SCANNING NEAR FIELD ELECTROMAGNETIC PROBE
First Claim
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1. A method for detecting the presence of an object, comprising the steps of:
- generating a number of range templates, each for a different frequency and each containing phase and amplitude information pertaining to a number of objects of a number of lengths in a number of orientations;
transmitting stepped frequency signals from a probe towards a predetermined area;
detecting the amplitude and phase of energy reflected back to the probe;
generating an image of the returned energy from the probe for each frequency of the probe transmission, the image including a range axis and an orthogonal amplitude/phase set of axes for each of the stepped frequencies; and
,correlating the image formed at the each of the stepped frequencies to the stored range templates, with a high correlation to one of the surveyed templates indicated by the identity of the existence of the object, the length of the object and the range of the object to the probe.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus is devised for detecting objects of interest in which frequency-scanned RF in the HF region of the electromagnetic spectrum is projected out across a given area and returns are detected and converted into image data in which phase, amplitude, range and frequency associated with the incoming data is correlated with frequency-dependent range templates to determine the existence of, the range of and the direction of the objects of interest.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for detecting the presence of an object, comprising the steps of:
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generating a number of range templates, each for a different frequency and each containing phase and amplitude information pertaining to a number of objects of a number of lengths in a number of orientations; transmitting stepped frequency signals from a probe towards a predetermined area; detecting the amplitude and phase of energy reflected back to the probe; generating an image of the returned energy from the probe for each frequency of the probe transmission, the image including a range axis and an orthogonal amplitude/phase set of axes for each of the stepped frequencies; and
,correlating the image formed at the each of the stepped frequencies to the stored range templates, with a high correlation to one of the surveyed templates indicated by the identity of the existence of the object, the length of the object and the range of the object to the probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. Apparatus for the detection of an object in a surveyed area comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting a transmitted signal containing RF energy into said area in a frequency swept manner; an antenna for receiving returned signals from objects in the surveyed area; an S-parameter receiver coupled to said antenna for outputting the amplitude and phase of a returned signal for a predetermined one of said swept frequencies; a frequency/range image generator coupled to said S-parameter receiver for generating for each of the stepped frequencies an image having range on one axis and amplitude and phase on orthogonal axes, such that the pixels of said image have intensities corresponding to the amplitude of the returned signal and the phase angle between the corresponding returned signal and the transmitted signal; an image storage unit for storing range template images corresponding to the resonance response of the object at various frequencies and ranges from said antenna; and
,a correlator for correlating the images generated as a result of returned signals to said antenna and the stored images, said correlator including a module for identifying that stored image that corresponds most closely to the image that is a result of the returned signal, the identity of the stored image indicating the presence of said object and the range of said object to said antenna. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for detecting a conductive object comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting stepped frequency signals to a surveyed area; and
,a conductive object detection module for detecting from returned signals the presence of said wire by detecting the resonant frequency response of said object to said transmitted signals. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification