Security scanning device

• US 9,551,673 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hillis, W. Daniel, Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant, Casey
• Application Number:
  US14/675,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20150204998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of microwaves or radio waves, i.e. electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of one millimetre or more G01N3/00 - G01N17/00, G01N24/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0654 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B
• 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: G01V 5/222 measuring scattered radiation

Abstract

A method of searching for a threat includes determining a characteristic of a target, determining an allowable dosage based on the characteristic, determining a parameter of a scanning beam based on the allowable dosage with a processing circuit, transmitting the scanning beam toward the target with a scanner, and creating a representation of the target with the processing circuit.

Claims

1. A method for searching for a threat, comprising:

determining a characteristic of a target;

determining a maximum allowable dosage for the target based on the characteristic of the target and a maximum dose exposure limit for the target;

determining a parameter of a scanning beam based on the allowable dosage with a processing circuit;

transmitting the scanning beam toward the target with a scanner; and

creating a representation of the target with the processing circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic includes body structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic includes a pregnancy status.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the characteristic of the target with the processing circuit from at least one of a database, a ticket, and a measurement device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a potential characteristic of the target on an operator interface, wherein the operator interface comprises a graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying an icon corresponding to the potential characteristic of the target on the graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing a characteristic signal from the operator interface to the processing circuit in response to an operator selection associated with the potential characteristic; and

determining the parameter of the scanning beam with the processing circuit using the characteristic signal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising indicating whether the potential characteristic applies to the target using a selector of the operator interface.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the potential characteristic includes at least one of an age, a gender, a weight, a body structure, a pregnancy status, and a medical condition of the target.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an identifier; and

receiving a signal with the identifier, the signal including data indicative of the characteristic of the target,

wherein determining the characteristic of the target includes evaluating the signal received by the identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising alerting an operator of at least one of an error and a threat with an indicator.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicator includes a display, wherein alerting the operator of the at least one of the error and the threat includes illustrating the representation of the target on the display.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein alerting the operator of the at least one of the error and the threat includes illustrating the representation of the target and a plurality of shapes on the display, wherein the plurality of shapes correspond to potential contraband.