Ultra-wide band pulse dispersion spectrometry method and apparatus providing multi-component composition analysis

• US 20060091894A1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rhino Analytics LP
• Original Assignee: Rhino Analytics LP
• Inventors: Daniewicz, John Lee, Jean, Buford Randall, Whitehead, Frederick Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/644
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of microwaves or radio waves, i.e. electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of one millimetre or more G01N3/00 - G01N17/00, G01N24/00 take precedence

Abstract

Embodiments cause interaction of an ultra-wide band signal with a substance over a broad range of frequencies simultaneously to obtain a response signal whose distortion is indicative of a composition of the substance.

Claims

1. A method using electromagnetic energy for obtaining information concerning a characteristic of a substance, comprising:

generating an ultra-wide band signal having a continuous, broad band frequency spectrum that includes a frequency range for which the substance is responsive to electromagnetic energy;

communicating the ultra-wide band signal to the substance to enable electromagnetic energy to interact with the substance over a broad range of frequencies simultaneously;

acquiring a response signal from the energy interacting with the substance; and

evaluating distortion in the acquired response signal to obtain information concerning a characteristic of the substance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating distortion of the response signal further comprises resolving the acquired response signal into a frequency spectrum to determine information from individual ones of simultaneous modes of propagation of energy in the substance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the response signal comprises:

a reflected signal arising from energy scattered from the substance; and

a transmitted signal arising from energy transmitted through the substance.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining information about a characteristic of the substance by comparing a time of arrival of a pulse in the response signal arising from energy scattered from the substance to a time of arrival of a different pulse in the response signal arising from energy transmitted through the substance.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating distortion of the acquired response signal is performed in the time domain.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating distortion of the acquired response signal comprises evaluating an attenuation of the response signal.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating distortion of the acquired response signal comprises evaluating a shape of the response signal.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an ultra-wide band signal comprises producing a signal that exhibits a rapid rise or fall time sufficient to produce the broad band frequency spectrum.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the response signal comprises a reflected signal arising from energy scattered from the substance.

3-8. -8. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

13. An apparatus using electromagnetic energy for determining information concerning a characteristic of a substance, comprising:

a generator to generate an ultra-wide band signal having a continuous, broad band frequency spectrum that includes a frequency range for which the substance is responsive to electromagnetic energy;

a transmitting element to communicate energy in the ultra-wide band signal to the substance to enable electromagnetic energy to interact with the substance over a broad range of frequencies simultaneously;

a receiver to acquire a response signal from the energy interacting with the substance; and

signal processing electronics to evaluate distortion in the acquired response signal to obtain information concerning a characteristic of the substance.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the signal processing electronics are adapted to performs a transformation of the response signal into a frequency spectrum to determine information from individual ones of simultaneous modes of propagation of energy in the substance.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a time of arrival of a pulse in the response signal arising from energy scattered from the substance is compared to a time of arrival of a different pulse in the response signal arising from energy transmitted through the substance to determine information about a characteristic of the substance.

29. The method of claim 31, wherein the rise or fall time is less than about one nano-second.

31. The method of claim 13, wherein the signal processing electronics is adapted to evaluate signal distortion in the time domain.

32. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the signal processing electronics is adapted to evaluate signal distortion by evaluating an attenuation of the response signal.

33. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the signal processing electronics is adapted to evaluate distortion of the acquired response signal by evaluating a shape of the response signal.

34. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the signal processing electronics is adapted to evaluate distortion of the acquired response signal by evaluating a broadening of a pulse in the response signal in comparison to a pulse in the communicated signal.

35. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the signal processing electronics evaluates distortion of the acquired response signal by evaluating change in cutoff frequency of one or more simultaneous modes of propagation of energy within the substance.

36. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the pulse generator generates an ultra-wide band signal by producing a signal that exhibits a rapid rise or fall time sufficient to produce the broad band frequency spectrum.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the rise time or fall time is less than about one nanosecond.

15-17. -17. (canceled)

19-24. -24. (canceled)

38. A method for using electromagnetic energy to determine information concerning a characteristic of a substance, comprising:

communicating an ultra-wideband signal having a broad band frequency spectrum to a substance to enable electromagnetic energy to interact with the substance over a broad range of frequencies simultaneously;

acquiring a response signal by equivalent time sampling; and

evaluating distortion in the acquired response signal arising from the broad band of energy interacting with the substance to obtain information about a characteristic of the substance.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein evaluating distortion in the response signal is performed in the time domain.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein evaluating distortion of the response signal comprises comparing an amplitude distribution of the response signal to an amplitude distribution of a reference signal.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the response signal comprises energy transmitted through the substance.