Automated target recognition based body scanner using database scans

• US 10,445,591 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tek84 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tek84 Engineering Group, LLC (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Steven Winn
• Primary Examiner(s): Osifade, Idowu O
• Application Number:
  US15/726,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20190108403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/07 Target detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

Body scanners are used in airports and other secured facilities to detect weapons, explosives, and other security threats hidden under persons'"'"' clothing. These devices use x-rays, millimeter waves and other radiant energy to produce an electronic image of the person'"'"'s body and any concealed objects. Examination of these images by human analysts is slow, expensive, and subject to privacy concerns. The Invention provides automated analysis by comparing each image against a database of previous scans, using a plurality of subjects with different body types. This comparison is facilitated by digitally mapping each body scanner image to humanoid coordinates. This overcomes the failings of the prior art by allowing each anatomic location on one person to be referenced to the same anatomic location on all other persons.

Claims

1. A method for performing automated target recognition using a body scanner, comprising:

acquiring database scans;

converting said database scans to humanoid coordinates;

acquiring subject scan;

converting said subject scan to said humanoid coordinates;

comparing converted subject scan to converted database scans; and

identifying features in said converted subject scan that occur outside a threshold in said converted database scans.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said comparing comprises consolidating said database scans into statistical representations.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said features comprise image edges.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said comparing comprises evaluating said image edges according to one or more of angle, location, and sharpness.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said humanoid coordinates are derived from a body outline.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said humanoid coordinates comprise a mapping from the coordinates of the database scans.

7. An apparatus for searching a person entering a security controlled area, comprising:

a body scanner producing an electronic image of the person'"'"'s body;

a digital computer, said digital computer converting said electronic image into humanoid coordinates, and said digital computer comparing converted electronic image against a database to detect image features that occur outside a threshold in said converted electronic image;

said converted electronic image and said database comprising said humanoid coordinates, wherein said humanoid coordinates represent a spatial frame-of-reference matched to the human body; and

an annunciator responsive to the detection of said detected image features that occur outside a threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said body scanner examines said person with backscatter and transmission x-ray radiation.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said spatial frame-of-reference matched to the human body is derived from an outline of said person'"'"'s body.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said database comprises a plurality of images representative of human bodies.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said database comprises a statistical representation of different human body types.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said detected image features comprise edges.

13. A method for detecting security threats on a person, comprising:

producing a database, said database comprising common features of the human body;

converting said database into humanoid coordinates;

producing a subject image, said subject image comprising features of the person'"'"'s body;

converting said subject image into humanoid coordinates; and

comparing converted subject image against converted database.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said humanoid coordinates are derived from bilateral fiducials.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said humanoid coordinates comprise a body outline.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said comparing comprises an image warping between scanner coordinates and said humanoid coordinates.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said database comprises a statistical mean and a standard deviation of said common features of a human body.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said common features of a human body comprise edges.