Hand-held radar device with direct printing based on radar input

• US 9,073,347 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Feigin, Jeffrey R
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US13/649,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20140104094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 342/22, 342/27, 342/179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04501 Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/885 for ground probing prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12

Abstract

The disclosed technology includes a device and method of use for direct printing and ink or other marking, in conjunction with GPR techniques. In a most basic embodiment of the disclosed technology, a relevant date, time, filename, and other parameters are printed or otherwise physically exhibited on the measurement surface, so that RADAR files can be later attributed to a specific data collection site. In a more advanced embodiment of the disclosed technology, actual RADAR target information is printed, or otherwise physically exhibited, on the measurement surface, such as while measuring, or substantially while measuring, the surface and substrate beneath with GPR.

Claims

1. A RADAR transmission and marking device, comprising:

a bottom side and a top side opposite said bottom side;

a radar antenna operative from said bottom side transmitting radar signals into a substrate beneath a surface;

a processor;

a distance measurement tool attached to said RADAR transmission and marking device measuring a distance traveled for said RADAR transmission and marking device from a starting point to a second point; and

a printing mechanism operative from said bottom side;

wherein said printing mechanism prints indicia on a surface in contact with said bottom side of said device at the same time as said transmission and marking device is moving and as a function of a received response of said radar antenna such that said printing mechanism is instructed to print in a manner that said indicia on said surface matches a location, determined by way of said distance measurement tool and said radar antenna of said received response.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is rolled or pushed across said surface while a radio frequency signal is transmitted and received by said radar antenna, and said printing mechanism makes indicia on said surface.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said printing mechanism prints indicia based on target detection at a specific location due to said received response of said antenna being above a minimum electrical response per unit area, causing said printing mechanism to automatically print indicia as said printing mechanism passes over said target, and

wherein a velocity of movement of said RADAR transmission and marking device remains constant during said target detection and said printing.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said printing mechanism is calibrated such that the velocity of movement of said device, processing time, and position of said printing mechanism relative to said antenna cause said indicia to be printed on a location where said target is detected.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said processor, before sending instructions for printing said indicia, causes a user to be prompted to accept said target, and said indicia are printed only after receiving input from said user to accept said target.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a screen on a side other than said bottom side, exhibiting a visual representation of said received response of said radar antenna.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein upon receipt of input from a user:

a determination of a point on said surface associated with a part of said visual representation of said received response on said display is stored on a storage device; and

said print mechanism is instructed to make an indicium on said surface at said point.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising wheels on said device which move said device from a first position on said surface to a second position on said surface after receiving said input from said user and before said print mechanism is instructed to make an indicium, said distance between said first and second position based, at least in part, on a distance between said antenna and said print head.

9. A method of using the device of claim 2, wherein said radio frequency sending and receiving by said antenna is carried out in a first pass over said surface, and said indicia are placed on said surface in a second pass over said surface, said antenna being non-operative in said second pass, and said printing mechanism being non-operative in said first pass.

10. A method of marking a surface, based on RADAR measurements, comprising the steps of:

rolling or pushing a combination radio frequency transmitter and printing mechanism device from a start point to an end point;

transmitting radar signals by way of said transmitter into a substrate beneath a surface;

making a determination of at least one target in said substrate beneath a point of said surface;

measuring a distance of movement from said one target that said device continues to move using one of a flywheel, dead reckoning, camera, global position system, laser distance measuring equipment or equivalent thereof;

printing, using said printing mechanism, a mark at said point on said surface while said combination radio frequency transmitter and printing mechanism device is moving from said start point to said end point and said printing mechanism prints while passing over said location on said surface calibrated based on print speed of said printing mechanism and said measuring of distance from said target.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of making a determination of a target is made automatically, using migration.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, after said step of making a determination and before said step of printing, further steps are carried out, in order, of:

prompting a user if a marking should be made on said target;

receiving an input from said user indicating that a marking should be made on said target.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said printing mechanism is an inkjet print head.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said radio frequency transmitter and said printing mechanism are spaced apart, such that when said radio frequency transmitter measures said point with said target being beneath, said printing mechanism is at a second point on said surface, separate from said measured point; and

said printing mechanism moves, due to said rolling or pushing, to said point with said target said target is marked.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of waiting until said printing mechanism passes over said measured point, with said target being underneath, until carrying said further step of printing.

16. A device comprising:

a handle on a top side;

a display on a top side;

at least one button adapted to convert mechanical pressure into electrical impulses;

a print head aimed such that ink exiting from said print head exits past a bottom side of said device, opposite said top side;

a radar transmitter aimed such that radar is transmitted, at least, mostly in a direction away from said top side;

wherein while said device is moved over a surface, based on a response to said transmitted said radar, a processor instructs said print head to print at a location of said response simultaneous to continued said transmitted said radar.

17. The device of claim 16, comprising an automatic measurement and marking mode of a surface adjacent to said button side of said device.

18. The device of claim 16, comprising a semi-automatic measurement and marking mode of a surface adjacent to said button side of said device.

19. The device of claim 16, comprising a manual measurement and marking mode of a surface adjacent to said button side of said device.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein said distance measurement tool is a a survey wheel encoder, and said indicia printed as a function of a received response to said radar antenna is printed at said location based on output of said survey wheel encoder.