Apparatus and method for asynchronously analyzing data to detect radioactive material
First Claim
1. A radioactive material detection system comprising:
- a cargo container monitoring system including;
a plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses having a wireless transmitter, a radiation sensor configured to detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time, a detection controller configured to send sensed radiation to the wireless transmitter for transmission and an identification tag electrically coupled to one of the controller and the wireless transmitter and configured to provide identification data or location data to the information being transmitted by the wireless transmitter; and
a master unit/master module having a receiver configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted information from each of the wireless transmitters of the plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses, a transceiver and a master controller coupled to the receiver and configured to send the information received from the radioactive material detection apparatuses through the transceiver; and
a control center in communication with the transceiver of the master unit/master module, the control center being configured to receive data from at least one additional source other than the master unit/master module and to asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one additional source and the information from the radioactive material detection apparatuses so as to detect radioactive material in a particular container.
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Abstract
A radioactive material detection system includes a cargo container monitoring system and a control center. The cargo container monitoring system has a radiation sensor configured to detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time and a transceiver configured to send the information received from the radiation sensor. The control center is in communication with the transceiver of the cargo container monitoring system. The control center is configured to receive data from at least one additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system and to asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one additional source and the information from the radiation sensor, during transit, so as to detect radioactive material in a cargo container.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A radioactive material detection system comprising:
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a cargo container monitoring system including;
a plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses having a wireless transmitter, a radiation sensor configured to detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time, a detection controller configured to send sensed radiation to the wireless transmitter for transmission and an identification tag electrically coupled to one of the controller and the wireless transmitter and configured to provide identification data or location data to the information being transmitted by the wireless transmitter; and
a master unit/master module having a receiver configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted information from each of the wireless transmitters of the plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses, a transceiver and a master controller coupled to the receiver and configured to send the information received from the radioactive material detection apparatuses through the transceiver; and
a control center in communication with the transceiver of the master unit/master module, the control center being configured to receive data from at least one additional source other than the master unit/master module and to asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one additional source and the information from the radioactive material detection apparatuses so as to detect radioactive material in a particular container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. The radioactive material detection system of claim 26, wherein the radioactive material detection system utilizes spectral data collected and transmitted by the radioactive material detection apparatuses to identify naturally occurring or manmade radioisotopes and eliminating the naturally occurring or manmade radioisotopes to distinguish between naturally occurring or manmade and fissile material.
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15. A method of detecting radioactive material within a plurality of containers using a radioactive material detection system, the radioactive material detection system including a cargo container monitoring system and a control center, the cargo container monitoring system including a plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses and a master unit/master module, the plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses each having a wireless transmitter, a radiation sensor, a detection controller and an identification tag, the master unit/master module having a receiver configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted information from each of the wireless transmitters, a transceiver and a master controller, the control center being in communication with the transceiver of the master unit/master module and being configured to receive data from at least one additional source other than the master unit/master module, the method comprising:
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(a) mounting the plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses to the plurality of containers, the total set of detection apparatuses comprising an array of detector locations;
(b) using the master unit/master module and the plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses to sense at least one of gamma radiation and neutrons at each radioactive material detection apparatus and transmit the initially sensed signal to the master unit/master module;
(c) establishing a background radiation space for the plurality of containers based upon the initially sensed signals;
(d) storing the background radiation space in the master unit/master module or the control center;
(e) sensing at least one of gamma radiation and neutrons over the predetermined or commanded period of time at each radioactive material detection apparatus and transmitting the currently sensed signal to the master unit/master module;
(f) establishing a current radiation space for the plurality of containers based upon the currently sensed signals;
(g) comparing the current radiation space as currently sensed by the radioactive material detection apparatuses to the background radiation space as initially sensed by the radioactive material detection apparatuses in order; and
(h) asynchronously analyzing the data from the at least one additional source and the compared information so as to identify an anomaly amongst the plurality of containers, to reduce false positives, to reduce false negatives and/or to increase a sensitivity reading. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22)
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20. The method of 15, wherein the identification of an anomaly is based on criteria that balance the occurrence of false positives and false negatives in a desired combination.
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23. A method of detecting radioactive material within a plurality of containers using a radioactive material detection system, the radioactive material detection system including a cargo container monitoring system and a control center, the cargo container monitoring system including a master unit/master module and a plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses, each apparatus having a transmitter, a detection controller and a radiation sensor configured to detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time, the control center being in communication with the master unit/master module and being configured to receive data from at least one additional source other than the master unit/master module, the method comprising:
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(a) sensing radiation at each radioactive material detection apparatus;
(b) receiving sensed information from each radioactive material detection apparatus at the master unit/master module, over the predetermined or commanded period of time;
(c) adjusting for background or cosmic radiation to create adjusted sensor information and to facilitate the identification of an anomaly or unusual data which is likely to indicate the presence of nuclear radioactive material; and
(d) asynchronously analyzing the data from the at least one additional source and the adjusted sensor information so as to identify an anomaly amongst the plurality of containers, to reduce false positives, to reduce false negatives and/or to increase a sensitivity reading.
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24. A radioactive material detection system comprising:
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a cargo container monitoring system having a radiation sensor configured to detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time and a transceiver configured to send the information received from the radiation sensor; and
a control center in communication with the transceiver of the cargo container monitoring system, the control center being configured to receive data from at least one additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system and to asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one additional source and the information from the radiation sensor, during transit, so as to detect radioactive material in a cargo container.
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Specification