Patent ID: 7378855
Filing Date: 2008-05-27
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of bi-directional (longitudinal and angular) three-dimensional microwave scanning of a whole roll or pallet of paper, comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting microwaves into a portion of a cross-sectional volumetric segment of the whole roll or pallet of paper, wherein said cross-sectional volumetric segment lies in a plane perpendicular to, and is centered around a longitudinal position located along, longitudinal axis of the roll or pallet of paper, such that said transmitted microwaves propagate within and through said portion, for forming transmitted microwaves associated with said portion of said volumetric segment; (b) receiving at least a portion of said propagating microwaves exiting opposite side of said volumetric segment, for forming received microwaves associated with said portion of said volumetric segment; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b), at end of each of a plurality of angular step sizes circumscribing around said volumetric segment, for forming a plurality of paired transmitted and received microwaves associated with a respective plurality of new portions of said volumetric segment, such that said portion and said new portions of said volumetric segment are each associated with a different angular position circumscribing around same said volumetric segment; and (d) repeating steps (a) through (c), for a plurality of longitudinal step sizes longitudinally extending along said longitudinal axis of the roll or pallet of paper, wherein each said step size is associated with a respective new cross-sectional volumetric segment lying in a plane perpendicular to, and centered around a new longitudinal position located along, said longitudinal axis of the roll or pallet of paper, for forming a new plurality of said paired transmitted and received microwaves associated with said different angular positions circumscribing around each same said new volumetric segment, for each of a plurality of said new volumetric segments, thereby completing a three-dimensional microwave scan of at least a part of the whole roll or pallet of paper.