Michael Rhodes Duncan

US Patent:

6445334, Sep 3, 2002

Filed:

Dec 29, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/752085

Inventors:

Marshall R. Bradley - Slidell LA
Michael P. Crowe - Gulfport MI
Michael E. Duncan - Slidell LA

Assignee:

Planning Systems Incorporated - Reston VA

International Classification:

G01S 1388

US Classification:

342 22, 342 27, 342195

Abstract:

A ground penetrating radar system includes a cart configured to be movable along the ground. A computer is mechanically coupled to the cart. A radar electronics module is mechanically coupled to the cart and electrically coupled to the computer. A first antenna array is mechanically coupled to the cart, electrically coupled to the radar electronics module, and oriented to radiate into the ground and receive radiation from the ground. A second antenna array is mechanically coupled to the cart, electrically coupled to the radar electronics module, and oriented to radiate into the ground and receive radiation from the ground. A movement detector, which is configured to detect movement of the cart, is coupled to the computer. The computer is configured to trigger the radar electronics module when the computer detects that the cart has moved a predefined distance. The system uses nearfield beam forming, which is accomplished through fully coherent signal processing and synthetic aperture reception and processing, to image buried objects in three dimensions.