MINE DETECTION

• US 20100085234A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3harris Fuzing and Ordnance Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications CyTerra Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Kevin, Solomon, Geoffrey, Bartosz, Elizabeth, Stilwell, Gregory, Steinway, William, Duvoisin, Herbert III, Crabb, Paul, Fine, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,174,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/885 for ground probing prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/888 through wall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

An integrated mine detection system includes a ground penetrating metal detector and a ground penetrating radar detector. The integrated mine detection system includes an integrated search device housing a radio-wave transmitter of the radar detector and a coil of the metal detector. The radio-wave transmitter includes an antenna. The integrated search device includes a radio-wave receiver in the form of a pair of receiving antennas.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An integrated mine detection system comprising:

a ground penetrating metal detector configured to collect data regarding a surrounding region;

a ground penetrating radar detector comprising, wherein;

a first transmitting antenna configured to transmit radio-wave signals toward the ground of the surrounding region,

a second receiving antenna configured to receive radio-wave signals reflected from objects within the ground, and

a third receiving antenna configured to receive radio-wave signals reflected from objects within the ground; and

a processor being configured to analyze data collected by the metal detector and process a first signal from the second receiving antenna separately from a second signal from the third receiving antenna to detect a mine.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the ground penetrating metal detector comprises:

a transmitter,

a coil coupled to the transmitter to produce a magnetic field, and

a signal processor coupled to the coil and configured to detect a secondary magnetic field.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the antennas are surrounded by the coil.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the antennas are shielded from external electromagnetic radiation.

6. The system of claim 2 further comprising an output device that outputs a signal indicating a presence of a mine in the ground if either the ground penetrating metal detector, the ground penetrating radar detector, or both detect the presence of an object within the ground.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the ground penetrating radar detector and the ground penetrating metal detector are housed in a single housing.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein operation of the metal detector does not interfere with operation of the radar detector.

9. A method of detecting mines, the method comprising:

producing a primary magnetic field;

detecting a presence of a secondary magnetic field;

transmitting radio-wave frequency energy into a surrounding region;

detecting radio-wave frequency energy reflected by an object in the surrounding region;

processing a first signal received from a first receiving antenna separately from a second signal received from a second third receiving antenna to detect a mine