Scanning Systems

• US 20110060426A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Morton, Edward James
• Granted Patent: US 9,223,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/639 material in a container
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/232 having relative motion between the source, detector and object other than by conveyor G01V5/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/271 using a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42222 Compare reflected image from object with reference image, adjust object

Abstract

The present application is directed toward cargo scanning systems having scanners, each arranged to scan a respective object and generate a set of scan data, processors arranged to process each set of scan data to determine whether it meets a predetermined threat condition, workstations, and data management system arranged to direct data that meets the threat condition to one of the workstations for analysis.

Claims

1. A cargo scanning system comprising:

a plurality of scanners each arranged to scan a respective object and generate a set of scan data, processing means arranged to process each set of scan data to determine whether it meets a predetermined threat condition, a plurality of workstations, and data management means arranged to direct data that meets the threat condition to one of the workstations for analysis.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising storage means arranged to store the scan data, wherein the data management means is arranged to control the storage means to control the supply of data to the processing means.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data management means is arranged to control the supply of scan data to the workstations.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein each workstation includes a user input to enable a user to provide an input allocating the scan data to one of a plurality of threat categories.

5. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a cargo movement control means arranged to control movement of the objects through the scanners.

6. A system according to claim 5 further comprising a holding bay wherein the movement control means is arranged to hold one of the objects in the holding bay in response to the object meeting the threat condition.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein the movement control means is arranged to cause the object to bypass the holding bay if it does not meet the threat condition.

8. A system according to claim 5 when dependent on claim 4 further comprising a checking area wherein the movement control means is arranged to control movement of one of the objects to the checking area if a user input allocates it to a predetermined threat category.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein the movement control means is arranged to control movement of an object so as to bypass the checking area if the user input does not allocate it to the predetermined threat category.

10. A system according to claim 4 wherein the data management means is arranged to generate a control data set including a representation of a threat object and to monitor the threat category to which a user allocates the scan data.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein the data management means is arranged to generate the control data set by modifying one of the scan data sets so as to include a representation of a threat object.

12. A system according to claim 9 wherein the data management means is arranged to monitor the threat categories allocated by a plurality of workstation users to modified data sets, and to generate a profile of the accuracy of each user'"'"'s allocation.

13. A system according to claim 1 wherein the processing means is arranged to receive at least one set of secondary data associated with the object and to process the secondary data as well as the image data to determine whether the threat condition is met.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the secondary data comprises at least one of the following:

weighbridge data, chemical detector data, gamma ray detector data and neutron sensor data.

15. A method of scanning cargo comprising:

providing a plurality of scanners, scanning a respective object with each of the scanners to generate a respective set of scan data, processing each set of scan data to determine whether it meets a predetermined threat condition, and directing data that meets the threat condition to one of a plurality of workstations for analysis.