Surveillance systems and methods with subject-related screening

• US 7,973,697 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Security & Detection Systems, Inc. (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Security & Detection Systems, Inc. (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reilly, John J., Grudkowski, Thomas W., Lanzaro, Michael J., Hurd, Paul J., Radzinski, Maya M., Carter, Joseph, Breen, Thomas E., Bromberg, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barker; Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US11/740,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 342/22, 342/179
• US Class Current: 342/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/887 for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/05 Recognition of patterns representing particular kinds of hidden objects, e.g. weapons, explosives, drugs

Abstract

A surveillance system is disclosed. In some embodiments, the surveillance system may include at least one controller configured to receive information data from at least one upstream information source and to control operation of at least one controllable downstream information source based, at least in part, on the information data.

A surveillance method also is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method may include analyzing screening data, obtaining information data, and reanalyzing the screening data based, at least in part, on the obtained information data.

Claims

1. A surveillance system for surveilling a person prior to boarding a transportation vehicle, the surveillance system comprising:

a first screening apparatus configured to screen at least a portion of the person subject to the surveilling and to produce first screening data representative of the screening of the at least a portion of the person;

at least one controllable information source apparatus of subject-associated item information data derived from one or more subject-associated items other than the person, wherein at least one of the subject-associated items includes checked baggage released by the person to an authority associated with the vehicle for storage in the vehicle in a location separate from the person; and

at least one controller apparatus configured to receive the first screening data and to adjust an operating parameter of the at least one controllable information source apparatus of subject-associated item information data based, at least in part, on the first screening data.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the first screening apparatus is adapted to detect object information about at least one object potentially carried by the person and to produce object data indicative of whether the person carries at least one object that includes the object information, and wherein the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the object data and to adjust the operating parameter of the at least one controllable information source apparatus of subject-associated item information data based, at least in part, on the object data.

3. The system of claim 2, in which the first screening apparatus is further adapted to transmit toward and receive, from the person in a subject position, electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range of about 100 MHz to about 2 THz, from positions spaced from the subject position, the first screening apparatus producing from the received radiation, image data representative of an image of at least a portion of the person, and wherein the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the image data and to adjust the operating parameter of the at least one controllable information source apparatus of subject-associated item information data based, at least in part, on the image data.

4. The system of claim 2, in which the first screening apparatus is further adapted to detect, on the person, one or more of a metal substance, an explosive substance, a chemical substance, and a feature identifying the person.

5. The system of claim 1, in which the at least one controllable information source apparatus includes a second screening apparatus configured to screen at least a portion of the one or more subject-associated items.

6. The system of claim 5, in which the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the first screening data and to adjust a sensitivity level of the second screening apparatus based, at least in part, on the first screening data.

7. The system of claim 5, in which the second screening apparatus includes a second imaging apparatus configured to produce an image of at least a portion of the one or more subject-associated items.

8. The system of claim 7, in which the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the first screening data and to adjust a sensitivity level of the second imaging apparatus data based, at least in part, on the first screening data.

9. The system of claim 7, in which the second imaging apparatus is adapted to transmit, toward the one or more subject-associated items, electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range of about 30 PHz to about 30,000 PHz.

10. The system of claim 5, in which the second screening apparatus is further adapted to detect, in the one or more subject-associated items, one or more of a metal substance, an explosive substance, a chemical substance, and a feature identifying the person associated with the one or more subject-associated items.

11. The system of claim 5, in which the second screening apparatus is further configured to screen a plurality of sections of the one or more subject-associated items, and the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the first screening data and to select, for screening, one or more portions of at least one of the sections of the one or more subject-associated items based, at least in part, on the first screening data.

12. The system of claim 1, in which the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the first screening data and to adjust a sensitivity level of the at least one controllable information source apparatus of subject-associated item information data based, at least in part, on the first screening data.

13. A surveillance system, comprising:

a first information source apparatus of checked-baggage information data for checked baggage of a person, the checked baggage having been released by the person to an authority associated with a transportation vehicle for storage in the vehicle in a location separate from the person during travel;

at least one controllable information source apparatus, other than the first information source apparatus, of at least one of (a) subject information data derived from the person and (b) carry-on item information data derived from one or more carry-on items other than the person and that the person designates to be taken personally by the person onto the vehicle; and

at least one controller apparatus configured to receive the checked-baggage information data and to adjust an operating parameter of the at least one controllable information source apparatus, other than the first information source apparatus, based, at least in part, on the checked-baggage information data.

14. The system of claim 13, in which the first information source apparatus includes a screening apparatus configured to produce checked-baggage screening data representative of screening at least a portion of the checked baggage, and wherein the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the checked-baggage screening data and to adjust the operation of the operating parameter of the at least one controllable information source apparatus, other than the first information source apparatus, based, at least in part, on the checked-baggage screening data.

15. The system of claim 14, in which the screening apparatus includes an imaging apparatus configured to produce first image data representative of an image of at least a portion of the checked baggage, and wherein the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the first image data and to adjust the operation of the operating parameter of the at least one controllable information source apparatus, other than the first information source apparatus, based, at least in part, on the first image data.

16. The system of claim 15, in which the imaging apparatus is adapted to transmit, toward the checked baggage, electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range of about 30 PHz to about 30,000 PHz.

17. The system of claim 14, in which the screening apparatus is further configured to detect, in the checked baggage, one or more of a metal substance, an explosive substance, a chemical substance, and a feature identifying the person associated with the checked baggage.

18. The system of claim 13, in which the at least one controllable information source apparatus, other than the first information source apparatus, includes a screening apparatus configured to screen at least a portion of the person.

19. The system of claim 18, in which the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the checked-baggage information data and to adjust a sensitivity level of the screening apparatus, based, at least in part, on the checked-baggage information data.

20. The system of claim 18, in which the screening apparatus includes an imaging apparatus configured to produce an image of at least a portion of the person.

21. The system of claim 20, in which the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the checked-baggage information data and to adjust a sensitivity level of the imaging apparatus, based, at least in part, on the checked-baggage information data.

22. The system of claim 20, in which the imaging apparatus is further configured to transmit toward and receive, from the person in a subject position, electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range of about 100 MHz to about 2 THz, from positions spaced from the subject position.

23. The system of claim 18, in which the screening apparatus is further configured to detect, on the person, one or more of a metal substance, an explosive substance, a chemical substance, and a feature identifying the person.

24. The system of claim 13, in which the at least one controllable information source apparatus, other than the first information source apparatus, includes a screening apparatus configured to screen at least a portion of the one or more carry-on items.

25. The system of claim 24, in which the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the checked-baggage information data and to adjust a sensitivity level of the screening apparatus, based, at least in part, on the checked-baggage information data.

26. The system of claim 24, in which the screening apparatus includes an imaging apparatus configured to produce an image of at least a portion of the one or more carry-on items.

27. The system of claim 26, in which the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the checked-baggage information data and to adjust a sensitivity level of the imaging apparatus, based, at least in part, on the checked-baggage information data.

28. The system of claim 26, in which the imaging apparatus is adapted to transmit, toward the one or more subject-associated items, electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range of about 30 PHz to about 30,000 PHz.

29. The system of claim 24, in which the screening apparatus is further configured to detect, in the one or more carry-on items, one or more of a metal substance, an explosive substance, a chemical substance, and a feature identifying the person associated with the one or more carry-on items.

30. The system of claim 24, in which the screening apparatus is further configured to screen a plurality of sections of the one or more carry-on items, and the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the checked-baggage information data and to select, for screening, one or more portions of at least one of the sections of the one or more carry-on items based, at least in part, on the checked-baggage information data.

31. The system of claim 13, in which the at least one controller apparatus is configured to receive the checked-baggage information data and to adjust a sensitivity level of the at least one controllable information source apparatus, other than the first information source apparatus, based, at least in part, on the checked-baggage information data.