Conductive line communication apparatus and conductive line radar system and method

A method of detecting a target using a mono-static conductive line radar, said method comprising:

• transmitting a wave signal along a power line from said mono-static conductive line radar mounted on said power line, said mono-static conductive line radar comprising:
• a signal surface wave transceiver physically attached to said power line;
• at least one RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least one signal processor, wherein a signal radiates from said wave signal in a plurality of directions from said power line;
• receiving reflected signals from at least one target within a distance from said power line along a length of said power line at said signal surface wave transceiver from said signal radiated in said plurality of directions from said power line;
• detecting said at least one target from said reflected signals received at said signal surface wave transceiver when said at least one target is within said distance from said power line;
• and
• transmitting and receiving control signals between said monostatic conductive line radar and an adjacent monostatic conductive line radar using said at least one communications transceiver with integrated antenna.

A bi-static conductive line radar system comprising:

• at least one bi-static conductive line radar comprising:
• a first signal surface wave launcher physically attached to a first power line, said first signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• a first signal surface wave transmitter and a first signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a first RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least a first signal processor;
• said first signal surface wave transmitter transmitting a wave signal along said first power line, wherein a signal radiates from said wave signal in a plurality of directions from said first power line,
• a second signal surface wave launcher physically attached to a second power line, said second power line being substantially parallel to said first power line;
• said second signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• a second signal surface wave transmitter and a second signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a second RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least a second signal processor;
• said second signal surface wave launcher being separated from said first signal surface wave transmitter by a distance;
• at least one of said first signal surface wave receiver and said second signal surface wave receiver receives reflected signals from at least one target from said signal radiated in a plurality of directions from said first power line within a distance from said first power line along a length of said first power line;
• and
• at least one of said first signal processor and said second signal processor detects said at least one target from said reflected signals received by at least one of said first signal surface wave receiver and said second signal surface wave receiver.

A method of detecting a target using a bi-static conductive line radar, said method comprising:

• transmitting a wave signal along a first power line using a first signal surface wave launcher, said first signal surface wave launcher being mounted on said first power line, said first signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• a first signal surface wave transmitter and a first signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a first RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least a first signal processor, wherein a signal radiates from said wave signal in a plurality of directions from said first power line along a length of said first power line;
• receiving reflected signals from at least one target within a distance from said first power line at least at one of said first signal surface wave launcher and a second signal surface wave launcher from said signal radiated in said plurality of directions from said first power line, said second signal surface wave launcher being mounted on a second power line and separated from said first signal surface wave transmitter, said second signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• a second signal surface wave transmitter and a second signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a second RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• at least a second signal processor;
• and
• detecting said at least one target from said reflected signals received by at least one of said first signal surface wave receiver and said second signal surface wave receiver.

A multi-static conductive line radar system comprising:

• at least a first signal surface wave launcher physically attached to a first power line, said first signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• at least a first signal surface wave transmitter facing in a first direction and a second signal surface wave transmitter facing in a second direction;
• at least a first signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a first RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least a first signal processor;
• said first signal surface wave transmitter transmitting a wave signal along said first power line in said first direction and said second signal surface wave transmitter transmitting said wave signal along said first power line in said second direction, wherein a signal radiates from said wave signal in a plurality of directions from said first power line,
• a second signal surface wave launcher physically attached to a second power line, said second power line being substantially parallel to said first power line;
• said second signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• at least a second signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a second RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least a second signal processor;
• said second signal surface wave launcher being separated from said first signal surface wave transmitter by a distance;
• a third signal surface wave launcher physically attached to said second power line, said second power line being substantially parallel to said first power line;
• said third signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• at least a third signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a third RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least a third signal processor;
• said second signal surface wave launcher being separated from said first signal surface wave transmitter by a distance in said first direction and said third signal surface wave launcher being separated from said first signal surface wave transmitter by a distance in said second direction;
• and
• at least one of said first signal surface wave receiver, said second signal surface wave receiver and said third signal surface wave receiver receives reflected signals from at least one target from said signal radiated in a plurality of directions from said first power line within said distance from said first power line along a length of said first power line.

A method of detecting a target, using a multi-static conductive line radar, said method comprising:

• transmitting a wave signal along a first power line using a first signal surface wave launcher mounted on said first power line, said first signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• a first signal surface wave transmitter facing in at least a first direction and configured to transmit said wave signal in said first direction and a second direction;
• at least a first signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a first RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least a first signal processor, wherein said first signal surface wave transmitter transmits about half of the said wave signal along said first power line in said first direction and about half of the said wave signal along said first power line in said second direction and a signal radiates from said wave signal in a plurality of directions from said first power line;
• receiving said wave signal at least at one of a second signal surface wave launcher and a third signal surface wave launcher, said second signal surface wave launcher being mounted on said first power line or a second power line, said second signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• at least a second signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a second RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least a second signal processor;
• said third signal surface wave launcher being mounted on said first power line or said second power line, said third signal surface wave launcher comprising:
• at least a third signal surface wave receiver;
• at least a third RF communications transceiver with integrated antenna;
• and
• at least a third signal processor;
• receiving reflected signals from at least one target from said signal radiated in said plurality of directions from at least said first power line at least at one of said first signal surface wave receiver, said second signal surface wave receiver and said third signal surface wave receiver;
• and
• detecting said at least one target within a distance from at least said first power line from said reflected signals received at least at one of said first signal surface wave receiver, said second signal surface wave receiver and said third signal surface wave receiver.