Sensors for a portable device

Abstract

A portable sensing system device and method for providing microwave or RF (radio-frequency) sensing functionality for a portable device, the device comprising: a portable device housing configured to be carried by a user; and a sensing unit within said housing configured to characterize an object located in proximity to the portable system, said sensing unit comprising: a wideband electromagnetic transducer array said array comprising a plurality of electromagnetic transducers; a transmitter unit for applying RF signals to said electromagnetic transducer array; and a receiver unit for receiving coupled RF signals from said electromagnetic transducers array.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable sensing system comprising:
 a portable device attached to a sensing unit via a communication link, said portable device comprising at least a data processing unit and a display unit, and wherein said sensing unit is configured and enabled to characterize an object located in proximity to the sensing unit, said sensing unit comprising at least one of a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) radar and a capacitive sensor array.   
     
     
         2 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said MIMO radar comprises:
 a wideband electromagnetic transducer array said array comprising a plurality of electromagnetic transducers;   a transmitter unit for applying RF (radio-frequency) signals to said electromagnetic transducer array; and   a receiver unit for receiving coupled RF signals from said electromagnetic transducers array.   
     
     
         3 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said communication link is a wireless communication link. 
     
     
         4 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said communication link is a wired communication link. 
     
     
         5 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said communication link is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) communication link. 
     
     
         6 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 3 , wherein said wireless communication link is a WiFi link. 
     
     
         7 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said sensing unit is affixed to the portable device or to a fixed object. 
     
     
         8 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 7 , wherein the sensing unit is releasable. 
     
     
         9 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit is configured to scan the object. 
     
     
         10 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit is movable with respect to the object. 
     
     
         11 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 10 , wherein the sensing unit is linearly movable or rotationally movable with respect to the object. 
     
     
         12 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the object is movable. 
     
     
         13 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said capacitive sensor array comprise a plurality of feed lines and a plurality of receive lines wherein the plurality of feed lines are coupled to the receive lines through an electromagnetic field formed between at least two capacitive sensor plates, said capacitive sensor plates are connected to said feed and receive lines. 
     
     
         14 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of electromagnetic transducers are antennas. 
     
     
         15 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein said antennas are selected from a group consisting of: flat spiral antennas, printed log periodic antennas, sinuous antennas, patch antennas, multilayer antennas, waveguide antennas, dipole antennas, slot antennas, Vivaldi broadband antennas. 
     
     
         16 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein said object is located within a formed electromagnetic field. 
     
     
         17 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 13 , wherein the capacitive sensor array comprises a plurality of layers, wherein the feed lines are placed in separate layers and are connected to the sensing plates through vertical holes said holes interconnecting the layers and wherein a plurality of ground layers are located between and around the layers. 
     
     
         18 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , comprising a data acquisition unit for collecting and digitizing said coupled RF signals. 
     
     
         19 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 18 , wherein the data acquisition unit is configured to tag the coupled RF signals according to the electromagnetic transducer array combination and the time at which the coupled RF signals were collected. 
     
     
         20 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said data processing unit is configured to:
 convert the RF signals into a set of responses said responses characterizing the object; and   convert the set of responses into data.   
     
     
         21 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 20 , wherein said data is image data. 
     
     
         22 . The portable sensing system according to  claim 21 , wherein the data is displayed at a said display. 
     
     
         23 . The sensing portable system according to  claim 1 , wherein the portable device is a cellular telephone.