Integrated carry-on baggage cart and passenger screening station

• US 7,418,077 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rapiscan Security Products USA Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gray, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick; Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIDKIFF, ANASTASIA
• Application Number:
  US11/364,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20070003009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 378/57, 378/210
• US Class Current: 378/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/20 Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards apparatuses and methods for securing a location. Particularly, the present invention is directed towards methods, apparatuses, and integrated systems for the screening of individual passengers and their corresponding carry-on baggage carts with improved throughput, efficiency, and quality. In addition, the current invention is directed towards a carry-on baggage cart specifically designed for the disclosed integrated carry-on baggage cart and passenger screening system of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for conducting security comprising the steps of:

providing a person to be screened with a screening cart wherein the screening cart is a frame assembly designed to physically compliment a computed tomography system, and wherein said screening cart further comprises a small computer and display for receiving and displaying information about said person associated with said cart;

associating said person to be screened with the provided screening cart by entering and displaying said information on said person associated with said cart on said computer and display;

providing a conveyer mechanism that directs the screening cart through a computed tomography (CT) scanning system;

inspecting the contents of the screening cart by means of CT scanning; and

,

delivering the screening cart to said person.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the screening cart is a frame assembly designed with collapsible legs.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the legs of the frame assembly are collapsed prior to entrance into the conveyor mechanism.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the legs of the cart frame are expanded prior to delivery to the passenger.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the frame assembly physically complements the entry gate and internal configuration of a CT scanning system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of indicating to a passenger to walk through a passenger screening device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of integrating data collected from both the CT scanning system and passenger screening device to generate overall threat assessment.