Large area ground monitoring

US9207307B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Stolar, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Gerald L. Stolarczyk · Raton, US
• Chance Dain Valentine · Raton, US
• Jeffrey D. Hutchins · Box Elder, US
• Matthew Briggs · Los Alamos, US
• Richard Brewster Main · Elk Grove, US
• Brecken H. Uhl · La Mesa, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 8, 2014
• Grant date: Dec 8, 2015
• Expiry date: Jun 19, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01V3/17
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A municipal infrastructure maintenance system uses a ground vehicle to move an antenna array in back-and-forth sweeps over large areas or distances. The antenna array comprises dozens of compartmentalized radio dipole antennas arranged laterally, shoulder-to-shoulder across the width of each sweep. An antenna switch matrix is connected between the antenna array and a ground-penetrating-radar (GPR) set and provides electronic aperture switching and selection, and the ability to laterally register one sweep to the next. The antenna array is extended out in front of the ground vehicle on a pivotable boom, and the cantilevered weight is a primary concern. The antenna array is constructed with aluminum-on-aluminum honeycomb panels slotted and folded around dozens of resistive-card compartment separators. Printed circuit boards with matching baluns are also slotted to receive tabs on the resistive cards, and their dipole elements are resistive loaded to quench crosstalk and near field effects.