Method of monitoring an area

• US 9,429,651 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Krill, Jerry A., O'Driscoll, Michael J., Gross, Michael C., Papadakis, Stergios J., Ricciardi, Gerald F., Bankman, Isaac N., Peri, Joseph S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Legasse, Jr., Francis M
• Application Number:
  US14/458,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20150285911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4816 of receivers alone
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/292 by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering controlled diffraction for optical switching G02F1/31

Abstract

A device for detecting a presence of an object includes an optical phased array, a detector, a processing portion and an indicator. The optical phased array can transmit a first optical beam to a first location at a first time and can transmit a second optical beam to a second location at a second time. The detector can detect a first reflected beam based on the first optical beam and can detect a second reflected beam based on the second optical beam. The processing portion can determine the presence of the object based on the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam. The indicator can generate an indicator signal based on the presence of the object.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring an area, said method comprising:

searching a first area via an optical phased array at a first time;

deriving, via a processing portion, a first signal based on said searching the first area via the optical phased array at the first time;

searching the first area via the optical phased array at a second time;

deriving, via the processing portion, a second signal based on said searching the first area via the optical phased array at the second time;

detecting, via the processing portion, an object within the first area based on the first signal and the second signal; and

searching, via the optical phased array, a second area including the object, the second area being smaller than the first area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving, via the processing portion, a third signal based on said searching, via the optical phased array, the second area including the object.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising classifying the object based on a priori information and the third signal.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting, via a transmitter, object information based on said classifying the object based on a priori information and the third signal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising tracking, via the optical phased array, movement of the object.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting, via the transmitter, object movement information based on said tracking, via the optical phased array, movement of the object.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, via a receiver, the object movement information from the transmitter;

deriving, via a second processing portion, a third area to search at a fourth time; and

searching third area via a second optical phased array at the fourth time.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising tracking, via the optical phased array, movement of the object.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting, via a transmitter, object movement information based on said tracking, via the optical phased array, movement of the object.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, via a receiver, the object movement information from the transmitter;

deriving, via a second processing portion, a third area to search at a fourth time; and

searching third area via a second optical phased array at the fourth time.