HK1094376A - Integrated microwave transceiver tile structure - Google Patents

Abstract

Integrated microwave transceiver tile structure including (a) a first, generally planar, circuit-board layer structure possessing an array of plural, integrally formed microwave transceivers arranged in a defined row-and-column pattern, with each transceiver having an associated transceiver axis extending generally normal to the plane of said the first layer structure, and (b) a second, generally planar, circuit-board layer structure including transceiver-function operational circuitry operatively connected to the transceivers, and functional to promote operation of the transceivers simultaneously in transmission and reception modes of operation.

Description

Integrated microwave transceiver tile structure

no marking

Reference to and previous patent and patent application incorporated by reference

In this specification, the background of interest relating to the present invention is variously described using references, and the references include various of the following listed (a) multiple U.S. patents and (b) a single, currently pending U.S. generic patent application:

U.S. patent No.4,234,844: "electromagnetic non-contact measuring device";

U.S. Pat. No.4,318, 08: "bidirectional focused antenna";

U.S. Pat. No.4,532,939: "non-contact, high temperature treatment method and apparatus for destroying living tissue in vivo";

U.S. Pat. No.4,878,059: "far field/near field transmit/receive antenna";

U.S. Pat. No.4,912,982: "non-interfering, hollow cavity method and apparatus for measuring some parameter of fluid in a conduit";

U.S. Pat. No.4,947,848: "dielectric constant change monitoring";

U.S. Pat. No.4,949,094: "near field/far field antenna with passive array";

U.S. Pat. No.4,975,968: "timed dielectric test monitoring methods and apparatus";

U.S. Pat. No.5,083,089: "fluid mixing ratio monitoring methods and apparatus";

U.S. Pat. No.6,057,761: "Security System and method"; and

patent application serial No. 10/304,388: "scanning of dielectric properties of human", submitted by TexYukl at 11/25/2002.

All of these prior documents contain useful information and accordingly the entire disclosures of these various patents and of the separately mentioned U.S. patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

Background and summary of the invention

The present invention relates to self-contained, compact transceiver tile (tile) structures, or tiles, that are applicable to and of a system, apparatus and method involving dielectric microwave scanning of the human body, in particular such scanning: for detection purposes, reference is made to baseline physiological response data, and according to prescribed screening criteria, significant variability or abnormalities, and to scans performed for "dielectric signatures" for a given individual. In other words, the transceiver tile structure of the present invention is particularly well suited for use in a body-scanning (dielectric-scanning) environment, wherein the contained transceivers and their supporting operational circuitry are constructed to distinguish between bio-scanning of physiological (human physiology) and non-physiological functions. The term "transceiver" is used herein to define a device that is capable of transmitting and receiving signals simultaneously.

While there are many material scanning (or inspection) applications in which the integrated transceiver tile structure of the present invention finds substantial practical use, two specific such applications are exemplified herein, one of which is considered to be the primary model for the discussion and explanation of the structure and operation of the present invention. These two applications include (a) security detection, or scanning (inspection), for detecting weapons, contraband, etc. in locations such as airports; and (b) admission control for personnel in sensitive areas, such as areas involved in research and development in commerce. Many other applications will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art.

The preferred embodiment of the tile of the present invention described herein is directed to a scanning system that is different from, and provides certain improvements over, similar prior systems and methods as fully described and illustrated in the aforementioned U.S. patent 6,057,761. These improvements exist in certain areas relating to the mechanical and electrical aspects of the scanning process and structure itself previously shown, which has led to certain preferred utility of the invention in particular applications, such as those involving airport security scanning areas, where very effective, high-flux populations need to be accommodated without affecting scanning resolution and effectiveness. In terms of how the scanned data is ultimately read (monitored and evaluated based on the operation of the tile structure of the present invention) to detect dielectric anomalies (which are important to detection), essentially the same technique as described in the above-mentioned U.S. patent' 761 is also employed to a large extent in the improved system arrangement disclosed in the present invention.

By way of further background, and in relation to dielectric scanning (or inspection) processes carried out by the tile structure of the present invention, wherein said processes are carried out by the tile structure of the present invention, as a general statement relating to the relevant physics, all materials have what is referred to as a dielectric constant which is related to their physical, electrical (electromagnetic and electrostatic) properties. Thus, when exposed to microwave radiation of different wavelengths and frequencies, each material produces a reflective reaction or response to the radiation, which in essence, is uniquely related, inter alia, to the respective dielectric constant of the particular material. By subjecting the material to controlled delivered microwave energy, the reflected "response" of the material in terms of its dielectric constant can be explained. The term "dielectric feature" is used herein to refer to this phenomenon.

When more than one material of different properties is closely associated within a selected spatial range, microwave radiation is used to observe and detect "dielectric characteristics" of the "space" which give rise to a response based on an averaging phenomenon involving a corresponding dielectric constant distribution formed in the space by the corresponding different respective material compositions. This averaging condition plays an important role in the effectiveness of the application of the present invention, and such a role is what the reader will find fully described and discussed in the above-mentioned' 761 patent.

In systems and methods of the type generally outlined and suggested above, the tile structure of the present invention is designed to direct microwave radiation into the human body (at a completely harmless level with respect to any damage to tissue, body fluids or bone) in such a way that it can effectively use the volumetric space inside the body, with at least two different (bordered) tissue materials therein, each having a different dielectric constant, which materials collectively contribute to the "effective", superficially "uniform" (or nominally uniform) dielectric constant of the overall space in the above-mentioned "averaged" manner. By so designing the tile structure of the present invention and its operation to use the at least two material volumes inside the human body or the like, an object of weapons or contraband, as described in the' 761 patent, the present invention is "fooled" by impersonating normal and expected body composition to be almost zero due to its own dielectric constant, and/or its particular structure and shape, and/or its precise location and/or arrangement relative to the human body. Preferably, this "penetration depth" of the internal tissue space is about 2.5 wavelengths of the operating frequency of the system, when measured mechanically within a material having the "normal" dielectric constant.

If and when a foreign object such as a weapon or contraband is carried by a person, for example, in close proximity to the outside of the human body, the presence of this object will therefore and change the average dielectric constant of the material content in the volume of space (including, of course, the human body), which is occupied by the mentioned microwave radiation in a very disorganized and detectable manner. Decisively, the presence of such an unexpected (non-tissue-physiological) material significantly changes the mean value of the effective, mean and surface, uniform spatial permittivity, according to the averaging phenomenon as described above, and creates the situation: wherein dielectric characteristics significantly different from those expected are exhibited as a result of the response of the microwave scanning transmission according to the invention. This scanning or examination process is referred to herein as the practice of physiological and non-physiological material scan differentiation.

Further describing the important differences between the conventional implementations of the prior art and the implementation of the tile structure according to the present invention, although conventional scanning systems are designed to find and "identify" a considerable number of specific objects and materials (substances), the method employed according to the present invention is based on examining the physiology of the human body to find physiological irregularities/abnormalities that do not become part of, and certainly within a range of, the physiological, dielectric characteristics that substantially all human bodies expect to produce. Because of this quite different approach to scanning, the system and method implemented by the tile structure of the present invention can be quite more efficient and rapid in identifying weapons, contraband, and the like problem situations. Any abnormal physiological characteristic detected produces an alarm condition that can be used to signal that security personnel are required to carefully detect what the particular just-scanned subject involved may have on his or her body.

In this systematic and/or operational setting, the present invention is specifically directed to a unique more than one transceiver, integrated, modular tile structure (tile) comprising more than one compact stacked, piggybacked circuit board (panel) or layer structure, one of which is an array of uniformly molded common-material microwave transceiver body structures in a row, column matrix. Appropriate circuitry (transceiver-functional operating circuitry) that is electrically interconnected with the circuit board and that functions to control and drive operation of the transceiver in a simultaneous transmit and receive mode of operation is generally described herein and is performed in many different ways that are well within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. The transceivers (also called antennas) are densely arranged to contribute considerably to the compactness of the overall structure. The transceivers within a tile are arranged in a prescribed row, column pattern, which is important to operation, and when two tiles are formed with the appropriate edge-to-edge abutment, this pattern forms an appropriate continuum of operating modes across the two tiles. A useful arrangement of the tiles actually involves arranging more than one tile itself in a row, column array, and it has been determined that such an array is in a configuration that is desired to "scan" for example: is quite effective among boarding passengers.

According to one exemplary manner of utilizing the invention, a kiosk-like unit is provided, for example in an airport facility, for a person to be scanned to walk into it through an open target access way defined by a pair of spaced opposed vertical panels, each carrying an integrated, self-contained tile structure or tile, each of which includes a combined, coaxial microwave transmitter and receiver (transceiver). The two panels effectively define a normally open and exposed passageway through the area between them, referred to herein as the scan area or chamber. These panels also define what is referred to herein as a panel orientation path for passage of a person through the scanning zone. The complete scan of the target body is performed in two stages, in the first stage, the panels are located on one set of opposite sides of the body, such as the left and right sides of the person, and in the other stage, the panels are positioned in a mutually perpendicular state (having been rotated ninety degrees) to perform a second scan, which is performed along two mutually perpendicular sides of the body, such as the back of the front of the person. Between these two scanning directions, the panel is rotated (as described above) ninety degrees, and at each of the two scanning positions, substantially no relative lateral motion occurs between the panel and a subject standing between the panels.

A particular processing feature of the illustrated system employing the tile structure of the present invention is that, in connection with the handling and scanning of large groups of people, such as those that must be handled at airport security, the illustrated system allows the formation of essentially two substantially vertical lines of people to be scanned, successive people being scanned entering the scanning zone one after the other and alternately from the front of the two vertical lines. The person to be scanned initially faces the scanning zone with a clear (transparent) field of view into (and through) the area between the two panels.

When a person is in position within the scanning zone and is relatively stationary within the area, a first scanning phase is performed to sequentially inspect laterally opposite sides of that person. The scanning phase is performed by a specific manner of high speed excitation of tile-borne transceivers organized into an array carried within the panel-borne tiles of the present invention.

When the first scanning phase is complete, and it is complete in a short period of time, typically about 8 milliseconds, the structure supporting the two tile-carrying panels rotates the panels ninety degrees and stops them in a second scanning position relative to the target, wherein the front and back of the person are similarly scanned sequentially, in an environment similar to that described above, wherein the panels and the target located between the panels are again fixed in position relative to each other.

The second scanning operation completes the scanning process of the single object now in question, whereupon the object turns to the right or corner (shown in the figure) depending on what is considered to be the scanning zone exit, and exits through the now rotated, open (transparent) space located between the two panels. The panel with the tiles of the present invention is now set perpendicular to the position that was maintained when the first person was scanned and the first person in the other vertical line enters the scanning zone from the other vertical line. The next person is scanned in the same manner as described above except that when the panel structure is rotated approximately ninety degrees to perform a second scan on the "next" person, it is effectively rotated back to its position where it was initially prepared for the first person's scan as described above. A suitable computer obtains scan data from all scan phases (twice per person).

From the scan data collected for each scanned person, this data is compared to an appropriate, physiological, "map" or "schedule" of dielectric data relating to persons of similar size, height and weight to the particular scanned person, and any significant dielectric signature associated with the anomaly generates an alarm state to notify security personnel, for example, to notify a particular target to the side for further focused scan inspection. All scan data is not photographically imaged. Also, one of the output properties of the scan data includes a display of one or more prominent general tissue regions on a simple wire-shape (wire-shape) human body shape, the tissue regions indicating where the abnormality was detected. As used herein, such data displays are readily readable and available with a small amount of manual interpretation activity required. The output data may also be displayed in a grid or checkerboard like area of light and dark patches, whose light and dark can be used to indicate the presence of a detected non-physiological abnormality of the dielectric. This scanning process has been fully described in the' 761 patent and the referenced prior-filed patent application.

The important compact and self-contained transceiver tile structure of the present invention greatly facilitates the scanning operation described above. As generally described above, and as can be seen therein, this compact tile structure is formed with more than one compactly stacked circuit board structure, one of its "front" sides comprising a generally planar body molded as the main body portion of a plurality of transceivers organized in a vertically arranged row, column configuration. Although different specific configurations may be employed depending on the application of the present invention, the configuration shown here as the preferred embodiment results in a cube-like tile structure having perimeter dimensions of about 10 inches by about 10 inches and a depth of a stack comprising three circuit boards of about 2 inches or less. Extending from the front of the transceiver body is an elongated cylindrical stack of passive components. Preferably, these elements are concealed within the overall tile structure by a suitable radiation-transparent cover which gives the overall assembly of tiles a "cube-like" appearance. It will be appreciated and understood from the construction of the tile structure of the present invention that tile arrays, such as those employed in the exemplary systems described herein for purposes of illustrating and explaining the present invention, can be simply assembled by combining pairs of tile structures into edge-to-edge lateral abutment with their "corner" aligned, and that no matter how the tiles are oriented within the array, this results in what can be considered a continuation of tile functionality with respect to proper operation of the transceivers within each tile. In other words, a very large array of transceivers can be assembled using the tiles of the present invention based on the functional modularity present in the tiles, and which allows the tiles to be assembled together so that it is not necessary to have a particular tile edge abut a particular edge of other adjacent tiles. Essentially any edge-to-edge aligned abutment works properly.

Other features and advantages provided by the tile structure of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a simplified block/schematic diagram of a physiological, dielectric scanning system employing a plurality of mechanisms of integrated microwave transceiver tile structures, each transceiver tile structure being fabricated in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified stationary isometric view of a pair of ninety degree counter-rotating microwave transceiver/receiver tile unit panels defining opposite edges of a kiosk-like scanning zone or chamber that may be used to perform a dielectric crowd scan employing the tile structure of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a simplified, stationary plan view of the scanning zone or chamber shown in FIG. 2, viewed from below;

FIG. 4 is a simplified view taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, illustrating the arrangement of a plurality of tile structures constructed in accordance with the present invention and disposed in what is referred to herein as an abutting and mating edge-to-edge and corner-to-corner facing configuration. This figure also uses short, side-by-side, alternating vertical lines to indicate the respective operating directional polarities of adjacent transceivers in a tile;

FIG. 5 is a simplified and somewhat stylized exploded view illustrating the construction of a single tile structure made in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention and employed in the arrangement shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a photographic image of the side or front face of a transceiver that may be considered the tile structure shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a photographic image taken from the right side of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, except that it employs a slightly retroverted perspective;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken generally along line 9-9 of FIG. 5 illustrating the same material integration between different portions of the components of the tile structure of the present invention containing the transceiver array;

FIG. 10 is a partial view showing three tile structures fabricated in accordance with the present invention arranged side-by-side, the tile structures being labeled with Arabic numerals to depict different transceiver patterns of respectively included transceivers to distinguish the individual components included;

FIG. 11 is a block/schematic diagram illustrating a single tile structure made in accordance with the present invention, and specifically illustrating generally the construction of functional control circuitry for use with an array of transceivers contained in the tile structure.

Detailed description of the invention

Referring now to the drawings, and initially to fig. 1 and 2, generally designated 20 is a dielectric, physiological scanning/inspection system configured to include an arrangement of integrated transceiver tile structures fabricated in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The tile structure of the present invention is particularly illustrated herein in the context of a system 20, since such a system is a good illustration of the application of the present invention.

Included within system 20 is a particular kiosk-like unit 22, unit 22 including a scanning or examination region (or chamber) 24, referred to herein, which is specifically defined as the space between a pair of vertical, curvilinear panels 26, 28. The panel (also referred to herein as a "scan" panel) is suitably mounted for reversible counter-rotation vertically (only ninety degrees) under the action of a drive motor 30, rotating back and forth (as indicated by the double-headed curved arrow 32 in the figure) about a vertical axis 34, which axis 34 extends centrally upward through the scan zone. The axis 34 extends substantially perpendicular to the plane of fig. 1.

As will be described in greater detail below, each of the panels 26, 28 carries a plurality of combined microwave transceiver arrays (described below) in three vertical columns extending along the panel from top to bottom, forming part of an integrated tile structure 35, the tile structure 35 being constructed in accordance with the present invention. The preferred embodiment of each such tile structure as shown here takes the form of a generally rectangular (square) cube, although non-square and even non-rectangular shapes are certainly possible if desired. Portions of four such vertical columns of "tiles" are shown at 36 in FIG. 2. Several tiles in these arrays are indicated at 35. Suitable microwave function operating circuitry associated with the operation of transceiver 35 will also be described below. As will be explained, the operating frequency of the system is preferably 5.5 gigahertz for microwave activity, which has been found to be particularly useful for scanning normal physiological dielectric characteristics of the human body. As will be seen, the size of the elements within the tiles 35 is a result of this selection of the operating frequency. Considerations regarding such "sizing" of elements are fully described in more than one of the above mentioned prior art patents and patent application documents.

As indicated by line 42 in fig. 1, the scan output data is provided to a suitable programmed digital computer 44 which, working in conjunction with an appropriate library of optional, normal, human subject, baseline physiologic dielectric characteristics, represented by block 46, provides an alarm output signal on line 48 when any defined characteristic anomaly is detected. The library 46 contains appropriate schedules, maps, etc. containing pre-established information regarding a selected range of anatomical, physiological, etc. aspects one wishes to graphically implement for scanning purposes. Such information may be freely designed by the user of the system and method of the present invention. The specific design of which is not part of the present invention.

Still considering FIG. 1, three large black dots 50a，50 b，50 cThree individuals are shown in a line waiting to enter chamber 24 from the left side of kiosk 22 in fig. 1. Similarly, three large blank dots 52a，52 b，52 cThree persons are shown in another line awaiting scanning and inspection at the area 24, this further line being arranged substantially perpendicular to the first-mentioned line. The two large arrows include a black arrow 54 and a blank arrow 56, each representing an exit path from the chamber 24 for a respective group of people including 50 representing the respective group of peoplea，50 b，50 cAnd 52 anda，52 b，52 cinto the chamber 24. In other words, from the left side of FIG. 1Everyone entering the column in a direction generally from left to right in fig. 1 will exit the chamber 24 in the direction of arrow 54 after a full two-phase scan has been performed. Similarly, each person entering chamber 24 from a queue shown below kiosk 22 in FIG. 1 will exit the scanning zone in the direction indicated by arrow 56 after the scanning operation is completed. Thus, each person entering and exiting zone 24 for scanning follows a generally vertical path through kiosk 22. No one is completely enclosed within the chamber 24 during all scanning processes. The two diametrically opposed sides of the chamber between the adjacent vertical edges of the panels 26, 28 are always open set edges. The two different vertical paths along which the alternately scanned population progresses are indicated by the labeled arrows (path 1 and path 2) in fig. 2.

With the panels 26, 28 positioned as shown clearly in fig. 1 and 2, these panels are arranged to allow the scanning zone to be accommodated by the black dots 50a，50 b，50 cThe first person in the queue represented. The person enters the region 24 through one of the two open target portals to the region and the first scanning phase is therefore carried out with the person and panels 26, 28 in a relatively fixed positional relationship to one another. After the first scanning stage for the person is completed, the panels 26, 28 are rotated, for example, ninety degrees in a counterclockwise direction, under the control of the motor 30 so that they are positioned vertically with respect to their positions shown in fig. 1 and 2. After such repositioning of the panel, a second scanning phase is performed, which in the configuration now being described is a phase of scanning the front and back of a person who has entered the area 24 from the left in fig. 1. Furthermore, the relative position between the person within the region 24 and the panels 26, 28 is substantially fixed during a particular scanning or inspection operation (while microwave transmission and reception). In other words, scanning is performed without the transceiver tiles carried by the panel moving laterally with respect to the person being scanned.

Upon completion of the two-stage scanning operation described, panels 26, 28 are now arranged in such a manner that they expose zone 24 to form a straight-forward entry into the zone for the first person in the line of people represented by the large blank dot below kiosk 22 in fig. 1. This person is scanned in much the same manner as just described, after which the person leaves the scanning area as indicated by arrow 56.

In addition to the scanning operations performed by the transceiver tiles carried by panels 26, 28, three other data acquisition operations are performed for the person being scanned within chamber 24. A suitable weighing scale or sensor is provided on a standing platform 58 (see fig. 2) which forms the base of the chamber 24. In addition, an additional dielectric scanner (not expressly shown) is disposed below platform 58 to collect scanning information about the foot and shoe areas within chamber 24 in order to "look" upwardly at chamber 24. Furthermore, as outlined previously, the height of each person scanned indoors is determined at the end of the first scanning session for that person.

The personnel scans themselves, as well as additional scanning and data acquisition structures (for weight, shoes, and feet) associated with chamber 24 do not form part of the present invention and may in fact be conventional. The above-mentioned patent application describes the scanning process in its entirety.

Considering now all of the figures, each columnar array 36 of tiles 35 is formed of eight vertically stacked tiles, and thus system 20 includes forty-eight tiles. The vertical columns of tiles in each panel are slightly angled with respect to each other, as best seen in fig. 3. The three rows of tiles disposed within each panel have a lateral width of about 30 inches.

Each tile 35 forms an assembled stack of circuit boards or circuit board portions, as referred to herein. More specifically, the stack includes a three circuit board portion 35a，35 b，35 c. Portion 35aPractically in the portion 35bFront face, portion 35 ofbPractically in the plate portion 35cIn the front. Plate part 35aForming part of what is referred to herein as a first circuit-board-face structure. Plate part 35aIs indicated at 37 in fig. 9 and 11. Plate part 35b、35 cTogether forming portions of what is referred to herein as a second circuit-board face structure.

The transverse dimension of each of these panels is defined by a perimeter, each of which is about 10 inches in length. These lateral dimensions are shown in FIG. 5aAndbshown. The three circuit board portions in each tile are suitably arranged in a joint stack, the stack depth being shown in fig. 5 tocMeaning that it is about 2 inches or less. Inside each tile, a circuit board portion 35aIncluding and particularly carrying an array of microwave transceivers, such as those generally indicated at 60 in the drawings, arranged in rows and columns. The transceiver 60 includes a transmitter/receiver axis 60aWhich is substantially perpendicular to the plane 37 of the aforementioned circuit board section. Circuit board portion 35 in each tilebAnd 35cSuitably carries transceiver functional operating circuitry, referred to herein as employed, to control the operation of the transceivers in a single activation simultaneously with the mode of behavior of signal transmission and signal reception. More details on how simultaneous activities occur may be found in more than one of the prior patent and patent application information documents mentioned above.

In general, specifically with the plate portion 35cThe associated circuitry is represented in figure 11 by block 62, which includes a 5500 mhz signal source accompanied by appropriate multiplexing circuitry. By the plate part 35bThe circuitry carried and associated therewith is represented in fig. 11 by a block 64, which includes high-speed switching circuitry, the function of which is to distribute the transmittable signal one at a time to the transceivers forming part of the first mentioned conductor-board structure. The circuitry represented by block 64 also sends a signal to a signal reference load (reference load), represented by block 66 in fig. 11, for each transmit/receive simultaneous operation of the transceivers. High speed switching is preferably achieved by using a well-known PN junction diode and the reference load is substantially facilitated inStability of transceiver operation in such situations as changes in ambient environmental conditions such as temperature over time. The squares 68 in fig. 11 indicate the plate portions 35aCircuitry is used that directly couples transmit and receive signal information to and from the transceivers. The details of the circuitry do not form the subject of the present invention and are neither described nor illustrated in detail herein. Such circuitry may be constructed in many ways known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art. Reference may also be made herein to more than one of the mentioned background documents of the prior art for useful circuit development suggestions.

As can be seen particularly well in fig. 4,5 and 10, and also in fig. 6, included in each tile 35 is an array of sixteen transceivers 60 in rows and columns organized along horizontal and vertical row and column lines, which are perpendicular to each other, as seen for example in fig. 4,5, 6 and 10. As can be seen particularly well in fig. 4 and 10, because each tile 35 is constructed in a manner such that when two tiles are in proper edge-to-edge abutting relationship with the respective corners of the tiles substantially meeting one another, the row and column pattern of transceivers disposed in each tile effectively forms an operative continuum with the row and column arrangement of transceivers in adjacent tiles. This modular consideration is important in allowing a plurality of tiles made in accordance with the present invention to be assembled adjacent to one another, and in the manner in which there is thus a completely continuous region across the junction between two tiles of a distributed pattern for a transceiver disposed within each tile.

Each transceiver 60 includes a body portion 70, the body portion 70 including a shaped portion 70aBy moulding with the circuit-board part 35aIs integrally formed. Also included in each transceiver is a front cap plug 70bAnnular electrically powered element 72, receiving conductive element 70cAnd a forward extending parasitic tubular (parasitic) device 70dFrom the circuit board portion 35aExtends outwardly. The specific structure of the transceiver 60 is fully describedIn the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,878,059 and 4,949,094.

Main body portion and board portion 35 of each transceiveraThe integral structure of the planar portion of (a) is preferably molded from a polystyrene material, which provides important advantages: the transceivers may be accurately produced in precisely organized rows and columns.

In a manner well understood by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, the components of the transceivers are arranged in rows and columns of transceivers such that adjacent transceivers are alternately horizontally and vertically polarized. This polarization scheme can clearly be represented by a short vertically related black straight line, which is shown in general in fig. 4 on the face of three of the four tiles.

During operation for scanning or inspection with the transceiver of the tile structure of the present invention, each operational excitation pattern occurs in the order of sixteen digit numbers, as shown in FIG. 10, appearing on circuit board portion 35aOn the surface of (a). During operation of system 20, when the transceivers in each tile are activated in the sequence shown in FIG. 10, if so, the adjacent tile whose transceiver is so activated will be the next adjacent tile to the next adjacent tile. When all of the transceivers located in all of the tiles in one column 36 of tiles have been activated, activation then begins with the highest tile in the next adjacent column 36.

For the structural description herein, it is finally noted that shown as a slightly obscured, fragmentary square 72 in fig. 5 is a suitable cover structure that conceals and conceals the presence of the transceiver component 70 d. This shielding has no other effect on the tile structure constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Thus, a unique integrated microwave transceiver tile structure is disclosed for scanning and inspection in a system like system 20. Each tile structure comprises a very compact arrangement and results in itself being easily assembled in multiple tile arrays such as the arrays in the column 36 configuration in system 20. Brackets 73 appearing in fig. 11 indicate the connection between the appropriate circuitry in the tile 35 and the previously mentioned computer 44, the tile 35 being shown in fig. 11.

The present invention therefore proposes a fairly compact modular array of rows and columns of microwave transceivers, which are integrally molded (or otherwise formed) from the same material exclusively as a body, as integral portions or parts of planar circuit board elements, densely stacked with appropriate operating support circuitry carried on other circuit board portions.

For example, each assembled tile structure is substantially completely self-contained except for a suitable external overall control computer.

As previously mentioned, the dimensions of the elements forming the different parts of each tile structure depend primarily on the signal operating frequency used. There are many different ways in which the working circuit components in the tile structure made according to the present invention can be designed, and the different background documents mentioned earlier give excellent information on how an effective circuit can be built.

Thus, while preferred embodiments of the tile structure made in accordance with the present invention have been described and illustrated herein, and certain modifications suggested, other changes and modifications will certainly occur to those skilled in the art, and it is intended that the claims herein will cover all such changes and modifications.

Claims (10)

1. An integrated microwave transceiver tile structure comprising

A first generally planar circuit board layer structure comprising more than one array of integrally formed microwave transceivers arranged in a prescribed row and column pattern, each of said transceivers having an associated transceiver axis extending generally perpendicular to the plane of said first layer structure; and

a second generally planar circuit-board layer structure including transceiver-function operating circuitry operatively connected to the transceiver, the function of which is to cause the transceiver to operate in transmit and receive modes of operation simultaneously.

2. The tile structure of claim 1, wherein the transceivers are arranged along lines in the array that are generally perpendicular to each other.

3. The tile structure of claim 1, having an elongated perimeter, viewed generally along a transceiver axis, said perimeter terminating in corners, said corners being located between intersecting pairs of said edges, said tile structure being such that: when two tile structures are brought together and adjacent to each other in such a manner that the edge of one faces substantially adjacent to the edge of the other in a predetermined manner, a row and column pattern continuum is formed between the transceiver in each tile structure and the transceiver in the other adjacent tile structure.

4. The tile structure of claim 1, having an elongated perimeter, viewed generally along a transceiver axis, said perimeter terminating in corners, said corners being located between intersecting pairs of said edges, said tile structure being such that: when two tile structures are brought together and adjacent to each other in such a manner that the edges of one substantially adjacently and corner-matchingly face the edges of the other in a predetermined manner, a row and column pattern continuum is formed between the transceivers in each tile structure and the transceivers in other adjacent tile structures.

5. The tile structure of claim 1, having elongated, mutually perpendicular perimeters, viewed generally along a transceiver axis, said perimeters terminating in corners, said corners being located between intersecting pairs of said edges, said tile structure being such that: that is, when two tile structures are brought together and adjacent to one another in such a manner that the edges of one face the edges of the other substantially adjacently and corner-matchingly, a row and column pattern continuum is formed between the transceiver in each tile structure and the transceivers in other adjacent tile structures.

6. The tile structure of claim 5, wherein the perimeter substantially forms a square.

7. The tile structure of claim 1, wherein said first and second circuit-board layer structures each take the form of an assembled stack-up having more than one circuit-board portion.

8. The tile structure of claim 7, wherein the circuit board portion of the first circuit-board layer structure and the portions of the more than one transceiver are integrally formed from the same material.

9. The tile structure of claim 1, wherein the circuit board portion of the first circuit-board layer structure and the portions of the more than one transceiver are integrally molded from the same material.

10. The tile structure 1 of claim 1, designed for application in a substance scanning environment, and wherein said transceiver and said operating circuit are configured to perform a substance scan in such an environment to distinguish between physiological and non-physiological.