Patent ID: 7987068

Claim:
A method for mitigating effectiveness of an improvised explosive device (IED), the method comprising: detecting a presence of the IED by detecting a presence of a non-linear electronic component of the IED, wherein detecting the presence of the non-linear component of the IED comprises: illuminating the IED with a first signal containing a first plurality of frequencies and having a comparatively wide beam, and receiving a first complex signal return including at least one of sum or difference frequencies or harmonics produced by interaction of the first signal with one or more of the LED's non-linear components; in response to detecting the presence of the IED, verifying the presence of the IED by determining whether a signature of the first complex signal return is consistent with expected IED signatures; in response to verifying the presence of the IED, determining a location of the IED by: illuminating the IED with a second signal containing a second plurality of frequencies and having a comparatively narrow beam, receiving a second complex signal return including at least one of sum or difference frequencies or harmonics produced by interaction of the second signal with one or more of the IED's non-linear components, wherein the second plurality of frequencies are higher than the first plurality of frequencies, and determining a round-trip propagation time of the second signal and the second complex signal return; and in response to determining the location of the IED, disabling the IED by directing a burst of electromagnetic radiation to the determined location of the IED.