Multiple-axis linearly-propelled rotating sensor apparatus

• US 6,969,844 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Underground Imaging Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Witten Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Dalton, Mark, Burns, Macyln, Albats, Paul Jr., DeRubeis, Anthony, Hansen, Thorkild, Miller, Douglas E., Evans, Cliff, Oristaglio, Michael L., Haldorsen, Jakob
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAM, STEPHEN K
• Application Number:
  US10/085,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20020105469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/208.2, 250/208.6, 250/234, 250/559.33, 901/46, 901/47, 89/361.5, 89/410.6, 348/208.4, 180167-169, 340/436, 340487-490, 340/426.25, 324/323
• US Class Current: 250/234
• 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 13/885 for ground probing prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/046 using an intermediate storage device, e.g. a recording/reproducing device
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/04 for varying one co-ordinate of the orientation

Abstract

A ground penetrating antenna apparatus and method are provided for locating underground objects via radar, sonar, or similar methods. The apparatus includes one or more antennas that are rotatably affixed to support extensions that also rotate, but about an axis that is different from each of the antenna axes. The apparatus includes a linear propulsion mechanism, and the support extensions may be coupled to the linear propulsion mechanism via a transmission mechanism. In one embodiment, the supporting extensions rotate at a constant rate and each antenna rotates at that same constant rate but in the opposite direction.

Claims

1. A movable sensor apparatus, comprising:

a movable housing;

at least one supporting extension wherein each said supporting extension is rotatably affixed to said housing, being fully rotatable about a first axis;

at least one sensor for sensing an object buried beneath a surface of the earth, wherein each at least one sensor is rotatably affixed to one of said at least one supporting extension and is fully rotatable about a second axis substantially parallel to and offset from said first axis so as to scan an area of the surface of the earth;

a linear propulsion mechanism attached to said housing whereby said housing may be moved over the ground;

a mechanism to fully rotate each at least one supporting extension about the first axis and to fully rotate each at least one sensor about the second axis, so as to cause the at least one sensor to scan the area of the surface of the earth as said housing moves across said area;

a triggering unit electrically coupled to each of said at least one sensor and capable of separately activating each of said at least one sensor; and

a sampling unit electrically coupled to each of said at least one sensor and capable of receiving output from each of said at least one sensor.

2. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensor is a sensing device selected from the group consisting of a magnetometer an electromagnetic induction sensor, a radar sensor and a sonar sensor.

3. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein each said supporting extension rotates at a constant rate of rotation.

4. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 3 wherein each said sensor rotates at a constant rate of rotation that is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to said constant rate of rotation of each said supporting extension to maintain orientation of the at least one sensor relative to a substantially linear direction of movement of the housing.

5. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a position indicator coupled to at least one said supporting extension and said linear propulsion mechanism.

6. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a data storage device for storing sensor data collected from each of said at least one sensor and position data collected from said position indicator.

7. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second axes are substantially perpendicular to the ground.

8. A movable sensor apparatus, comprising:

a movable housing;

a first supporting extension rotatably affixed to said housing,being fully rotatable about a first axis;

a second supporting extension rotatably affixed to said housing being fully rotatable about said first axis;

a first buried object sensor that is rotatably affixed to said first supporting extension, being fully rotatable about a second axis substantially parallel to and offset from said first axis;

a second buried object sensor that is rotatably affixed to said second supporting extension, being fully rotatable about a third axis substantially parallel to and offset from said first axis and said second axis;

a linear propulsion mechanism attached to said housing whereby said housing may be moved over the ground;

a mechanism to fully rotate each supporting extension about the first axis and to fully rotate the first and second buried object sensors about the second and third axes respectively, so as to cause the sensors to scan an area of the surface of the earth as said housing moves across said area;

a triggering unit electrically coupled to said first sensor and said second sensor and capable of separately activating said first sensor and said second sensor; and

,

a sampling unit electrically coupled to said first sensor and said second sensor and capable of receiving output from said first sensor and said second sensor.

9. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of said first and second sensors is a sensing device selected from the group consisting of a radar sensor, an electromagnetic induction sensor, a magnetometer and a sonar sensor.

10. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first sensor is a different selected one of said sensing devices than is said second sensor.

11. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first, second and third axes are substantially perpendicular to the ground.

12. A movable sensor apparatus, comprising:

a movable housing;

a propulsion mechanism attached to said housing whereby said housing may be moved in a direction over the ground;

a support which rotates fully about a first axis;

a sensor for sensing a characteristic of the ground, mounted on the support so as to fully rotate about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis and so as to observe the ground as the housing is moved over the ground; and

a drive mechanism for driving rotation of the support at a first rate and for driving rotation of the sensor at a second rate during rotation of the support and in a direction opposite to rotation of the support, wherein a relationship of the second rate of rotation to the first rate of rotation is such that orientation of the sensor relative to the direction of movement over the ground remains substantially constant during rotation of the support and the sensor.

13. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sensor is a sensing device selected from the group consisting of a magnetometer, an optical camera, an electromagnetic induction sensor, a radar sensor and a sonar sensor.

14. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 12 wherein the second rate of rotation is constant and equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the first rate of rotation.

15. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

another sensor for sensing a characteristic of the ground mounted on the support so as to fully rotate about a third axis substantially parallel to and offset from the first axis;

wherein;

the sensor drive mechanism is also for driving rotation of the other sensor at a third rate during rotation of the support and in a direction opposite to rotation of the support, and

a relationship of the third rate of rotation to the first rate of rotation is such that orientation of the other sensor relative to the direction of movement remains substantially constant during rotation.

16. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 15, wherein a first one of the sensors is a first sensing device selected from the group consisting of a magnetometer, an optical camera, an electromagnetic induction sensor, a radar sensor and a sonar sensor.

17. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 16, wherein a second one of the sensors is a second sensing device selected from the group consisting of a magnetometer, an optical camera, an electromagnetic induction sensor, a radar sensor and a sonar sensor.

18. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first and second sensing devices are different from each other.

19. The movable sensor apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of the second and third rates of rotation is constant and equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the first rate of rotation. camera and said second sensor is a sonar sensor.