Detector apparatus and method

US6559645B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• G. Dickey Arndt · Friendswood, US
• Phong H. Ngo · Friendswood, US
• James R. Carl · Houston, US
• Kent A. Byerly · Seabrook, US
• John Dusl · Houston, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 30, 2001
• Grant date: May 6, 2003
• Expiry date: Oct 30, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01V3/104
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Transceiver and methods are included that are especially suitable for detecting metallic materials, such as metallic mines, within an environment. The transceiver includes a digital waveform generator used to transmit a signal into the environment and a receiver that produces a digital received signal. A tracking module preferably compares an in-phase and quadrature transmitted signal with an in-phase and quadrature received signal to produce a spectral transfer function of the magnetic transceiver over a selected range of frequencies. The transceiver initially preferably creates a reference transfer function which is then stored in a memory. Subsequently measured transfer functions will vary depending on the presence of metal in the environment which was not in the environment when the reference transfer function was determined. The system may be utilized in the presence of other antennas, metal, and electronics which may comprise a plastic mine detector for detecting plastic mines. Despite the additional antennas and other metallic materials that may be in the environment due to the plastic mine detector, the magnetic transceiver remains highly sensitive to metallic material whic…