Surveillance device detection utilizing non linear junction detection and reflectometry

• US 7,212,008 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Research Electronics International LLC (Heico Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bruce R. Barsumian, Charles A. Liter, Thomas H. Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Thomas H., Barsumian, Bruce R., Liter, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): VALONE, THOMAS F
• Application Number:
  US11/266,538
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 324/533, 324/534, 324/535, 379/7, 379/35, 379/22.01
• US Class Current: 324/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/11 using pulse reflection methods

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting concealed surveillance devices coupled to a transmission line uses either a time domain or frequency domain reflectometry operation to locate any impedance anomalies on the transmission line and a non-linear junction detection operation to classify the located impedance anomalies as semiconductor or non-semiconductor based anomalies. The reflectometry operation utilizes the reflection of a test signal to determine the distance to any reflecting impedance anomalies on the transmission line that may be indicative of an electronic device being coupled to the transmission line. The non-linear junction detection operation then compares the amplitudes of re-radiated second and third harmonics of a transmitted fundamental frequency signal to determine if the reflecting impedance anomalies are the result of a semiconductor based non-linear junction. A DC bias voltage and a balanced load may be added to the transmission line to enhance the line'"'"'s response to the test signals. Any unidentified semiconductor based anomalies are manually inspected to determine if they represent convert surveillance devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting the presence of a corrosive junction or an electronic device coupled to a line under test, said apparatus comprising:

a signal generator for generating a reflectometry test signal and a non-linear junction detection test signal and coupling said test signals to said line under test;

an analog-to-digital converter for receiving response signals from said line under test and converting said response signals into digital data; and

digital processing circuitry for selectively controlling said signal generator to generate said reflectometry test signal and said non-linear junction detection test signal and processing said digital data received in response to said generated signals to locate impedance anomalies on said line under test and examining a re-radiated signal at a harmonic frequency of said transmitted non-linear junction detection signal to determine if any semiconductor based non-linear junctions are coupled to said line under test; and

an output for communicating results to an operator of said apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a single test signal is used as said reflectometry test signal and said nonlinear junction detection test signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 where said digital processing circuitry has processing logic for comparing an amplitude of a reradiated second harmonic and an amplitude of a reradiated third harmonic of said non-linear junction detection test signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said digital processing circuitry determines a distance to said located impedance anomalies.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said digital processing circuitry provides information regarding the reactive nature of said impedance anomaly with regards to capacitance, inductance, or resistance.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said reflectometry test signal is a frequency domain reflectometry test signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said output comprises a graphic display that identifies impedance anomalies associated with semiconductor or corrosive/dissimilar metal based non-linear junctions.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a resistive load coupled to said line under test when said line under test is disconnected from a normal operating circuitry to improve said line'"'"'s response to said reflectometry test signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a DC voltage is applied to said line under test when said line under test is disconnected from it'"'"'s normal operating circuitry to enhance or alter the line'"'"'s response to either the reflectometry or the non-linear junction test signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said DC voltage is changed in value or polarity to evaluate variations in the line under test'"'"'s response to the reflectometry or non-linear junction detection test signals at different DC voltages.

11. A device for determining whether an electronic device is coupled to a line under test and locating any such electronic device identified, said device comprising:

a signal generator for selectively generating signals and coupling said signals to said line under test;

an analog-to-digital converter for converting response signals received from said line under test into digital data; and

a digital processor for selectively controlling said analog-to-digital converter and said signal generator wherein said processor further comprises;

reflectometry processing logic for implementing a reflectometry operation to locate any impedance anomalies on said line under test; and

non-linear junction detection processing logic for performing a non-linear junction detection operation to determine if any semi-conductor based non-linear junctions are coupled to said line under test.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said reflectometry processing logic further comprises processing logic for performing Fourier Transform math operations.

13. The device of claim 11 further comprising a graphic display for displaying results of said reflectometry operation and said non-linear junction device detection operation to a user of said device such that impedance anomalies associated with semiconductor based non-linear junctions are identified by said display.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein said non-linear junction detection operation further comprises determining whether any detected non-linear junctions are semiconductor or non-semiconductor based.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein said non-linear junction detection operation is performed with said line under test disconnected from a normal operating circuit.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein a DC bias voltage is applied to said line under test to enhance said line'"'"'s response to said reflectometry and said non-linear junction detection operations.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein said DC bias voltage is a time varying DC voltage.

18. The device of claim 15 further comprising a resistive load coupled to said line under test to enhance the reflectometry operation.

19. The device of claim 11 wherein said reflectometry operation is one of a frequency domain reflectometry operation and a time domain reflectometry operation.