Contraband detection and article reclaim system

• US 6,218,943 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems Corporation Delaware
• Original Assignee: Vivid Technologies, Inc. (Revvity, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellenbogen, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Toan
• Application Number:
  US09/276,439
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.8, 378/9, 378/57, 342/179, 250/288
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/20 Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects

Abstract

A contraband detection and article reclaim system includes at least one article inspection system configured to derive inspection data from an article and compare the inspection data to target object data to detect contraband, and to assign matching information to each article in which contraband was detected that matches the article to its inspection data. The at least one article inspection system is connected to a server and the inspection data and the matching information are transferred to the server. An article tagging system is configured to generate a tag for each article in which contraband was detected. The tag includes the matching information about the article and at least one workstation coupled to said server and configured to permit entry of the matching information so that the inspection data of an article in which contraband was detected can be transferred to the workstation and to display the inspection data.

Claims

1. A contraband detection and article reclaim system comprising:

at least one article inspection system configured to derive inspection data from at least one projection x-ray image of an article, where the projection image is two-dimensional and pixels therein reflect only combined influences of attenuation coefficients of voxels in the article, and compare the inspection data to target object data to detect contraband, and to assign matching information to each article in which contraband was detected that matches the article to its inspection data;

a server to which said at least one article inspection system is connected and to which said inspection data and said matching information are transferred;

an article tagging system configured to generate a tag for each article in which contraband was detected, said tag comprising information regarding the article derived from said at least one projection x-ray image and said matching information about the article; and

at least one workstation coupled to said server and configured to permit entry of said matching information so that said inspection data of an article in which contraband was detected can be transferred to said workstation and to display said inspection data.

2. A system as in claim 1 in which the server is coupled with the inspection system to receive therefrom data representing the projection images of articles tagged by the tagging system, and including at least one inspector workstation coupled with the server to receive therefrom and display selected projection images.

3. A system as in claim 1 in which said tags are attached to the tagged articles, and including a tag detection system activated when an article with a tag moves therethrough.

4. A system as in claim 1 in which the tags include information identifying respective transmission images, and including a tag reading system activated by said tags to call corresponding transmission images for display.