Patent ID: 7973702

Claim:
An apparatus comprises: a transmitter section coupled to enter a transmitter loop, wherein the transmitter loop includes: generating a plurality of high carrier frequency signals in accordance with a beamforming orientation of a plurality of beamforming orientations and further in accordance with at least one of: a carrier frequency of a plurality of carrier frequencies; a polarization of a plurality of polarizations; a pulse signal pattern; and a frequency modulation pattern; transmitting the plurality of high carrier frequency signals to produce a high carrier frequency beamformed signal; and looping through each beamforming orientation of the plurality of beamforming orientations at a particular at least one of the carrier frequencies, the plurality of polarizations, the pulse signal pattern, and the frequency modulation pattern to generate respective high carrier frequency beamformed signals until a desired number of at least one of the carrier frequencies, the plurality of polarizations, the pulse signal pattern, and the frequency modulation pattern have been utilized in the transmitter loop for each beamforming orientation, wherein the desired number is greater than one, in order to loop through a plurality of respective at least one of the plurality of carrier frequencies, the plurality of polarizations, the pulse signal pattern, and the frequency modulation pattern for each beamforming orientation; a receiver section coupled to: receive echo signals of at least some of the desired number of high carrier frequency beamformed signals; and determine properties of the echo signals; and a processing module coupled to: determine at least one of reflection, absorption, refraction, and pass through based on the properties; distinguish an animate entity from an inanimate entity based on the at least one of the reflection, absorption, refraction, and pass through; and determine position of the animate entity within a given physical area.