US5081456A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of detecting unknown object and apparatus therefor
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1988-04-13
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Granted: 1992-01-14
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Expires: 2008-04-13
Abstract
Abstract In visualizing an unknown object possessed by a person to be checked, a narrow pulsating radio wave beam is scanned over the whole surface of the person to observe the intensity of a reflected radio wave at each scan point. The frequency of the radio wave beam is set at a frequency easy to be transmitted by the human body to suppress the reflection from the human body and emphasize the unknown object to thereby discriminate between them. An image of the person to be checked is displayed and the portion having a strong reflection is color-displayed on the image to allow the check of the unknown object possessed by the person without contacting the person.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoshihiro Michiguchi
- 👤 Masatsugu Nishi
- 👤 Kazuo Hiramoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 17:53
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/02; G01S13/0209; G06; G06V; G06V20/00; G06V20/50; G06V20/52; G01S13/86; G01S13/867; G01S13/88; G01S13/887; G01S13/89; G06V2201/00; G06V2201/05
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 47
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of detecting an unknown object comprising the steps of: scanning and radiating a radio wave beam to a living body member to be checked, said radio wave beam having a frequency at which absorption of said radio wave beam by water exhibits substantially a peak so that the intensity of said radio wave beam reflected from said living body member becomes lower than a predetermined value; obtaining the intensity of said reflected radio wave at each scan position of said radio wave beam; and detecting an unknown object possessed by said living body member to be checked in accordance with said reflected radio wave intensity.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of detecting an unknown object comprising the steps of: scanning and radiating a radio wave beam to a living body member to be checked, said radio wave beam having a frequency at which absorption of said radio wave beam by water exhibits substantially a peak so that the intensity of said radio wave beam reflected from said living body member becomes lower than a predetermined value; obtaining the intensity of said reflected radio wave at each scan position of said radio wave beam; and detecting an unknown object possessed by said living body member to be checked in accordance with said reflected radio wave intensity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of detecting an unknown object according to claim 1, wherein a vapor amount in the air is detected, and the intensity of said radiated radio wave is controlled in accordance with the detected value of said vapor amount.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method of detecting an unknown object according to claim 1, wherein the intensity of said radiated radio wave is controlled such that the intensity of a reflected radio wave from a standard reflector set near at said member to be checked becomes a predetermined value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method of detecting an unknown object according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of said radio wave beam is one of substantially 180 GHz and substantially 310 GHz.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
35 words
A method according to claims 2, 3 or 4, wherein the unknown object detecting step includes visually displaying the distribution of the reflected radio wave intensity at each scan position of the radio wave beam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the step of visually displaying includes visually displaying the distribution of the reflected wave by superposing the distribution upon an image of the living body member to be checked taken by a television camera.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
122 words
A method according to claims 2, 3 or 4, further comprising the steps of: using another radio wave beam at a frequency having a larger reflection intensity of the living body member to be checked than that of the frequency of the first mentioned radio wave beam; scanning the living body member to be checked by alternately switching between both radio wave beams; obtaining a cross sectional image of the living body member, based on a time from each radio wave transmission to reflected wave detection and based on a signal representative of said scan position; and displaying on the cross sectional image on intensity distribution of the reflected radio wave at each frequency, using a color brightness specific to each frequency.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein in addition to the display of the cross sectional image, a scan line of the radio wave beam is displayed by superposing it upon an image of the living body member to be checked taken by a television camera.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of scanning and radiating a radio wave beam includes radiating a focused radio wave beam to the living body member to be checked and scanning the living body member to be checked with the focused radio wave beam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method of detecting an unknown object according to claim 9, wherein said unknown object detecting step visually displays the distribution of said reflected radio wave intensity at each scan position of said radio wave beam.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method of detecting an unknown object according to claim 10, wherein said visualization displays the distribution of said reflected radio wave by superposing it upon an image of said member to be checked taken by a television camera.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
117 words
A method of detecting an unknown object according to claim 9, comprising the steps of: using another radio wave beam at a frequency having a larger reflection intensity of said member to be checked than that of the frequency of said first mentioned radio wave beam; scanning said member to be checked by alternately switching said both radio wave beams; obtaining a cross sectional image of said member, based on a time from each radio wave transmission to reflected wave detection and based on a signal representative of said scan position; and displaying on said cross sectional image an intensity distribution of the reflected radio wave at each frequency, using a color brightness specific to each frequency.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method of detecting an unknown object according to claim 12 wherein in addition to the display of said cross sectional image, a scan line of said radio wave beam is displayed by superposing it upon an image of said member to be checked taken by a television camera.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method of detecting an unknown object according to claim 9, wherein the frequency of the radio wave beam is one of substantially 22 GHz, substantially 180 GHz and substantially 310 GHz.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of subsequent to detecting an unknown object, scanning and radiating another radio wave beam having a frequency higher than the radio wave beam utilized for detecting the unknown object.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 15, wherein the another radio wave beam with the higher frequency is another frequency at which absorption of said another radio wave beam by water exhibits substantially a peak.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
122 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object comprising: means for radiating a radio wave beam at a frequency at which absorption of said radio wave beam by water exhibits substantially a peak so as to have a small reflection intensity relative to a living body, to a living body member to be checked; means for scanning said radio wave beam to said member to be checked; means for receiving a reflected radio wave of said radiated radio wave beam; means for obtaining the intensity of said received reflected radio wave at each scan position of said radio wave beam; and means for displaying the intensity of said reflected radio wave as the distribution of said radio wave beam at each scan position.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
122 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object comprising: means for radiating a radio wave beam at a frequency at which absorption of said radio wave beam by water exhibits substantially a peak so as to have a small reflection intensity relative to a living body, to a living body member to be checked; means for scanning said radio wave beam to said member to be checked; means for receiving a reflected radio wave of said radiated radio wave beam; means for obtaining the intensity of said received reflected radio wave at each scan position of said radio wave beam; and means for displaying the intensity of said reflected radio wave as the distribution of said radio wave beam at each scan position.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object according to claim 7, further comprising means for controlling the frequency of a radio wave beam to make the reflection intensity of said living body smaller than a predetermined value.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the frequency of said radio wave beam is one of substantially 180 GHz and substantially 310 GHz.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
49 words
An apparatus according to claims 18 or 19, wherein the display means includes a camera for taking an image of the living body member to be checked, and displays a superimposed image of the reflection intensity distribution of the reflected radio wave upon said image taken by said camera.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for radiating a radio wave beam radiates a focused radio wave beam.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
50 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object according to claim 21, wherein said display means includes a camera for taking an image of said member to be checked, and displays a superimposed image of the reflection intensity distribution of said reflected radio wave upon said image taken by said camera.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the frequency of the radio wave beam is one of substantially 22 GHz, substantially 180 GHz and substantially 310 GHz.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
214 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object comprising: means for radiating a radio wave beam to a living body member to be checked, said radio wave beam including a first beam having a frequency at which absorption of said radio wave beam by water exhibits substantially a peak; means for scanning said radio wave beam to said member to be checked; means for alternately switching the frequency of said radio wave beam radiated from said radiating means, between said first beam with a frequency having a low reflection intensity of said living body member and a second beam with a frequency having a large reflection intensity of said living body member; means for detecting a reflected radio wave of said radio wave beam; means for obtaining the intensity of said detected reflected radio wave at each scan position of said radio wave beam; means for obtaining a cross sectional image of said member to be checked in accordance with a time from transmission of said radio wave beam to detection of said reflected radio wave, at each scan position of said radio wave beam; and means for displaying on said cross sectional image the intensity of said reflected radio wave in a color or brightness specific to each frequency of said radio wave beam.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
214 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object comprising: means for radiating a radio wave beam to a living body member to be checked, said radio wave beam including a first beam having a frequency at which absorption of said radio wave beam by water exhibits substantially a peak; means for scanning said radio wave beam to said member to be checked; means for alternately switching the frequency of said radio wave beam radiated from said radiating means, between said first beam with a frequency having a low reflection intensity of said living body member and a second beam with a frequency having a large reflection intensity of said living body member; means for detecting a reflected radio wave of said radio wave beam; means for obtaining the intensity of said detected reflected radio wave at each scan position of said radio wave beam; means for obtaining a cross sectional image of said member to be checked in accordance with a time from transmission of said radio wave beam to detection of said reflected radio wave, at each scan position of said radio wave beam; and means for displaying on said cross sectional image the intensity of said reflected radio wave in a color or brightness specific to each frequency of said radio wave beam.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the frequency of said first beam is one of substantially 180 GHz and substantially 310 GHz.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a camera for taking an image of the living body member to be checked, whereby a superimposed image of the image taken by the camera upon a scan line of the radio wave beam is displayed.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the means for radiating a radio wave beam radiates a focused radio wave beam.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object according to claim 27, further comprising a camera for taking an image of said member to be checked, whereby a superimposed image of said image taken by said camera upon a scan line of said radio wave beam is displayed.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the frequency of the first beam is one of substantially 22 GHz, substantially 180 GHz and substantially 310 GHz.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
98 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object possessed by a living body member by radiating a radio wave beam, comprising: means for scanning a member to be checked by using a focused radio wave beam having a frequency at which absorption of said radio wave beam by water exhibits substantial a peak so that the reflection intensity of a living body is smaller than a predetermined value; means for obtaining the intensity of a reflected radio wave at each span position; and means for visually displaying the intensity distribution of said reflected radio wave at each scan position.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
98 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object possessed by a living body member by radiating a radio wave beam, comprising: means for scanning a member to be checked by using a focused radio wave beam having a frequency at which absorption of said radio wave beam by water exhibits substantial a peak so that the reflection intensity of a living body is smaller than a predetermined value; means for obtaining the intensity of a reflected radio wave at each span position; and means for visually displaying the intensity distribution of said reflected radio wave at each scan position.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
128 words
An apparatus for visually an unknown object according to claim 30, further comprising means for radiating another radio wave beam whose frequency has a larger reflection intensity of said member to be checked than that of the frequency of said first mentioned radio wave beam, said member to be checked is scanned by said scanning means by alternatively switching said both radio wave beams, means for obtaining a cross sectional image of said member based on a time from each radio wave beam transmission to reflected radio wave detection and based on a signal representative of said scan position, and means for displaying an intensity distribution of said reflected radio wave at each frequency on said cross sectional image, using a color or brightness specific to each frequency.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object according to claim 31, further comprising means for detecting a vapor amount in the air, and means for controlling the intensity of said radiated radio wave beam in accordance with the amount detected by said detecting means.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object according to claim 31, further comprising means for controlling the intensity of said radiated radio wave beam such that the intensity of a reflected radio wave from a standard reflector set near said member to be checked becomes a predetermined value.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object according to claim 30, further comprising means for detecting a vapor amount in the air, and means for controlling the intensity of said radiated radio wave beam in accordance with the amount detected by said detecting means.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object according to claim 30, further comprising means for controlling the intensity of said radiated radio wave beam such that the intensity of a reflected radio wave from a standard reflector set near said member to be checked becomes a predetermined value.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the frequency of the radio wave beam is one of substantially 22 GHz, substantially 180 GHz and substantially 310 GHz.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the frequency of said radio wave beam is one of substantially 180 GHz and substantially 310 GHz.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
132 words
An apparatus according to claim 31, 32, 35, 19 or 27, further comprising means for radiating another radio wave beam whose frequency has a larger reflection intensity of the living body member to be checked than that of the frequency of said first mentioned radio wave beam, the scanning means scanning the living body member to be checked by alternately switching between both radio wave beams, means for obtaining a cross sectional image of the living body member based on a time from each radio wave beam transmission to reflected radio wave detection and based on a signal representative of the scan position, and means for displaying an intensity distribution of the reflected radio wave at each frequency on the cross sectional image, using a color or brightness specific to each frequency.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
160 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object comprising: means for radiating first and second radio wave beams to a living body member to be checked; means for scanning said first and second radio wave beams to said living body member to be checked; means for alternately switching between said first and second radio wave beams, said first radio wave beam having a frequency providing a low reflection intensity of said living body member and said second radio wave beam having another frequency providing one of a large reflection intensity of said living body member and a low reflection intensity of said living body member; means for detecting a reflected radio wave of each of said first and second radio wave beams; means for obtaining the intensity of said detected reflected radio wave at each scan position of said first and second radio wave beams; and means for displaying an indication of the intensity obtained of said received reflected radio wave.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
160 words
An apparatus for visualizing an unknown object comprising: means for radiating first and second radio wave beams to a living body member to be checked; means for scanning said first and second radio wave beams to said living body member to be checked; means for alternately switching between said first and second radio wave beams, said first radio wave beam having a frequency providing a low reflection intensity of said living body member and said second radio wave beam having another frequency providing one of a large reflection intensity of said living body member and a low reflection intensity of said living body member; means for detecting a reflected radio wave of each of said first and second radio wave beams; means for obtaining the intensity of said detected reflected radio wave at each scan position of said first and second radio wave beams; and means for displaying an indication of the intensity obtained of said received reflected radio wave.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said another frequency is higher than the frequency of said first radio wave beam.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the scanning means scans the first and second radio wave beams on the same scan line.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the frequency of at least the first radio wave beam is a frequency at which absorption of said first radio wave beam by water exhibits substantially a peak.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-01-13 | 1995-07-15 | 1996-01-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-01-13 | 1999-07-15 | 2000-01-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-01-13 | 2003-07-15 | 2004-01-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |