METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSESSING CHARACTERISTICS OF LIQUIDS

• US 20120140879A1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vanderlande Industries BV (VIVE BV)
• Original Assignee: Optosecurity Inc.
• Inventors: GUDMUNDSON, Dan, DOYLE, Aidan, PHAM, Vinh Phuc
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/637 liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/639 material in a container
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/643 object on conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/083 the radiation being X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/10 the material being confined in a container, e.g. in a luggage X-ray scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/222 measuring scattered radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/226 using tomography

Abstract

A method to perform security screening at an airport on hand-carried baggage. The method includes requesting passengers with hand carried baggage to remove from the baggage a container that holds a liquid and perform an x-ray inspection on the hand carried baggage and on the container while the container remains outside the baggage. According to the method, the results of the x-ray inspection are used to determine if the baggage contains illegal objects and if the liquid is a security threat.

Claims

1-94. -94. (canceled)

95. ) A system for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container, said system comprising:

a) an input for receiving X-ray image data obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) a computer based logic module for;

i) processing the X-ray image data to derive path length data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

ii) processing the X-ray image data in combination with the path length data to determine the parameter;

c) an output to release data conveying the parameter.

96. ) A system as defined in claim 95, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a density, an X-ray attenuation coefficient and an effective atomic number.

97. ) A system as defined in claim 95, wherein the system comprises an X-ray imaging apparatus including a conveyor belt on which the container holding the liquid to be scanned is placed and which transports the container holding the liquid through the X-ray imaging apparatus, said X-ray imaging apparatus generating said X-ray image data by scanning the container holding the liquid transported on the conveyor belt.

98. ) A system as defined in claim 97, wherein the X-ray imaging apparatus that scans the container holding the liquid is a dual energy X-ray imaging apparatus.

99. ) A system as defined in claim 95, wherein the computer based logic module processes the X-ray image data to extract X-ray attenuation information and processes the X-ray attenuation information and the path length data to derive the parameter.

100. ) A system as defined in claim 95, wherein the computer based logic module processes the X-ray image data to extract X-ray attenuation information indicative of a degree of attenuation of X-rays by the liquid held in the container and processes the X-ray attenuation data and the path length data to derive the parameter.

101. ) A system as defined in claim 99, wherein the X-ray attenuation information includes X-ray attenuation information associated with a first X-ray energy level and X-ray attenuation information associated with a second X-ray energy level, where the first energy level is higher than the second energy level.

102. ) A system as defined in claim 97, wherein the container holding the liquid is scanned in a tray that is carried on the conveyor belt.

103. ) A system as defined in claim 99, wherein the image data conveys a two dimensional image of the container.

104. ) A method for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container, said method comprising:

a) receiving X-ray image data of the container holding the liquid, the X-ray image data being obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) processing the X-ray image data with a computer to;

i) derive path length data at least in part based on the X-ray image data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

ii) processing the X-ray image data in combination with the path length data to determine the parameter;

c) releasing data conveying the parameter.

105. ) A method as defined in claim 104, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a density, an X-ray attenuation coefficient and an effective atomic number.

106. ) A method as defined in claim 104, wherein said X-ray image data is obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid while the container is transported on a conveyor belt of an X-ray imaging apparatus.

107. ) A method as defined in claim 106, wherein the container holding the liquid is scanned in a tray that is carried on the conveyor belt.

108. ) A method as defined in claim 104, wherein said X-ray image data is obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with dual energy X-rays.

109. ) A method as defined in claim 104, including processing the X-ray image data to extract X-ray attenuation information and processing the X-ray attenuation information and the path length data to derive the parameter.

110. ) A method as defined in claim 104, including processing the X-ray image data to extract X-ray attenuation information indicative of a degree of attenuation of X-rays by the liquid held in the container and processing the X-ray attenuation data and the path length data to derive the parameter.

111. ) A method as defined in claim 109, wherein the X-ray attenuation information includes X-ray attenuation information associated with a first X-ray energy level and X-ray attenuation information associated with a second X-ray energy level, where the first energy level is higher than the second energy level.

112. ) A computer readable storage medium for storing a program element suitable for execution by a computing apparatus, said computing apparatus comprising a memory unit and a processor operatively connected to said memory unit, said program element when executing on said processor implementing a method for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container comprising:

a) receiving X-ray image data of the container holding the liquid, the X-ray image data being obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) processing the X-ray image data with a computer to;

i) derive path length data at least in part based on the X-ray image data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

ii) processing the X-ray image data in combination with the path length data to determine the parameter;

c) releasing data conveying the parameter.

113. ) A system for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container, said system comprising:

a) an input for receiving X-ray image data obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) a computer based logic module for;

i) processing the X-ray image data to;

(1) derive X-ray attenuation data indicative of a degree at which X-rays are attenuated by the liquid held in the container;

(2) derive path length data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

ii) deriving the parameter at least in part on the basis of the X-ray attenuation data and the path length data;

c) an output to release data conveying the parameter.

114. ) A system as defined in claim 113, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a density, an X-ray attenuation coefficient and an effective atomic number.

115. ) A system as defined in claim 113, wherein the system comprises an X-ray imaging apparatus including a conveyor belt on which the container holding a liquid to be scanned is placed and which transports the container holding the liquid through the X-ray imaging apparatus, said X-ray imaging apparatus generating said X-ray image data by scanning the container holding the liquid transported on the conveyor belt.

116. ) A system as defined in claim 115, wherein the X-ray imaging apparatus that scans the container holding the liquid is a dual energy X-ray imaging apparatus.

117. ) A system as defined in claim 113, wherein the X-ray attenuation data conveys X-ray attenuation information associated with a first X-ray energy level and X-ray attenuation information associated with a second X-ray energy level, where the first energy level is higher than the second energy level.

118. ) A system as defined in claim 115, wherein the container holding the liquid is scanned in a tray that is carried on the conveyor belt.

119. ) A system as defined in claim 113, wherein the X-ray image data conveys a two dimensional image of the container.

120. ) A method for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container, said method comprising:

a) receiving X-ray image data of the container holding the liquid, the X-ray image data being obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) processing the X-ray image data with a computer to;

i) derive X-ray attenuation data, the X-ray attenuation data being indicative of a degree at which X-rays are attenuated by the liquid held in the container;

ii) derive path length data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

c) process the X-ray attenuation data and the path length data with the computer to derive the parameter;

d) releasing data conveying the parameter from an output of the computer.

121. ) A method as defined in claim 120, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a density, an X-ray attenuation coefficient and an effective atomic number.

122. ) A method as defined in claim 120, wherein said X-ray image data is obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid while the container is transported on a conveyor belt of an X-ray imaging apparatus.

123. ) A method as defined in claim 122, wherein the container holding the liquid is scanned in a tray that is carried on the conveyor belt.

124. ) A method as defined in claim 120, wherein said X-ray image data is obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with dual energy X-rays.

125. ) A method as defined in claim 120, wherein the X-ray attenuation data conveys X-ray attenuation information associated with a first X-ray energy level and X-ray attenuation information associated with a second X-ray energy level, where the first energy level is higher than the second energy level.

126. ) A method as defined in claim 120, wherein the X-ray image data conveys a two dimensional image of the container.