Array system for the characterization of an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10712440-B2
Application number	US-201715597912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	May 17, 2017
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus including an antenna and a processing device. The antenna includes a steerable array. The steerable array may transmit a signal at an angle of transmission toward a portion of an object. The steerable array may receive a reflection of the signal off of the portion of the object. The processing device may be coupled to the antenna. The processing device may determine a digital representation of the portion of the object in view of the reflection of the signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an antenna comprising a first steerable array, a second steerable array, a third steerable array, and a fourth steerable array, the antenna to:
transmit, via the first steerable array, a first signal at a first angle of transmission toward a first portion of a first object;
transmit, via the second steerable array, a second signal at a second angle of transmission toward the first portion of the first object;
transmit, via the third steerable array, a third signal at the second angle of transmission toward the first portion of the first object;
transmit, via the fourth steerable array, a fourth signal at a third angle of transmission toward the first portion of the first object; and
receive a reflection of the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal off of the first portion of the first object; and

a processing device coupled to the antenna, the processing device to determine a digital representation corresponding to a structure of the first portion of the first object in view of the reflection of the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to determine the digital representation of the first portion of the first object, the processing device is to:
determine a phase and an amplitude of the reflection of the first signal; and
determine the digital representation of the first portion of the first object in view of the phase and the amplitude of the reflection of the first signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the first steerable array is further to:
iteratively steer transmissions of a sequence of signals at toward different portions of the first object; and
receive reflections of the sequence of signals off of the different portions of the first object; and

the processing device is further to determine the digital representation of the first object in view of an aggregation of the reflections of the sequence of signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first steerable array is further to:
transmit a fifth signal at a fourth angle of transmission toward a second portion of the first object; and
receive a reflection of the fifth signal off of the second portion of the first object; and

the processing device is further to determine a digital representation of the second portion of the first object in view of the reflection of the second signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processing device is further to aggregate the digital representation of the first portion of the first object with the digital representation of the second portion of the first object to obtain a digital representation of the first portion and the second portion of the first object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further to:
compare a phase and an amplitude of the reflection of the first signal to a phase and an amplitude of the reflection of the second signal to identify interference in the first signal; and
filter out the interference in the reflection of the first signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the interference is caused by a second object located between the first steerable array and the first object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises one or more additional steerable arrays, wherein the one or more additional steerable arrays transmit signals toward the first portion of the first object at different angles of transmission.

9. An apparatus comprising:
an antenna comprising a first steerable array, a second steerable array, a third steerable array, and a fourth steerable array, the antenna to:
transmit, via the first steerable array, a first signal at a first angle of transmission toward a first portion of an object;
transmit, via the second steerable array, a second signal at a second angle of transmission toward the first portion of the object;
transmit, via the third steerable array, a third signal at the second angle of transmission toward the first portion of the first object;
transmit, via the fourth steerable array, a fourth signal at a third angle of transmission toward the first portion of the first object; and
receive a reflection of the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal off of the first portion of the object; and

a processing device coupled to the antenna, the processing device to determine a digital representation corresponding to a structure of the first portion of the object in view of the reflection of the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a probe connected to the antenna, wherein:
the first steerable array is to:
transmit a calibration signal through a material toward the probe; and
receive a reflection of the calibration signal off of the probe; and

the processing device is to:
determine a calibration measurement in view of the reflection of the calibration signal; and
adjust the digital representation of the first portion of the object in view of the calibration measurement.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the probe has defined reflection characteristics and the processing device is to compare an expected reflection of the calibration signal with the calibration signal reflected off of the probe to determine the calibration measurement.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the antenna comprises one or more additional steerable arrays, wherein the one or more additional steerable arrays transmit signals toward the first portion of the object at different angles of transmission.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second steerable array and the third steerable array of the one or more additional steerable arrays are coplanar and there is a gap between the second steerable array and the third steerable array to provide a space for a second portion of the object.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the object is a plant, and wherein the first portion of the object is a portion of a root structure of the plant and the second portion of the object is a stalk of the plant.

15. A method comprising:
transmitting a first signal from a first steerable array of an antenna structure at a first angle toward a first portion of an object;
transmitting a second signal from a second steerable array of the antenna structure at a second angle toward the first portion of the object;
transmitting a third signal from a third steerable array of the antenna structure at the second angle toward the first portion of the first object;
transmitting a fourth signal from a fourth steerable array of the antenna structure at a third angle toward the first portion of the first object;
receiving a reflection of the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal off of the first portion of the object;
determining, by a processing device, an amplitude of the reflection of the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal; and
determining, by the processing device, a first digital representation of a structure of the first portion of the object in view of the amplitude of the reflection of the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processing device, a request to determine a structure of the object;
extending a probe from the antenna structure;
transmitting, by the antenna structure, a calibration signal from the antenna structure t

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Daniel George
• Casse Bernard D
• Cocker Eric

Classifications

• H01Q3/267

  Phased-array testing or checking devices · CPC title

• H01Q21/28

  Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems {(multiple beam H01Q25/00)} · CPC title

• H01Q3/26

  varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture ({H01Q3/12,} H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01S13/885 Primary

  for ground probing (prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12) · CPC title