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US 8,263,939 B2Granted
Compressive millimeter wave imaging
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMichael Joseph Delaney, Jr., David Arthur Whelan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus comprising a mirror array having a plurality of mirrors and a control system. The plurality of mirrors is capable of receiving a signal for an image. The control system is capable of controlling a first portion of the plurality of mirrors in the mirror array to direct a first portion of the signal to a detector. The control system is also capable of controlling a second portion of the plurality of mirrors in the mirror array to direct a second portion of the signal away from the detector.
Claims27
A millimeter wave imaging apparatus comprising:
- a mirror array having a plurality of electronically tunable impedance surface mirrors, wherein the plurality of mirrors is capable of receiving a millimeter wave signal, the array comprising a number of diodes disposed such that a change in impedance of a diode directs a millimeter wave signal received at a mirror to a desired direction;
- the mirror array further comprising a polymer microtruss, a substrate, a bias board, a number of connectors, and a number of patches connected to the diodes, the diodes are mounted on the number of patches, and the number of connectors are connected to the bias board and the number of patches;
- a control system capable of controlling a first portion of the plurality of mirrors on the polymer microtruss in the mirror array to direct a first portion of the millimeter wave signal to a detector, and capable of controlling a second portion of the plurality of mirrors on the polymer microtruss in the mirror array to direct a second portion of the signal away from the detector;
- an image processor capable of creating an image using the first portion of the signal detected by the detector;
- and
- a display device in communication with the image processor, wherein the image processor is capable of displaying the image on the display device.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a mirror array having a plurality of mirrors, wherein the plurality of mirrors is capable of receiving a signal for an image, the mirror array including a bias board and a number of electrodes;
- the mirror array further comprising a polymer microtruss structure, a substrate, a bias board, a number of connectors, and a number of patches connected to the electrodes, the electrodes are mounted on the number of patches, and the number of connectors are connected to the bias board and the number of patches;
- and
- a control system capable of controlling the bias board and the number of electrodes so as to control movement of a first portion of the plurality of mirrors on the polymer microtruss structure in the mirror array to direct a first portion of the signal to a detector and so as to control movement of a second portion of the plurality of mirrors in the polymer microtruss structure in the mirror array to direct a second portion of the signal away from the detector.
1 more element
A method for directing a signal, the method comprising:
- receiving a signal at a mirror array having a plurality of electronically tunable impedance surface mirrors, the array comprising a number of diodes disposed such that a change in impedance of a diode directs a millimeter wave signal received at a mirror to a desired location, the mirror array further comprising a polymer microtruss, a substrate, a bias board, a number of connectors, and a number of patches connected to the diodes, the diodes are mounted on the number of patches, and the number of connectors are connected to the bias board and the number of patches;
- controlling a first portion of the plurality of mirrors in the mirror array on the polymer microtruss to direct a first portion of the signal to a detector;
- and
- controlling a second portion of the plurality of mirrors in the mirror array on the polymer microtruss to direct a second portion of the signal away from the detector,
- the controlling the first portion comprising controlling voltage supplied to a bias board so as to control impedance at the number of diodes connected to a number of mirrors in the first portion, and the controlling the second portion comprising controlling voltage supplied to a bias board so as to control impedance at a number of diodes connected to a number of mirrors in the second portion.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.