Apparatus and method to distinguish nominally identical objects through wave fingerprintsApparatus and method to distinguish nominally identical objects through wave fingerprints

• US 20100001743A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Maryland, College Park
• Original Assignee: Office of Technology Commercialization University of Maryland
• Inventors: Anlage, Steven M., Hemmady, Sameer
• Granted Patent: US 8,624,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/639
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/00 Aspects of pattern recognition specially adapted for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns

Abstract

The present invention exploits extreme sensitivity to initial conditions in ray-chaotic enclosures to create a method to distinguish nominally identical objects through their unique “wave fingerprints.” The fingerprint can be measured through transmission of a pulsed microwave signal as a function of carrier frequency and time. When internal components are re-arranged, the Electromagnetic Fingerprints (EMF) changes in significant ways. The EMF can be detected by direct injection measurements of the enclosure or through remote measurement.

Claims

1. A method to determine a unique waveform fingerprint of an object, comprising the steps of:

(a) injecting a waveform having a first frequency into an object and collecting the waveform after it transmits through the object;

(b) repeating step (a), at least one more time, using a waveform having a second frequency within a predetermined range of frequencies; and

(c) generating a waveform fingerprint of the object from the plurality of collected waveforms.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the waveform fingerprint further comprises the steps of:

determining an in-phase (I) component of said waveform;

determining a quadrature (Q) component of said waveform; and

calculating the waveform fingerprint using the in-phase and quadrature components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint is displayed in a perceptible format selected from the group consisting of visual, audible, tactile, and other sensory perceptions formats.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a waveform generator, preferably a microwave pulsed source, emits the waveform that is injected into the object, the waveform generator emits and thus the waveform is of various types of energy and frequencies, the waveform generator is either in direct, physical, operational connection or remotely connected to the object, and capable of operationally connecting with various components.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of a plurality of direct, reflected or transmitted waveforms are collected by a receiver, wherein the receiver is preferably an oscilloscope.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiver is capable of collecting various types of waveforms and frequencies, collecting same either in direct, physical, operational connection or remotely connected to the object, and capable of operationally connecting with various components.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein additional components may be used to increase the sensitivity and performance of the method by at least one of amplifying signal strength, mixing signals, providing further synthesized signals or phase discriminated signals.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a specific frequency and range of frequencies based upon the dimensions of the object such that the injected waveform wavelength is less than the dimensions of the object; and

modulating frequency over time in a step wise, incremental manner,

wherein these steps promote a satisfactory propagating and resonating activity of the waveform within the object.

9. A method for distinguishing between objects, comprising the steps of:

generating a first waveform fingerprint of a first object;

generating a second waveform fingerprint of a second object; and

determining a difference between the first and second objects by comparing the first waveform fingerprint of the first object to the second waveform fingerprint of the second object.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising three or more objects.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the waveform fingerprint for any one of the plurality of objects is generated by performing the following:

(a) at least one of directly or remotely injecting a first frequency determined waveform into an object and after the waveform transmits through the object, collecting the waveform in at least one of a direct or remote manner;

(b) repeating step (a), at least one more time, using a waveform having a second frequency within a predetermined range of frequencies, wherein the waveform frequency is incrementally step increased within the range;

(c) generating a waveform fingerprint of the object from the plurality of collected waveforms by determining an in-phase (I) component of the waveform, determining a quadrature (Q) component of the waveform, and calculating the waveform fingerprint using the in-phase and quadrature components; and

(d) displaying the generated waveform fingerprint in a perceptible format.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a difference between the waveforms by comparing their separate waveform fingerprints further comprises the step of performing cross correlation of the waveform fingerprints.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the waveform fingerprint for any one of the plurality of objects is generated by performing the following:

selecting a specific frequency and range of frequencies based upon the dimensions of the object such that the injected waveform wavelength is less than the dimensions of the object; and

modulating frequency over time in a step wise, incremental manner, to promote the gathering of stable and predictable results,

wherein these steps promote a satisfactory propagating and resonating activity of the waveform within the object.

14. A waveform fingerprint system for an object, comprising:

A waveform generator operationally connected with an object, the generator producing and injecting a waveform into the object, and a receiver for collecting the waveform after it transmits through the object, wherein the collected waveform allows the generation of a waveform fingerprint.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the waveform fingerprint is perceptibly displayed and generated by calculation using the in-phase and quadrature components of the waveform.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the waveform generator produces at least one of electromagnetic, microwave, acoustic, or quantum mechanical waveforms.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the waveform emitted by the generator has at least one of a determined, specific frequency or predetermined frequency range, preferably a range from megahertz (MHz) through Gigahertz (GHz), more preferably 550 MHz-20 GHz, preferably focusing at the 1-10 GHZ, and more preferably focusing at the 5-8 GHz, C-band, or X-band.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the waveform frequency emitted by the generator is incrementally step increased, in steps ranging from 0.01-1 GHz, more preferably 0.04-0.07 GHz, within the predetermined range of frequencies.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the waveform generator has waveform emission time periods ranging from 1 nanosecond (ns) to 150 ns, more preferably 40 ns-120 ns.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the waveform emitted by the generator has a wavelength that is less than the dimensions of the object.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiver includes a multi-channel input capability, which includes the capability of receiving at least one of a direct, intermediate or remote signal, and is capable of collecting various waveform frequencies and types selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic, microwave, acoustic and quantum mechanical.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the waveform generator, object or receiver may be operationally connected in various configurations with system components selected from the group consisting of a coupling device, an oscillator, a synthesizer, a phase discriminator, a mixer, an amplifier, and a filter.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the operational connection of system components is at least one of a direct connection or a remote connection and wherein the remote operational connection of system components spaces the components at physical distances relative to one another that range from millimeters to feet, more preferably 3.3 centimeters to 2 feet.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is at least somewhat automatically controlled.

21. The system of clam 14, wherein the object is a construct including an injection site and having sufficient dimension to provide an enclosure, preferably including various radiative impediments in the enclosure, constructed of at least semi-resonating material(s), including metals and some plastics or polymers, and allowing satisfactory radiation leakage for generating a waveform fingerprint.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the object is at least one of a computing device, server, desktop computer or a laptop computer.