The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 10, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 26, 1998
William C Nunnally, Columbia, MO (US);
The Curators of the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (US);
Abstract
A first projectile is fired from an airborne platform aimed at a sensor point on the surface of the earth. At first projectile impact, acoustic energy is released instigating a shock wave which propagates along the earth's surface around the sensor point. Optical sensors on the airborne platform detect surface movement due to the propagating shock wave, and process the detected movement to locate and perhaps identify buried objects. Also at impact with the surface of the earth, the first projectile injects wide-band electromagnetic radiation into the earth in the form of waves propagating through the earth surface around the sensor point. Electromagnetic sensors on the airborne platform detect reflections of the propagating electromagnetic radiation, and process the received reflections to locate and perhaps identify buried objects. Once a buried object has been located, the airborne platform fires a second, explosive, projectile at the determined location to neutralize the found buried object.