Vivid Technologies, Inc.

L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems Corporation

Jeffrey H Stillson

Kristoph D Krug

Jay A Stein

Richard Franklin Eilbert

William F Aitkenhead

John Tortora

A multi-level contraband detection system. At a first level, the system obtains volumetric information about an item under inspection. The volumetric information provides a basis for identifying suspect objects in the item under inspection and their locations. The location information is expressed in a first coordinate system relative to the device used for first level scanning. When first level scanning identifies a suspicious object, the item under inspection is passed to a second level scanner that can take further measurements on the suspicious objects. The second level machine is controlled in a second coordinate system. A translation between the two coordinate systems is obtained by registering a multi-dimensional image obtained at the first level with positioning information obtained at the second level. Registration is performed using a coarse and then a fine registration process for quick and accurate registration.

Method of registration in a contraband detection system

Identifying explosives or other contraband by employing transmitted or

An X-ray inspection device for detecting a specific material of interest (typically contraband, for example, weapons, drugs, money, explosives) in items of various sizes and shapes includes an X-ray source system located at an inspection region and constructed to expose the examined item to at least one beam of X-ray radiation, one or more x-ray detection systems located at the inspection region and constructed to detect x-ray radiation modified by the examined item. The X-ray inspection device also includes one or more dimension detectors constructed to measure a selected dimension of the examined item, an interface system connected to receive X-ray data and dimension data, and a computer programmed to utilize the data for recognition of the specific material of interest and to indicate its presence in the examined item. The X-ray detection systems detect transmitted and/or scattered X-ray radiation utilizing several different geometries. There may be one or more X-ray back-scatter detection systems, or one or more X-ray forward-scatter detection systems detecting X-ray radiation scattered at different angles from different surfaces of the examined item. Each detection system includes one or more arrays of X-ray detectors arranged in a linear, circular or semi-spherical geometry. Each detection system also may be connected to a displacement unit constructed and arranged to move or rotate the detector array to a selected position relative to the inspection region and the examined item.

Detecting explosives or other contraband by employing transmitted and

Growing community of inventors

Nashua, NH, United States of America

Jeffrey H Stillson