Passive microwave near-field tomographic imaging system and method
US5142291A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 3, 1990 |
| Grant date | Aug 25, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 3, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01K11/006
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A technique for near-field tomographic imaging using a multiple-receiver correlating interferometer. A target object or scene to be imaged is located in a near-field or Fresnel region of a receiver system. The target object radiates or reflects a signal that is sensed by a plurality of antennas. The received signals are correlated using conventional correlation algorithms. An image pixel for a focal point is then computed by correcting a differential time delay between a signal emitted at the focal point and received at first and second antennas. The system is focused on the target object by correcting a phase term of the correlation algorithms. The phase term is corrected by multiplying the correlation algorithms by a phase factor. A peak correlated value is developed when the focal point is at the target object location. A series of snapshots is generated from data produced by the focussing process, as the focal point is moved through the scene. The snapshots are successively superimposed, using tomographic techniques, to form a high resolution image map. The system achieves extremely high resolutions, rivalling those of synthetic aperture radar.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.