Radiation monitoring of body part sizing and use of such sizing for person monitoring

• US 20050264303A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fernando A. Barrera, Kenneth S. Bailey
• Original Assignee: Fernando A. Barrera, Kenneth S. Bailey
• Inventors: Bailey, Kenneth S., Barrera, Fernando A.
• Application Number:
  US11/056,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20050264303A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/644
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0228 Microwave sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/107 Measuring physical dimensions, e.g. size of the entire body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4561 Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature A61B5/1116 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6889 Rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

A person monitoring system that may determine personal characteristics and compare them to other characteristics without necessarily recognizing a specific individual corresponding to those characteristics. An embodiment may use a first array of focused microwave transmitting antennas driven by a microwave transmitting electronics, producing microwave signals for the first array. A second array of focused microwave receiving antennas may have each antenna of said second array being focused and pointed to receive a microwave transmission from a specific antenna of the first array. A controller determines pixels of the sillouette of the monitored subject, as pixels from the microwave antennas. Parameters of human body shape are determined, and used as a profile that can be monitored.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first array of radiating antennas;

a second array of receiving antennas; and

a controller, which receives information from said second array, indicative of characteristics of an individual passing between said first array and said second array, and uses said characteristics to form a profile of characteristics of said individual.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said first array and said second array include a cover portion that hides said first array and said second array from view.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein each of said first array and said second array is formed of an array antennas formed substantially with an edge of one antenna pressed against an edge of another antenna.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein at least a plurality of said antennas of said first array are pointed at a plurality of said antenna of said second array.

5. A system as in claim 4, wherein the information received by said controller receives a plurality of points of information, each point of information forming a pixel of an image representing the individual.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said first array and said second array are located in a doorway.

7. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a database for said information maintaining information about locations of profiles of similar information at different times.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein said antennas transmit microwave energy.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein said microwave energy has a signal of substantially 150 GHz.

10. A system as in claim 8, wherein said microwave energy is transmitted at a level of 10 mW per centimeter squared, or less.

11. A system as in claim 8, wherein said microwave energy is used to illuminate a subject'"'"'s body parts, to determine individual sizing information of said body parts.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein said body parts include at least one of head size and shape, torso size and shape, and/or bone structure.

13. A method, comprising:

determining individual characteristics of an individual at a first monitoring location; and

using said individual characteristics for a security-related application without determining a specific identity of said individual.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said determining comprises using microwave energy to determine sizes of an individual'"'"'s body parts.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein said sizes of said individual'"'"'s body parts include at least sizes of at least one of the head, neck, torso, and/or waist and hips.

16. A method as in claim 14, wherein said security related application comprises monitoring a location of said individual.

17. A method as in claim 14, wherein said individual characteristics are used for identifying the person.

18. A method as in claim 14, wherein said microwave energy is transmitted that a less than 10 milliwatts per centimeter squared.

19. A method as in claim 13, wherein said using comprises using said individual characteristics to determine if said individual is authorized for access to an area encompassing said first monitoring location.

20. A method as in claim 13, wherein said using comprises using said individual characteristics to monitor movements of the individual.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a first array of focused microwave transmitting antennas;

a microwave transmitting electronics, producing microwave signals for the first array;

a second array of focused microwave receiving antennas, each antenna of said second array being focused and pointed to receive a microwave transmission from a specific antenna of the first array; and

a control part, determining which elements of the second array have received transmissions, and determining parameters of human body shape based on which specific antennas of the array have been blocked, and forming a data file indicative of said parameters of human body shape.

22. An apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising a profile maintaining part, which maintains a profile based on one of said data files and different locations where said one of said data files has been seen, without recognizing an individual corresponding to said one of said data files.