Arrangement for examining objects

• US 4,163,991 A
• Filed: 05/08/1978
• Issued: 08/07/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Burrig, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coles, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/903,546
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 358/110, 358/111, 358/106, 358/93, 358/107, 358/113, 250/562, 250/563, 250/572, 356/237
• US Class Current: 378/98.2
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3416 according to radiation transmissivity, e.g. for light, x-rays, particle radiation detecting hidden objects G01V
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/28 for measuring areas
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2033/0081 containers; packages; bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/083 the radiation being X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/10 the material being confined in a container, e.g. in a luggage X-ray scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/12 using one transmitter and one receiver

Abstract

An arrangement for detecting foreign objects in products. The products are X-rayed to produce a quantized raster scanned signal. The samples thus obtained for each line are combined with the bit samples of the next line, shifted by at least one position, and the output signal is applied to an evaluation arrangement which supplies an alarm signal when a foreign object is present.

Claims

1. A device for examining objects for regions whose emission, absorption or reflection deviates from that of the surrounding regions, comprising:

scanning means which scan the object, line-by-line, and supply a scanning signal depending on the emission, absorption or reflection;

means for generating a binary identification signal when a region whose emission, absorption or reflection considerably deviates from that of the surrounding regions is scanned;

coding means which produce binary sample signals corresponding to samples of said identification signal at a plurality of discrete positions on said scan lines, the logic level of said sample signals assuming a first value when the identification signal is present and a second value when the identification signal is not present;

a store connected to receive the sample signals;

a gate means which produce a relative shift of at least one discrete position between sample signals associated with successive lines and which combine said shifted sample signals by ORing logic levels of said first value; and

evaluation means which process the result of said combination and which activate a signal upon the occurrence therein of several consecutive logic levels associated with the identification signal.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the store comprises:

a shift register connected to receive the sample signal of a line in parallel; and

the gate means comprise

means for shifting the contents of said shift register one storage position at the end of each line; and

means for applying the contents of said shift register to said evaluation means at the end of a field.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the coding means comprise a multiplexer having a number of outputs corresponding to the number of discrete positions per line, connected to receive an input line which changes synchronously with the identification signal and controlled by a counter which is connected to count pulses having a period of 1/n of the duration of a scanning line.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the evaluation means comprise a counter having a resetting input connected to a serial output of the store, an input connected to receive a pulse series having a pulse rate corresponding to the serial output bit rate and an output connected to comparision means which compare the counter position with a predetermined value and thereby control the signal.

5. A device as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3, further comprising differentiating means which generate the identification signal from the scanning signal threshold value means which receive the output of the differentiating means and control the state of a bistable trigger circuit when a positive or negative threshold value is exceeded thereby.