Methods and systems for generating three-dimensional images that enable improved visualization and interaction with objects in the three-dimensional images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12056840-B2
Application number	US-202318156159-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2023
Priority date	Jan 20, 2020
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

In some embodiments, the present specification describes methods for displaying a three-dimensional image of an isolated threat object or region of interest with a single touch or click and providing spatial and contextual information relative to the object, while also executing a view dependent virtual cut-away or rendering occluding portions of the reconstructed image data as transparent. In some embodiments, the method includes allowing operators to associate audio comments with a scan image of an object. In some embodiments, the method also includes highlighting a plurality of voxels, which are indicative of at least one potential threat item, in a mask having a plurality of variable color intensities, where the intensities may be varied based on the potential threat items.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of generating and displaying a modified scan image of an object, the method comprising:
presenting, to an operator, an original scan image on a graphical interface, wherein a plurality of voxels in said original scan image are highlighted in at least one mask, wherein said plurality of voxels are indicative of at least one potential threat item, wherein said at least one mask has a first intensity of color, and wherein said graphical interface has an actuator that is configured to enable a modulation of said first intensity to a plurality of intensities between a maximum intensity and a minimum intensity;
receiving a first input via said actuator to modulate said first intensity to a second intensity of the color of said at least one mask, wherein said second intensity is less than said first intensity;
receiving a second input via said actuator to modulate said second intensity to a third intensity of the color of said at least one mask, wherein said third intensity is less than said second intensity;
receiving a third input via said actuator to modulate said third intensity to said first intensity of the color of said at least one mask to generate the modified scan image; and
displaying the modified scan image.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first intensity is representative of a lowest level of transparency of the color of said at least one mask.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said third intensity is representative of a highest level of transparency of the color of said at least one mask.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, at said second intensity, a visibility of said at least one potential threat item increases compared to a visibility of said at least one potential threat item at said first intensity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the first input via the actuator to modulate said first intensity to said second intensity of the color of said at least one mask causes an increase in transparency of the color of said at least one mask, thereby displaying the object hidden behind said at least one mask.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a mask control slider displayed via the graphical interface and wherein a manipulation of said mask control slider causes an increase or decrease in an intensity or a blend factor of said at least one mask.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein moving said mask control slider downwards by the operator causes an increase in transparency of the color of said at least one mask.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein moving said mask control slider upwards by the operator causes a decrease in transparency of the color of said at least one mask.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein moving said mask control slider in a first direction causes an increase in transparency of the color of said at least one mask and moving said mask control slider in a second direction causes a decrease in transparency of the color of said at least one mask, wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the second input via the actuator to modulate said second intensity to the third intensity of the color of said at least one mask comprises increasing a transparency of said at least one mask to the minimum intensity in order to reveal the object covered by said at least one mask.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the minimum intensity results in removing an intensity or the blend factor of said at least one mask.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein revealing the object comprises revealing areas of the object indicative of a threat item.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the first input via the actuator to modulate said first intensity to said second intensity of the color of said at least one mask comprises manipulating a blend factor of said at least one mask.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein highlighting said plurality of voxels in said original scan image in said at least one mask comprises highlighting the voxels in a predefined color.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said plurality of voxels in said original scan image corresponding to a potential threat object are highlighted in a first color.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said plurality of voxels in said original scan image corresponding to a metallic object are highlighted in a second color.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one mask having said first intensity of color hides a surface and an original image of the object.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said first intensity of color represents said at least one mask having a blend factor or an intensity at a pre-set value so that threat detection results are completely overlaid on the object and the threat region is displayed with at a full intensity level.

Assignees

• Rapiscan Systems Inc

Inventors

• Sivakumar Mala
• Brown Thomas
• Krishnan Karthik

Classifications

• G06T12/30

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• G01N2223/421

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