REMOTE INTERROGATION FOR DETECTION OF ACTIVITY OR LIVING ORGANISMS INSIDE ELECTRONICALLY CONDUCTIVE CONTAINERS

• US 20120119935A1
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiaLinx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TiaLinx, Inc.
• Inventors: Mohamadi, Farrokh, Oijala, Mikko, Strauch, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,779,966 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 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/888 through wall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations

Abstract

A system includes: a radar scanner disposed to scan the interior of a container; an interrogator in communication with the scanner; and a processing system in communication with the interrogator, in which the processing system displays information about the interior of the container. A method includes: mounting a radar scanner antenna to a container so as to scan the interior of the container; connecting a coupler to the scanner so that the scanner communicates scanning data via the coupler to the exterior of the container. Another method includes: coupling an interrogator and radar processing system to a scanner mounted on a container; and processing radar scan data from the interior of the container. Another method includes: linking a radar processing system via a communications link to an interrogator that is coupled to a scanner mounted on a container; and processing radar scan data from the interior of the container.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a radar scanner disposed to scan the interior of a container;

an interrogator in communication with the scanner; and

a processing system in communication with the interrogator, wherein;

the processing system displays information about the interior of the container.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the interrogator is near-field coupled to the scanner, and

the interrogator communicates with the processing system via a communications link.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the interrogator is near-field coupled to the scanner, and

the interrogator is integral with the processing system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the interrogator is far-field coupled to the seamier, and

the interrogator is integral with the processing system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the container has an electrically conductive surface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the scanner includes an antenna inside the container; and

the scanner is inductively coupled or radiatively coupled to the interrogator outside the container.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the radar seamier and interrogator are adapted to provide data by which the processing system can detect heart pulse or breathing of a living organism inside the container.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the radar scanner and interrogator are adapted to provide data by which the processing system can detect motion of a living organism inside the container.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the radar scanner and interrogator are adapted to provide data by which the processing system can determine a distance of a living organism from the scanner.

5. The system of clam 1, wherein

the interrogator is integral with the scanner and either near-field coupled or far-field coupled to the scanner, and

the scanner communicates with the processing system via a communications link.

11. A method comprising:

mounting a radar scanner antenna to a container so as to scan the interior of the container;

connecting a coupler to the seamier wherein;

the scanner communicates scanning data via the coupler to the exterior of the container.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating data from the scanner to an interrogator via the coupler.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating data from the scanner to an interrogator via the coupler, wherein;

the communication is via a near-field coupling.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating data from the scanner to an interrogator via the coupler, wherein;

the communication is via a far-field coupling.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating data from the scanner to an interrogator via the coupler; and

processing data from the interrogator so as to provide a radar signature, wherein the radar signature indicates there is a living organism detected in the container or the radar signature indicates there is not a living organism detectable in the container.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the container has a surface that electrically shields the interior of the container from exterior RF radiation.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating data from the scanner to an interrogator via the coupler; and

communicating from the interrogator to a processing system via a communications link.

18. A method comprising:

coupling an interrogator and radar processing system to a scanner mounted on a container; and

processing radar scan data from the interior of the container.

19. A method comprising:

linking a radar processing system via a communications link to an interrogator that is coupled to a scanner mounted on a container; and

processing radar scan data from the interior of the container.