Microwave detection system and method for detecting intrusion to an off-limits zone

• US 20060028356A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Pieralli, Moreno
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/30 Supervision, e.g. monitoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2491 Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automatically detecting intrusion in an off-limits zone. The system includes a transmitter transmitting a signal along a path likely to encounter an intruder to the off-limits zone and a modulating reflector for receiving the transmitted signal. The modulating reflector includes a modulator receiving the received signal and generating a modulated signal having a characteristic. The modulating reflector transmits the modulated signal to be received by a receiver located to receive the modulated signal. The system further includes a processor coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver, the processor being configured to process the received modulated signal and to initiate an action as a function of the characteristic in the received modulated signal.

Claims

1. A microwave detection system for automatically detecting intrusion in an off-limits zone, said system comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal along a path likely to encounter an intruder to the off-limits zone;

a modulating reflector configured to receive the transmitted signal to generate a modulated signal having a characteristic introduced by said modulating reflector, said modulating reflector configured to transmit the modulated signal;

a receiver located to receive the modulated signal; and

a processor coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver, said processor configured to process the received modulated signal and configured to initiate an action as a function of the characteristic in the received modulated signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the path for the transmitter signal is substantially within the off-limits zone.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the off-limits zone comprises a railroad grade crossing.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the path for the transmitter signal is substantially along a perimeter of the off-limits zone.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor compares an amount of the characteristic in the received modulated signal to a threshold value.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the characteristic is selected from the following:

an amplitude of a first sideband of the received modulated signal;

an amplitude of a second sideband of the received modulated signal;

an energy in a first sideband of the received modulated signal;

an energy in first, second, and third sidebands of the received modulated signal;

a frequency of an amplitude peak of a first sideband of the received modulated signal; and

a frequency of an amplitude peak of a second sideband of the received modulated signal.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter comprises a frequency modulated carrier transmitter and the receiver comprises a frequency modulated carrier receiver, the frequency modulated transmitter and the frequency modulated receiver each being responsive and sensitive to a peak of the processed signal.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver is selected from the group consisting of two quadrature receivers and two orthogonal receivers.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a passive reflector, wherein the passive reflector is located between the transmitter and the modulating reflector and wherein the passive reflector reflects the transmitted signal received from the transmitter to the modulating reflector.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a passive reflector, wherein the passive reflector is located between the modulating reflector and the receiver, and wherein the passive reflector reflects the modulated signal from the modulating reflector to the receiver.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter transmits a continuous wave microwave signal between 9.2 GHz and 10.6 GHz.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the modulator comprises a modulator configured to modulate the received signal by creating a phase variation of between 0 degrees and 180 degrees at a selected frequency.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to initiate an alarm action when the processor fails to detect the characteristic within the received modulated signal.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to initiate a consent action when the processor detects the characteristic within the received modulated signal.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a timer, wherein the transmitter is responsive to the processor, said processor is configured to receive a gates closed signal and is further configured to initiate the transmitter to transmit the transmitted signal upon receipt of a gates closed signal, and said transmitter is configured to continue to transmit the transmitted signal, wherein the processor continues to process the received signal until said timer expires.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a preamplifier and a filter coupled between the receiver and the processor, said preamplifier and filter configured to condition the received signal prior to said processor processing the received modulated signal.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver, said GPS receiver configured to provide a time and a position signal to the processor.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory, wherein the processor stores in said memory the action initiated by the processor.

19. A method for automatically detecting intrusion in an off-limits zone, said method comprising:

transmitting a microwave signal along a path likely to encounter an intruder to the off-limits zone;

receiving the microwave signal at a modulating reflector;

modulating the signal received by the modulating reflector to generate a modulating signal having a characteristic;

transmitting the modulated signal to be received by a receiver;

processing the modulated signal to measure the characteristic in the received modulated signal; and

initiating an action as a function of the measured characteristic in the received modulated signal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the transmitting of the microwave signal is substantially within the off-limits zone.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the transmitting of the microwave signal is substantially along a perimeter of the off-limits zone.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the processing of the modulated signal comprises comparing an amount of the measured characteristic in the received modulated signal to a threshold value.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the modulating of the received, microwave signal creates a characteristic from the following list:

an amplitude of a first sideband of the received modulated signal;

an amplitude of a second sideband of the received modulated signal;

an energy in a first sideband of the received modulated signal;

an energy in first, second, and third sidebands of the received modulated signal;

a frequency of an amplitude peak of a first sideband of the received modulated signal; and

a frequency of an amplitude peak of a second sideband of the received modulated signal.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving the transmitted microwave signal and passively reflecting the microwave signal, wherein the receiving of the microwave signal at the modulating reflector comprises receiving the microwave signal as passively reflected.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving the reflected modulated signal; and

passively reflecting the modulated signal, wherein the receiving of the signal at the receiver comprises receiving the modulated signal as passively reflected.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein the transmitting of a microwave signal comprises transmitting a continuous wave microwave signal between 9.2 GHz and 10.6 GHz.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein the modulating of the received microwave signal comprises modulating the received signal by creating a phase variation of between 0 degrees and 180 degrees at a selected frequency.

28. The method of claim 19 wherein initiating an action comprises initiating an alarm action.

29. The method of claim 19 wherein initiating an action comprises initiating a consent signal.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a gates closed signal;

initiating the transmitter to transmit the transmitted signal upon receipt of a gates closed signal; and

terminating the transmitter to transmit the transmitted signal upon the expiration of a timer.

31. The method of claim 19, further comprising pre-amplifying and filtering the received modulated signal, wherein the processing of the modulated signal comprises processing the received modulated signal as pre-amplified and filtered.

32. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving data from a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver that includes a time and a position signal.

33. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing in a memory the initiated action.