Container screening system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656125-B2
Application number	US-201816185572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2018
Priority date	Oct 17, 2013
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for interrogating a liquid in a container. In one embodiment, methods are provided to interrogate and identify a container material type and a liquid within a container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for detecting if a sample is hazardous, comprising:
a holder for supporting a container comprising a sample to be detected, wherein the container is disposed at a position directly above a sensor pad;
a radio frequency (RF) transmitter connected to a first portion of the sensor pad, the RF transmitter configured to send a RF signal to the position above the sensor pad to render a reflected RF signal waveform from the position above the sensor pad;
a radio receiver connected to a second portion of the sensor pad, the radio receiver configured to detect the reflected RF signal waveform rendered from the position above the sensor pad; and
a controller including a memory for storing a baseline reflected RF signal waveform, wherein the baseline reflected RF signal waveform is received when the RF signal is reflected off in air from the position above the sensor pad without the container or the sample;
a comparison device configured to compare the reflected RF signal waveform and the baseline reflected RF signal waveform to determine if the sample is present in the container which is disposed above the sensor pad and the container being supported by the holder, and the comparison device is further configured to compare the reflected RF signal waveform and the baseline RF signal waveform to determine if the sample is hazardous.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller further includes a processor configured to continuously monitor the reflected RF signal waveform and compare the reflected RF signal waveform to the baseline reflected RF waveform to detect the sample.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
conduct a discrete Fourier analysis on the baseline reflected RF waveform to convert the baseline reflected RF waveform into a transformed baseline waveform; continuously conduct a discrete Fourier analysis on the reflected RF signal waveform to convert the reflected RF signal waveform into a transformed reflected waveform;
to calculate a changing ratio of the transformed reflected waveform to the transformed baseline waveform; and
determine when the changing ratio passes a preset threshold to indicate a presence of the sample.

4. A method of detecting a presence of a sample in a screening system used to analyze
contents of liquid-filled containers, the method comprising:
continuously monitoring a reflected signal waveform;
conducting a discrete Fourier analysis on a baseline reflected waveform to convert the baseline reflected waveform into a transformed baseline waveform;
continuously conducting a discrete Fourier analysis on the reflected signal waveform to convert the reflected signal waveform into a transformed reflected waveform;
calculating a changing ratio of the transformed reflected waveform to the transformed baseline waveform;
determining when the changing ratio passes a preset threshold thus indicating the presence of the sample; and
comparing the reflected signal waveform and the baseline reflected waveform to determine if the sample is hazardous.

5. A method of detecting metal in a sample in a screening system used to analyze contents of liquid-filled containers, the method comprising:
sending radio frequency signals through a sensor pad to a container to analyze liquid contents contained therein, wherein the container is disposed over the sensor pad;
detecting a reflected signal waveform through the sensor;
conducting a Fast Fourier Transformation of the reflected signal waveform to generate a signal transform;
conducting a Fast Fourier Transformation of a baseline reflected signal to generate a baseline transform;
calculating ratios of the signal transform to the baseline transform at different frequencies; and
analyzing the reflected signal waveform to determine if the reflected signal waveform has a first peak saturation and a first minimum change that is greater than a preset voltage, and by applying a partial least squares algorithm to the ratios to determine if Partial Lest Squares<−0.05 and R8>0.75.

6. An apparatus for detecting if a sample is hazardous comprising:
a holder for supporting a container comprising the sample;
a radio frequency transmitter configured to send a signal to a position above a sensor pad so that a reflected signal waveform is produced;
a radio frequency receiver configured to detect the reflected signal waveform; and a controller including a memory for storing a baseline reflected signal waveform, a comparison device configured to compare the reflected signal waveform and the baseline reflected signal waveform to determine if the sample is present and being supported by the holder and further configured to compare the reflected signal waveform and the baseline signal waveform to determine if the sample is hazardous, wherein the baseline reflected signal waveform is produced when the signal is reflected off of air;
wherein the controller further includes a processor configured to continuously monitor the reflected signal waveform and compare the reflected signal waveform to the baseline reflected waveform to detect the sample, wherein the processor is further configured to: conduct a discrete Fourier analysis on the baseline reflected waveform to convert the baseline reflected waveform into a transformed baseline waveform; continuously conduct a discrete Fourier analysis on the reflected waveform to convert the reflected waveform into a transformed reflected waveform;
calculate a changing ratio of the transformed reflected waveform to the transformed baseline waveform; determine when the changing ratio passes a preset threshold thus indicating a presence of the sample.

7. A method for detecting a substance in a container, the method comprising:
measuring a first diameter of the container prior to bringing delay lines associated with an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver into contact with the container;
measuring a second diameter of the container when the delay lines come into contact with the container;
determining a difference between the first measured diameter and the second measured diameter of the container;
transmitting, at the ultrasonic transmitter, an ultrasonic signal at the container;
receiving, at the ultrasonic receiver, the transmitted ultrasonic signal; and
evaluating the received ultrasonic signal and the determined difference to detect the substance in the container.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the evaluating comprises evaluating the received ultrasonic signal for one of an inversion of the received ultrasonic signal, a reflected peak of the received ultrasonic signal, an increase in an amplitude and shift of the received ultrasonic signal, an increase in the amplitude with no shift of the received ultrasonic signal, and a decrease in the amplitude with a leftward shift of the received ultrasonic signal.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the substance is one of glass and a plastic.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the evaluating comprises evaluating the received ultrasonic signal for one of a decrease in amplitude with a leftward shift of the received ultrasonic signal and an increase in amplitude with no shift of the received ultrasonic signal.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising positioning the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver and/or the delay lines associated with the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver into contact with the container.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the evaluating comprises evaluating the received ultrasonic signal for one of an inversion of the received ultrasonic signal, a reflected peak of the received u

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Pirkle Wesley C
• Shoaf Richard L

Classifications

• G01N2291/102

  one emitter, one receiver · CPC title

• G01N29/44 Primary

  Processing the detected response signal {, e.g. electronic circuits specially adapted therefor (digital signal processing per se G06F17/00)} · CPC title

• G01N2291/048

  Transmission, i.e. analysed material between transmitter and receiver · CPC title

• G01N2291/044

  Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects · CPC title

• G01N29/02

  Analysing fluids (using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14 {; constructional or flow details for analysing fluids G01N29/222; optoacoustic fluid cells G01N29/2425}) · CPC title