Claims
- 1. A device for detecting the presence of insects in a structure, comprising:
a plurality of transceivers, each of said plurality of transceivers generating microwave signals and receiving reflected signals from a portion of a structure being tested for the presence of insects; and processing means for processing the reflected signals received by each of said plurality of transceivers so as to provide output signals that indicate the presence or absence of insects in the portion of the structure being tested.
- 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of transceivers is arranged linearly.
- 3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing means processes the reflected signals received by said plurality of transceivers in order to identify a positive signal which is indicative of the possible presence of insects in the portion of the structure being tested and compares all of the reflected signals received by said plurality of transceivers to each other in order to determine whether substantially all of the transceivers have received signals substantially similar to said positive signal to thereby indicate the false presence of insects in the portion of the structure being tested.
- 4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes a microprocessor.
- 5. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of antennas, each of said plurality of antennas being connected to a corresponding one of said transceivers, each of said plurality of antennas transmitting the microwave signals generated by its said corresponding one of said transceivers, and each of said plurality of antennas receiving the reflected signals to be received by its said corresponding one of said transceivers.
- 6. The device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising shielding means for shielding said plurality of antennas such that said antennas are shielded from one another and from signals other than the reflected signals thereby reducing interference between the microwave signals transmitted by each of said antennas and between the reflected signals received by each of said antennas.
- 7. The device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising housing means for housing said plurality of transceivers, said processing means and said plurality of antennas, said antennas being mounted a preselected distance from an end of said housing means.
- 8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said antennas have a far field, said distance being selected such that the portion of the structure being tested lies within the far field of said antennas.
- 9. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising switching means, electrically connected to said plurality of transceivers and to said processing means, for sequentially activating said plurality of transceivers.
- 10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said switching means sequentially deactivates said plurality of transceivers.
- 11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said transceivers are activated and deactivated in succession by said switching means.
- 12. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said switching means includes a demultiplexer.
- 13. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising interrogating means, electrically connected to said plurality of transceivers and to said processing means, for interrogating the reflected signals received by said plurality of transceivers.
- 14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said interrogating means includes a multiplexer.
- 15. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising amplification means, electrically connected to said interrogating means and to said processing means, for amplifying the reflected signals received by said plurality of transceivers.
- 16. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said amplification means includes an amplifier.
- 17. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising digitizing means, electrically connected to said interrogating means and to said processing means, for digitizing the reflected signals received by said plurality of transceivers.
- 18. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein said digitizing means includes a digitizer.
- 19. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising output means, electrically connected to said processing means, for generating a sensory output in response to said output signals.
- 20. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said output means includes a visual display, whereby said sensory output is visible.
- 21. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said output means includes an audio speaker, whereby said sensory output is audible.
- 22. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising transferring means, electrically connected to said processing means, for transferring said output signals to a computing device.
- 23. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said transferring means includes a communication port.
- 24. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising interfacing means, electrically connected to said processing means, so as to provide an interface between said device and a user.
- 25. The device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said interfacing means includes a control interface.
- 26. A device for detecting the presence of insects in a structure, comprising:
a housing having an end positionable adjacent to a portion of a structure being tested for insects; a plurality of transceivers arranged in a linear array within said housing, each of said plurality of transceivers generating microwave signals and receiving reflected signals from the portion of the structure being tested; a plurality of antennas, each of said plurality of antennas being connected to a corresponding one of said transceivers, each of said plurality of antennas transmitting the microwave signals generated by its said corresponding one of said transceivers, and each of said plurality of antennas receiving the reflected signals received by its said corresponding one of said transceivers, said plurality of antennas being mounted a preselected distance from said end of said housing, said distance being selected such that the portion of the structure being tested lies within a far field of said antennas; shielding means for shielding said plurality of antennas such that said antennas are shielded from one another and from signals other than the reflected signals, thereby reducing interference between the microwave signals transmitted by each of said antennas and between the reflected signals received by each of said antennas and signals other than the reflected signals; switching means, electrically connected to said plurality of transceivers, for sequentially activating said transceivers and for sequentially deactivating said transceivers, such that said transceivers are activated and deactivated in succession by said switching means; and processing means for processing reflected signals received by each of said plurality of transceivers so as to provide output signals that indicate the presence or absence of insects in the portion of the structure being tested.
- 27. A method for detecting the presence of insects in a structure, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of transceivers for generating microwave signals and receiving reflected signals from a portion of a structure being tested; providing each of said transceivers with an antenna, each antenna being adapted to transmit the microwave signals generated by its corresponding transceiver and to receive the reflected signals to be received by its said corresponding transceiver; positioning said plurality of transceivers a preselected distance from the portion of the structure being tested, said distance being selected such that the portion of the structure being tested lies within a far field of said antennas; sequentially activating and sequentially deactivating said plurality of transceivers such that said transceivers are activated and deactivated in succession; processing the reflected signals received by said plurality of transceivers in order to identify a positive signal which is indicative of the possible presence of insects in the portion of the structure being tested; and comparing all of the reflected signals received by said plurality of transceivers to each other in order to determine whether substantially all of the transceivers have received signals substantially similar to said positive signal to thereby indicate the false presence of insects in the portion of the structure being tested.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/873,118, filed Jun. 1, 2001.
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09873118 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Child |
10309489 |
Dec 2002 |
US |