Patent ID: 6094157
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: G01S,G01V

Abstract:
A ground penetrating radar providing images of beneath a surface of the earth comprising:a radar transmitter providing a microwave electrical signal;a radar antenna receiving the electrical signal from the radar transmitter to produce a transmitted radar signal, the radar antenna having a primary transmission axis along a direction of greatest power of the radar signal;an antenna head supporting the radar antenna with respect to the surface of the earth so that the radar antenna's primary transmission axis intersects the surface of the earth at substantially a Brewster angle being a function of the dielectric constant of the earth;a radar receiver receiving reflected radar signals from the radar antenna; andan electronic computer processing the received radar signals to output an indication of the materials beneath the surface of the earth;wherein the radar signals indicate time delays in echoes from material beneath the surface of the earth; andwherein the computer operates according to a stored program to shift the radar signals with respect to each other to simulate the reception of radar signals over a curved surface focused on the points beneath the surface of the earth;wherein the computer operates to simulate reception of the radar signals over a curved surface where radar signals take equal time to travel from a given point beneath the surface of the earth to all points on the curved surface.