Computer assisted bag screening system

• US 7,012,256 B1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Recovery Technologies Incorporated (Bulk Handling Systems)
• Original Assignee: National Recovery Technologies Incorporated (Bulk Handling Systems)
• Inventors: Roos, Charles E., Sommer, Edward J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Application Number:
  US10/328,328
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 250/358.1, 250/359.1, 250/360.1
• US Class Current: 250/359.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/271 using a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for screening articles utilizing a computerized touch sensitive screen or other computerized pointing device for operator identification and electronic marking of objects within the article to be further examined. An operator positioned at a computerized touch sensitive screen views electronic images of the articles to be screened as they are conveyed past a sensor array which transmits sequences of images of the series either directly or through a computer to the touch sensitive display screen. The operator manually “touches” objects within the articles displayed on the screen to be identified on coupled interactive screens thereby registering the objects selected within the computer. The computer then provides sequential information identifying actions to be taken and information and data to be recorded.

Claims

1. A method for inspecting a series of articles containing discrete objects to select for further examination discernable objects in articles within the series comprising steps of:

(a) conveying a series of articles containing discrete objects into and through an inspection zone;

(b) irradiating said series of articles containing discrete objects with incident electromagnetic radiation while in said inspection zone;

(c) measuring the electromagnetic radiation emanating from an article within said irradiated series of articles containing discrete objects;

(d) processing said measured electromagnetic radiation to produce one or more electronic images of irradiated articles within said irradiated series of articles containing discrete objects and presenting said electronic images for visual display;

(e) interactively selecting, from said visual display, one or more discrete objects discernable within the images of an article within said series of articles containing the one or more discrete objects; and

(f) displaying said selections on additional displays of said images of said series of articles containing discrete objects.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said selections of discrete objects are visually marked on an image of an article within said series of articles containing discrete objects presented on said displays.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said selections are electronically registered within a computer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said selections of objects are stored in a searchable database of a computer along with said electronic images of the articles said series of articles containing discrete objects.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said selections along with said electronic images of the articles within said series of articles containing discrete objects are stored in a searchable database along with digitized photographic image of an individual associated with an article within said series of articles containing discrete objects.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said selections, electronic images, and digitized photographic images are stored in a computer searchable database along with other information associated with said series and said individuals.

7. The method according to claim 6 where said searchable database is analyzed to compile correlations, associations, and histories of objects and individuals related thereto, entering a particular secure premises.

8. The method according to claim 4 where said searchable database is analyzed to compile correlations, associations, and histories of objects and individuals related thereto, entering a particular secure premises.

9. The method according to claim 5 where said searchable database is analyzed to compile correlations, associations, and histories of objects and individuals related thereto, entering a particular secure premises.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein said electronically registered selections of objects are processed by computer algorithms such that the algorithms learn over time the characteristics of similar selected objects.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said algorithms utilize said learned characteristics to perform computerized selection of similar objects.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting of objects takes place on a visual display at a location remote from the location where said irradiating occurs.

13. A method for inspecting a series of articles containing discrete objects and selecting for further examination discernable objects in articles within the series of articles comprising steps of:

(a) conveying a series of articles containing discrete objects into and through an inspection zone;

(b) irradiating said series of articles containing discrete objects with incident electromagnetic radiation while in said inspection zone;

(c) measuring the electromagnetic radiation emanating from an article within said irradiated series of articles containing discrete objects;

(d) processing said measured electromagnetic radiation to produce one or more electronic images of irradiated articles within said irradiated series of articles containing discrete objects and presenting an electronic image of an article as two separate identical visual displays;

(e) first interactively selecting, from a first visual display, first selected objects discernable within the images of an article within said series of articles containing discrete objects;

(f) second interactively selecting, from a second visual display, second selected objects discernable within the images of said series of articles containing discrete objects; and

(g) comparing the images of said first selected objects with the images of said second selected objects to determine relative efficiencies of said first interactively selecting and said second interactively selecting.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said second visual display is located remotely from said first visual display.

15. A method for inspecting a series of articles containing discrete objects and selecting for further examination discernable objects within articles within the series of articles comprising steps of:

(a) conveying a series of articles containing discrete objects into and through an inspection zone;

(b) irradiating said series of articles containing discrete objects with incident electromagnetic radiation while in said inspection zone;

(c) measuring the electromagnetic radiation emanating from an article within said irradiated series of articles containing discrete objects;

(d) processing said measured electromagnetic radiation to produce one or more electronic images of said irradiated series of articles containing discrete objects and presenting said electronic images for visual display;

(e) first interactively selecting, from said visual display, selected objects discernable within the images of an article within said series of articles containing discrete objects;

(f) electronically registering said selected objects within a computer;

(g) applying computerized algorithms which have learned characteristics of prior interactively selected objects to process said electronic images and make computerized selections of objects displaying characteristics of prior interactively selected objects;

(h) comparing said electronically registered first interactively selected objects to said computerized selections of objects to determine relative efficiency of said first interactively selecting to the computerized selecting.

16. An apparatus for inspecting a series of articles containing discrete objects to select for further examination discernable objects in articles within the series comprising:

(a) a conveyor for conveying a series of articles containing discrete objects into and through an inspection zone;

(b) an electromagnetic radiation source that irradiates said series of articles containing discrete objects within said inspection zone with incident electromagnetic radiation;

(c) a sensor that examines said series of articles containing discrete objects within said inspection zone and measures electromagnetic radiation emanating from an article within said series of articles containing discrete objects;

(d) a computer that processes said measured electromagnetic radiation to produce electronic images of irradiated articles within said irradiated series of articles containing discrete objects as they pass through said inspection zone and a display coupled to said computer that presents a visual display of said electronic images; and

(e) a human operator interface to said visual display such that an operator may interactively select from said images selected objects in articles to be further examined; and

(f) means for transmitting said images with said interactive selections to additional visual displays.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said selections are visually marked on the images of an article within said series of articles containing discrete objects presented on said displays.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said selections are electronically registered within a computer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said selections of discrete objects are stored in a searchable database in said computer along with said electronic images of articles within said series of articles containing discrete objects.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said electronically registered selections are processed by computer algorithms that learn over time the characteristics of similar selected objects.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said algorithms utilize said learned characteristics to perform computerized selection of similar objects in articles of a subsequent series of articles inspected.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said human operator interface and said visual display is located remote from said inspection zone.

23. Apparatus for inspecting a series of articles containing discrete objects and selecting for further examination discernable objects in articles within the series comprising:

(a) a conveyor that conveys a series of articles containing discrete objects into and through an inspection zone;

(b) an electromagnetic radiation source that irradiates said series of articles containing discrete objects within said inspection zone with incident electromagnetic radiation;

(c) a sensor that examines said series of articles containing discrete objects within said inspection zone and measures electromagnetic radiation emanating from an article within said series of articles containing discrete objects;

(d) a microprocessor that processes said measured electromagnetic radiation to produce electronic images of an article within said irradiated series of articles containing discrete objects as they pass through said inspection zone and two separate displays coupled to said microprocessor that present identical visual displays of said electronic images;

(e) a human operator interface to each of said visual displays such that an operator positioned at each display may interactively select from said images discrete objects to be further examined; and

(f) means to compare objects selected at each of the two visual displays to determine relative selection efficiencies of operators utilizing the said interface at each display to select objects to be further examined.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said second visual display is located remotely from said first visual display.

25. Apparatus for inspecting a series of articles containing discrete objects and selecting for further examination discernable objects within the series comprising:

(a) a conveyor that conveys a series of articles containing discrete objects into and through an inspection zone;

(b) an electromagnetic radiation source that irradiates said series of articles containing discrete objects within said inspection zone with incident electromagnetic radiation;

(c) a sensor that examines said series of articles containing discrete objects within said inspection zone and measures electromagnetic radiation emanating from an article within said series of articles containing discrete objects;

(d) a microprocessor that processes said measured electromagnetic radiation to produce electronic images of an article within said irradiated series of articles containing discrete objects as they pass through said inspection zone and a display coupled to said microprocessor that presents a visual display of said electronic images;

(e) a human operator interface to said visual display such that an operator may interactively select from said images selected objects to be further examined;

(f) a computer for electronically registering said selected objects,

(g) computerized algorithms which can learn characteristics of prior interactively selected objects to process said electronic images and make computerized selections of discrete objects displaying characteristics of prior interactively selected objects; and

(h) means to compare said electronically registered first interactively selected discrete objects to said computerized selections of objects to determine relative efficiency of said human operator selecting to the computerized selecting.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said selections along with said electronic images of said series of articles containing discrete objects are stored in a searchable database along with digitized photographic images of individuals associated with said series of articles containing discrete objects.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said selections, electronic images, and digitized photographic images are stored in a searchable database along with other information associated with said mixtures and said individuals.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising means to analyze said searchable database to compile at least one of correlations, associations, and histories of objects and individuals related thereto, entering a particular secure premises.