Method and apparatus for microwave and millimeter-wave imaging

• US 20080100510A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew Bonthron, Gerald Juskovic
• Original Assignee: Andrew Bonthron, Gerald Juskovic
• Inventors: Bonthron, Andrew, Juskovic, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/978,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100510A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/373
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/024 using polarisation effects in waveguides H01P1/165; for aerials H01Q, e.g. H01Q15/22, H01Q15/24, H01Q19/195
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence

Abstract

An antennae system for a detector. The antennae system includes a two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array that has an x number of transmitter elements, and a two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array that has a y number of receiver elements. The two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays have a spatial relationship such that at least one subset of the two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays forms a regular array of spatial displacements of z pairwise combinations of transmitter and receiver elements, where z is greater than the sum of x and y.

Claims

1. An antennae system for a detector, comprising:

a two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array that includes an x number of transmitter elements; and

,

a two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array that includes a y number of receiver elements, said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays having a spatial relationship such that at least one subset of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays forms a regular array of spatial displacements of z pairwise combinations of transmitter and receiver elements, where z is greater than the sum of x and y.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array have a spacing along at least one dimension that is a multiple integer of a similar spacing between elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array have a spacing along at least one dimension that is a multiple integer of a similar spacing between elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array.

4. A detector system, comprising:

a two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array that includes an x number of transmitter elements that transmit at least one output signal;

a two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array that includes a y number of receiver elements that provide at least one input signal, said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays having a spatial relationship such that at least one subset of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays forms a regular array of spatial displacements of z pairwise combinations of transmitter and receiver elements, where z is greater than the sum of x and y; and

,

a processor that provides said output signal for transmission and receives said input signal, and processes said input and output signals.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array have a spacing along at least one dimension that is a multiple integer of a similar spacing between elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array have a spacing along at least one dimension that is a multiple integer of a similar spacing between elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said processor processes said input and output signals to produce a multi-dimensional image of an object.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising an actuator that moves said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array.

9. The system of claim 4, further comprising an actuator that moves said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array.

10. The system of claim 4, further comprising an actuator that moves said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array and said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein n number of said elements in said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array are sequentially selected and m number of said elements in said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array are sequentially selected, wherein m can equal n.

12. A detector system, comprising:

a two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array that includes an x number of transmitter elements that transmit at least one output signal;

a two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array that includes a y number of receiver elements that provide at least one input signal, said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays having a spatial relationship such that at least one subset of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays forms a regular array of spatial displacements of z pairwise combinations of transmitter and receiver elements, where z is greater than the sum of x and y; and

,

a processing means for processing said input and output signals.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array have a spacing along at least one dimension that is a multiple integer of a similar spacing between elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array have a spacing along at least one dimension that is a multiple integer of a similar spacing between elements of said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said processor means processes said input and output signals to produce a multi-dimensional image of an object.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for moving said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for moving said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for moving said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array and said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein n number of said elements in said two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array are sequentially selected and m number of said elements in said two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array are sequentially selected, wherein m can equal n.

20. A method for detecting an object, comprising:

providing an antennae assembly that includes;

a two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array that includes an x number of transmitter elements;

a two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array that includes a y number of receiver elements, the two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays having a spatial relationship such that at least one subset of the two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays forms a regular array of spatial displacements of z pairwise combinations of transmitter and receiver elements, where z is greater than the sum of x and y;

transmitting at least one output signal as an electro-magnetic wave from the two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array that is reflected from the object;

receiving the reflected electro-magnetic wave at the two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array;

converting at least one received reflected electro-magnetic wave into an input signal; and

,

processing the input and output signals.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising processing the input and output signals to produce an image of the object.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising moving the two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising moving the two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising moving the two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array and the two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein n number of the elements in the two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array are sequentially selected and m number of the elements in the two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array are sequentially selected, wherein m can equal n.