Methods of Examining an Item of Luggage by Means of an X-Ray Diffraction Method

• US 20090016487A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morpho Detection (Safran SA)
• Original Assignee: Morpho Detection (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Zienert, Gabriel, Schmiegel, Armin, Strecker, Helmut
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/0016 Active interrogation, i.e. using an external radiation source, e.g. using pulsed, continuous or cosmic rays
• 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 invention relates to a method of examining an item of luggage 1, in which an X-ray fluoroscopic image of the whole item of luggage 1 is produced first, then planiform suspect regions 4, 5, 6 in the X-ray fluoroscopic image are determined and the scanning time during the following production of an X-ray diffraction image depends on whether the X-ray beam is located specifically in a planiform suspect region 4, 5, 6, wherein the scanning time heads towards zero outside a planiform suspect region 4, 5, 6 and lasts long enough inside a planiform suspect region 4, 5, 6 to obtain an informative X-ray diffraction image

Claims

1. Method of examining an item of luggage, in which an X-ray fluoroscopic image of the whole item of luggage is produced first, then planiform suspect regions in the X-ray fluoroscopic image are determined and the scanning time during the following production of an X-ray diffraction image depends on whether the X-ray beam is located specifically in a planiform suspect region, wherein the scanning time heads towards zero outside a planiform suspect region and lasts long enough inside a planiform suspect region to obtain an informative X-ray diffraction image.

2. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 1, characterized in that the planiform suspect regions are subjected to a geometric optimization, wherein the respective scanning time depends on the geometry of the planiform suspect regions, the travel time of the diffraction beam in the planiform suspect regions and the beam geometry of the diffraction beam.

3. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 2, characterized in that planiform suspect regions which lie closely alongside each other or overlap are merged with each other to form a single examination area.

4. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 2, characterized in that one planiform suspect region is broken down into several examination areas.

5. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 2, characterized in that the size of at least one planiform suspect region is optimized.

6. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one planiform suspect region is subjected to a contents-based optimization in which the X-ray flow to be expected is determined.

7. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 6, characterized in that the scanning time for every planiform suspect region is fixed according to the X-ray flow to be expected.

8. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 6, characterized in that no X-ray diffraction image is produced of the impenetrable planiform suspect regions.

9. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 2, characterized in that a time-optimized scanning path is calculated for the production of the X-ray diffraction image, using the data obtained from the geometric optimization and the contents-based optimization.

10. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 1, characterized in that, to determine the planiform suspect regions, the X-ray fluoroscopic image of an upstream luggage checking unit with planiform suspect regions given therein is used and the determination of the planiform suspect regions takes place by means of a comparison of an additional X-ray fluoroscopic image, which is taken in the luggage checking unit, with the X-ray fluoroscopic image.

11. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 1, characterized in that information relating to extractable objects, such as their estimated volume, from the X-ray fluoroscopic image are used for the examination decision.

12. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 1, characterized in that, to control a diffraction scan, three-dimensionally resolved density information of an upstream luggage checking unit with CT is used.

13. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 1, characterized in that the X-ray fluoroscopic image is produced by a line scanner, a cone envelope beam or a fan beam.

14. Method of examining an item of luggage according to claim 13, characterized in that the X-ray fluoroscopic image is at least a monoenergetic or double-energy fluoroscopic image.