Passive microwave speed and intrusion detection system

• US 8,044,798 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Icove & Associates LLC
• Original Assignee: Icove & Associates LLC
• Inventors: Lyster, Carl T., Icove, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/575,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20100079282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933, 340/936, 340/565, 340/567, 340/539.26, 340/691.6
• US Class Current: 340/567
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/006 using measurement of the effect of a material on microwaves or longer electromagnetic waves, e.g. measuring temperature via microwaves emitted by the object G01K17/003, G01J5/00 take precedence; measuring the effect of a material on X-, gamma- or particle radiation G01K11/30
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/189 using passive radiation detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2491 Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/12 Actuation by presence of radiation or particles, e.g. of infrared radiation or of ions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/183 Single detectors using dual technologies G08B13/1672, G08B13/2448, G08B13/2494 take precedence

Abstract

A passive microwave receiver, receiving a WARC protected frequency of 1420 MHz may be used for fire, temperature speed detection and intrusion detection. One or more receiver arrays can be used to provide a plurality of frequency ranges that can be detected. In an interior installation, one or more receiver arrays can be placed inside a wall made of non-metallic substance and capable of passively receiving frequencies at less than 3 GHz. In other embodiments, the receiver and array can be in the form of a hand-held or wearable device. This method and apparatus achieves high performance by exploiting conventional low noise amplification block conversion circuits and provides the detection of thermal signals through clear, smoky, misty, or environmentally untenable conditions as well as the detection of automobiles and intruders via black box emission. A passive microwave detector may be used at a highway where the highway intersects an associated antenna lobe for a distance, mounted on a wall or pole and have line-of-sight view of an intruder or automobile.

Claims

1. A method for detecting at least one of temperature, average speed within a receiving antenna lobe and a first source of microwave radiation using passive reception of said microwave radiation, comprising:

receiving a first microwave radiation signal at a first receiver from the first source, said first receiver including a first antenna having said receiving antenna lobe, a first magnitude of said first received microwave radiation signal being indicative of a first temperature of said first source of said first received microwave radiation signal;

receiving a second microwave radiation signal from said first source at said first receiver later in time, a second magnitude of said second microwave radiation signal being indicative of a second temperature of said first source of said first and said second received microwave radiation signals, wherein the difference in time between receipt of said first and said second microwave radiation signals is indicative of speed of said first source within said receiving antenna lobe, said first and said second microwave radiation signals being within a range of frequencies protected from active transmission in a geographic area encompassing a location of said first receiver, said first and said second microwave radiation signals being in a range of frequencies between 0.5 and 3 GHz; and

calculating average speed of said first source within said receiving antenna lobe from the difference in time between receipt of said first and said second microwave signals and a distance said first source travels within said receiving antenna lobe.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting said first and said second microwave radiation signals to a signal processor;

said first microwave radiation signal being converted to a first voltage signal;

said second microwave radiation signal being converted to a second voltage signal;

said first voltage signal and said second voltage signal indicative of temperature of said first source; and

a duration in time between receipt of said first and said second received microwave signals being used by said signal processor to calculate average speed of said first source within said receiving antenna lobe.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said first source comprises a living being and a presence of a living being can be determined if a magnitude of said resulting voltage signal is equal to a reference level representing temperature of the living being.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said first source comprises an automobile and a presence of an automobile can be determined if a magnitude of the resulting voltage signal for the automobile is equal to a reference level representing temperature of the automobile.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said resulting voltage signal and its relative magnitude compared to a reference level for the automobile and a reference level for a living being distinguishes the automobile from the living being.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first receiver is configured to receive frequencies in a range between 1.400 to 1.427 GHz.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing a distance value representing a distance along a highway at which boundaries of the receiving antenna lobe exist.

8. A system for passive microwave detection of at least one of temperature, speed and a first source of microwave radiation, comprising:

a first receiver configured to detect a first passively received microwave radiation signal from the first source of microwave radiation, a first voltage peak signal level of said first passively received microwave radiation signal being indicative of a first temperature of said first source;

the first receiver being configured to detect a second passively received microwave radiation signal from the first source later in time, a second voltage peak signal level of said second passively received microwave radiation signal being indicative of a second temperature of said first source of said second passively received microwave radiation signal, a frequency of said received first and said second passively received microwave radiation signals being within a range of frequencies protected from active transmission in a geographic area encompassing a location of said first receiver;

a signal processor, said signal processor being configured to receive said first and said second passively received microwave radiation signals from said first receiver and being further configured to convert said first and said second passively received microwave radiation signals to first and second voltages, respectively, said signal processor further being configured to calculate a voltage signal height representing temperature of said first source and a passively received microwave signal duration indicative of a duration of time of said first source traveling within a receiving parabolic antenna lobe of the first receiver;

the signal processor calculating an average speed of said first source within said receiving parabolic antenna lobe from the difference in time between receipt of said first and said second passively received microwave radiation signals and a distance of travel of said first source within said receiving parabolic antenna lobe where speed of said first source is said first source travel distance divided by the time duration between receiving said first and said second passively received microwave radiation signals.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first receiver comprises one of a parabolic antenna array and a horn-type antenna array.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first receiver is configured to receive frequencies in a range between 1.400 to 1.427 GHz.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first receiver is configured to be placed in a wall of an enclosed space made of one of drywall, brick, block, adobe and concrete, said first receiver being directional and providing said receiving parabolic antenna lobe from the wall of said enclosed space to at least a center of said enclosed space.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said first receiver is configured to be placed within the wall of said enclosed space and directed toward the center of an opening to said space comprising one of a window, a gate and a door.

13. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a display, said display being configured to show information regarding at least one of said first source temperature and duration of travel time of said first source within the receiving parabolic antenna lobe, said display comprising a graph of passively received microwave signal voltage versus time of passive microwave signal reception from said first source.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein said signal processor comprises a superheterodyne receiver.

15. The system according to claim 8, wherein said signal processor includes a memory, and further wherein at least one microwave radiation signal characteristic of a field of view for said first receiver is stored in said memory, said stored microwave radiation signal characteristic of a field of view for said first receiver for identifying speed and temperature of said first source traveling in said field of view of said first receiver.

16. A method for detecting at least one of temperature and speed of an automobile serving as a source of microwave radiation signal using passive reception of microwave radiation, comprising:

receiving a microwave radiation signal from said source at a passive microwave receiver, said passive microwave receiver including at least one antenna having a receiving antenna lobe, a voltage level of said received microwave radiation signal being indicative of a temperature of said source, the frequency of operation of said passive microwave receiver being a World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC) protected frequency between 0.5 and 2 GHz;

storing a receiving antenna lobe pattern in memory comprising the locations of the receiving antenna lobe boundaries that the source of the microwave radiation signal crosses based on received signals at the at least one antenna having said receiving antenna lobe,

measuring a passage of time said source of the microwave radiation signal travels within said receiving antenna lobe, and

calculating a speed of said automobile source from said passage of time and a distance along the highway between the boundaries of the receiving antenna lobe traveled by said source of microwave radiation signal.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein a presence of said automobile source within said boundaries of the receiving antenna lobe can be determined if said voltage level is negative with respect to a reference level.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the frequency of operation of said passive microwave receiver is 1420 MHz.