Method and apparatus for detecting objects using a combination of radio and acoustic signals
AssigneeU.S. Army Research Laboratory
InventorsGregory J. Mazzaro, Kyle A. Gallagher, Kelly D. Sherbondy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for detecting an object comprising a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting a radio frequency signal towards an object; an acoustic signal transmitter for transmitting an acoustic signal capable of causing intermittent contact of conductive and/or semi-conductive junctions of the object; and a radio frequency receiver for receiving the radio frequency signal after the radio frequency signal is reflected from the object, where the received radio frequency signal has been altered by the intermittent contact of conductive and/or semi-conductive junctions of the object.
Claims13
An apparatus for detecting an object comprising:
- a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting a radio frequency signal towards the object;
- an acoustic signal transmitter for transmitting an acoustic signal capable of causing intermittent contact of conductive and semi-conductive junctions of the object;
- and
- a radio frequency signal receiver for receiving the radio frequency signal after the radio frequency signal is reflected from the object, where the received radio frequency signal has been altered by the intermittent contact of conductive and semi-conductive junctions of the object
- wherein the radio frequency signal receiver further comprises an RF signal analyzer for identifying the object from a signature of the received radio frequency signal,
- wherein the radio frequency signal has a frequency of between 800 MHz and 2 GHz,
- wherein the acoustic signal has a frequency of between 100 Hz and 1000 Hz,
- and, wherein a wavelength of the acoustic signal is matched to at least one physical dimension of the object.
2-5. (canceled)
A method of detecting an object comprising:
- transmitting a radio frequency signal towards the object;
- transmitting an acoustic signal capable of causing intermittent contact of conductive and/or semi-conductive junctions of the object;
- and
- receiving the radio frequency signal after the radio frequency signal is reflected from the object, where the received radio frequency signal has been altered by the intermittent contact of conductive and/or semi-conductive junctions of the object
- further comprising identifying the object from a signature of the received radio frequency signal
- wherein the radio frequency signal has a frequency of between 800 MHz and 2 GHz
- wherein the acoustic signal has a frequency of between 100 Hz and 1000 Hz and,
- wherein a wavelength of the acoustic signal is matched to at least one physical dimension of the object
11-14. (canceled)
An apparatus for detecting and identifying an object comprising:
- a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting a radio frequency signal towards the object;
- an acoustic signal transmitter for transmitting an acoustic signal capable of causing intermittent contact of conductive and/or semi-conductive junctions of the object;
- and
- a radio frequency signal receiver for:
- (a) receiving the radio frequency signal after the radio frequency signal is reflected from the object, where the intermittent contact of conductive and/or semi-conductive junctions of the object has created a frequency spectrum, and (b) analyzing the frequency spectrum of the received radio signal to identify the object
- further comprising a library of frequency spectra that are used by the radio frequency signal receiver to identify the object
- wherein a wavelength of the acoustic signal and a wavelength of the radio frequency signal are selected in response to at least one dimensions of a conductive and/or semi-conductive junction.
19-20. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.