Portable security inspection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9791590-B2
Application number	US-201414169998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2014
Priority date	Jan 31, 2013
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

The present specification discloses a radiographic inspection system for screening an area. The inspection system has a container that defines an enclosed volume, a radiation source positioned within the enclosed volume, a detector array, a movable structure attached to a portion of the base of the container, and a controller programmed to move the movable structure to achieve an optimum height of the radiation source's field of view based upon a plurality of data.

First claim

I claim:

1. An inspection system for screening an object under inspection and configured to be transported on a trailer of a vehicle comprising:
a container with four walls, four corners, a ceiling and a base that defines an enclosed volume, wherein in a stowed position said container rests on the trailer portion of the vehicle and wherein the trailer portion comprises a bracket;
at least one radiation source positioned within said enclosed volume, wherein emissions from said radiation source define a field of view;
at least one detector array positioned within said enclosed volume or physically attached to said container;
a piston positioned in each of said four corners, wherein each piston is positioned to move horizontally from a first retracted state to an extended state;
four legs, each of said four legs attached to said piston in each of the four corners, wherein each of said four legs is adapted to be horizontally extendable outwards from each of said four corners and retractable into each of said four corners based upon a horizontal movement of the attached piston, wherein each of said four legs is vertically extendable to at least one height position from ground level; and
a controller configured to determine said at least one height position using a plurality of data, wherein said plurality of data includes a desired field of view, and to cause each of said four legs to vertically extend to said at least one height position, and wherein at least one the four legs comprises a plate configured to connect to said bracket, thereby securing the container to the trailer.

2. The inspection system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of data further includes at least one of dimensions of the objects under inspection, desired inspection area, detector array configuration, X ray source type, X-ray source configuration, constraining structures, and a presence of people.

3. The inspection system of claim 1 , wherein said container further comprises vertical recesses at each of four corners to accommodate each of said piston and leg.

4. The inspection system of claim 3 , wherein, in a stowed position, each of said piston and leg rests within said vertical recesses, thereby lying at least partially embedded with respect to the vertical walls of said container.

5. The inspection system of claim 1 , wherein in a deployed position, each leg is in contact with the ground and the container is not resting on a trailer portion of a transportation vehicle.

6. The inspection system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one source and said at least one detector array are configured to generate scan information from an object under inspection.

7. The inspection system of claim 1 , wherein once deployed, each leg is telescopically retracted such that said container is in contact with the ground, and two of said four walls are folded down.

8. The inspection system of claim 1 wherein said ceiling is adapted to be vertically extended upwards to form a drive through portal at said surveillance site.

9. The inspection system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one source and said at least one detector array are configured to generate multi-view scan images of an object under inspection.

10. A method of deploying an inspection system comprising: a container with four walls, a ceiling and a base that defines an enclosed volume, wherein said container is stowed on a trailer portion of a transportation vehicle and said trailer portion comprises at least one bracket; at least one radiation source positioned within said enclosed volume, wherein emissions from said radiation source define a field of view; at least one detector array positioned within said enclosed volume or physically attached to said container; and a plurality of legs attached, via pistons, to said container at each of four corners of said container, wherein at least one of said plurality of legs comprises a member that is attached to said bracket, thereby securing the container to said trailer portion, the method comprising:
using at least one of said pistons, extending at least one of said plurality of legs horizontally outwards from said four corners of said container;
using a controller, determine a height position for said plurality of legs using a plurality of data, wherein said plurality of data includes a desired field of view;
based on said determination, extending each of said plurality of legs vertically downwards so that each of said plurality of legs achieves said height position and is in contact with the ground at a surveillance site;
continuing to extend each of said plurality of legs vertically downwards to enable said container to be lifted off from the trailer portion and be supported fully on said plurality of legs at said surveillance site; and,
driving said trailer portion away from said surveillance site.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the height position of said plurality of legs is adjusted to accommodate a plurality of scanning heights.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of data further includes at least one of dimensions of the objects under inspection, desired inspection area, detector array configuration, desired field of view, X-ray source type, X-ray source configuration, constraining structures and the presence of people.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said plurality of legs are adapted to be fully retracted such that said container is positioned at ground level, and wherein two of said four walls of said container are folded down and said ceiling is vertically extended upwards to form a drive through portal at said surveillance site.

Assignees

• Rapiscan Systems Inc

Inventors

• Morton Edward James

Classifications

• G01V5/0016 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01N23/083

  the radiation being X-rays · CPC title

• G01V5/22 Primary

  Active interrogation, i.e. by irradiating objects or goods using external radiation sources, e.g. using gamma rays or cosmic rays · CPC title

• G01V5/222 Primary

  measuring scattered radiation · CPC title

• G01V5/232

  having relative motion between the source, detector and object other than by conveyor (G01V5/226 takes precedence) · CPC title