Hand-Held See-Through-The-Wall Imaging And Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Detection System

• US 20110227778A1
• Filed: 12/31/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiaLinx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TiaLinx, Inc.
• Inventors: Sharbaugh, David, Mohamadi, Farrokh
• Granted Patent: US 8,593,329 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 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/888 through wall detection

Abstract

The housing of a portable radar unit includes features for providing positioning of auxiliary handles between a first position and a second position, in which: the first position places the auxiliary handles in a position to act as handgrips in conjunction with integral handles and the second position places the auxiliary handles at an angle to the integral handles, so that the radar unit can be held with one hand and supported by a forearm of the same hand. Rotation of each auxiliary handle about a pivot moves the auxiliary handle between the first position and the second position; and a friction mechanism resists the rotation so that the auxiliary handle tends to stay in position until purposefully moved. The housing also includes internal space for housing a radar antenna, a reflector, and a mechanism for adjusting distance between the reflector and the antenna for tuning performance of the antenna. The housing provides external access without intrusion into the housing for operating the adjusting mechanism.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a radar unit;

an antenna connected to the radar unit;

a reflector wherein a distance between the reflector and the antenna is adjustable; and

a housing containing the radar unit and the antenna, the housing comprising;

an integral handle projecting from the housing;

an auxiliary handle having a first position and a second position and moveable between the two positions; and

an external access to a mechanism for adjusting the antenna.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the auxiliary handle is attached to a pivot so that movement between the first position and the second position is accomplished by a rotation of the auxiliary handle;

the first position places the auxiliary handle close alongside the integral handle; and

the second position places the auxiliary handle at an angle to the integral handle that effectively separates the auxiliary handle and the integral handle relative to a hand grip.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mechanism includes a screw disposed so that contact with the screw operational to rotate the screw is externally accessible without intrusion into the housing;

the screw threads into a carrier internal to the housing; and

rotation of the screw moves the carrier.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a chassis configured to transmit forces between the auxiliary handle and the housing, wherein the auxiliary handle is attached to a pivot so that movement between the first position and the second position is accomplished by a rotation of the auxiliary handle; and

a means for providing a constant axial load on the pivot between the auxiliary handle and the chassis so that friction is provided against the rotation regardless of wear.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second integral handle on the case;

a second auxiliary handle having a first position and a second position, wherein;

the first position places the auxiliary handles close alongside the integral handles;

the second position places the auxiliary handles at an angle to the integral handles that effectively separates the auxiliary handles and the integral handles relative to a hand grip; and

the handles are arranged symmetrically so that, in the second position, the radar unit is configured to be supported by a hand grip of one auxiliary handle while being supported under the other auxiliary handle by a forearm of the same hand.

5. The system of clam 1, further comprising:

an antenna carrier internal to the housing, including;

a guide channel disposed to slide along a guide rib of the housing;

a hole with an internal screw thread sized to operate with an adjustment screw accessible for operation from outside the housing;

a receptacle for a spring providing pressure on the carrier resisted by the adjustment screw;

a support for the antenna; and

a support for an antenna isolator.

7. A method of housing a portable radar unit, the method comprising:

providing positioning of an auxiliary handle between a first position and a second position, wherein;

the first position places the auxiliary handle in a position to act as a handgrip in conjunction with an integral handle; and

the second position places the auxiliary handle at an angle to the integral handle, in a position to act as a separate handgrip from the integral handle; and

rotation of the auxiliary handle about a pivot transits the auxiliary handle between the first position and the second position; and

resisting rotation of the auxiliary handle about the pivot using a friction mechanism so that the auxiliary handle tends to stay in a current position until purposefully moved.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

projecting the integral handle and a second integral handle to form a pair of integral handles projecting from each side of a housing of the radar unit, wherein the pair of integral handles is positioned for accepting a two-handed grip of a user;

projecting the auxiliary handle and a second auxiliary handle to form a pair of auxiliary handles projecting from each side of the housing of the radar unit, wherein;

in the first position, the pair of auxiliary handles is positioned for accepting, in conjunction with the pair of integral handles, a two-handed grip of a user; and

in the second position, the pair of auxiliary handles is positioned for accepting support by a hand grip of one auxiliary handle while accepting support under the other auxiliary handle by a forearm of the same hand of the user.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting forces between the auxiliary handle and a housing via a chassis, including;

transmitting the forces between the auxiliary handle and the pivot via attachment of the pivot to the auxiliary handle;

transmitting the forces between the pivot and the chassis via an axial load on the pivot acting between the pivot and the chassis, with the pivot passing through a hole in the chassis.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting forces between the auxiliary handle and a housing via a chassis, including;

placing a constant axial load, provided by spring forces, on the pivot and acting between the auxiliary handle and the chassis so that friction is provided to resist the rotation of the auxiliary handle about the pivot regardless of wear.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

limiting the rotation of the auxiliary handle about the pivot by interacting a tab on the auxiliary handle with a travel limiting slot on the chassis.

12. A method of housing a portable radar unit, the method comprising:

housing a radar antenna and a reflector inside a housing;

housing a mechanism for adjusting a distance between the reflector and the antenna inside the housing; and

providing external access without intrusion into the housing for operating the adjusting mechanism.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

supporting the antenna from a carrier;

fixing the reflector with respect to the housing; and

focusing the radar antenna with regard to beam forming using movement of the carrier with respect to the housing and the reflector.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

engaging screw threads of an adjustment screw with internal screw threads of a carrier;

providing external access to the adjustment screw for rotation of the adjustment screw without intrusion into the housing; and

moving the carrier with respect to the housing upon rotation of the adjustment screw.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

engaging screw threads of an adjustment screw with internal screw threads of a carrier; and

resisting motion of the carrier upon rotation of the adjustment screw via an axial load on the adjustment screw acting between the carrier and the housing.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

constraining motion of the carrier using a guide channel of the carrier disposed to slide along a guide rib of the housing.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

constraining motion of the carrier using a guide rib of the carrier disposed to slide along a guide channel of the housing.