Handheld devices and structures to detect sticky devices having magnets

• US 9,244,133 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Icove & Associates LLC
• Original Assignee: Icove & Associates LLC
• Inventors: Icove, David J., Lyster, Carl T., Banwarth, David M., Wesson, Sandra K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): STIFTER JR, TERENCE E
• Application Number:
  US14/062,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 702/65
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/072 Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for detecting concealed personal security threats may comprise conventional mirrors and less conventional arrays of Hall-effect sensors and/or magnetometers, preferably at least two axis or three axis sensors or sensors mounted back-to-back. The concealed personal security threats may comprise, for example, sticky devices consisting of geographic position sensors for covertly broadcasting motor vehicle location data, of so-called Improvised Explosive Devices (IED'"'"'s) which may be covertly or openly affixed to, for example, the undercarriages of motor vehicles using strong magnets and later exploded, the former giving away private location information, the latter causing damage to the motor vehicles to which they are affixed and sticky containers for hiding contraband among other “sticky devices.” Magnetic fields detected by, for example, arrays of Hall-effect sensors and the like may be quantified and stored in processor memory as a vehicle magnetic field signature. A processor receiving magnetic field data collected by the arrays may retrieve and subtract known signatures from acquired magnetic field data for a given vehicle to obtain location for a magnetic field on the vehicle that may be of potential interest as a risk.

Claims

1. A magnetic field sensor for detecting a magnetic field of a sticky device configured to adhere to a portion of a vehicle, the magnetic field sensor comprising:

a plurality of Hall-effect sensors formed as an array of Hall-effect sensors for mounting across a pavement, a portion of the Hall-effect sensors being mounted on vertical, flexible, hollow poles to reach from the pavement toward a vehicle undercarriage, a vehicle crossing the array causing the array to output a vehicle magnetic field signature, the plurality of Hall-effect sensors coupled to a display for sensing the presence of a magnetic field of a sticky device when in proximity of the sticky device, the display comprising a plurality of elements corresponding in position to the respective positions of the plurality of Hall-effect sensors indicating the presence of the magnetic field of the sticky device, the plurality of Hall-effect sensors being located spatially distanced from one another and

a power supply for powering the sensors and display elements.

2. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 1 comprising an N by M array of Hall-effect sensors and associated display elements such that an outline of the magnetic field of the sticky device may be displayed upon an actuation of a portion of the array of Hall-effect sensors, where N and M are each greater than one.

3. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 1, the plurality of Hall-effect sensors formed as a linear array of at least two axis Hall-effect sensors for mounting across the pavement.

4. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 3 further comprising a linear array of vertically oriented, flexible pole-mounted Hall-effect sensors coupled to a processor and memory for determining a location of the magnetic field of the sticky device upon comparison with the vehicle magnetic field signature.

5. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 3 further comprising:

a memory for storing a vehicle magnetic field signature according to make, model and year of manufacture of the vehicle,

a processor for distinguishing between a stored magnetic field signature and magnetic field data for the magnetic field of the sticky device, and

a display for indicating the magnetic field of the sticky device.

6. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 5 further comprising:

a camera for capturing images of the vehicle and storing the images of the vehicle according to year, make and model in the memory, the processor for receiving images of portions of a vehicle simultaneously with sensing the magnetic field and comparing the image portion with a stored vehicle image to determine a difference between the stored image and the image portion.

7. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 5 further comprising a wide band radio frequency receiver for receiving radio frequency emissions from the vehicle simultaneously with sensing the magnetic field.

8. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 1, the Hall-effect sensor comprising at least a two axis sensor, the axes being at a predetermined angle to one another.

9. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 1 in which first and second Hall-effect sensors of the plurality of Hall-effect sensors are mounted back-to-back to sense either North or South polarity of the magnetic field.

10. A magnetic field sensor for detecting a magnetic field of a sticky device, the magnetic field sensor comprising:

a plurality of Hall-effect sensors coupled to a display for sensing the presence of a magnetic field of the sticky device when one of the plurality of Hall-effect sensors is proximate to the sticky device, the display comprising a plurality of display elements corresponding in relative position to the respective positions of the plurality of Hall-effect sensors, the one of the plurality of Hall-effect sensors sensing the presence of the magnetic field, and

a mirror to which the plurality of Hall-effect sensors are mounted, the mirror for viewing a vehicle portion simultaneously with magnetic field sensing, the mirror having a centrally located Hall-effect sensor circuit.

11. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 10, the mirror being circular and adapted to reflect a wider portion of an object wider than a diameter of the circular mirror.

12. The magnetic field sensor of claim 10, the mirror being circular, the centrally located Hall-effect sensor circuit having two perimeter Hall-effect sensor circuits equally spaced on each side of the centrally located sensor circuit at the perimeter of the circular mirror.

13. The magnetic field sensor of claim 12, the circular mirror having six perimeter Hall-effect sensor circuits equally spaced around the centrally located Hall-effect sensor circuit.

14. The magnetic field sensor of claim 12 having a corresponding display of display elements to the centrally located Hall-effect sensor circuits and the two perimeter Hall-effect sensor circuits.

15. A magnetic field sensor for detecting a magnetic field of a sticky device configured to be attached to a vehicle, the magnetic field sensor comprising:

a processor and

a plurality of hall-effect sensors for detecting the presence of the magnetic field, the plurality of sensors for mounting linearly across a vehicle path and on a frame surrounding the sides and roof of the vehicle, the sensors collecting magnetic field data as a vehicle passes over the linearly mounted sensors and through the frame for comparison with expected magnetic field data for a particular make, model and year of manufacture of a vehicle, a portion of the sensors being mounted on vertically oriented flexible poles moveable to an identified vehicle height above the vehicle path by electric motors under control of the processor and operated responsive to a vehicle identification input via an input device to the processor.

16. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 15 further comprising:

a camera for viewing vehicle portions from the vehicle path and located proximate the plurality of sensors and oriented to face upward.

17. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 15 further comprising:

the plurality of Hall-effect sensors formed in a linear array,

a memory for storing vehicle magnetic field signatures according to make, model and year of manufacture of the vehicle,

the processor for distinguishing between a stored magnetic field signature and magnetic field data for a suspect magnetic field, and

a display for indicating the suspect magnetic field.

18. The magnetic field sensor according to claim 17 wherein each of said Hall-effect sensors comprises at least a two axis sensor structure.

19. The magnetic field sensor of claim 15 further comprising a communications interface coupled to the processor for transmitting vehicle identity data and retrieving one of magnetic signature data and vehicle image data from a remote database.

20. The magnetic field sensor of claim 19 further comprising a camera for capturing a vehicle image for comparison via image segmentation to an image captured by the camera, the comparison resulting in automatically locating an anomaly.