Portable device for the detection of concealed objects

• US 7,889,077 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saima Sicurezza SpA
• Original Assignee: Saima Sicurezza SpA
• Inventors: Biffi Gentili, Guido, Rinaldi, Rinaldo, Bonifacio, Filippo, Moretti, Paolo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/741,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20080111536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340500-506, 340/631, 340/532, 340/539.11, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/539.32, 340/539.23, 340/540, 340/568.2, 340/571, 340/572.1, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 340/693.5, 340/693.6, 340/3.1, 340/825.36, 340/573.1, 324637-639, 324/641, 324/642, 324644-646
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of microwaves or radio waves, i.e. electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of one millimetre or more G01N3/00 - G01N17/00, G01N24/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/887 for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/025 involving the transmission of linearly polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/026 involving the transmission of elliptically or circularly polarised waves

Abstract

The object of the present invention is a device for the detection of concealed objects which exploits a transceiving system of the microwave type.

Claims

1. A method of detecting concealed objects, the method comprising:

scanning a target with microwave electromagnetic radiation;

receiving a reflected signal from the target, the reflected signal corresponding to the microwave electromagnetic radiation;

conditioning and converting analog data related to the received signal to a digital data format;

processing the digital data;

determining a condition corresponding to the digital data;

generating a signal for an operator indicating the condition,

wherein scanning the target comprises;

generating the electromagnetic radiation;

transmitting the electromagnetic radiation to the target with a vertical polarization transmitter;

connecting a detector to a vertical receiving element;

generating a signal based on radiation reflected from the target in response to the transmitted electromagnetic radiation;

transmitting the signal to a signal conditioning and conversion module;

generating additional electromagnetic radiation;

transmitting the additional electromagnetic radiation to the target with a horizontal polarization transmitter;

connecting the detector to the horizontal receiving element;

generating an additional signal based on radiation reflected from the target in response to the transmitted additional electromagnetic radiation;

transmitting the additional signal to the signal conditioning and conversion module.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

determining amplitudes of the signal and the additional signal;

;

comparing phase between the signal and the additional signal;

comparing amplitudes of the signal and the additional signal;

determining a reciprocal phase between the signal and the additional signal; and

determining a vectorial difference between the signal and the additional signal.