MULTI-STAGE SYSTEM FOR VERIFICATION OF CONTAINER CONTENTS

• US 20080048872A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMR Resources, LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovative American Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Frank, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/600
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/167 Measuring radioactive content of objects, e.g. contamination whole body counters G01T1/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 3/08 with semiconductor detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/0075 Passive interrogation for hand, feet or portals G01T1/167; for contaminated surface areas G01T1/169
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/0083 utilizing a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/26 Passive interrogation, i.e. by measuring radiation emitted by objects or goods
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/271 using a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A multi-stage process utilizing one or more radiation sensors on a distributed network for the detection and identification of radiation, explosives, and special materials within a shipping container. The sensors are configured as nodes on the network. The system collects radiation data from one or more nodes and compares the collected data to one or more stored spectral images representing one or more isotopes to identify one or more isotopes present. The identified one or more isotopes present are corresponded to possible materials or goods that they represent. The possible materials or goods are compared with the manifest relating to the container to confirm the identity of materials or goods contained in the container or to detect and/or identify unauthorized materials or goods in the container. For shielded materials, explosives and other types of material detection, a neutron pulse device could be incorporated into the system.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and identifying radioactive materials within one or more containers, the method comprising:

collecting, by a plurality of radiation sensors situated on at least one frame structure located outside of and in proximity to a container, at least one spectral data set representing radiation data associated with the container and its contents, the container being located in proximity to the plurality of radiation sensors;

spectrally analyzing the collected at least one spectral data set associated with the container and its contents;

identifying, based on the spectrally analyzing the collected at least one spectral data set, one or more isotopes associated with the contents within the container;

identifying materials associated with one or more of the identified one or more isotopes;

comparing the materials that have been identified to at least one manifest associated with the container, wherein the at least one manifest lists a set of materials that are declared to be within the container; and

storing a set of comparison results in memory, the set of comparison results being associated with the comparing the materials that have been identified to at least one manifest associated with the container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of radiation sensors include at least one of:

a set of gamma sensors; and

a set of solid-state neutron sensors.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a set of histograms corresponding to the at least one spectral data set, wherein each histogram in the set of histograms represents a different spectral image of radiation associated with the container.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifying one or more isotopes associated with the contents within the container, further comprises:

comparing each histogram in the set of histograms to a plurality of spectral images, wherein each spectral image represents an isotope;

identifying, based on the comparing each histogram, each of the plurality of spectral images that substantially matches at least a portion of a histogram in the set of histograms; and

identifying one or more isotopes associated with the contents within the container, each of the identified isotopes being represented by at least one identified spectral image that substantially matches at least a portion of a histogram in the set of histograms.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying materials, further comprises:

comparing the identified one or more isotopes to pre-defined one or more isotopes associated with at least one of a plurality of materials, a plurality of goods, and a plurality of products, that are known to comprise any combination of the pre-defined one or more isotopes; and

identifying, based on the comparing the identified one or more isotopes, at least one material, good, or product, as likely being in the contents of the container, the at least one material, good, or product, comprising one or more of the identified one or more isotopes.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if an identified material matches at least one of the set of materials that are declared to be within the container; and

notifying personnel, in response to determining that at least one identified material fails to match at least one of the materials that are declared to be within the container.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the spectrally analyzing further comprises:

spectrally analyzing radiation data in the collected at least one spectral data set over a frequency range and an associated collected neutron count, wherein in the analyzing of the radiation data a collected non-zero neutron count corresponds to subtracting radiation data corresponding to the collected non-zero neutron count from the radiation data in the collected at least one spectral data set.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying one or more isotopes associated with the contents within the container further comprises:

spectrally analyzing a spectral image in a histogram representing a composite spectral image associated with the container and the contents within the container;

comparing a plurality of spectral images to at least a portion of the spectral image in the histogram, wherein each spectral image in the plurality of spectral images represents an isotope;

identifying, based on the comparing, a first spectral image from the plurality of spectral images that substantially matches at least a portion of the spectral image in the histogram;

subtracting the identified first spectral image from the spectral image in the histogram resulting in a remaining spectral image in the histogram; and

repeating the comparing, identifying, and subtracting, for each subsequent spectral image in the plurality of spectral images, wherein each subsequent spectral image after being identified in at least a portion of the remaining spectral image in the histogram, is then subtracted from the remaining spectral image in the histogram.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before the spectrally analyzing the collected at least one spectral data set, subtracting one of a plurality of dynamically changing background radiation data from the collected at least one spectral data set.

10. A method for dynamically adjusting spectral data collected from one or more containers for detecting and identifying radioactive materials therein, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of dynamically changing background radiation data corresponding to different background environments about the container;

collecting, by the plurality of radiation sensors, at least one spectral data set representing radiation data associated with the container and its contents, the container being located in proximity to the plurality of radiation sensors; and

dynamically adjusting the collected at least one spectral data set according to one of the plurality of dynamically changing background radiation data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dynamically adjusting further comprises:

selecting one of the plurality of dynamically changing background radiation data; and

subtracting the selected one of the plurality of dynamically changing background radiation data from the collected at least one spectral data set.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

spectrally analyzing the collected at least one spectral data set that has been dynamically adjusted;

identifying, based on the spectrally analyzing the collected at least one spectral data set that has been dynamically adjusted, one or more isotopes associated with the contents within the container;

identifying materials associated with one or more of the identified one or more isotopes;

comparing the materials that have been identified to at least one manifest associated with the container, wherein the at least one manifest lists a set of materials that are declared to be within the container; and

storing a set of comparison results in memory, the set of comparison results being associated with the comparing the materials that have been identified to at least one manifest associated with the container.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying materials associated with one or more of the identified one or more isotopes, further comprises:

comparing the identified one or more isotopes to pre-defined one or more isotopes associated with at least one of a plurality of materials, a plurality of goods, and a plurality of products, that are known to comprise any combination of the pre-defined one or more isotopes; and

identifying, based on the comparing the identified one or more isotopes, at least one material, good, or product, as likely being in the contents of the container, the at least one material, good, or product, comprising one or more of the identified one or more isotopes.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the different background environments comprise at least one of:

water;

land;

other containers;

air; and

structures.

15. A system for detecting and identifying radioactive materials within one or more containers, the system comprising at least:

a plurality of radiation sensors situated on at least one frame structure located outside of and in proximity to a container, wherein the plurality of radiation sensors are adapted to collect at least one spectral data set representing radiation data associated with the container and its contents, the container being located in proximity to the plurality of radiation sensors;

an information processing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the information processing system is adapted to;

spectrally analyze the collected at least one spectral data set associated with the container and its contents;

identify, based on the spectrally analyzing the collected at least one spectral data set, one or more isotopes associated with the contents within the container;

identify materials associated with one or more of the identified one or more isotopes;

compare the materials that have been identified to at least one manifest associated with the container, wherein the at least one manifest lists a set of materials that are declared to be within the container; and

store a set of comparison results in memory, the set of comparison results being associated with the comparing the materials that have been identified to at least one manifest associated with the container.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the information processing system is further adapted to:

provide a set of histograms corresponding to the at least one spectral data set, wherein each histogram in the set of histogram represents a different spectral image of radiation associated with the container.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the information processing system is further adapted to identify one or more isotopes associated with the contents within the container by:

comparing each histogram in the set of histograms to a plurality of spectral images, wherein each spectral image represents an isotope;

identifying, based on the comparing each histogram, each of the plurality of spectral images that substantially matches at least a portion of a histogram in the set of histograms; and

identifying one or more isotopes associated with the contents within the container, each of the identified isotopes being represented by at least one identified spectral image that substantially matches at least a portion of a histogram in the set of histograms.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the information processing system is further adapted to identify materials associated with one or more of the identified one or more isotopes by:

comparing the identified one or more isotopes to pre-defined one or more isotopes associated with at least one of a plurality of materials, a plurality of goods, and a plurality of products, that are known to comprise any combination of the pre-defined one or more isotopes; and

identifying, based on the comparing the identified one or more isotopes, at least one material, good, or product, as likely being in the contents of the container, the at least one material, good, or product, comprising one or more of the identified one or more isotopes.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the information processing system is further adapted to:

determine if an identified material matches at least one of the set of materials that are declared to be within the container; and

notify personnel, in response to determining that at least one identified material fails to match at least one of the materials that are declared to be within the container.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the information processing system is further adapted to:

spectrally analyze radiation data in the collected at least one spectral data set over a frequency range and an associated collected neutron count, wherein in the analyzing of the radiation data a collected non-zero neutron count corresponds to subtracting radiation data corresponding to the collected non-zero neutron count from the radiation data in the collected at least one spectral data set.

21. A method of identifying isotopes associated with the contents in a container, the method comprising:

collecting, by a plurality of radiation sensors located outside of and in proximity to a container, a spectral data set representing radiation data associated with the container and its contents; and

sequentially identifying one or more isotopes associated with the contents in the container from the collected spectral data set by using both gamma spectra and the presence of neutrons for isotope identification.