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US 7,512,511 B1Granted
Improvised explosive device countermeasures
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsEugene M. Schultz, Randy D. Curry, Richard A. Niksch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for mitigating the effectiveness of IEDs are disclosed. The method can include detecting IEDs by sensing the presence of a non-linear electronic component of an IED. The presence of a non-linear electronic component of the IED can be detected by illuminating the device with a high power microwave signal containing a plurality of radio frequencies of electromagnetic radiation and receiving sum and/or difference frequency components that are produced by interaction of the illuminating signals with a non-linear IED component and subsequently re-radiated.
Claims22
A method for mitigating effectiveness of an improvised explosive device (IED), the method comprising:
- detecting a presence of the IED by detecting a presence of a non-linear electronic component of the IED, wherein detecting the presence of the non-linear component of the IED comprises:
- illuminating the IED with a first signal containing a first plurality of frequencies and having a comparatively wide beam, and
- receiving a first complex signal return including at least one of sum or difference frequencies or harmonics produced by interaction of the first signal with one or more of the IED's non-linear components;
- in response to detecting the presence of the IED, verifying the presence of the IED by determining whether a signature of the first complex signal return is consistent with expected IED signatures;
- in response to verifying the presence of the IED, determining a location of the IED by:
- illuminating the IED with a second signal containing a second plurality of frequencies and having a comparatively narrow beam, and
- receiving a second complex signal return including at least one of sum or difference frequencies or harmonics produced by interaction of the second signal with one or more of the IED's non-linear components, wherein the second plurality of frequencies are higher than the first plurality of frequencies;
- and
- in response to determining the location of the IED, disabling the IED by directing a burst of electromagnetic radiation to the determined location of the IED.
6 more elements
A system for mitigating effectiveness of an improvised explosive device (IED), the system comprising:
- a first transmitter and a first transmit antenna for illuminating the IED with a first signal containing a first plurality of frequencies and having a comparatively wide beam;
- a first receiver and a first receive antenna for receiving a first complex signal return including at least one of sum or difference frequencies or harmonics produced by interaction of the first signal with one or more of the IED's non-linear components to detect a presence of the IED;
- a detection verification system for verifying a presence of the IED in response to the detected presence of the IED based on whether a signature of the first complex signal return is consistent with expected IED signatures;
- a second transmitter and a second transmit antenna for illuminating the IED with a second signal containing a second plurality of frequencies and having a comparatively narrow beam;
- a second receiver and a second receive antenna for receiving a second complex signal return including at least one of sum or difference frequencies or harmonics produced by interaction of the second signal with one or more of the IED's non-linear components to determine a location of the IED in response to the verified presence of the IED, wherein the second plurality of frequencies are higher than the first plurality of frequencies;
- and
- a third transmitter and a third transmit antenna for disabling the IED in response to the determined location of the IED by directing a burst of electromagnetic radiation to the determined location of the IED.
4 more elements
A system for locating an improvised explosive device (IED), the system comprising:
- means for detecting a presence of the IED by detecting a presence of a non-linear electronic component of the IED, the detecting means comprising:
- means for illuminating the IED with a first signal containing a first plurality of frequencies and having a comparatively wide beam, and
- means for receiving a first complex signal return including at least one of sum or difference frequencies or harmonics produced by interaction of the first signal with one or more of the IED's non-linear components;
- means for verifying the presence of the IED by determining whether a signature of the first complex signal return is consistent with expected IED signatures in response to the detecting means;
- means for determining a location of the IED in response to the verifying means, the determining means comprising:
- means for illuminating the IED with a second signal containing a second plurality of frequencies and having a comparatively narrow beam, and
- means for receiving a second complex signal return including at least one of sum or difference frequencies or harmonics produced by interaction of the second signal with one or more of the IED's non-linear components, wherein the second plurality of frequencies are higher than the first plurality of frequencies;
- and
- means for disabling the IED by directing a burst of electromagnetic radiation to the determined location of the IED in response to the determining means.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.