METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING CONCEALED OBJECTS

• US 20090294667A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iscon Imaging, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Iscon Video Imaging, Inc.
• Inventors: Shterenberg, Mikhail, Pogorelsky, Igor Joseph, Droznin, Henry, Doubinina, Galina, Gorian, Izrail
• Granted Patent: US 8,097,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/05 Recognition of patterns representing particular kinds of hidden objects, e.g. weapons, explosives, drugs

Abstract

Methods and systems for detecting the presence of concealed objects that can be utilized at locations where conventional methods cannot be utilized are disclosed. One embodiment of the method of these teachings for detecting the presence of concealed objects uses thermal radiation of a body as a source of radiation. Other embodiments include portable and handheld systems, devices, methods, and apparatus to determine the presence of a concealed object.

Claims

1. A portable system for detecting a presence of concealed objects, the system comprising:

a first frame;

a temperature modifying component for modifying a temperature distribution of an emitting body;

said temperature modifying component altering a thermal balance for said emitting body;

said temperature modifying component being operatively connected to said first frame;

said temperature modifying component comprising;

a device capable of directing a stream of gas, heated to substantially a predetermined temperature, at the emitting body;

an image acquisition device receiving electromagnetic radiation from the emitting body and acquiring an image of the emitting body from the received electromagnetic radiation;

said image acquisition device being also operatively connected to said first frame; and

at least one handle attached to said first frame;

a weight and dimensions of said first frame, said temperature modifying component and said image acquisition device being selected to enable portability;

the received electromagnetic radiation from the emitting body, the emitting body having a modified temperature distribution, enabling detection of the presence of concealed objects.

2. The portable system of claim 1 further comprising:

an analysis component for identifying at least one region in said image, said analysis component being capable of receiving said image from said image acquisition device;

3. The portable system of claim 1 wherein said weight is at most 35 pounds.

4. The portable system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for providing displacement of said first frame, said temperature modifying component and said image acquisition device.

5. The portable system of claim 4 wherein said means for providing displacement comprise a slidable connector operatively connected to said first frame and to a support structure;

said slidable connector being operatively connected to said support structure at a location substantially above said first frame.

6. The portable system of claim 4 wherein said support structure is movable.

7. The portable system of claim 4 wherein said means for providing displacement comprise a support structure having a plurality of components;

one component from said support structure providing vertical support;

another component being fixedly attached and substantially perpendicular to said component providing vertical support; and

at least one other component being attached to said another component by means of a movable connection.

8. The portable system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second frame surrounding said first frame;

said at least one handle protruding from said second frame in order to enable the portable system to be handheld; and

a material capable of substantially conforming to at least a portion of a garment covering at least a portion of said emitting body and to said at least a portion of said emitting body;

said material being disposed over a portion of said second frame and disposed between said image acquisition device and said emitting body.

9. The portable system of claim 8 wherein said material comprises an intermeshed material.

10. The portable system of claim 2 wherein said analysis component is also capable of enhancing an image attribute in said at least one region.

11. The portable system of claim 2 wherein said analysis component comprises:

a pre-processing component capable of enhancing detectability of said at least one region in said at least one image;

said pre-processing component being capable of receiving said at least one image from said at least one image acquisition device.

12. The portable system of claim 11 wherein said analysis component further comprises:

a region detecting component capable of identifying said at least one regions in said at least one image and of receiving said at least one image from said pre-processing component; and

a region analysis component capable of determining characteristics of said at least one region.

13. The portable system of claim 11 wherein said preprocessing component comprises a noise reduction component capable of increasing a signal to noise ratio in said at least one image.

14. The portable system of claim 13 wherein said noise reduction component is an adaptive noise reduction component.

15. The portable system of claim 13 wherein said preprocessing component further comprises a contrast enhancing component capable of enhancing contrast in said at least one image.

16. The portable system of claim 15 wherein said preprocessing component comprises a contrast enhancing component capable of enhancing contrast in said at least one image.

19. The portable system of claim 2 further comprising an optimization component;

said analysis component being an adaptive analysis component; and

said optimization component being capable of enabling substantially optimal adaptation of said adaptive analysis component.

20. The portable system of claim 1 wherein said temperature modifying component comprises:

a component providing a stream of gas; and

a heating component disposed to receive the stream of gas and capable of heating the stream of gas to a predetermined temperature;

said stream of gas, after heating, being directed at the emitting body

21. The portable system of claim 1 further comprising:

a display receiving at least one output image from said at least one image acquisition device.

22. The portable system of claim 1 wherein said emitting body is at least partially covered by a garment;

the portable system further comprising a component capable of reducing a fluid layer between at least a portion of said garment and at least a portion said emitting body covered by said at least a portion of said garment.

23. The portable system of claim 22 wherein said component comprises a material capable of substantially conforming to said at least a portion of said garment and said at least a portion of said emitting body.

24. The portable system of claim 23 were in said material comprises an intermeshed material.

25. The portable system of claim 1 wherein the portable system is a handheld system;

and

wherein the first frame comprises a housing comprising;

a top portion; and

a bottom handle portion angularly joined to said top portion;

said top portion having an opening at an upper end and an elongated section protruding away from said upper end;

said image acquisition device being disposed inside said housing and receiving electromagnetic radiation from the emitting body through said opening;

said temperature modifying component being also disposed inside said housing;

said stream of gas emanating from another opening at an end of said elongated section;

weight and dimensions of the portable system being selected to enable the portable system to be handheld.

26. The portable system of claim 25 wherein said weight is at most 10 pounds.

17. The portable system of claim 60 wherein said contrast enhancing component comprises a histogram equalization component.

18. The portable system of claim 70 wherein said contrast enhancing component further comprises an adaptive thresholding component capable of binarizing an output of said histogram equalization component.

27. A method for detecting a presence of concealed objects, the objects being concealed at locations not accessible for detection by conventional methods, the method comprising the steps of:

modifying, utilizing a handheld system, a temperature distribution of an emitting body by directing at least one stream of heated gas at the emitting body;

the modifying comprising altering a thermal balance for the emitting body;

acquiring, utilizing the handheld system, at least one image from electromagnetic radiation emanating from the emitting body after the temperature distribution has been modified; and

providing, to a component of the handheld system, the at least one image for detection of the presence of concealed objects.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of:

enhancing detectability of at least one region in the at least one acquired image

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the steps of:

identifying the at least one region in the at least one image; and

determining characteristics of the at least one region.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of:

enhancing an image attribute in the at least one region; and

wherein the step of providing the at least one image comprises the step of displaying the at least one image.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein at least one step from the steps of enhancing detectability of at least one region, identifying the at least one region or determining characteristics of the at least one region is performed adaptively;

and the method further comprises the step of enabling substantially optimal performance of the at least one adaptive step.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of enhancing detectability of the at least one region comprises the step of increasing a signal to noise ratio in the at least one image.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of enhancing detectability of the at least one region further comprises the step of enhancing contrast in the at least one image.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the emitting body is at least partially covered by a garment;

the method further comprising the step of reducing a thickness of a fluid layer between at least a portion of the garment and at least a portion the emitting body covered by said at least a portion of the garment.