System and method for standoff detection of human carried explosives

• US 7,800,527 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rapiscan Laboratories Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Seth & Associates
• Inventors: Burns, Thomas J., Gorman, John D., Douglass, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory; Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US11/665,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 342/21, 342/22, 342/27, 342/28, 342 52- 59, 342 82-103, 342/175, 342/176, 342179-181, 342188-197, 342159-164, 324/239, 324/647, 324/600, 324/629, 324637-646, 340/568.1, 343/700.R, 343/850, 382/100, 382/103
• US Class Current: 342/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/34 using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/887 for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/024 using polarisation effects in waveguides H01P1/165; for aerials H01Q, e.g. H01Q15/22, H01Q15/24, H01Q19/195
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/412 based on a comparison between measured values and known or stored values
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/414 Discriminating targets with respect to background clutter
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/415 Identification of targets based on measurements of movement associated with the target

Abstract

The system and method for standoff detection of human carried explosives (HCE) automatically detects HCE (112) up to a range of (200) meters and within seconds alerts an operator to HCE (112) threats. The system (100) has radar only, or both radar and video sensors, a multi-sensor processor (102), an operator console (120), handheld displays (122), and a wideband wireless communications link. The processor (102) receives radar and video feeds and automatically tracks and detects all humans (110) in the field of view. Track data continuously cues the narrow beam radar (118) to a subject of interest (110), (112) the radar (106), (108) repeatedly interrogating cued objects (110), (112), producing a multi-polarity radar range profile for each interrogation event. Range profiles and associated features are automatically fused over time until sufficient evidence is accrued to support a threat/non-threat declaration hypothesis. Once a determination is made, the system (100) alerts operators through a handheld display (122) and mitigates the threat if desired.

Claims

1. A system for standoff detection of human carried explosives (HCE) within an area under surveillance, comprising:

an active radar system, the radar system having a radar transmitter, a radar receiver, at least one radar antenna, and a field of regard;

a radar tracking control system operatively coupled to the active radar system, wherein the field of regard of the active radar system is targeted within the area under surveillance, the area of surveillance being greater than the radar field of regard;

a processor operatively coupled to the radar system and the radar tracking control system, wherein the processor provides a radar tracking instruction for targeting the radar system and provides HCE detection instructions for detecting human carried explosive devices; and

a display device coupled to the processor for displaying information relating to detected human carried explosives.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging system coupled to the processor, the imaging system having a field of regard spatially and temporally overlapping the radar system field of regard, wherein the imaging system has at least one video output coupled to the display device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor detects and tracks a moving human target from the video output signal, and wherein the system for standoff detection controls the imaging system to maintain a track of the moving human target.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor determines the threat potential of a target based upon movement of the human target.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor fuses radar measurements over multiple observations of the target.

6. A method for the standoff detection of human carried explosives (HCE) within an area of observation, comprising:

cueing a radar system at a field of regard containing a human target;

collecting radar signature data for the human target;

measuring radar signature changes associated with interaction between the radar signature data for the human target and for an explosive device carried by the human target;

combining the radar signature changes over a plurality of observations of the human target; and

determining a threat status of the human target based on the combined radar signature changes over the plurality of observations of the human target.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having instructions stored therein for causing a computer to provide standoff detection of human carried explosives (HCE) within an area of observation, the computer being coupled to a plurality of HCE detection systems, each HCE detection system having a radar system, a radar field of regard, and an imaging system, the instructions comprising:

first computer readable program code means for communicatively linking together the plurality of HCE detection systems;

second computer readable program code means for overlapping the radar field of regard of the plurality of HCE detection systems;

third computer readable program code means for creating a plurality of radar signatures of the radar field of regard from different look angles; and

fourth computer readable program code means for determining the threat potential of a target based upon the combined data of the plurality of radar signatures.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having instructions stored therein for causing a computer to detect explosive devices, the instructions comprising:

first computer readable program code means for illuminating a candidate threat with radiation having a polarization;

second computer readable program code means for collecting a first reflected radiation from the candidate threat, the first reflected radiation having the polarization of the illuminating radiation;

third computer readable program code means for collecting a second reflected radiation from the candidate threat, the second reflected having polarization orthogonal to the polarization of the illuminating radiation; and

fourth computer readable program code means for detecting the change in polarization state induced by the candidate threat.

9. A system for standoff detection of human carried explosives (HCE) within an area of surveillance, comprising:

a detector for scanning the area of surveillance and for detecting and tracking a human target within the area of surveillance;

a radar transmitter for transmitting a narrow beam of polarized electromagnetic radiation;

a focusing mechanism for focusing and triggering the beam of polarized radiation emitted by the transmitter onto at least a portion of the human target detected by the detector;

a radar receiver for receiving a portion of the beam transmitted by the radar transmitter reflected from the human target and polarized orthogonal to the transmitted beam; and

a processor for comparing a reflected beam received by the radar receiver to reference data to determine when the human target is carrying explosives and for continuously assessing the target detection arid tracking data to determine a threat level.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the detector comprises a scanning radar.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the detector comprises a visible light range video camera.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the detector comprises:

an imaging system selected from a group consisting of Ladar, Lidar, infrared, multispectral, hyperspectral, imaging radar, and visible light range video.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the focusing mechanism comprises:

a two-axis pan and tilt gimbal; and

a platform mounted on the gimbal;

wherein the detector comprises an imaging sensor mounted on the platform; and

wherein the radar transmitter and the radar receiver include an antenna system mounted on the platform and co-boresighted with the imaging sensor.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the detector comprises at least one camera, wherein the focusing mechanism comprises:

a two-axis pan and tilt gimbal; and

a platform mounted on the gimbal; and

wherein the radar transmitter and said radar receiver comprise;

an antenna system mounted on the platform; and

a controller coupled to the gimbal and to the detector;

wherein the controller is capable of causing pan and tilt of the gimbal according to a time, frame, and location determined using data from the detector.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the radar transmitter transmits a beam of radiation having a millimeter wavelength.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the radar transmitter and the radar receiver are combined to form a transceiver.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the radar transmitter and the radar receiver comprise:

a cross-polarized system having vertical polarization in transmit and horizontal polarization in receive.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the radar transmitter and said radar receiver comprise:

a cross-polarized system having horizontal polarization in transmit and vertical polarization in receive.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the radar transmitter and said radar receiver comprise a fully polarized system.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having instructions stored therein for causing a computer to provide standoff detection of human carried explosives (HCE) within an area of observation, the computer being coupled to a plurality of HCE detection systems, each HOE detection system having a radar system, a radar field of regard, and an imaging system, the instructions comprising:

first computer readable program code means for communicatively linking together the plurality of HCE detection systems;

second computer readable program code means for coordinating the radar field of regard of the plurality of HCE detection systems to encompass a range of interest;

third computer readable program code means for creating a plurality of simultaneous radar signatures of the radar field of regard from different look angles; and

fourth computer readable program code means for determining the threat potential of a target based upon the combined data of the plurality of radar signatures.