US 12,405,368 B2
Imaging systems and associated methods
David M. Sheen, Richland, WA (US); and Richard Trevor Clark, Richland, WA (US)
Assigned to Battelle Memorial Institute, Richland, WA (US)
Filed by Battelle Memorial Institute, Richland, WA (US)
Filed on Oct. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/959,890.
Prior Publication US 2024/0118411 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G01S 13/88 (2006.01); G01S 7/04 (2006.01); G01S 7/06 (2006.01); G01S 13/90 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 13/887 (2013.01) [G01S 7/043 (2013.01); G01S 7/06 (2013.01); G01S 13/9019 (2019.05)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging system comprising:
an antenna array comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and a plurality of receive antennas that are arranged along an at least substantially straight axis;
wherein the transmit antennas are configured to emit electromagnetic energy towards a target imaging volume and the receive antennas are configured to receive reflections of the electromagnetic energy from the target imaging volume;
wherein the transmit antennas and the receive antennas are located at a plurality of different positions along a scan path at different moments in time during the emission and reception of the electromagnetic energy;
a transceiver coupled with the antenna array, wherein the transceiver is configured to control the emission of the electromagnetic energy from the transmit antennas and to output signals indicative of the reflections of the electromagnetic energy received via the receive antennas;
a data acquisition system configured to sample the signals to provide radar data; and
processing circuitry configured to:
focus the radar data to provide first focused data in a first dimension of the target imaging volume;
use the first focused data to focus the radar data in a second dimension of the target imaging volume to provide second focused data; and
use the second focused data to focus the radar data in a third dimension of the target imaging volume to provide third focused data comprising an image of the target imaging volume.