ELECTROMAGNETIC SCANNING IMAGER

• US 20100117885A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Power Tools Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Techtronic Power Tools Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Whitmire, Jason Porter, Adams, Christopher P., Gregorich, Brent, Holbrook, David S., Scott, John S., Bublitz, Scott D., Rajani, Umesh, Mergener, Matthew J., Hessenberger, Jeffrey C., Huggins, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,253,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/887 for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• 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: G01S 7/03 Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/046 using an intermediate storage device, e.g. a recording/reproducing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention provides an imager, preferably portable, that includes a source of electromagnetic radiation capable of generating radiation with one or more frequencies in a range of about 1 GHz to about 2000 GHz. An optical system that is optically coupled to the source focuses radiation received therefrom onto an object plane, and directs at least a portion of the focused radiation propagating back from the object plane onto an image plane. The imager further includes a scan mechanism coupled to the optical system for controlling thereof so as to move the focused radiation over the object plane. A detector optically coupled to the lens at the image plane detects at least a portion of the radiation propagating back from a plurality of scanned locations in the object plane, thereby generating a detection signal. A processor that is in communication with the detector generates an image of at least a portion of the object plane based on the detection signal.

Claims

1. A method of locating hidden objects, the method comprising,

transmitting microwaves, by a handheld imaging tool, toward an object behind a surface;

detecting feedback, by the handheld imaging tool, from an interaction of the microwaves and the object;

tracking movement of the handheld imaging tool along the surface by a tracking device of the handheld imaging tool; and

displaying a grid on a display supported by the handheld imaging tool, wherein the grid is representative of an area to be scanned by the handheld imaging tool, and

filling in the grid with generated images as the handheld imaging tool moves along the surface, the generated images being representative of space behind the surface and indicating at least one of a location, size, and depth of the object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

storing the generated images in a memory with an accompanying tag;

retrieving the generated images using the tag; and

displaying the retrieved generated images on the display.

3. The method of locating hidden objects of claim 2, wherein the tag includes at least one of location data, voice data, and time data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

refining a first image of the generated images, wherein refining includes

transmitting additional microwaves toward an area of the surface associated with the first image,

detecting additional feedback from an interaction of the additional microwaves, and

generating an updated first image based on the detecting of additional feedback,

wherein the updated first image has a higher resolution than the first image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking device includes at least one encoder wheel, and wherein tracking movement of the handheld imaging tool includes the handheld imaging tool receiving rotation data from the at least one encoder wheel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising altering the generated images to include highlighting of the object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a type of object, by the handheld imaging tool, based on a comparison of a predetermined shape and a shape of a group of pixels.

8. A handheld imaging tool for locating hidden objects, the handheld imaging tool comprising:

a transmitting module operable to transmit microwaves toward an object behind a surface;

a detecting module operable to detect feedback from an interaction of the microwaves and the object;

a tracking module operable to track movement of the handheld imaging tool along the surface;

a display supported by the handheld imaging tool; and

an imaging module coupled to the detecting module, the tracking module, and the display, the imaging module operable to

render a grid on the display, the grid being representative of an area to be scanned by the handheld imaging tool, and

fill in the grid with generated images based on data from the detecting module and the tracking module as the handheld imaging tool moves along the surface, wherein the generated images are representative of space behind the surface and indicate at least one of a location, size, and depth of the object.

9. The handheld imaging tool of claim 8, further comprising an antenna including a mechanical axis at a center of the antenna and an optical axis offset from the mechanical axis, wherein the antenna is operable to rotate about the mechanical axis and microwaves transmitted by the transmitting module pass through the antenna before reaching the object.

10. The handheld imaging tool of claim 8, further comprising at least one of a lens, a quarter wave plate, and a beam splitter, wherein microwaves transmitted by the transmitting module pass through the at least one of the lens, the quarter wave plate, and the beam splitter before reaching the object.

11. The handheld imaging tool of claim 8, further comprising a memory, wherein the imaging module is operable to

store the generated images in the memory with an accompanying tag;

retrieve the generated images using the tag; and

display the retrieved generated images on the display.

12. The handheld imaging tool of claim 8, wherein the tracking module includes at least one encoder wheel operable to send rotation data to the imaging module.

13. A method of locating hidden objects, the method comprising,

transmitting microwaves, by a handheld imaging tool, toward an object behind a surface;

detecting feedback, by the handheld imaging tool, from an interaction of the microwaves and the object;

tracking movement of the handheld imaging tool along the surface by a tracking device of the handheld imaging tool;

generating an image on a display supported by the handheld imaging tool, the image including a representation of the object;

storing the image in a memory with an accompanying tag;

retrieving the image using the tag; and

displaying the retrieved image on the display.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tag includes at least one of location data, voice data, and time data.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising,

refining the image, wherein refining includes

transmitting additional microwaves toward an area of the surface associated with the image,

detecting additional feedback from an interaction of the additional microwaves, and

generating an updated image based on the detecting of additional feedback, wherein the updated image has a higher resolution than the image.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the tracking device includes at least one encoder wheel, and wherein tracking movement of the handheld imaging tool includes the handheld imaging tool receiving rotation data from the at least one encoder wheel.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising altering the image to include highlighting of the object.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying a type of object, by the handheld imaging tool, based on a comparison of a predetermined shape and a shape of a group of pixels representing the object within the image.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein storing the image in the memory includes wirelessly transmitting the image and tag to the memory.

20. A handheld imaging tool for locating hidden objects, the handheld imaging tool comprising:

a transmitting module operable to transmit microwaves toward an object behind a surface;

a detecting module operable to detect feedback from an interaction of the microwaves and the object;

a tracking module operable to track movement of the handheld imaging tool along the surface;

a display supported by the handheld imaging tool; and

an imaging module coupled to the detecting module, the tracking module, and the display, the imaging module being operable to

generate an image on the display, the image including a representation of the object;

store the image in a memory with an accompanying tag;

retrieve the image using the tag; and

display the retrieved image on the display.

21. The handheld imaging tool of claim 20, further comprising an antenna including a mechanical axis at a center of the antenna and an optical axis offset from the mechanical axis, wherein the antenna is operable to rotate about the mechanical axis and microwaves transmitted by the transmitting module pass through the antenna before reaching the object.

22. The handheld imaging tool of claim 20, further comprising at least one of a lens, a quarter wave plate, and a beam splitter, wherein microwaves transmitted by the transmitting module pass through the at least one of the lens, the quarter wave plate, and the beam splitter before reaching the object.

23. The handheld imaging tool of claim 20, wherein the tracking module includes at least one encoder wheel operable to send rotation data to the imaging module.

24. A handheld imaging tool for locating hidden objects, the handheld imaging tool comprising:

a body including,

a horn assembly including an emitting horn and a receiving horn, wherein the emitting horn is operable to transmit microwaves toward an object behind a surface and the receiving horn is operable to receive feedback from an interaction of the microwaves and the object;

a tracking module operable to track movement of the handheld imaging tool along the surface;

an imaging module operable to generate images based on data from the tracking module and the feedback received by the receiving horn; and

a display operable to display generated images as the handheld imaging tool moves along the surface, the generated images being representative of space behind the surface and indicating at least one of a location, size, and depth of the object; and

a handle portion supporting the body of the handheld imaging tool, the handle portion including

a trigger actuator and a thumb actuator, wherein the trigger actuator and the thumb actuator are operable to at least partially control the display.

25. The handheld imaging tool of claim 24, wherein the trigger actuator is accessible by an index finger of a first hand of a user gripping the handle portion, and the thumb actuator is accessible by a thumb of the first hand gripping the handle portion.

26. The handheld imaging tool of claim 24, wherein the body further includes a notch that relates a location of the images to a position of the handheld imaging tool.

27. The handheld imaging tool of claim 24, further comprising an antenna including a mechanical axis at a center of the antenna and an optical axis offset from the mechanical axis, wherein the antenna is operable to rotate about the mechanical axis and microwaves transmitted by the emitting horn pass through the antenna before reaching the object.

28. The handheld imaging tool of claim 27, wherein the antenna includes a first zone and a second zone, wherein the first and second zones each include a first and second sub-zone, and wherein the first sub-zone of the first zone is thicker than the first sub-zone of the second zone, and the second sub-zone of the first zone is thinner than the second sub-zone of the second zone.

29. The handheld imaging tool of claim 28, wherein the first zone, the second zone, the first sub-zone, and the second sub-zone are approximately concentric about the optical axis.

30. The handheld imaging tool of claim 27, wherein the antenna is less than approximately 20 millimeters thick.

31. The handheld imaging tool of claim 24, further comprising a beam splitter, wherein microwaves transmitted by the emitting horn pass through the beam splitter before reaching the object.

32. The handheld imaging tool of claim 24, further comprising a lens wherein microwaves transmitted by the emitting horn pass through the lens and are focused by the lens before reaching the object.

33. The handheld imaging tool of claim 24, further comprising a quarter wave plate, wherein microwaves transmitted by the emitting horn pass through the quarter wave plate before reaching the object.