PASSENGER SCREENING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080012699A1
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morpho Detection LLC (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: GE Homeland Protection Incorporated (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Crowley, Christopher W., Mitchell, Oscar, Ostrom, Richard Keith, Shelby, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,511,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/167 Measuring radioactive content of objects, e.g. contamination whole body counters G01T1/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/10 using induction coils
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

A method of operating a passenger screening kiosk system to perform at least one verify a passenger'"'"'s identity, detect the presence of an explosive material, and detect the presence of a metallic material includes initiating a prompt to be issued by the passenger screening kiosk system to prompt the passenger to enter the passenger screening kiosk system, prompting the passenger to enter the passenger screening kiosk system, and determining whether the passenger is within the passenger screening kiosk system.

Claims

1. A method of operating a passenger screening kiosk system to perform at least one of:

verify a passenger'"'"'s identity, detect the presence of an explosive material, and detect the presence of a metallic material, said method comprising;

initiating a prompt to be issued by the passenger screening kiosk system to prompt the passenger to enter the passenger screening kiosk system;

prompting the passenger to enter the passenger screening kiosk system; and

determining whether the passenger is within the passenger screening kiosk system.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

prompting the passenger to enter biometric identity information into an electronic card reader; and

determining if the passenger has entered the biometric identity information into the electronic card reader.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

prompting the passenger to position a body part in a predetermined position; and

determining if the body part is positioned in the predetermined position.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

prompting the passenger to position a finger onto a fingerprint scan device; and

determining if the finger is positioned on the fingerprint scan device.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising:

prompting the passenger to position an eye proximate to an iris scan device; and

determining if the eye is positioned proximate the iris scan device.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

prompting the passenger to place a fingertip on a trace explosive fingertip scanner;

determining if the fingertip is positioned on the trace explosive fingertip scanner; and

automatically activating the trace explosive fingertip scanner to analyze the fingertip for an explosive material.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

prompting the passenger to position both feet within a predetermined screening area; and

determining whether the passenger'"'"'s feet are positioned within a predetermined screening area.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising scanning at least a portion of the passenger to detect the presence of at least one of an explosive material and a metallic material if both the passenger'"'"'s feet are within the predetermined screening area.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising prompting the passenger to reposition at least one of their feet if at least one of the passenger'"'"'s feet is not within the predetermined screening area.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the passenger screening kiosk system includes an inductive sensor, said method further comprising prompting the passenger to reposition both feet symmetrically over the induction sensor.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the first modality comprises a quadrupole resonance detection system, said method further comprising scanning at least a portion of the passenger to detect the presence of an explosive material using the quadrupole resonance detection system.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the screening system includes a second modality comprising at least two metal detection coils, said method further comprising:

prompting the passenger to reposition both feet, such that the feet are positioned symmetrically between the two metal detection coils; and

determining if the passenger'"'"'s feet are positioned symmetrically between the two metal detection coils.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

operating an infrared sensor array including at least one infrared transmitter and at least one infrared receiver to determine the distance between at least one of the passenger'"'"'s feet and the infrared sensor array; and

utilizing the determined distance to estimate at least one of the length of at least one foot, the width of at least one foot, the position of the foot with respect to the infrared sensor array, and the angle of the at least one foot with respect to the infrared sensor array.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 further comprising utilizing the determined and estimated distances to determine whether the passenger'"'"'s feet are positioned within a predetermined screening area.

15. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the passenger screening kiosk system further includes a first camera and a second camera, said method further comprising:

operating the first camera to generate a first image of a first foot;

operating the second camera to generate a second image of a second foot;

combining the first and second images; and

determining a position of the first and second feet using the combined images.

16. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the passenger screening kiosk system further includes a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor, said method further comprising:

prompting the passenger to reposition both feet such that each foot activates a respective pressure sensor; and

scanning at least a portion of the passenger to detect the presence of at least one of an explosive material and a metallic material when the first and second pressure sensors are both activated.

17. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the passenger screening kiosk system further includes an ultrasonic ranging system comprising at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, said method further comprising:

activating the transmitter to emit a plurality of pulsed ultrasonic signals into at least a portion of the passenger;

activating the receiver to receive echoes from the passenger; and

determining whether the passenger'"'"'s feet are positioned within a predetermined screening area utilizing the received echoes.

18. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the passenger screening kiosk system further includes a laser ranging device comprising at least one light emitting device and at least one light receiving device, said method further comprising:

activating the light emitting device to emit a light pulse toward the passenger;

activating the receiver to receive the light pulse reflected from the passenger;

measuring the round trip time interval of the light pulse between the light emitting device and the receiver; and

determining whether the passenger'"'"'s feet are positioned within a predetermined screening area utilizing the measured round trip time interval.

19. A passenger screening kiosk system comprising:

an identity verification system;

a metal detection system;

an explosives detection system; and

a computer coupled to said identity verification system, said metal detection system, and said explosives detection system, said computer configured to prompt a passenger to enter said passenger screening kiosk system; and

determine whether the passenger is within said passenger screening kiosk system.

20. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 19 further comprising:

a kiosk including a first wall, a second wall, a third wall coupled between said first and second walls, and a computer; and

a sensor coupled to at least one of said first and second walls, said sensor configured to provide at least one of an audio and visual indication when a passenger has entered or exited said kiosk.

22. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 19 further comprising an identity verification system, said computer is further configured to prompt the passenger to input information into said identity verification system and verify the identity of the passenger based on the entered information.

23. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said explosives detection system comprises a trace explosive fingertip scanner, said computer is further configured to prompt a passenger to position a finger on the trace explosive fingertip scanner and determine that the finger is positioned on the trace explosive fingertip scanner.

24. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said explosives detection system comprises a quadrupole resonance detection system.

30. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said identity verification system comprises a fingerprint scan device, said computer further configured to prompt the passenger to position a finger onto said fingerprint scan device, and determine if the finger is positioned on said fingerprint scan device.

31. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said identity verification system comprises an iris scan device, said computer further configured to prompt the passenger to position an eye proximate said iris scan device, and determine if the eye is positioned proximate to the iris scan device.

21. A passenger screening kiosk system 19 further comprising a position identifying means configured to determine a position of a passenger'"'"'s feet within said kiosk, and determine whether the passenger'"'"'s feet are positioned within a predetermined screening area.

25. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said position identifying means comprises an infrared sensor array comprising at least one infrared transmitter and at least one infrared receiver.

26. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said position identifying means comprises:

a first camera configured to generate a first image of a first foot; and

a second camera configured to generate a second image of a second foot, said computer further configured to combine the first and second images to determine whether the feet are positioned within the predetermined screening area.

27. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said position identifying means comprises:

a first pressure sensor; and

a second pressure sensor, said first and second pressure sensors each configured to activate when depressed by a passenger'"'"'s foot.

28. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said position identifying means comprises at least one ultrasonic transmitter and at least one ultrasonic receiver, said computer further configured to activate said transmitter to emit a plurality of pulsed ultrasonic signals into at least a portion of the passenger and activate said receiver to receive echoes from the passenger, and determine whether the passenger'"'"'s feet are positioned within a predetermined screening area utilizing the received echoes.

29. A passenger screening kiosk system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said position identifying means comprises a laser ranging device comprising at least one light emitting device and at least one light receiving device, said computer further configured to activate said light emitting device to emit a light pulse toward the passenger, activate said receiver to receive the light pulse reflected from the passenger, and measure the round trip time interval of the light pulse between said light emitting device and said receiver.