Apparatus and method for asynchronously analyzing data to detect radioactive material

• US 7,190,265 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quintell of Ohio LLC
• Original Assignee: Quintell of Ohio LLC
• Inventors: Bohinc, Jerry Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/177,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.26, 340/539.29, 340/506, 340/3.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/167 Measuring radioactive content of objects, e.g. contamination whole body counters G01T1/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/22 Active interrogation, i.e. by irradiating objects or goods using external radiation sources, e.g. using gamma rays or cosmic rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/26 Passive interrogation, i.e. by measuring radiation emitted by objects or goods
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/271 using a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/281 detecting special nuclear material [SNM], e.g. Uranium-235, Uranium-233 or Plutonium-239

Abstract

A radioactive material detection system includes a cargo container monitoring system and a control center. The cargo container monitoring system has a radiation sensor configured to detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time and a transceiver configured to send the information received from the radiation sensor. The control center is in communication with the transceiver of the cargo container monitoring system. The control center is configured to receive data from at least one additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system and to asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one additional source and the information from the radiation sensor, during transit, so as to detect radioactive material in a cargo container.

Claims

1. A radioactive material detection system comprising:

a cargo container monitoring system having a radiation sensor configured to detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time and a transceiver configured to send the information received from the radiation sensor; and

a control center in communication with the transceiver of the cargo container monitoring system, the control center being configured to receive data from at least one additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system and to asynchronously analyze, during transit, the data from the at least one additional source and the information from the radiation sensor so as to detect potential radioactive material in a cargo container.

2. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional source includes one of active container scanning systems, container manifests, container weight, container moment of inertia in one or more dimensions, container transit histories, container source logs, container destination logs, a country of origin log, a destination country log, and a field investigation report.

3. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver communicates with the control center by using one of a cellular system, a wireless computer network, an infrared system, an ultrasonic system, a satellite system, and a radio system.

4. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional source includes intelligence information about the shipper, the country of origin, the shipping route, transit country, freight forwarder, consignee, owner of the cargo, manifest, and history of shipper.

5. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional source includes an apparatus that measures one of rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia properties of the cargo container.

6. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein the cargo container monitoring system also monitors at least one of temperature data, tamper detection data, odor data, sound data and motion sensor data.

7. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, further comprising a dynamic rating system for each container that is updated during transit based upon the asynchronously analyzed data.

8. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein the cargo container monitoring system utilizes spectral data collected by the radiation sensor to identify naturally occurring or manmade radioisotopes and eliminates the naturally occurring or manmade radioisotopes to distinguish between naturally occurring or manmade material and fissile material.

9. A method of detecting radioactive material within a cargo container, the method comprising:

detecting radiation using a cargo container monitoring system having a radiation sensor;

sending information received from the radiation sensor to a control center in communication with the cargo container monitoring system;

receiving, at the control center, data from at least one additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system; and

asynchronously analyzing, during transit of the cargo container, the data from the at least one additional source and the information from the radiation sensor so as to detect potential radioactive material in the cargo container.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

upon a potential detection of radioactive material, taking action during transit of the cargo container.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the action during transit includes at least one of intercepting the cargo container before arrival, conducting a field investigation of a shipper of the cargo container, conducting a physical inspection of the cargo container, performing an active scan on the cargo container, increasing a warning level for the cargo container and increasing sensitivity of monitoring of the cargo container.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the radiation detecting includes active scanning.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the radiation detecting includes interpreting the data acquired by the active scan during transit.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the radiation detecting occurs over a predetermined or commanded period of time.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein transit of the cargo container includes at least one of over-water shipping, over-land hauling, air transport and train/rail transport.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein transit of the cargo container includes unloading one of a ship, a truck, a train and an airplane.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein the asynchronous analyzing occurs during one of queuing, loading and unloading.

18. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one additional source includes an apparatus that measures one of rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia properties of the cargo container.

19. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one additional source includes one of container manifests, container weight, container moment of inertia in one or more dimensions, container transit histories, container source logs, container destination logs, a country of origin log, a destination country log, and a field investigation report.

20. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one additional source includes intelligence information about the shipper, the country of origin, the shipping route, transit country, freight forwarder, consignee, owner of the cargo, manifest, and history of shipper.

21. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one additional source includes detecting physical tampering of the cargo container.

22. A radioactive material detection system comprising:

a cargo container monitoring system having a radiation sensor that detects the presence of radioactive material in a cargo receptacle;

an inertia test apparatus configured to detect mass and inertia data of the cargo receptacle; and

a control center in communication with the cargo container monitoring system to receive radiation data from the radiation sensor, the control center being configured to receive data from the inertia test apparatus and to asynchronously analyze, during transit, the inertia data and radiation data so as to detect potential radioactive material in a cargo container.

23. The radioactive material detection system according to claim 22, wherein the cargo container monitoring system includes at least one of an active scanner and a passive scanner.

24. The radioactive material detection system according to claim 22, wherein transit includes at least one of queuing, loading, shipping and unloading.

25. The radioactive material detection system according to claim 22, wherein the inertia test apparatus is integrated into a lifting device.

26. The radioactive material detection system according to claim 22, wherein the inertia test apparatus measures at least one of rotational inertia and moment of inertia.

27. A method of detecting radioactive material within a cargo container, the method comprising:

receiving, at a control center, sensed information about the cargo container from a cargo container monitoring system having a radiation sensor configured to detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time;

receiving, at the control center, data about the cargo container from at least one additional source; and

asynchronously analyzing, at the control center, the data from the at least one additional source and the sensed information so as to identify potential radioactive material within the cargo container.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising:

upon identification of potential radioactive material, taking action during transit of the cargo container.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein transit includes at least one of queuing, loading, shipping and unloading.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the at least one additional source includes an apparatus that measures one of rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia properties of the cargo container.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the at least one additional source includes one of active container scanning systems, container manifests, container weight, container transit histories, container source logs, container destination logs, a country of origin log, a destination country log, and a field investigation report.

32. A radioactive material detection system comprising:

a cargo container monitoring system having a radiation sensor configured to detect at least one of gamma spectrum and neutrons over a predetermined or commanded period of time; and

a control center in communication with the cargo container monitoring system, the control center being configured to receive data from at least one additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system and to asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one additional source and the information from the radiation sensor so as to detect potential radioactive material in a cargo container.

33. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein the at least one additional source includes one of active container scanning systems, container manifests, container weight, container moment of inertia in one or more dimensions, container transit histories, container source logs, container destination logs, a country of origin log, a destination country log, and a field investigation report.

34. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein the cargo container monitoring system communicates with the control center by using one of a cellular system, a wireless computer network, an infrared system, an ultrasonic system, a satellite system, and a radio system.

35. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein the at least one additional source includes intelligence information about the shipper, the country of origin, the shipping route, transit country, freight forwarder, consignee, owner of the cargo, manifest, and history of shipper.

36. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein the at least one additional source includes an apparatus that measures one of rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia properties of the cargo container.

37. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein the cargo container monitoring system also monitors at least one of temperature data, tamper detection data, odor data, sound data and motion sensor data.

38. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, further comprising a dynamic rating system for each container that is updated based upon the asynchronously analyzed data.

39. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein the cargo container monitoring system utilizes spectral data collected by the radiation sensor to identify naturally occurring or manmade radioisotopes and eliminates the naturally occurring or manmade radioisotopes to distinguish between naturally occurring or manmade and fissile material.

40. A method of detecting radioactive material within a cargo container, the method comprising:

detecting radiation using a cargo container monitoring system having a radiation sensor that detects one of gamma spectrum and neutrons;

sending information received from the radiation sensor to a control center in communication with the cargo container monitoring system;

receiving, at the control center, data from at least one additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system; and

asynchronously analyzing the data from the at least one additional source and the information from the radiation sensor so as to detect potential radioactive material in the cargo container.

41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising:

upon a potential detection of radioactive material, taking intervening action regarding the cargo container.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the intervening action includes at least one of intercepting the cargo container, conducting a field investigation of a shipper of the cargo container, conducting a physical inspection of the cargo container, performing an active scan on the cargo container, increasing a warning level for the cargo container and increasing sensitivity of monitoring of the cargo container.

43. The method according to claim 40, wherein the radiation detecting includes active scanning.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the radiation detecting includes interpreting the data acquired by the active scan.

45. The method according to claim 40, wherein the radiation detecting occurs over a predetermined or commanded period of time.

46. The method according to claim 40, wherein the asynchronously analyzing of the cargo container occurs during at least one of over-water shipping, over-land hauling, air transport and train/rail transport.

47. The method according to claim 40, wherein the asynchronously analyzing of the cargo container occurs during unloading one of a ship, a truck, a train and an airplane.

48. The method according to claim 40, wherein the asynchronously analyzing of the cargo container occurs during one of queuing, loading and unloading.

49. The method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one additional source includes an apparatus that measures one of rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia properties of the cargo container.

50. The method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one additional source includes one of container manifests, container weight, container moment of inertia in one or more dimensions, container transit histories, container source logs, container destination logs, a country of origin log, a destination country log, and a field investigation report.

51. The method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one additional source includes intelligence information about the shipper, the country of origin, the shipping route, transit country, freight forwarder, consignee, owner of the cargo, manifest, and history of shipper.

52. The method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one additional source includes detecting physical tampering of the cargo container.