Method and Apparatus for Detecting Energetic Materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349401-A1
Application number	US-201514725236-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2015
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting an energetic material on a surface. Electromagnetic radiation is generated. A beam of the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted from a handheld device towards the surface. Reflected electromagnetic radiation from the beam reflecting off of the surface is detected at the handheld device to generate test data. The test data is analyzed at a base unit that is separate from the handheld device to determine whether the energetic material is present on the surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for detecting an energetic material on a surface, the method comprising:
generating electromagnetic radiation; transmitting a beam of the electromagnetic radiation from a handheld device towards the surface; detecting reflected electromagnetic radiation from the beam reflecting off of the surface at the handheld device to generate test data; and analyzing the test data at a base unit that is separate from the handheld device to determine whether the energetic material is present on the surface.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the electromagnetic radiation comprises:
generating infrared radiation using a laser system that is associated with the base unit,
wherein the infrared radiation is selected from one of near-infrared radiation, short-wave infrared radiation, mid-wave infrared radiation, long-wave infrared radiation, and far-infrared radiation.

3 . The method of claim 2 further comprising:
transmitting the infrared radiation from the base unit to the handheld device using a set of optical signal cables.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the reflected electromagnetic radiation comprises:
detecting at least one of backscatter or specular reflection of the beam from the surface at the handheld device.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
sending the test data from a detector associated with the handheld device to the base unit for analysis.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
transmitting radio waves from the handheld device towards the surface; and
detecting reflected radio waves at the handheld device from the radio waves reflecting off of the surface to generate radio response data.

7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:
generating sensor data using at least one of an accelerometer, an inertial measurement unit, or a gyroscopic device at the handheld device.

8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
generating imaging data of the surface based on at least one of the sensor data, the test data, or the radio response data.

9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
processing the test data at a data manager associated with the base unit to generate result information that indicates whether the energetic material is present on the surface;
generating an output using the result information; and
presenting the output at the handheld device using an output system associated with the handheld device.

10 . An apparatus comprising:
a handheld device that transmits a beam of electromagnetic radiation towards a surface and detects reflected electromagnetic radiation from the beam reflecting off of the surface to generate test data; and a base unit that is separate from the handheld device and that analyzes the test data to determine whether an energetic material is present on the surface.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:
a laser system associated with the base unit, wherein the laser system generates a set of laser signals comprising the electromagnetic radiation and wherein the electromagnetic radiation is infrared radiation.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:
a set of optical signal cables for transmitting the infrared radiation from the base unit to the handheld device.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the handheld device comprises:
a detector that detects the reflected electromagnetic radiation as at least one of backscatter or specular reflection of the beam from the surface to generate the test data.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the base unit comprises:
a data manager that analyzes the test data to generate result information.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the data manager analyzes the test data using information about a plurality of known energetic materials to generate the result information, and wherein the result information indicates whether the energetic material is present on the surface.

16 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the handheld device comprises:
a radio system that transmits radio waves towards the surface and detects reflected radio waves to generate radio response data.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the handheld device comprises:
a number of sensor devices that generate sensor data, wherein the number of sensor devices includes at least one of an accelerometer, an inertial measurement unit, or a gyroscopic device.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the base unit comprises:
a data manager that generates imaging data of the surface based on at least one of the test data, the sensor data, or the radio response data.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the data manager generates an output using the imaging data and result information generated based on the test data, and wherein the handheld device comprises:
an output system that presents the output to an operator of the handheld device at least one of visually or audibly.

20 . A detection system comprising:
a handheld device comprising:
a beamformer that transmits a beam of polarized infrared radiation towards a surface to be tested; and
a detector that detects reflected infrared radiation from the beam reflecting off of the surface to generate test data; and
a base unit that is separate from the handheld device and comprises:
a laser system that generates a set of laser signals comprising the polarized infrared radiation that spans a set of selected bandwidths and that sends the set of laser signals to the beamformer; and
a data manager that analyzes the test data to determine whether an energetic material is present on the surface.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Mefford David Keith
• Smith Robert Alan
• Williams John Dalton

Classifications

• G01J3/0272

  Handheld · CPC title

• G01V8/005 Primary

  operating with millimetre waves, e.g. measuring the black losey radiation · CPC title

• G01V8/10

  Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers (by reflection from the object G01S17/00) · CPC title

• G01V8/12 Primary

  using one transmitter and one receiver · CPC title