MIR Two Dimensional Scanner

• US 20150177372A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Poisner, David I.
• Application Number:
  US14/133,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20150177372A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/862 Combination of radar systems with sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/888 through wall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging

Abstract

In accordance with some embodiments, a micro impulse radar (MIR) hand scanner enables scanning of structures concealed by conventional wall, floor, or ceiling surfaces such as wall board, plywood, plaster, brick siding and the like. By simply scanning a wand across a wall surface one can determine not only what is within the wall but may also gain information about the types of materials are involved and their specific location within the wall relative to the wall surface. This may assist in identifying exactly what it is behind the wall.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a micro impulse radar transceiver in said housing; and

a device to identify at least two locations of said transceiver, and to determine a two dimensional scan area from those locations.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said device includes an optical transceiver mounted on said housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 to automatically determine for the scan area defined by said two locations, a number of pixels per unit of scan area.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including a microphone in said housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including an infrared transceiver in said housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 said device to correlate transceiver position with a radar signal received by said transceiver and to display radar images in a scaled two dimensional representation of said scan area.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 including an ultrasonic transceiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 including a sensor to indicate speed of movement of said transceiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 including an indicator to indicate when said transceiver is moved over said wall too fast.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 including a pair of user operable buttons on said housing, including a button to enable a user to indicate said locations.

11. A method comprising:

identifying at least two locations of a micro impulse radar transceiver; and

determining a two dimensional scan area from those locations.

12. The method of claim 11 including using an optical transceiver to identify said two locations.

13. The method of claim 11 including automatically determining for the scan area defined by said two locations, a number of pixels per unit of scan area.

14. The method of claim 11 including correlating transceiver position with a radar signal received by said transceiver and displaying radar images in a scaled two dimensional representation of said scan area.

15. The method of claim 11 including determining speed of movement of said transceiver.

16. The method of claim 11 including indicating when said radar is moved over a surface too fast.

17. The method of claim 11 including monitoring a pair of user operable buttons on said transceiver, including a button to enable a user to indicate said locations.

18. The method of claim 17 including recording said two locations to define a rectangular scan area.

19. The method of claim 18 including recognizing an input from one button as a signal to mark a rectangle and receiving a signal from the other button to indicate a command to display an image.

20. The method of claim 18 including recognizing a button operation as a command to mark on a display the location overlaid by said transceiver when said button was operated.

21. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions to cause one or more processors to perform a sequence comprising:

identifying at least two locations of a micro impulse radar transceiver; and

determining a two dimensional scan area from those locations.

22. The media of claim 21, said sequence including using an optical transceiver to identify said two locations.

23. The media of claim 21, said sequence including automatically determining for the scan area defined by said two locations, a number of pixels per unit of scan area.

24. The media of claim 21, said sequence including correlating transceiver position with a radar signal received by said transceiver and displaying radar images in a scaled two dimensional representation of said scan area.

25. The media of claim 21, said sequence including determining speed of movement of said transceiver.

26. The media of claim 21, said sequence including indicating when said radar is moved over a surface too fast.

27. The media of claim 21, said sequence including monitoring a pair of user operable buttons on said transceiver, including a button to enable a user to indicate said locations.

28. The media of claim 27, said sequence including recording said two locations to define a rectangular scan area.

29. The media of claim 28, said sequence including recognizing an input from one button as a signal to mark a rectangle and receiving a signal from the other button to indicate a command to display an image.

30. The media of claim 28, said sequence including recognizing a button operation as a command to mark on a display the location overlaid by said transceiver when said button was operated.