Multisensor vehicle-mounted mine detector
US6026135A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 3, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 15, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 3, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V11/00
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A multisensor vehicle-mounted mine detector having one or more sensors leading the vehicle for detecting objects in the ground while moving. A navigational system tracks the coordinates of the detected objects, performs data fusion, declares whether the object is a target worthy of interest and if so, stops the vehicle with a trailing thermal neutron activator sensor (TNA) over the coordinates of the object and interrogating the object with slow neutrons to confirm whether it contains sufficient nitrogen to indeed be a mine. The TNA confirmation is kept brief due to the use of a strong source coupled with means for analysing the resultant pulses and rejecting piled-up pulses. The difference between an integration of the entire pulse and a portion of the pulse is compared against a predetermined difference for a normal pulse wherein variations therebetween are indicative of a piled-up pulse which is then rejected. If a mine is confirmed it is then temporarily physically marked with a mixture of a dry granular, free-flowing superabsorbent polymer and dyed liquid to form a voluminous semi-solid gel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.