Integration of inspection scanners to cargo container processing system for efficient processing and scanning of cargo containers at a port

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10416341-B2
Application number	US-201715621980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	Jun 13, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for the deployment and operation of shipping container scanning systems that enables scanning of containers passing through a modern, highly automated port without impeding the flow of commerce. Locating the scanners where container dwell time is already longest, and configuring scanners to scan up to several containers in parallel but under separate scanning control, minimizes any delay associated with scanning. Operationally integrating scanning systems with the automated logistical port systems ensures smooth, delay-free operation. Controlling the flow of information so that scanning results, including but not limited to images and assessments of the presence or absence of threat material or contraband, are sent only to government Customs and/or security facilities adjacent to but separate from the port insulates port operators from involvement in activities that could slow container throughput.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for scanning containers as part of processing inbound containers from a ship in a container terminal of a port, the method comprising:
off-loading containers from a ship onto one end of a yard stack closest to the ship;
obtaining information on each container including container identification number and container manifest;
prior to placing a container in the yard stack for ground shipping, operating a container scanner at the one end of the yard stack closest to the ship to scan the container to obtain information on the scanned container to indicate whether the container contains one or more suspect regions or objects,
wherein the container scanner includes a charged particle tomography scanner operated based on muons from cosmic rays, and
wherein the operating of the container scanner to scan the container comprises:
determining a scattering metric of cosmic ray particles interacting with contents of the container to represent a first set of cosmic ray particles entering and exiting the contents of the container;
determining a stopping metric of cosmic ray charged particles interacting with the contents of the container to represent a second set of cosmic ray charged particles entering and stopping inside the contents of the container;
computing a ratio of the scattering metric to the stopping metric to obtain a scattering-to-stopping ratio for the content of the container; and
comparing the determined pair of scattering-to-stopping ratio and the scattering metric against an established scattering-to-stopping-ratio versus the scattering metric relationship for a range of materials to determine whether the contents of the container matches a material in the range of materials;

upon finishing the scanning, placing the scanned container in the yard stack for storage for subsequent ground shipping or onto a truck or train for immediate ground shipping; and
providing information of the scanned container for clearance for ground shipping, wherein the provided information includes the container identification number, the container manifest, and information of the scanning indicating whether the scanned container contains one or more suspect regions or objects.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the obtaining of information on each container is performed while the containers are off-loaded from the ship onto one end of the yard stack.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein:
the container scanner at the end of the yard stack closest to the ship scans one container at a time.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein:
the container scanner at the end of the yard stack closest to the ship scans two or more containers in parallel at a time.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein:
operating the container scanner at the end of the yard stack closest to the ship includes scanning a container during a time between two adjacent pickups by a yard crane handling containers at the yard stack to avoid adding time for scanning the container.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the charged particle tomography scanner includes drift tubes to detect incoming and outgoing cosmic-ray produced charged particles and gamma rays.

7. The method as in claim 6 , further comprising:
operating a gamma ray source to provide a detectable increase in gamma ray counting rate.

8. The method as in claim 6 , further comprising:
detecting, using drift tubes, neutrons emitted from the container, wherein the drift tubes include a neutron sensitive material.

9. The method as in claim 1 , wherein operating the container scanner to scan the container comprises:
obtaining one or more cosmic muon images of the container under inspection;
subtracting a reference cosmic muon image of a reference container that represents a background of the container under inspection from an obtained cosmic muon image of the container under inspection to obtain a subtracted image; and
processing the subtracted image to determine whether the container under inspection contains a target object that is absent from the reference cosmic muon image.

10. The method as in claim 1 , wherein operating the container scanner to scan the container comprises:
measuring energy loss of charged particles that enter and penetrate a volume and charged particles that are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume; and
determining, based on the measured energy loss, a spatial distribution of the charged particles that enter and penetrate a volume and charged particles that are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume.

11. A method to enable scanning of shipping containers transiting a port for threat material or contraband material without slowing down the flow of containers through the port, from ship to exit by land or onto a ship in the case of transshipment, the method comprising:
shuttling a container arriving on an automated guided vehicle (AGV) from a ship into at least one scanning system, wherein the at least one scanning system is located at an end of a yard stack of containers nearest a dock, wherein the at least one scanning system includes a charged particle tomography scanner operated based on muons from cosmic rays;
receiving a container identification and, if available, a container manifest;
scanning the container to analyze the container's contents for the presence of threat material or contraband material, wherein the scanning of the container comprises:
determining a scattering metric of cosmic ray particles interacting with contents of the container to represent a first set of cosmic ray particles entering and exiting the contents of the container;
determining a stopping metric of cosmic ray charged particles interacting with the contents of the container to represent a second set of cosmic ray charged particles entering and stopping inside the contents of the container;
computing a ratio of the scattering metric to the stopping metric to obtain a scattering-to-stopping ratio for the content of the container; and
comparing the determined pair of scattering-to-stopping ratio and the scattering metric against an established scattering-to-stopping-ratio versus the scattering metric relationship for a range of materials to determine whether the contents of the container matches a material in the range of materials;

sending an integrated data package to an offsite customs or security facility; and
shuttling the container out of the scanning system for pickup by a yard crane,
wherein the integrated data package includes: (a) the container identification, (b) the container manifest, (c) raw data related to the contents of the container or processed images of the contents of the container; (d) assessment of the contents of the container in terms of a presence of potential threat material or contraband materials, or (e) a clear signal or alert signal upon which customs or security can act.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the scanning system is configured to accept a plurality of containers side by side and concurrently, up to the number of container rows in the yard stack serviced by the scanning system, and
the scanning system accepts a full forty foot long container for imaging in a single scan.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the scanning system scans adjacent containers for different lengths of time, and
wherein each container is shuttled into and out of the scanner independently.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the scanning of adjacent containers for different lengths of time depends on any one or more of container contents, image quality, and detection confidence level.

Assignees

• Decision Sciences Int Corp

Inventors

• Gallagher Brian
• Sossong Michael James
• Saltus Mark
• Whalen Robert

Classifications

• B65G67/603 Primary

  using devices specially adapted for articles · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G01T1/169

  Exploration, location of contaminated surface areas · CPC title

• B65D88/12

  specially adapted for transport (associated with vehicles, see the relevant subclasses of B60 - B64) · CPC title

• G01V5/0016 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic