PASSENGER INSPECTION SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME

• US 20080315874A1
• Filed: 06/22/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morpho Detection (Safran SA)
• Original Assignee: Morpho Detection (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Crowley, Christopher W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,750,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/307
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/441 Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance [NQR] Spectroscopy and Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/104 using several coupled or uncoupled coils G01V3/101 takes precedence

Abstract

A passenger inspection system includes a metal detection sensor integrated with a quadrupole resonance sensor and configured to detect weapons and/or explosives that may be present proximate the feet and/or lower legs of a person. Additionally, a weapons detection sensor may include one or more pairs of transmit coils and receive coils that are vertically mounted to the interior sidewalls of the passenger inspection system and configured to detect symmetrical and nonsymmetrical threats present on a portion of a person'"'"'s legs. Methods for operating embodiments of the passenger inspection system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a weapon in one or more shoes worn by a person, the method comprising:

generating at a predetermined quadrupole resonance frequency a first magnetic field around a first shoe of the one or more shoes by energizing a first metal detector trace mounted substantially horizontally on a sidewall of an inspection system with current that flows in a first direction;

simultaneously generating at the predetermined quadrupole resonance frequency a second magnetic field around a second shoe of the one or more shoes by energizing a second metal detector trace mounted substantially horizontally on an opposite sidewall of the inspection system with current that flows in a second direction;

generating a quadrupole resonance current in at least one electrically conductive trace positioned below the one or more shoes; and

detecting a perturbation in the quadrupole resonance current if a weapon is present on at least one side of a longitudinal medial plane that bisects the inspection system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating an alarm when the perturbation in resonance current is detected.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the method steps of claim 1 with the first direction of current flow reversed.

4. A method for detecting a weapon proximate one or more lower legs of a person, the method comprising:

generating a magnetic field around one of the one or more lower legs of a person by energizing at least two transmit coils mounted substantially vertically on a same sidewall of an inspection system with current that flows within each of the at least two transmit coils in one of a same direction and different directions;

inducing a voltage in at least two receive coils mounted substantially vertically on an opposite sidewall of the inspection system; and

detecting a perturbation in the induced voltage if a weapon is present proximate at least one of the lower legs of the person.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the at least two transmit coils comprises:

a hollow, electrically conductive tube; and

an electrically conductive filament disposed within an interior of the tube.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

activating an alarm when the perturbation in induced voltage is detected.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

repeating the method steps of claim 4 with an opposite one of the same and different directions of current flow.

8. An inspection system for detecting a weapon proximate a leg of a person, the system comprising:

a first metal detector trace mounted substantially horizontally on a sidewall of the inspection system;

one or more transmit coils mounted substantially vertically to the sidewall of the inspection system and configured to generate one or more longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields within a scanning area of the inspection system;

a second metal detector trace mounted substantially horizontally on an opposite sidewall of the inspection system;

one or more receive coils mounted substantially vertically to the opposite sidewall of the inspection system.

9. The inspection system of claim 8, wherein the one or more transmit coils are configured to carry excitation current that flows within each of the one or more transmit coils in one of a same direction and different directions.

10. The inspection system of claim 9, wherein the one or more receive coils are configured to carry a voltage induced by one or more magnetic fields created by the excitation current, and wherein the system further comprises:

a computer configured to detect a perturbation in the induced voltage if a weapon is present proximate at least one of the lower legs of the person.

11. The inspection system of claim 10, wherein the one or more magnetic fields comprise:

a longitudinal magnetic field generated when the excitation current flows in the one or more transmit coils flows in the same direction; and

a transverse magnetic field generated when the excitation current flows in the one or more transmit coils flows in different directions.

12. The inspection system of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one electrically conductive trace, the at least one electrically conductive trace positioned below the first and second metal detector traces; and

a quadrupole resonance transmit coil positioned below the at least one electrically conductive trace.

13. The inspection system of claim 8, wherein each of the at least two transmit coils comprises:

a hollow, electrically conductive tube; and

an electrically conductive filament disposed within an interior of the hollow, electrically conductive tube.

14. The inspection system of claim 13, wherein a portion of the electrically conductive filament crosses another portion of the electrically conductive filament outside of the interior of the hollow, electrically conductive tube, and the electrically conductive filament is thus configured to carry the excitation current in the same direction in all of the one or more transmit coils.

15. The inspection system of claim 13, wherein, no portion of the electrically conductive filament crosses another portion of the electrically conductive filament outside of the interior of the hollow, electrically conductive tube, and the electrically conductive filament is thus configured to carry the excitation current in the different directions in the one or more transmit coils.

16. An inspection system, comprising:

each of a QR sensor, a metal detection sensor, and a weapons detection sensor positioned within a common space, wherein at least the metal detection sensor is configured to share one or more components of the QR sensor, and wherein the inspection system is configured to identify target substances, positioned proximate one or two shoes worn by a person, as contraband, and is configured to detect whether one or more weapons are present proximate a person'"'"'s feet and/or lower legs.

18. The inspection system of claim 16, wherein the metal detection sensor is configured to detect one or more weapons that are one of symmetric and anti-symmetric about a medial plane that separates an inspected person'"'"'s foot from the other.

19. The inspection system of claim 18, wherein the weapons detection sensor is configured to detect objects, such as weapons, that are positioned proximate either or both the person'"'"'s lower legs from about ankle level upwards to about knee level.

20. The inspection system of claim 19, further comprising:

a walkthrough metal detector configured to scan from about knee level upwards.

17. The inspection system of claim 17, wherein the target substances identified by the QR sensor contact or are concealed within one or both shoes.