includes at least one directive antenna.

6. The intrusion detection system of claim 5, wherein said at least one directive antenna enables the transmitting impulse radio unit to transmit the impulse radio signal in a predetermined direction.