Drive-Through Scanning Systems

• US 20110176660A1
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Published: 07/21/2011
• 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 8,971,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/224 Multiple energy techniques using one type of radiation, e.g. X-rays of different energies
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/232 having relative motion between the source, detector and object other than by conveyor G01V5/226 takes precedence

Abstract

A drive-through scanning system comprises a radiation generating system arranged to generate radiation at two different energy levels and direct the radiation towards a scanning volume, detectors arranged to detect the radiation after it has passed through the scanning volume, and a controller arranged to identify a part of a vehicle within the scanning volume, to allocate the part of the vehicle to one of several categories, and to control the radiation generating system and to select one or more of the energy levels depending on the category to which the part of the vehicle is allocated.

Claims

1. A drive-through scanning system comprising:

a radiation generating means arranged to generate radiation at two different energy levels and direct it towards a scanning volume, detection means arranged to detect the radiation after it has passed through the scanning volume, and control means arranged to identify a part of a vehicle within the scanning volume, to allocate the part of the vehicle to one of a plurality of categories, and to control the radiation generating means and to select one or more of the energy levels depending on the category to which the part of the vehicle is allocated.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the categories include at least one of:

a human-occupied category, a human un-occupied category, and a cargo category.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the radiation generating means includes two radiation sources arrange to generate radiation at said two different energy levels.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the control means is arranged to receive signals from the detection means and to identify the part of the vehicle at least partly on the basis of those signals.

5. A system according to claim 1 further comprising sensing means, wherein the control means is arranged to receive signals from the sensing means and to identify the part of the vehicle at least partly on the basis of those signals.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein the sensing means comprises a video camera.

7. A system according to claim 5 wherein the sensing means includes a beam sensor comprising beam generation means arranged to generate a beam of radiation and detection means arranged to detect when the beam is broken.

8. A system according to claim 1 further comprising display means arranged to display instructions to a driver of the vehicle, wherein the control means is arranged to control the display means.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein the display means is arranged to display an indication to the driver an indication regarding the speed or steering of the vehicle.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein the control means arranged to sense movement of a vehicle through the scanning volume and to control the radiation detection means or the radiation generating means depending on the said movement.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein the control means is arranged to control the radiation detection means or the radiation generation means depending on the speed or the position of the vehicle.

13. A system according to claim 1 wherein the detection means has a variable sensitivity and the control means is arranged to select said sensitivity depending on the energy of the radiation.

14. A system according to claim 1 wherein the detection means comprises at least one detector arranged to generate at least one detector signal, and integration means arranged to integrate the at least one detector signal over integration times of at least two different lengths.

15. A system according to claim 14 wherein the integration means comprises a first integration circuit and a second integration circuit the two integration circuits being arranged to integrate over different integration times.

16. A system according to claim 14 wherein the control means is arranged to integrate the detector signal over a first period when the source is activated and a second period when the source is de-activated, to generate a detector reading from the first period and a correction for the reading from the second period.

17. A method of scanning a vehicle comprising:

providing a drive-through scanning system comprising a radiation generating means, radiation detection means and control means, generating radiation directed towards a scanning volume, detecting the radiation after it has passed through the scanning volume, identifying a part of a vehicle within the scanning volume, allocating the part of the vehicle to one of a plurality of categories, and controlling the radiation generating means depending on the category to which the part of the vehicle is allocated.