Apparatus and method for attenuating high energy radiation based on detected vehicle type

• US 8,586,955 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ko Khee Tay
• Original Assignee: Ko Khee Tay
• Inventors: Tay, Ko Khee
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnston, Phillip A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PURINTON, BROOKE J
• Application Number:
  US12/888,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 250/515.1, 378/20
• US Class Current: 250/515.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/22 Active interrogation, i.e. by irradiating objects or goods using external radiation sources, e.g. using gamma rays or cosmic rays
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 3/00 Shielding characterised by its physical form, e.g. granules, or shape of the material

Abstract

An apparatus for attenuating high energy radiation including an attenuation member for attenuating high energy radiation in a high energy radiation field emitted from a high energy radiation source towards a subject. A control unit is provided for selectively activating the attenuation member. A method for attenuating high energy radiation is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for attenuating high energy radiation during vehicle inspection, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of attenuation members for attenuating high energy radiation in a corresponding plurality of portions of a high energy radiation field emitted from a high energy radiation source towards a subject vehicle; and

a control unit for determining the corresponding plurality of portions of the high energy radiation field to be attenuated by the plurality of attenuation members

based on comparison between the type of the vehicle as identified from an image of the vehicle and predefined criteria for the type of the vehicle defined prior to activation of one or more of the plurality of attenuation members, and

for selectively activating the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members to attenuate the determined corresponding plurality of portion of the high energy radiation field;

wherein the predefined criteria corresponds to typical driver and passenger locations in the type of the vehicle and the attenuating of the high energy radiation in the determined corresponding plurality of portions shields each of the typical driver and passenger locations separately.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 configured to identify a zone of the vehicle to pass the high energy radiation field, the control unit being configured to activate the one or more of the plurality of the attenuation members thereby to attenuate high energy radiation in the high energy radiation field directed towards the zone of the vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 configured to identify the zone of the vehicle from an image of the vehicle, the image comprising data relating to a vehicle user and for the control unit to activate the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members in dependence of information derived from a series of images of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to activate the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members in dependence of information derived from a reference image.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 configured to activate the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members when a point in the zone crosses a predetermined point in the high energy radiation field.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members is arranged to be deployed into and retracted from the high energy radiation field.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a partition having an aperture for the high energy radiation field to pass therethrough, and the apparatus is arranged for the one or more of the plurality of the attenuation members to attenuate the determined corresponding plurality of portions of the high energy radiation field passing through the aperture.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a housing for housing the plurality of attenuation members, the apparatus being arranged for the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members to be selectively activated by being deployed from within the housing and to be deactivated by being retracted into the housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an image receptor for acquiring data for producing a radiographic image 5 of the vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a guideway for directing the vehicle into the high energy radiation field in a preferred orientation.

21. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the series of images comprises a first image of the vehicle at a first point approaching the high energy radiation field and a second image of the vehicle at a second point approaching the high energy radiation field, and the control unit is configured to calculate a speed of approach of the vehicle from the first image and the second image and to activate the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members in dependence of the calculated speed of approach.

11. A method for attenuating high energy radiation during vehicle inspection, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of portions of a high energy radiation field to be attenuated by a plurality of attenuation members based on comparison between type of a vehicle as identified from an image of the vehicle and predefined criteria for the type of the vehicle defined prior to activation of one or more of the plurality of attenuation members for attenuation, the high energy radiation field being emitted from a high energy radiation source towards the vehicle; and

selectively activating the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members under control of a control unit to attenuate the determined plurality of portions of high energy radiation in the high energy radiation field;

wherein the predefined criteria corresponds to typical driver and passenger locations in the type of the vehicle and the selectively activating the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members to attenuate the determined plurality of portions of high energy radiation shields each of the typical driver and passenger locations separately;

calculating a speed of approach of the subject from a first image of the subject at a first point approaching the high energy radiation field and a second image of the subject at a second point approaching the high energy radiation field; and

activating the attenuation member in dependence of the calculated speed of approach.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying a zone of the vehicle passing through the high energy radiation field; and

activating the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members to attenuate high energy radiation in the high energy radiation field directed towards the zone of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

identifying the zone of the vehicle from an image of the vehicle, the image comprising data relating to a vehicle user; and

activating the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members in dependence of information derived from a series of images of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

activating the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members in dependence of information derived from a reference image.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

activating the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members when a point in the zone crosses a predetermined point in the high energy radiation field.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

selectively activating the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members by deploying the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members into the high energy radiation field and retracting the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members from the high energy radiation field.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

attenuating the determined plurality of portions of the high energy radiation field passing through an aperture of a partition.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

selectively activating one or more of the plurality of attenuation members to be deployed from within a housing and to be deactivated by being retracted into the housing.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

using an image receptor to acquire data for producing a radiographic image of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

using a guideway to direct the vehicle into the high energy radiation field in a preferred orientation.

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

calculating a speed of approach of the vehicle from a first image of the vehicle at a first point approaching the high energy radiation field and a second image of the vehicle at a second point approaching the high energy radiation field; and

activating the one or more of the plurality of attenuation members in dependence of the calculated speed of approach.