X-ray inspection systems with enhanced brightness control

• US 8,406,520 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Heimann GmbH (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Heimann GmbH (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Henkel, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANSARI, TAHMINA N
• Application Number:
  US11/870,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/173
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/20 Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects

Abstract

A method for improving detail detectability in x-ray images is provided, whereby by means of an x-ray inspection device a positive x-ray image of an object is made, the x-ray image is subdivided into an object region and an empty region, and the empty region of the x-ray image is darkened.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing detail detectability in x-ray images, the method comprising:

providing, via an x-ray inspection device, a positive x-ray image of a suitcase or other container under examination for one or more items of interest therein, the positive x-ray image having a brightness that is inversely related to x-ray beam attenuation;

subdividing the x-ray image into an object region and an empty region, the object region including the suitcase or other container under examination and the items of interest therein, and the empty region excluding the suitcase or other container under examination and the items of interest therein; and

darkening the empty region of the x-ray image relative to the object region.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the darkening of the empty region is turned on by a viewer of the x-ray image.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the darkening of the empty region occurs automatically.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the degree of darkening is variable.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the object region or the empty region of the x-ray image is determined via image processing.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the object region or the empty region of the x-ray image is determined by sensors, photoelectric sensors or distance sensors.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object region and the empty region are approximated by rectangles.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a contour of the suitcase or other container is detected precisely and reproduced.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a clearance distance is provided between the determined contour of the suitcase or other container and a separation between the object region and empty region in the x ray image.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the darkening of the empty region is adjustable via image processing software.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the other container includes one or more pieces of luggage.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more items of interest correspond to dangerous contraband contained in the suitcase or other container.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein darkening the empty region of the x-ray image relative to the object region comprises darkening the empty region while maintaining a brightness of the object region.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the empty region of the x-ray image is darkened according to a darkening factor.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the empty region of the x-ray image is darkened by replacing image information in the empty region with a uniform color.

10. An x-ray inspection system comprising:

an x-ray inspection device;

a display device for displaying a positive x-ray image of a suitcase or other container under examination for one or more items of interest therein, the positive x-ray image having a brightness that is inversely related to x-ray beam attenuation, wherein the x-ray image is subdivided into an object region and an empty region, the object region including the suitcase or other container under examination and the items of interest therein, and the empty region excluding the suitcase or other container under examination and the items of interest therein; and

a device for determining and darkening the empty region of the x-ray image relative to the object region.

11. The inspection system according to claim 10, further comprising an actuating element for darkening of the empty region.

12. The x-ray inspection system according to claim 10, further comprising an actuating element for influencing a degree of darkening of the empty region.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code, which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform operations for enhancing detail detectability in x-ray images, the computer-readable medium comprising:

code for analyzing a positive x-ray image of a suitcase or other container under examination from an x-ray inspection device for one or more items of interest therein, the positive x-ray image having a brightness that is inversely related to x-ray beam attenuation;

code for subdividing the x-ray image into an object region and an empty region, the object region including the suitcase or other container under examination and the items of interest therein, and the empty region excluding the suitcase or other container under examination and the items of interest therein; and

code for darkening the empty region of the x-ray image relative to the object region.