Detector of unauthorised objects in a protected access zone

• US 7,636,036 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alessandro Manneschi
• Original Assignee: Alessandro Manneschi
• Inventors: Manneschi, Alessandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/493,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 340/454, 340/438, 340/425.5, 340/457, 340/460, 340/480, 340/614, 340/618, 340/627, 340/657, 340/659, 324/200, 324/228, 324/234, 324/236, 324/237, 324/262
• US Class Current: 340/454
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/12 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005

Abstract

A device for the detection of an unauthorised liquid or solid substance in a zone with protected access. The device includes a support base designed to receive a single foot, wearing a shoe of an individual to be checked, an electromagnetic field emitter/receptor operating at least at several frequencies in a specified range of frequencies, a position marker, on the support base, designed to impose a precise positioning of the foot wearing the shoe in relation to the emitter/receptor. The complex impedance is measured of the emitter/receptor influenced by a load which consists of the shoe and its contents, representing the complex dielectric characteristics of the shoe and of its contents. A mechanism is provided for supplying information associated with the measured complex impedance and therefore with the nature of the contents of the said shoe of the individual to be checked.

Claims

1. A device for the detection of unauthorised liquid or solid substances in a zone with protected access, wherein said device includes the following in combination:

a support base (100) designed to receive a single foot, wearing a shoe, of an individual to be checked,

emission/reception means (40) of an electromagnetic field at least at several frequencies in a specified range of frequencies,

position marking means (400), on the support base (100), designed to impose a precise positioning of the foot, wearing the shoe, in relation to the emission/reception means (40),

means (50) for measuring the complex impedance of the emission/reception means (40) influenced by a load consisting of the shoe and the shoe'"'"'s contents, representing the complex dielectric characteristics of the shoe and of the shoe'"'"'s contents, and

means (50) for supplying information associated with the measured complex impedance and therefore with the nature of the contents of said shoe of the individual to be checked.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support base (100) includes a plate in the form of a step, the upper face of said plate including the position marking means.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the height of the support base (100) is between 100 and 200 mm, and very preferably of the order of 150 mm.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the width of the support base (100) is between 450 and 700 mm, and very preferably of the order of 575 mm.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the support base (100) is between 500 and 900 mm, and very preferably of the order of 670 mm.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the position marking means (400) include an imprint design (410).

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the imprint design (410) includes a frame, preferably rectangular.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the frame has a length of between 300 and 500 mm, preferably of the order of 400 mm, and a width between 110 and 250 mm, preferably of the order of 180 mm.

9. The device according claim 6, wherein the position marking means (400) include a mechanical end-stop (450).

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the mechanical end-stop (450) is designed to act as a stop for a heel of the shoe.

11. The device according to claim 6, wherein the imprint design includes an imprint.

12. The device according to claim 11 in combination with claim 30, wherein a tube (501) is positioned directly below the imprint (400).

13. The device according to claim 11 in combination with claim 30, wherein a tube (501) is positioned in a plane of symmetry of the imprint (440).

14. The device according to claim 11 in combination with 30, wherein a tube (501) extends over the whole length of the imprint (440).

15. The device according to claim 11, wherein said device also includes ionising or radioactive radiation detection means (500), in order to supply information associated with the presence or the absence of a product emitting ionising or radioactive radiation in a zone of the individual between the sole of the shoe and a knee of the individual to be checked, wherein the ionising or radioactive radiation detection means (500) include means for detection (502) of the electric pulse generated by the tube (501), wherein the means (502) for detection of the electric pulse are placed underneath the base (100), in a peripheral region of the imprint.

16. The device according claim 1, wherein said device includes means (300) for delivering visual or 10 audible messages guiding a user during the successive stages of the detection process.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes random sorting means (740) for the random designation of individuals conducted toward one or more additional tests.

18. The device according to claim 1 wherein said device includes means (800) for the sampling of vapours or particle traces, such as of drugs or explosives for example, and for the analysis of these vapours or traces.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the sampling means includes intake nozzles (800) on the support base (100).

20. The device according claim 1, wherein said device includes two vertical panels (200) projecting 30 from the support base (100), with the vertical panels (200) including intake nozzles (800) for the sampling of vapours or particle traces.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the height of the vertical panels (200) is between 300 and 900 mm.

22. The device according to claim 1, wherein emission/reception means (40) partially or totally surround the heel of the shoe, or surround all of a sole of the shoe.

23. The device according to claim 1, wherein the analysis means (50) for supplying information include means for comparing the measured complex impedance with predetermined reference values for the same range of frequencies, and to generate an alarm when the measured complex impedance is different from the reference values.

24. The device according to claim 1, wherein the analysis means (50) for supplying information associated with the measured complex impedance include means (70) for indicating the nature of the contents of the shoe or at least the family of these contents.

25. The device according to claim 1, the emission/reception means (40) of an electromagnetic field are designed to sweep the range of frequencies ranging from a few Hz to a few GHz.

26. The device according to claim 1, wherein the analysis means (50) for measuring the complex impedance are designed to measure the complex impedance over a multiplicity of sampled frequencies in the range covered by the emission/reception means.

27. The device according to claim 1, wherein the means for comparing the measured complex impedance are designed to compare the measured complex impedance with reference values contained in a memory (60).

28. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes a sensor (52) designed to detect the positioning of the foot, wearing the shoe, of the individual to be checked.

29. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes means for initiating the switching-on of the emission/reception means (40) of an electromagnetic field.

30. The device according to claim 1, wherein the emission/reception means (40) of an electromagnetic field are of the inductive type.

31. The device according to claim 1, wherein the emission/reception means (40) of an electromagnetic field are of the capacitive type.

32. The device according to claim 1, the emission/reception means (40) of an electromagnetic field are composed of transmission lines.

33. The device according to claim 1, the emission/reception means (40) simultaneously employ an inductive transducer (42) and a capacitive transducer (45, 46), in particular for the detection of metal parts in the shoe.

34. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device also includes ionising or radioactive radiation detection means (500), in order to supply information associated with the presence or the absence of a product emitting ionising or radioactive radiation in a zone of the individual between the sole of the shoe and a knee of the individual to be checked.

35. The device according to claim 34, the ionising or radioactive radiation detection means (500) are placed underneath the support base (100) on a face opposite (105) to that which includes the position marking means (400).

36. The device according to claim 34, wherein the ionising or radioactive radiation detection means (500) include a tube (501) in which a gas is trapped whose composition is chosen so as to generate an ionizing discharge during the detection of active radiation, the ionizing discharge being used to generate an electric pulse.

37. The device according to claim 34, wherein the ionising or radioactive radiation detection means (500) include means for detection (502) of the electric pulse generated by the tube (501).

38. The device according to 34, wherein the ionising or radioactive radiation detection means (500) are fixed to the base.