My Note: Thanks to InvestorVillage poster bucktailjig for providing a link to this patent application. I have reposted only a small portion of the application below. (A link to original filing which contains illustrations, is also found at the bottom of this post.)
http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/description?CC=WO&NR=2013142853A1&KC=A1&FT=D&ND=1&date=20130926&DB=&locale=en_EP
SYSTEM AND METHOD TO DETECT ANOMALIES
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The system and method relates to anomaly detection for detecting anomalous objects on the body of a person.
2. Description of the Known Art
[0002] Computerized tomography ("CT") imaging has been employed for nondestructive examination of various types of articles, such as contraband, which may be hidden inside luggage. However, CT systems emit X-rays, which may pose a health risk to the operators of such systems, as well as passengers who may be standing near the system, and hence CT systems generally include some type of shield to protect the operators and passengers ionizing radiation.
Moreover, although CT systems are capable of analyzing the density of an article, along with other characteristics of the shape and volume of the article, these systems do not have spectroscopic capabilities, and therefore cannot analyze the chemical compositions of the articles. Furthermore, X-rays are not sensitive to the optical traits that result from the article's refractive index and absorption coefficient. These properties, if measurable, can yield unique, high- contrast images and reveal much about the reflective, absorptive and scattering properties of material.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0003] The system and method to detect anomalies is intended to detect anomalous objects on the body of a person without the need for imaging, and the associated privacy concerns. The primary target area for inspection is the head covered by headwear that was not removed prior to security screening. In addition it is expected that this system could also be used to inspect sensitive areas, such as the chest, groin and buttocks.
[0004] The system is a device that is capable of detecting an anomaly on the body of a person during security screening. An anomaly is defined as any object on any part of the body that is not a natural occurring part of the body and has not been removed during the screening process. The term anomaly is meant to separate the concept of identifying a specific threat (e.g. explosive, gun, etc.) from simply detecting a foreign object on the body that could be a threat.
[0005] This system and method provides for interrogating a point location on the human body and detecting objects under the clothes without the need for imaging. This system and method described includes a hand held portion which will be used to interrogate the suspect location.
[0006] There are up to four primary guidelines that have governed the system and method of operation: (1 ) the system and method are designed to detect anomalies on the body underneath clothing, specifically in the head-region and sensitive areas of the body (groin, buttocks, and breast areas) without violating privacy and religious concerns, (2) the system and method are intended to allow operation by a single screening officer to provide targeted screening of a passenger; (3) the system and method have a small footprint, and is small enough to be portable for screening in areas other than the checkpoint; and (4) the system and method detect a "signature" of the anomaly, which means that the detection occurs without an image or image interpretation. [0007] While it is expected that the system will be deployed at a security checkpoint, the size of the unit and the flexibility of the umbilical connection of the handheld unit will make it compatible with a number of deployment scenarios, such as spot checks at gates, or integration with existing portals. For example, the unit could be deployed on top of an existing portal with the handheld unit available to conduct secondary screening.
[0008] The application for the system and method is the examination of clothing and in particular, religious headwear in a security checkpoint
environment. The unit is portable, and designed to be used by a single operator. The examination is conducted in order to locate sub-surface objects that may constitute a threat as defined later.
[0009] There are up to three primary functional requirements that compose the system and method capability: (1 ) detect anomalies in the head-region possibly concealed by clothing on or off the body; and in particular religious headwear, wigs, hats, caps or scarves - other uses would be to detect anomalies in casts and prosthesis; (2) allow a single screening officer to provide targeted screening of a passenger with minimal equipment footprint, minimal staffing, ease-of-use, and potential portability for screening in areas other than the checkpoint; and (3) perform detection while not tied to an image or image interpretation.
[0010] If a wearer of clothing (such as religious headwear) is designated for inspection, they will be taken aside and examined using the system and method. While this system and method are designed for use in a public checkpoint environment, it is also suitable for any location where standard power is available. The system does not require a fixed installation. It can be relocated to wherever needed.
[0011] The system for detecting anomalies concealed upon a person may include a detection probe having an electromagnetic transmitter and an electromagnetic receiver. The electromagnetic transmitter is configured to emit electromagnetic pulses, while the electromagnetic receiver is configured to sample electromagnetic pulses from the electromagnetic receiver at specified times within a waveform window. The electromagnetic pulses may span the terahertz spectral region of 0.04 to 4 THz. The system may also have optical fibers connected to the electromagnetic transmitter and electromagnetic receiver, wherein femtosecond laser pulses are directed from a source to the
electromagnetic transmitter and the electromagnetic receiver by the optical fibers.
[0012] The system may also include an objective optic incorporated in the detection probe for directing the pulsed electromagnetic radiation through a concealment stack and collecting reflections of the concealment stack at a defined distance. The detection probe may be focused at the depth of concealed skin of the person without the exterior of the detection probe contacting a top of the concealment stack. The transmitter and receiver may then be configured in a monostatic reflection geometry with respect to an objective optic.
[0013] The system may also include a time domain data acquisition system in communication with the receiver. The time domain data acquisition system configured to capture reflections from a range thickness of the concealment stack, the waveform window having the reflection time corresponding to the focus of the objective lens. [0014] The concealment stack over the skin of the person may include clothing or coverings sufficiently small thickness, density or mass, wherein time domain data acquisition system determines the concealment stack to not contain an anomaly or a shield. The clothing or coverings may include natural or synthetic cloth, leather, rubber, vinyl, paper, plastic and/or other thin fibers, sheets or weaves.
[0015] The concealment stack further have one or more intereferent components located at any position within the concealment stack and composed of material of the same type as an anomaly or shield. The time domain data acquisition system is then configured to determine that the intereferent is smaller in volume, density, or mass than a threshold value to be considered an anomaly. The concealment stack further include one or more anomaly placed at any level within the concealment stack, where the anomaly is an object of greater thickness, lateral extent, volume, density, or mass than a threshold value.
[0016] The time domain data acquisition system may be configured to choose a quantitative threshold for thickness, lateral extent; volume, density, or mass to be considered an anomaly by scaling thresholds to electromagnetic properties of the anomaly material in comparison to a benign material in the concealment stack and evaluating the measurement from the system as an anomaly when the waveform contains one or more features indicating that an object within the concealment stack exceeds the scaled thresholds.
[0017] The system may also include a light source that projects an illuminated pattern onto the concealment stack on the person under test indicating a region of inspection. [0018] The system may also have a compensator located between the source and the electromagnetic transmitter or electromagnetic receiver, wherein the compensator compensates the pulses so that the pulses are sufficiently short at the electromagnetic transmitter or electromagnetic receiver. The compensator may be a grating sequence, a prism sequence, a grism sequence, a fiber bragg grating, or anomalous dispersion fiber.
[0019] The system may also have a sensor connected to the detection probe, wherein the sensor is configured to provide coordinates of the detection probe's position in one or more dimensions of space or angle. Additionally or
alternatively, the sensor may be configured to detect in a different modality than the waveforms reflected from the concealment stack and interrogate a
substantially same region of concealment stack on the person.
[0020] The system may also include a secondary transmitter connected to the detection, wherein the secondary transmitter if configured to emit alpha, beta, x- ray, or gamma rays.
Read the remainder of the patent here:
http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=WO&NR=2013142853A1&KC=A1&FT=D&ND=1&date=20130926&DB=&locale=en_EP
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