High throughput baggage inspection system
First Claim
1. A method of inspecting a plurality of items, the method comprising:
- a) in an active inspection area, obtaining data on each of the plurality of items;
b) automatically analyzing the data to identify an item of the plurality of items as a suspect item and identifying items of the plurality of items as cleared items;
c) on a conveyor segment, moving each of the plurality of items to a reference point outside the active inspection area;
d) moving the cleared items past the reference point without stopping the conveyor, and stopping the conveyor segment when the suspect item reaches the reference point;
e) recording an indicia of the suspect item while the suspect item is stopped at the reference point; and
f) automatically moving the conveyor in response to the act e) of recording the indicia.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A stand-alone inspection system operating reliably with high throughput. The system employs automated image analysis to distinguish between cleared items and suspicious items. Cleared items pass through the inspection system without stopping, but the system stops suspicious items at a predetermined location so that the alarmed items can be readily identified by an operator. The system also displays information on the items that allows an operator to confirm that the item in the predetermined location is an alarmed item. Rather than resolving the alarmed item with the system stopped, the operator records an indicia of the alarmed item and the alarmed item is removed for further inspection or other processing. The recorded indicia provides a tracking mechanism that ensures alarmed bags are resolved.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of inspecting a plurality of items, the method comprising:
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a) in an active inspection area, obtaining data on each of the plurality of items; b) automatically analyzing the data to identify an item of the plurality of items as a suspect item and identifying items of the plurality of items as cleared items; c) on a conveyor segment, moving each of the plurality of items to a reference point outside the active inspection area; d) moving the cleared items past the reference point without stopping the conveyor, and stopping the conveyor segment when the suspect item reaches the reference point; e) recording an indicia of the suspect item while the suspect item is stopped at the reference point; and f) automatically moving the conveyor in response to the act e) of recording the indicia. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An inspection system adapted to inspect a plurality of items, the inspection system comprising:
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a) an inspection area having an exit; b) a conveyor moving through the inspection area; c) a display disposed adjacent the exit; and d) a scanner disposed adjacent the exit, the scanner adapted to obtain identifying information from a tag affixed to an item under inspection. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of operating an inspection system comprising an active scanning region to inspect a plurality of items in a stream, the method comprising:
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a) positioning items in the stream on a conveyor with a gap between adjacent items in the stream approximating the length of the active scanning region of the inspection area; b) moving items in the stream on the conveyor through the active inspection area; c) collecting data indicative of contents of each item in the stream as the item passes through the active inspection area to automatically identify an item in the stream as a suspicious item; and d) in response to identifying a suspicious item, stopping the conveyor with the suspicious item and a preceding item in the stream positioned with the active scan region aligned with the gap between the suspicious item and the preceding item. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method of inspecting and controlling a plurality of items, the method comprising
a) moving the plurality of items through an inspection area towards a control area; -
b) collecting data indicative of contents of each item as the plurality of items passes through the inspection area; c) analyzing the data on each item to determine whether the item is an item of interest; d) controlling the motion of the items such that i) no item passes through the control area before analysis of data on the item is complete; ii) when analysis of data on an item has been completed and the item has been found to be an item of interest, that item of interest does not exit the control area without positive indication from an operator that the operator is aware of the item'"'"'s status and is ready to remove the item from a stream of cleared items. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of inspecting a plurality of items, the method comprising:
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a) moving the plurality of items through an inspection area; b) physically spacing the items such that a gap between items is effectively minimized but greater than or equal to the length of an active scanning region of the inspection area; c) measuring the length of the items, d) collecting data indicative of item content on each item as the plurality of items passes through the inspection area; e) controlling movement of the items such that; i) no item exits a control area before analysis of data collected on the item is complete; ii) stopping movement of the items is coordinated to align the active scan region with the gap between items; iii) the measured item lengths are used to allow additional items to be scanned if the items can be advanced to align the next gap with the active inspection area without advancing an item for which data analysis has not been completed exits the designated control area; and f) analyzing the data collected to determine whether each item is of interest.
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22. A method of manually verifying the tracking of a plurality of items being inspected, the method comprising:
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a) moving the plurality of items through an inspection area; b) collecting data on each item as the plurality of items passes through the inspection area; c) displaying the data collected on each item near the exit of the inspection area such that the data displayed is correlated in time to when the physical item corresponding to the data is passing the display point; and d) verifying the item passing the display point matches the data displayed, whereby a determination may be made that the system is tracking properly. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of inspecting a plurality of items that decouples human inspection tasks from automated tasks, the method comprising of:
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a) moving the plurality of items through an inspection area; b) collecting data indicative of item content on each item as the plurality of items passes through the inspection area; c) with at least one processor, automatically analyzing the collected data to identify whether the item is a suspect item or a cleared item; d) correlating each suspect item with its automated results and data via a physical indicia associated with the suspect item; e) manually sorting items automatically identified as suspect from those items cleared; f) manually transferring the suspect items to a search station, allowing the automated inspection of subsequent items to continue independent of the rate of manual review; and g) manually reviewing the automated decisions and associated data at the search station to resolve whether the suspect items can be cleared without physical search.
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26. A method for associating physical indicia with data and results for a plurality of items being inspected, the method comprising:
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a) moving the plurality of items through an inspection area; b) collecting data on each item as the plurality of items passes through the inspection area; c) recording an indicia of each item, where the recording is done after the inspection data has been collected; and d) associating the recorded indicia with the inspection data of the item. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification