Remote baggage screening system, software and method

• US 20020186862A1
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• 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 7,139,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/368 Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/0083 utilizing a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like
• 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 method of advance baggage screening includes steps of transmitting a threat file corresponding to an item under inspection to a processing center, analyzing the threat file according to a detection algorithm at the processing center to determine a screening result for the item under inspection, and transmitting the screening result to a remotely located operator interface for access by an operator.

Claims

1. A method of remote baggage screening comprising steps of:

examining an item under inspection at a first location;

storing information about an item under inspection obtained during the examining step;

linking a unique item identifier to the information to uniquely associate the information with the item under inspection;

transmitting the information to a second location responsive to a request for the information;

analyzing the information according to a detection algorithm to produce threat information; and

determining a screening result for the item under inspection based on the threat information.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing the information to produce threat information includes producing a threat file including the threat information.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing the information to produce threat information includes associating the threat information with the information.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining step includes providing the threat information for inspection by an operator to determine the screening result for the item under inspection.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of providing the threat file includes viewing the information on a web page.

6. The method as claimed in claim in claim 4, wherein the step of providing the threat information for access by an operator includes displaying information corresponding to the threat information on an operator interface.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the information includes encoding a carrier wave with the information and transmitting the carrier wave from the first location to the second location.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of examining the item under inspection includes obtaining an image file-corresponding to an X-ray image of the item under inspection.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of storing the information includes storing the image file.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of analyzing the information includes analyzing the image file to identify a region of interest in the X-ray image of the item under inspection.

11. A method of advance baggage screening, the method comprising steps of:

transmitting a threat file corresponding to an item under inspection to a processing center;

analyzing the threat file according to a detection algorithm at the processing center to determine a screening result for the item under inspection; and

transmitting the screening result to an operator interface for access by an operator.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a step of obtaining, at a first location, the threat file corresponding to the item under inspection.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of transmitting the threat file includes transmitting the threat file from the first location to the processing center over an internet-spanned distance.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of obtaining information about the item of baggage includes:

performing an X-ray inspection of the item of baggage; and

obtaining an image file that includes data corresponding to the X-ray image of the item of baggage and a unique item ID that uniquely identifies the item of baggage associated with the image file.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing the information includes processing the image file according to a detection algorithm to identify a region of interest in the X-ray image of the item of baggage.

14. A method of advance baggage screening comprising steps of:

obtaining information about an item of baggage at a first point of inspection of the item of baggage;

storing the information in a database;

remotely accessing the information from a location other than the first point of inspection of the item of baggage; and

analyzing the information to determine a screening result for the item of baggage.