Abstract: A material characterization system and method for characterizing a stream of material emanating from a material identification, exploration, extraction or processing activity, the system including a source of incident radiation configured to irradiate the stream of material in an irradiation region, one or more detectors adapted to detect radiation emanating from within or passing through the stream of material as a result of the irradiation by the incident radiation and thereby produce a detection signal, and one or more digital processors configured to process the detection signal to characterise the stream of material, wherein the source of incident radiation and the one or more detectors are adapted to be disposed relative to the stream of material so as to irradiate the stream of material and detect the radiation emanating from within or passing through the stream as the stream passes through the irradiation region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for resolving individual signals in detector output data are disclosed. One inventive aspect includes a processing circuit configured to receive detector output data wherein the detector output data may be stepped data or non-stepped data; transform the detector output data to produce stepped data wherein the detector output data is received as non-stepped data; detect at least one signal at least partially based on the stepped data; and estimate a parameter associated with the signal, wherein estimating the parameter may preferably comprise estimating a signal energy or signal time of arrival associated with the signal.

Abstract: A material characterization system and method for characterizing a stream of material emanating from a material identification, exploration, extraction or processing activity, the system including a source of incident radiation configured to irradiate the stream of material in an irradiation region, one or more detectors adapted to detect radiation emanating from within or passing through the stream of material as a result of the irradiation by the incident radiation and thereby produce a detection signal, and one or more digital processors configured to process the detection signal to characterise the stream of material, wherein the source of incident radiation and the one or more detectors are adapted to be disposed relative to the stream of material so as to irradiate the stream of material and detect the radiation emanating from within or passing through the stream as the stream passes through the irradiation region.

Abstract: Provided are a material characterization system and method for characterizing a stream of material emanating from a material identification, exploration, extraction or processing activity, the system including: a source of incident radiation configured to irradiate the stream of material in an irradiation region, one or more detectors configured to detect radiation emanating from within or passing through the stream of material as a result of the irradiation by the incident radiation and thereby produce a detection signal, and one or more digital processors configured to process the detection signal to characterize the stream of material. The source of incident radiation and the one or more detectors are configured to be disposed relative to the stream of material so as to irradiate the stream of material and detect the radiation emanating from within or passing through the stream as the stream passes through the irradiation region.

Abstract: A device and method for material characterization are provided. In one aspect, the method includes detecting packets of radiation emanating from within or passing through one or more items of freight or baggage as a result of irradiation by incident radiation, using a plurality of detectors, each of the detectors being configured to produce an electrical pulse caused by the detected packets having a characteristic size or shape dependent on an energy of the packets. The method further includes processing each of the electrical pulses using one or more digital processors to determine the characteristic size or shape, generating a screening detector energy spectrum for each of the detectors of the energies of the packets detected, and measuring an effective atomic number Z of an unknown material associated with the one or more items of freight or baggage based on the screening detector energy spectra in comparison with calibration measurements.

Abstract: A device and method for material characterization are provided. In one aspect, the method includes detecting packets of radiation emanating from within or passing through one or more items of freight or baggage as a result of irradiation by incident radiation, using a plurality of detectors, each of the detectors being configured to produce an electrical pulse caused by the detected packets having a characteristic size or shape dependent on an energy of the packets. The method further includes processing each of the electrical pulses using one or more digital processors to determine the characteristic size or shape, generating a screening detector energy spectrum for each of the detectors of the energies of the packets detected, and measuring an effective atomic number Z of an unknown material associated with the one or more items of freight or baggage based on the screening detector energy spectra in comparison with calibration measurements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for resolving individual signals in detector output data are disclosed. One inventive aspect includes a processing circuit configured to receive detector output data wherein the detector output data may be stepped data or non-stepped data; transform the detector output data to produce stepped data wherein the detector output data is received as non-stepped data; detect at least one signal at least partially based on the stepped data; and estimate a parameter associated with the signal, wherein estimating the parameter may preferably comprise estimating a signal energy or signal time of arrival associated with the signal.

Abstract: An approach for processing data received from a communications channel in finite precision arithmetic applications generally involves equalizing received data in the time domain prior to demodulation using finite impulse response (FIR) filtering. FIR coefficients used in FIR filtering are selected to minimize SNR degradation attributable to ISI and roundoff errors due to finite precision arithmetic, thereby maximizing channel capacity. The approach considers the communications channel noise attributable to crosstalk, white noise and analog to digital converter quantization noise, ISI attributable to failure of the equalizer coefficients to completely eliminate ISI, round off noise due to the use of finite precision arithmetic in the equalizer and roundoff noise due to the use of finite precision arithmetic in the FFT algorithm.

Abstract: An approach for processing data received from a communications channel generally involves equalizing received data in the time domain prior to demodulation by an approach that incorporates mitigation of interference. Oversampling of the received signal provides improved equalization performance and mitigation of interference, such as crosstalk. A receiver oversamples a received signal and splits the signal into a set of observation sequences. The set of observation sequences are processed to provide an estimate of the input to the communications channel, while providing at least partial rejection of any interfering signal. Exact knowledge of the parameters of the interference signal is not required.

Abstract: An approach for processing data received from a communications channel in finite precision arithmetic applications generally involves equalizing received data in the time domain prior to demodulation using finite impulse response (FIR) filtering. FIR coefficients used in FIR filtering are selected to minimize SNR degradation attributable to ISI and roundoff errors due to finite precision arithmetic, thereby maximizing channel capacity. The approach considers the communications channel noise attributable to crosstalk, white noise and analog to digital converter quantization noise, ISI attributable to failure of the equalizer coefficients to completely eliminate ISI, round off noise due to the use of finite precision arithmetic in the equalizer and roundoff noise due to the use of finite precision arithmetic in the FFT algorithm.

Abstract: An approach for processing data received from a communications channel generally involves equalizing received data in the time domain prior to demodulation by an approach that incorporates mitigation of interference. Oversampling of the received signal provides improved equalization performance and mitigation of interference, such as crosstalk. A receiver oversamples a received signal and splits the signal into a set of observation sequences. The set of observation sequences are processed to provide an estimate of the input to the communications channel, while providing at least partial rejection of any interfering signal. Exact knowledge of the parameters of the interference signal is not required.

Abstract: A computer-implemented approach for reducing distortion in digital communications systems generally involves obtaining an optimal estimation of the original data using a Kalman filter with an increased length state to remove substantially all ISI in the time domain. The use of an increased length state in the Kalman filter provides a more accurate estimate of the transmitted data with relatively little additional computational cost. Subsequent equalization may also be performed in the frequency domain to correct any residual amplitude and phase distortion.