Remote baggage screening system, software and method

• US 20020176531A1
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leidos Security Detection & Automation Incorporated (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Huang, Ying, Whitson, Andrea L., Dawson, Craig, McClelland, Keith M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,707,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/57
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/368 Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/271 using a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for remote inspection of items including at least one inspection machine constructed to examine an item under inspection to obtain information about the item, a database coupled to the at least one inspection machine that receives and stores the information about the item in an item file, the item including a unique item identifier, and an item file inspection device that receives the item file, analyzes data contained in the item file and records screening information based on an analysis of the item file. The system also includes a server that controls transfer of the item file and the screening information between the database and the item file inspection device. The screening information is linked with the item file using the unique item identifier. The item file inspection device is located remote from the at least one inspection machine.

Claims

1. A system for remote baggage screening comprising:

at least one baggage inspection system disposed at a first location and connected on a first subnet, the at least one baggage inspection system adapted to examine an item under inspection and obtain information about the item under inspection;

an operator interface disposed at a second location remote from the first location and connected on a second subnet, the operator interface being configured to receive the information about the item under inspection from the at least one baggage inspection system and present the information for access by an operator; and

a server coupled to the operator interface and to the at least one baggage inspection system, the server being adapted to control information transfer between the at least one baggage inspection system and the operator interface.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operator interface is further configured to transmit instructions to the at least one baggage inspection system.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first location is a first airport, and wherein the second location is a second airport.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one baggage inspection system includes at least one X-ray inspection machine.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the information about the item under inspection includes an X-ray image of the item under inspection.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the X-ray inspection machine is configured to focus an examination of the item on a region of interest in the item under inspection.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server is located on a same computing machine as the operator interface.

8. A system for baggage screening that is remotely monitored and controlled, the system comprising:

a plurality of baggage inspection machines that obtain information about an item under inspection, each baggage inspection machine being coupled to a local network link;

a storage medium, coupled to the local network link, that stores the information obtained by the plurality of baggage inspection machines;

a controller, coupled to the local network link, the controller being configured to retrieve the information about the item under inspection from the storage medium via the network link and to process the information to provide processed information; and

an operator interface configured to receive the processed information from the controller and to provide the processed information for inspection by an operator;

wherein the operator interface is located remote from the plurality of baggage inspection machines and is coupled to the controller via a second network link; and

wherein the item under inspection includes a unique item ID, the unique item ID being associated with the information to link the information to the item under inspection.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second network link includes the Internet.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the storage medium includes a database that stores the information about the item under inspection and the unique item IDs.

11. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of baggage inspection machines includes at least one X-ray inspection machine that obtains an X-ray image of the item under inspection.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the information about the item under inspection includes the X-ray image.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the controller is adapted to process the X-ray image to identify a region of interest of the item under inspection.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the processed information received by the operator interface includes an indication of the region of interest.

15. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein a transponder tag is attached to the item under inspection, the transponder tag including the unique item ID.

16. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the item under inspection includes a barcode that includes the unique item ID.

17. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the controller is adapted to employ a selected detection algorithm to process the information about the item under inspection to provide the processed information.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the operator interface is further adapted to receive an instruction from the operator and to provide the instruction to the controller;

and wherein the controller selects a desired detection algorithm in response to receiving the instruction.

19. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of baggage inspection machines are located at a first airport;

and wherein the operator interface is located at a second airport.

20. A baggage screening system for remote screening of items under inspection, the baggage screening system comprising:

a plurality of item files, each item file including a unique identifier that links the item file to an item under inspection;

a database that stores the plurality of item files;

an item file inspection device that receives at least one item file of the plurality of item files, analyzes the at least one item file and records screening information based on an analysis of the at least one item file, the screening information being linked with the at least one item file using the unique identifier;

a server, coupled to the database and to the item inspection device, that retrieves the item files and the screening information linked with the item files responsive to an input; and

an operator interface, coupled to the server, that provides the input to the server and receives the plurality of item files and associated information from the server.

21. The baggage screening system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the operator interface is adapted to display the plurality of item files and the associated information for inspection by an operator.

22. The baggage screening system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the operator uses the item files and the associated information to remotely screen items under inspection.

23. The baggage screening system as claimed in claim 20, wherein each item file includes data corresponding to an X-ray image of the item under inspection.

24. The baggage screening system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the item file inspection device is adapted to analyze the item file according to a detection algorithm to identify a region of interest in the X-ray image of the item under inspection.

25. The baggage screening system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the associated information includes a digital photograph of a passenger linked with the item under inspection.

26. The baggage screening system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the associated information includes a passport number of a passenger linked with the item under inspection.

27. The baggage screening system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the associated information includes a nationality of a passenger linked with the item under inspection.

29. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the item inspection device includes a detection algorithm.

30. The system as claimed in claim 28, further including an operator interface, coupled to the server, the operator interface being adapted to receive the screening information and to display the screening information;

and wherein the server is adapted to control transfer of the screening information between the database and the operator interface.

28. A system for remote inspection of items, the system comprising:

at least one inspection machine constructed to examine an item under inspection to obtain information about the item under inspection;

a database coupled to the at least one inspection machine, the database being adapted to receive the information about the item under inspection from the at least one inspection machine and to store the information in an item file, the item including a unique item identifier;

an item file inspection device that receives the item file, analyzes data contained in the item file and records screening information based on an analysis of the item file; and

a server, coupled to the database and to the item file inspection device, the server being adapted to control transfer of the item file from the database to the item file inspection device, and transfer of the screening information from the item file inspection device to the database;

wherein the screening information is linked with the item file using the unique item identifier, and wherein the database is further adapted to store the screening information; and

wherein the item file inspection device is located remote from the at least one inspection machine.