Methods and system for hazardous material early detection for use with mail and other objects

• US 20030144800A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Davis, Charles E., Flores, Juan E., Kenbeek, Dennis L.
• Application Number:
  US10/334,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20030144800A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/22
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/00 Measures preceding sorting according to destination

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems for the application of the analysis of radiation interactions to early detection hazardous material. The method, in a mail processing system, includes the steps of: (a) positioning one or more sensors, a sensor including a radiation source, a detector and the analysis instructions in the computing unit, along the path of a transport system for processing the mail, (b) sensing the presence of a hazardous material in a mail piece, and (c) culling the mail piece, if the presence of hazardous material is detected where culling includes, but not limited to, one or more of the following: diverting to a secure pocket and alerting, removing from the processing stream, alerting and interrupting the processing stream in order to remove an item, diverting the item from the processing stream for further inspection.

Claims

1. A method, for the detection of potentially hazardous materials in mail pieces, comprising the steps of:

exposing one mail piece from a plurality of mail pieces with at least one radiation source;

detecting a signal arising from an interaction between said at least one radiation source and said one mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces, said detection constituting at least one detected signal;

analyzing said at least one detected signal, said analysis producing at least one result;

comparing said at least one analysis result to data from a database;

applying an early warning criterion to said comparison;

if said early warning criterion indicates that said one mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces contains potentially hazardous materials, performing the step of;

culling said one mail piece.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of exposing one mail piece with at least one radiation source further comprises the step of exposing said one mail piece with a source of radiation in the visible range of wavelengths;

and,

wherein the step of detecting a signal arising from an interaction further comprises detecting a signal arising from scattering and reflection of said radiation from said one mail piece.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of detecting a signal further comprises the steps of:

directing said reflected and scattered radiation to a detector;

generating at least one signal from said detector.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of analyzing the detected signal further comprises analyzing handwriting on said one mail piece and the step of comparing the analysis comprises comparing said handwriting to a known database.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of analyzing the detected signal further comprises determining protrusions on said one mail piece and the step of comparing the analysis comprises comparing to a database of known suspicious protrusions.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of analyzing the detected signal further comprises the steps of:

determining locations for information on said one mail piece;

identifying and reading said information;

and, wherein the step of comparing the analysis comprises comparing said locations for information and said information to a database of known suspicious characteristics.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of exposing one mail piece with at least one radiation source further comprises the step of exposing said one mail piece with a source of coherent radiation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of analyzing the detected signal further comprises analyzing scattering and reflection of said radiation from said one mail piece;

and, wherein the step of detecting a signal further comprises the steps of;

directing said reflected and scattered radiation to a detector;

generating at least one signal from said detector.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein

the step of analyzing the detected signal further comprises obtaining statistical characteristics of said interaction from said at least one signal;

and, the step of applying an early warning criterion comprises comparing said statistical characteristics to a known database.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of analyzing the detected signal further comprises analyzing absorption of the coherent radiation and generation of emitted radiation;

wherein the step of detecting a signal further comprises the step of detecting the emitted radiation in a plurality of bands of wavelength;

wherein the step of analyzing the detected signal further comprises the step of generating a spectrum of emitted radiation and,

wherein the step of comparing the analysis comprises comparing said generated spectrum to a database of known spectra of potentially hazardous materials.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the source of coherent radiation further comprises means for scanning the coherent radiation source wavelength;

and

wherein the step of detecting a signal further comprises the step of scanning the emitted radiation wavelength, said scanning of the emitted radiation wavelength occurring synchronously with the scanning of the coherent radiation source wavelength.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of exposing one mail piece with at least one radiation source further comprises the step of exposing said one mail piece with a broadband continuum light source and utilizing means for scanning the radiation source wavelength;

wherein the step of detecting a signal arising from an interaction further comprises detecting a signal arising from absorption of said radiation and generation of emitted radiation; and

,

detecting the emitted radiation in a plurality of bands of wavelength; and

,

scanning the emitted radiation wavelength, said scanning of the emitted radiation wavelength occurring synchronously with the scanning of the coherent radiation source wavelength; and

,

wherein the step of analyzing the detected signal further comprises the step of generating a spectrum of emitted radiation; and

,

wherein the step of comparing the analysis comprises comparing said generated spectrum to a database of known spectra of potentially hazardous materials.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one radiation source comprises at least two radiation sources, each one radiation source from the at least two radiation sources being different from any other of said at least two radiation sources.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said at least two radiation sources are selected from the group consisting of a source of radiation in the visible range of wavelengths, a source of coherent radiation, a continuum light source, a source of X-rays, a source of X-rays for computed tomography, a source of low intensity radio waves for quadrupole resonance, a source of ultrasound radiation, and a source of neutrons;

and wherein said interaction between any one radiation source from the at least two radiation sources and said one mail piece is selected from the group consisting of scattering and reflection of said radiation from said one mail piece, transmission of said radiation through said one mail piece, and, absorption of radiation from said one radiation source and generation of emitted radiation; and

wherein said at least one detected signal comprises at least two detected signals; and

wherein said at least one result comprises at least two results.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of applying an early warning criterion further comprises the steps of:

obtaining a comparison of a first one of said at least two analysis results to first data from a database;

obtaining a subsequent comparison of each subsequent one of said at least two analysis results to second data from a database;

applying data fusion techniques jointly to the comparison of the first one of said at least two analysis results and each subsequent comparison of each subsequent one of said at least two analysis results and obtain an early warning criterion; and

,

wherein, said early warning criterion indicates that said one mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces contains potentially hazardous materials and said data fusion techniques are applied in order to decrease incorrect indications.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of applying an early warning criterion further comprises the steps of:

obtaining a comparison of a first one of said at least two analysis results to first data from a database;

obtaining a subsequent comparison of each subsequent one of said at least two analysis results to second data from a database;

applying data fusion techniques jointly to the comparison of the first one of said at least two analysis results and each subsequent comparison of each subsequent one of said at least two analysis results and obtain an early warning criterion; and

,

wherein, said comparison said first one of said at least two analysis results indicates that said one mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces contains potentially hazardous materials and said data fusion techniques are applied in order to minimize incorrect indications.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein

the step of exposing one mail piece comprises the step of exposing said one mail piece with at least substantially bright optical radiation source;

and,

wherein the step of detecting a signal comprises the step of detecting the signal from a multi-pixel area optical detector arising from receiving a portion of said exposing optical radiation transmitted through said one mail piece.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said substantially bright optical radiation source comprises a stripe optical radiation source.

19. A system, for the detection of potentially hazardous materials in mail pieces, comprising:

at least one radiation source capable of exposing one mail piece from a plurality of mail pieces;

means for detecting a signal arising from an interaction between said at least one radiation source and said one mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces, said means generating at least one detected signal;

means for transporting each mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces through an illumination area for said at least one radiation source;

means for culling a mail piece from said plurality of mail pieces;

at least one processor;

a first memory for storing data for access by a process executed by at least one processor, said memory comprising a database;

at least one second computer readable memory having instructions embodied therein, said instructions causing said at least one processor to;

analyze said at least one detected signal, said analysis producing at least one result;

compare said at least one analysis result to data from the database;

apply an early warning criterion to said comparison;

if said early warning criterion indicates that said one mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces contains potentially hazardous materials, cause said at least one processor to apply control signal to the culling means.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said at least one radiation source is selected from the group consisting of a source of radiation in the visible range of wavelengths, a substantially bright optical radiation source, a source of coherent radiation, and a continuum light source a source of X-rays, a source of X-rays for computed tomography, a source of low intensity radio waves for quadrupole resonance, a source of ultrasound radiation, and a source of neutrons.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said at least one radiation source is selected from the group consisting of a source of radiation in the visible range of wavelengths, a source of coherent radiation;

and, said interaction between the radiation source and said one mail piece comprises absorption of the source radiation and generation of emitted radiation; and

, the system further comprises means for synchronously scanning in wavelength said source radiation and emitted radiation.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said at least one radiation source comprises at least two radiation sources, each one radiation source from the at least two radiation sources being different from any other of said at least two radiation sources.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein said at least one radiation source comprises a substantially bright optical radiation source and said interaction between the radiation source and said one mail piece comprises transmitting said optical radiation through said one mail piece.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said substantially bright optical radiation source comprises a stripe optical radiation source.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein said at least two radiation sources are selected from the group consisting of a source of radiation in the visible range of wavelengths, a substantially bright optical radiation source, a source of coherent radiation, a continuum light source, a source of X-rays, a source of X-rays for computed tomography, a source of low intensity radio waves for quadrupole resonance, a source of ultrasound radiation, and a source of neutrons;

and wherein said at least one detected signal comprises at least two detected signals; and

wherein said at least one result comprises at least two results.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein instructions causing said at least one processor to apply an early warning criterion to said comparison further cause said at least one processor to:

obtain a comparison of a first one of said at least two analysis results to first data from a database;

obtain a subsequent comparison of each subsequent one of said at least two analysis results to second data from a database;

apply detection techniques jointly to the comparison of the first one of said at least two analysis results and each subsequent comparison of each subsequent one of said at least two analysis results and obtain an early warning criterion; and

,

wherein, said comparison said first one of said at least two analysis results indicates that said one mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces contains potentially hazardous materials and said detection techniques are applied in order to minimize incorrect indications.

27. A memory for storing data for access by a process executed by a processor, said memory comprising:

a structure for providing data to be compared against results of interaction of at least one radiation source with mail pieces and to be utilized to apply an early warning criterion to said comparison, said structure comprising;

an identifier for said radiation source,

an identifier for said interaction,

an identifier for an analysis form for the result of said interaction,

data for known suspicious interaction results,

an early warning criterion corresponding to said data.

28. The memory of claim 27 wherein said structure further comprises probability data for the occurrence of a correct identification.

29. The memory of claim 27 wherein said at least one radiation source comprises at least two radiation sources and said structure further comprises:

data characterizing said interaction for each said radiation source wherein said characterizing data is utilized as inputs to detection techniques applied in order to minimize incorrect indications.

30. A system, for the detection of potentially hazardous materials in mail pieces, comprising:

at least one sensor capable of providing an indication of a presence of hazardous materials in at least one mail piece;

a mail transport sub-system capable of transporting said at least one mail piece through an operational area of said at least one sensor;

at least one processor receiving and processing data from said at least one sensor;

a culling sub-system capable of culling said at least one mail piece if the presence of hazardous material is detected.

31. A method, for the detection of potentially hazardous materials in mail pieces, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one sensor capable of providing an indication of the presence of potentially hazardous material in at least one mail piece;

sensing the presence of said potentially hazardous material in said at least one mail piece; and

,

culling said at least one mail piece, if the presence of said potentially hazardous material is sensed.