Methods for improving processing speed for object inspection

• US 9,880,314 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pfander, Andreas, Hughes, Ronald James
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Allen C.
• Application Number:
  US14/338,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20150030125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 378 53, 378 57
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/20 Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects
• 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

Abstract

The present specification describes methods and systems for inspecting objects by means of penetrating radiation where objects are conveyed through the penetrating radiation and subsequent images of objects are reviewed by an operator. Specifically, the present specification describes a system that decouples the synchronization between cessation of image generation on the display and image acquisition through conveyance of the article. Further, the present specification discloses methods for compensating for image acquisition inefficiencies involving article separation by the queuing conveyor and the post-stop back belt process, resulting in throughput enhancement.

Claims

1. A method of inspecting an object translated forward on a conveyor through an X-ray inspection system, wherein the object is scanned with penetrating radiation to generate scan image data of the object for display on a viewing device such that the scan image data of the object initially scrolls in synchronization with a forward movement of the object, the method comprising:

stopping scrolling of the scan image data of the object on the viewing device by an operator to examine said scan image data of the object;

asynchronously continuing the forward movement of the conveyor for a buffer time B_t to perform a scan process, wherein the scan process collects additional scan image data of the object while the operator is examining said scan image data of the object;

stopping the scan process after the buffer time B_t is over, wherein the buffer time B_t is a function of a system recovery time R_t and wherein the system recovery time R_t is the time from stopping a scan to starting a scan;

storing the additional scan image data of the object in a buffer memory to create a buffered image data of the object until the scan process is started again; and

displaying the buffered image data of the object on the viewing device upon restarting the scan process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said buffer time B_t is 40% to 60% of the system recovery time R_t.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said buffer time B_t is approximately 1.5 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said X-ray inspection system comprises a baggage inspection system.

5. A method of inspecting an object translated forward on a conveyor through an X-ray inspection system, wherein the object is scanned with penetrating radiation to generate scan image data of the object for display on a viewing device, such that the scan image data of the object initially scrolls in synchronization with a forward movement of the object, the method comprising:

stopping scrolling of the scan image data of the object on the viewing device by an operator to examine said scan image data of the object;

asynchronously continuing the forward movement of the conveyor for a buffer time B_t to collect additional scan image data of at least one queued object while the operator is examining said scan image data of the object, wherein the buffer time B_t is a function of a recovery time R_t from stopping a scan to starting a scan;

storing said additional scan image data of the at least one queued object in a memory until scrolling of scan image data of the object is started again; and

displaying said stored additional scan image data of the at least one queued object on the viewing device upon restarting scrolling of scan image data of the object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein asynchronously continuing the forward movement of the conveyor to collect additional scan image data of at least one queued object comprises asynchronously continuing the forward movement of the conveyor for a time period of approximately 1.5 seconds.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said X-ray inspection system comprises a baggage inspection system.

8. A method of inspecting at least one object being moved forward on a conveyor through an X-ray inspection system, wherein a first object is scanned with penetrating radiation to generate scan image data of the first object for display on a viewing device such that the scan image data of the first object initially scrolls in synchronization with a forward movement of the first object, the method comprising:

stopping scrolling of the scan image data of the first object on the viewing device by an operator to examine said scan image data of said first object;

asynchronously continuing the forward movement of the conveyor for a buffer time B_t to perform a scan process, wherein the scan process collects additional scan image data of a second object while the operator is examining said scan image data of said first object, wherein the buffer time B_t is a function of a system recovery time R_t, and wherein the system recovery time R_t is the time from stopping a scan to starting a scan;

stopping the scan process after collecting the additional scan image data of said second object;

storing said additional scan image data of the second object in a memory until the scan process is started again; and

displaying said stored additional scan image data of the second object on the viewing device upon restarting the scan process.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein asynchronously continuing the forward movement of the conveyor for a buffer time B_t to collect additional scan image data of a second object comprises asynchronously continuing the forward movement of the conveyor for a time period of approximately 1.5 seconds.

10. A method of inspecting at least one object being moved forward on a conveyor through an X-ray inspection system, wherein a first object is scanned with penetrating radiation to generate scan image data of the first object for display on a viewing device such that the scan image data of the first object initially scrolls in synchronization with a forward movement of the first object, the method comprising:

stopping scrolling of the scan image data of the first object on the viewing device by an operator to examine said scan image data of said first object;

asynchronously continuing the forward movement of the conveyor for a buffer time B_t to collect additional scan image data of a second object while the operator is examining said scan image data of said first object, wherein the buffer time B_t is a function of a system stop to system start transition time;

storing said additional scan image data of the second object in a memory until the scrolling of scan image data of the first object is started again;

repeating the steps of collecting additional scan image data and storing said additional scan image data for a third through an nth objects until the buffer time B is over; and

displaying said stored additional scan image data of said third through said nth objects on the viewing device upon restarting scrolling of scan image data of the first object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the buffer time B_t is equivalent to an operator'"'"'s average decision review time D_t.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the buffer time B_t is approximately 5 seconds.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein asynchronously continuing the forward movement of the conveyor for a buffer time B_t comprises continuing the forward movement of the conveyor until the first object reaches an access area, wherein the first object can be physically accessed.