Mine detector and inspection apparatus

• US 6,679,153 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Geo Search Company Limited, Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Geo Search Company Limited, Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Toguchi, Yoichi, Tomita, Hiroshi, Inoue, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US10/281,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20030136249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 89/11.3, 102/402, 324/326, 324/329, 342/179
• US Class Current: 89/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/12 Means for clearing land minefields; Systems specially adapted for detection of landmines
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/885 for ground probing prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/02 of systems according to group G01S13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/17 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005

Abstract

A mine detector is provided for detecting buried land mines safely and promptly. A sensor head (12) is connected to a detector body (1) through hinges (11-1 to 11-4) and arms (12-1 to 12-3). The sensor head (12) includes a transmitting and receiving means for emitting electromagnetic impulses to the ground within a range of detection of land mines. When the transmitting and receiving means receives electromagnetic waves reflected from a land mine, information on the three-dimensional structure of the land mine buried under the ground is generated on the basis of the time of arrival of the reflected wave, the level of the reflected wave and the x and y coordinates of the transmitting and receiving means, and the information is displayed on a display (1). The detector is also applicable to the inspection of steel rods and bars for concrete reinforcement.

Claims

1. A mine detector for detecting a mine buried in the ground comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for transmitting an electromagnetic wave toward the ground of a range intended to detect said land mine for scanning, and receiving a reflected wave thereof;

position detecting means for detecting the position of said transmitting and receiving means at a time said transmitting and receiving means receives said reflected wave;

an internal ground structure information generating means for generating information indicative of a three-dimensional structure in the ground based on a period of time from the transmission of said electromagnetic wave by said transmitting and receiving means to the reception of the reflected wave, a received level of said reflected wave, and a position detected by said position detecting means;

image information generating means for generating image information for display from information indicative of said three-dimensional structure generated by said internal ground structure information generating means;

display means for displaying an image based on said image information generated by said image information generating means; and

mode switching means for switching a first mode for instructing said display means to dispaly an image indicative of the scanned range of the ground, and a second mode for instructing said display means to display an image representative of a state in the ground, generated by said image information generating means,

wherein said display means displays the image indicative of the scanned range of said ground when switched to said first mode, and displays the image representative of a state in the ground when switched to said second mode.

2. A mine detector according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising:

marking means for marking a predetermined mark at a predetermined position when said transmitting and receiving means is scanned a state where said mine detector has been switched to said second mode.

3. The mine detector according to claim 1, further comprising:

scaling factor specifying means for specifying a scaling factor of an image displayed on said display means,

wherein said display means displays said image in the ground at a scaling factor specified by said scaling factor specifying means.

4. The mine detector according to claim 1, wherein:

said internal ground structure generating means generates three-dimensional information of said land mine positioned in the ground; and

said image information generating means generates a three-dimensional display image of said land mine positioned in the ground.

5. The mine detector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining means for determining a material of said land mine positioned in the ground based on a signal corresponding to the level of said reflected wave.

6. A mine detector according to claim 5, characterized in that:

said determining means determines at least metal and plastic materials.

7. A mine detector according to claim 5, characterized in that:

said display means displays different materials in different colors corresponding to the result of determination made by said determining means.

8. The mine detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display means further displays a shape which serves as a reference for the size of said land mine in the ground.

9. The mine detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display means is formed integrally with said transmitting and receiving means.

10. The mine detector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

generating means constructed integrally with said transmitting and receiving means for generating at least three light beams of substantially flat plate shape in cross section; and

light receiving means for receiving said three light beams for outputting signals corresponding to positions at which said light beams are received,

wherein said position detecting means detects the position of said transmitting and receiving means from an output of said light receiving means.

11. The mine detector according to claim 10, wherein:

said light receiving means comprises at least one line sensor for receiving said three light beams to output signals corresponding to positions at which said light beams are received; and

said position detecting means calculates the position of said transmitting and receiving means based on spacings between positions at which said line sensor receives said three light beams.

12. The mine detector according to claim 10, further comprising converting means for converting said three light beams to substantially collimated light.

13. The mine detector according to claim 10, wherein:

said light receiving means comprises at least two line sensors for receiving said three light beams to output signals corresponding to positions at which said light beams are received;

said generating means inclines said three light beams of substantially flat plate shape in cross section at a predetermined angle with respect to said two line sensors; and

said position detecting means calculates a three-dimensional position of said transmitting and receiving means and rotation about the three-dimensional axes based on spacings between positions at which said two line sensors receive said three light beams.