Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/86—Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/86—Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
  • G01S13/867—Combination of radar systems with cameras
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/887—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/89—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging

Definitions

• the invention relates to security screening and the detection of concealed dielectric and metal objects carried by individuals or in luggage.
• the closest threat detection system to the present invention is the Rapiscan Systems Secure 1000 SP.
• the Secure 1000 SP uses backscatter technology as well as image processing software and an operator interface to screen passengers for a wide range of potential threats including liquids, contraband, ceramics, explosives, narcotics, concealed currency and weapons.
• the Secure 1000 SP generates a front and back scan simultaneously.
• the Secure 1000 SP can detect small objects and threats concealed on a passenger. It can detect organic and inorganic threats, metals and non-metallic objects and can detect concealed liquids, ceramics, weapons, plastic explosives, narcotics, metals, contraband, currency etc.
• the Secure 1000 SP requires one pose with no additional movement by the passenger, a full scan can be completed in seconds.
• the Secure 1000 SP bounces very low dose of x-rays off of a person to generate an image. This image is then analyzed by an operator to identify concealed potential threats.
• the Rapiscan Systems Secure 1000 SP is limited in that it requires a person to be in a single pose for scanning, it requires an operator to determine what threats are present and to review the scanned images, it uses x-rays for scanning, it only performs backscatter and no pass through imaging, at it is designed to work at a security checkpoint as opposed to use in an array where it can scan multiple individuals and their luggage without causing a security bottleneck.
• the Rapiscan Systems Secure 1000 SP is incapable of detecting radiation/nuclear materials.
• the invention comprises security screening devices, systems, and methods, comprising: a portal, said portal comprising two side pillars electronically connected preferably with either an overhead beam (i.e., arch) or a floor/under-floor cable duct, said portal forming an inspection area, each one of said two side pillars comprising a linear array of two or more millimeter- wave emitters, preferably of 16-256 millimeter- wave emitters; a linear array of two or more millimeter-wave receivers, may also preferably including one or more magnetometers, one or more video cameras, a radio frequency generation, distribution and demodulation module, and a data acquisition processor and an imaging processor, said overhead beam (or a separate third pillar, if no overhead beam) comprising a power input system and a calculation processor, said emitters transmitting cyclic broadband radio wave signals towards two or more said receivers located either on an opposite one of said two side pillars or on the same side pillar, said receivers sensing said cyclic broadband radio wave signals, said
• FIG.1 shows an exemplary diagram of the portal according to the present invention.
• FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention with an overhead beam.
• FIG. 2A shows an embodiment of the present invention without an overhead beam.
• FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the image obtained from a dielectric attached to the body in the “reflection” mode. 21 - body; 22 - dielectric; 23 - emitter; 24 - receiver; 25 - 2D image; 26 - selected pattern; A - the radio wave reflected from the body; B - the radio wave reflected from the body after passing through the dielectric; C - the radio wave reflected from the dielectric.
• FIG. 4 shows Schematic view of the image obtained from a dielectric attached to the body in the “transmission” mode. 21 - body; 22 - dielectric; 23 - emitter; 24 - receiver ; 25 - 2D image; 26 - selected pattern; D - the radio wave passing above or below the dielectric; E - the radio wave passing through the dielectric.
• FIG. 5 shows an example distribution of anomalies detected by the present invention for a target with an object of interest (lighter part of the histogram) and a target without any object of interest (dark part of the histogram in the left part of the figure).
• FIG. 6 shows an example of a resulting graph of the passive magnetometry system of the present invention, after a time sweep of three magnetic field components (Bx, By, Bz) from a sensor when a target with a magnetized object passes through the portal of the device.
• the horizontal axis shows the time, in seconds, while the vertical axis shows the value of the magnetic field component in nanoTesla (nT).
• FIG. 7 shows the software interaction diagram of the present invention.
• the present patent application deals with millimeter- wave emitters that irradiate the range 0.3 - 300 GHz and receivers receive radiation in this range.
• the preferred operation range is 10- 20 GHz.
• the present invention is implemented in the form of a portal structure having side pillars 100 and an optional overhead beam 110 connecting said side pillars.
• the portal has a height of 1.5-2.5 meters.
• the side pillars each comprise a vertical linear array of transceiver antennas 101 (two or more millimeter-wave emitters), a vertical linear array of sensors 102 (two or more millimeter-wave receivers) with corresponding electronic components (e.g., radio frequency generation, distribution and demodulation module 105, data acquisition processor 106, imaging processor 107), one or more magnetometers 104, and one or more video cameras 103, and the horizontal overhead beam (or a floor duct, or a third separate pillar) comprises the power input system 108 and the calculation processor 109.
• the horizontal overhead beam or a floor duct, or a third separate pillar
• Detection of concealed items 22 hidden on a moving target, performed by the device is based on at least one or two combined technologies: 1. Dielectric object detection is performed as each target moves through the opening created by the device, via active sensing using coherent radiation, said coherent radiation having a continuously changing frequency ranging between 5-20 GHz.
• the transmitted cyclic broadband radio wave signals vary in time, in frequency, or both in time and in frequency.
• the inventive device forms a computer image of a moving target/individual and associated dielectric objects located on or near the target’s body.
• the system performing this function is referred to herein as the microwave dielectric detection (MDD) subsystem of the invention.
• the system performs detection of concealed items with an optical path length of 2-20 cm hidden on a moving target.
• the optical path length (OPL) in a medium with a constant refractive index “n”, is equal to “ns”, where “s” is the geometrical length.
• the emitters are positioned in a vertical line with an equal spacing between one another, and the receivers are positioned in a vertical line with an equal spacing between one another.
• the emitters transmit and the receivers sense the broadband radio wave signals in one linear polarization or in two orthogonal polarizations.
• the sensed signals are received by the data acquisition processor, which creates an image stream from the sensed data.
• the data acquisition and imaging processor provides a separation of a phase of the cyclic broadband radio wave signals.
• the imaging processor provides cross-eyed images of the target based on a location of the emitters and the receivers on both sides of the inspection area.
• PM Passive magnetometry
• PM passive magnetometer
• detected object tracking is performed by a third technology which includes a video camera subsystem designed for providing video fixation of the target/individual once an alarm detecting a hidden object occurs.
• the processor processes and analyzes the optical image flow.
• the processing includes classifications for each target based on a joint analysis of optical data, magnetometer data, and radio wave data.
• the MDD subsystem comprises a low-power radar system with inverse synthetic aperture (ISAR - Inverse synthetic-aperture), which uses the motion of the target, rather than the transmitter, to create a synthetic aperture (see, e.g., Grishin Yu.P., Ipatov V.P. et al.
• Ipatov V.P. et al. see, e.g., Grishin Yu.P., Ipatov V.P. et al.
• Each side pillar of the inventive device contains a vertical linear array of 16-128 transmitting antennas and 1-128 receiving antennas, all of which are evenly distributed along the height of each side pillar of the device.
• a flat 2-D image of the inspection area is formed.
• the range values are determined from the analysis of the broadband signal, and the height values are determined from the analysis of the signals emitted by the vertical line of transmitting antennas.
• the system has no horizontal axis resolution, and it is assumed that there is one person in the inspection area at a time.
• Signal processing is performed according to "reverse synthesized aperture” algorithms on FPGA chips, using "fast time” and “slow time” Fourier transform and window filters.
• the receiving and transmitting antennas of the inventive device are made by planar technology and provide the required characteristics in the frequency range of 10-20 GHz.
• the radiated power throughout the device remains around -40dBm.
• the MDD subsystem operates in two modes:
• Reflection mode is based on the fact that the human body is almost a perfect reflector for radio waves of the frequency range used. If there is a dielectric item against the body in the path of the radio wave, part of the wave is reflected from the front surface of the dielectric, and part of the wave passes through the dielectric and is then reflected from the body. See Figure 3, which shows the principle of operation of the reflection mode, as well as an example image generated. In the example image, on the horizontal axis is the distance traveled by the wave, and on the vertical axis is the number of the transmitter in the vertical ruler.
• the transmission mode is based on the fact that as a radio wave passes from the transmitters of one side pillar to the receivers of the other side pillar, through the dielectric object, the apparent path length of the wave increases due to its slower propagation through the dielectric (see the left side of Figure 4). This causes the image in the dielectric region to be shifted to the right into the region of longer paths (see the right side of Figure 4).
• the left side shows the principle of operation of the "passing through" mode.
• On the right side of Figure 4 is an example image of a person with a dielectric on the body.
• On the horizontal axis is the distance travelled by the wave, and on the vertical axis is the number of the transmitter based on the height of the side pillar.
• the detection of a right-shifted image portion within the microwave image is thus interpreted as an anomaly.
• the reflection and passage of the anomaly obtained from the device is further aggregated throughout the moving target’s passage through the entire inspection area, and the resulting data is used to issue an overall detection signal/alarm.
• the device sequentially searches the person in the following order:
• the front part of the body is screened using the reflection mode
• the back part of the body is screened using the transmission mode
• the side parts of the body are screened using the reflection mode.
• the wavelength of the transmitter is about of 30 mm.
• the radiation phase correlation is required, which means that during the scanning period, a part of the human body should not move more than a few mm. Therefore, the scan period should not exceed a few ms, for example, the scan period is 2 ms. If the number of emitters is 128, then 1 emitter should generate a signal of about 20 ps duration. In order to achieve the required image contrast (which corresponds to the required path length resolution of 1-3 mm), a bandwidth of the cyclic emitter signal must be 5-10 GHz. This means that one emitter must scan the specified range of 10 GHz in 20 ps. The linear chirp method is the most suitable for solving this problem.
• the received signal must be digitized and processed.
• a 2-dimensional Fourier transformation is used, which imposes restrictions on the choice of processor.
• An FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array
• the next processor provides a confidence value corresponding to the detected concealed item of interest and a numeric representation corresponding to said detected concealed item.
• the number of anomalies obtained i.e., the track length obtained
• the device When passing without dielectric objects on the body, the device should, generally, detect no more than two anomalies during the entire time of passage. In contrast, when a target with dielectric objects is passing through the device, up to 20 anomalies may be detected.
• Figure 5 shows an example distribution of track lengths of anomalies detected during the passage of a target without dielectric objects on the body (dark part of the histogram in the left part of the figure) and a target with a dielectric object (e.g., plasticine) strapped to its legs (lighter part of the histogram).
• a target without dielectric objects on the body dark part of the histogram in the left part of the figure
• a target with a dielectric object e.g., plasticine
• the inventive device further includes a passive magnetometer subsystem that allows the detection of objects having a residual magnetization.
• the PM subsystem comprises, e.g., 20 (10 per side pillar) 3-axis MagDRV type magnetic field sensors positioned along the side pillars, as well as 4 MagDAQ boards serving the magnetic field sensors (i.e., digitization and power supply boards of the sensors).
• the passive magnetometry technology is based on the fact that the digitized instantaneous values of the magnetic field along three mutually perpendicular axes in the sensor locations fully determine the magnetic field vector, B, in these points.
• Figure 6 shows an example of a time sweep of three magnetic field components (Bx, By, Bz) from one of the sensors when a target with a magnetized object passes through the portal of the device.
• the horizontal axis shows the time, in seconds, while the vertical axis shows the value of the magnetic field component in nanoTesla (nT).
• the PM subsystem After subtracting the constant component of the magnetic field (i.e., the Earth's magnetic field), the PM subsystem determines the magnetic field created by magnetized objects located nearby, which, in the first approximation, can be considered as point magnetic dipoles with a magnetic moment, m.
• the field, B is measured at a large number of points (i.e., at the locations of the sensors). Then, the inverse problem of determining the coordinates (x, y, z) and the dipole moment components (mx, my, mz), which could cause such a magnetic field, is solved numerically/mathematically. Finally, if the value of the calculated vector, m, exceeds a threshold value, an anomaly is generated and further processed in the same way as the anomalies obtained from the MDD subsystem. Such further processing is discussed below.
• each type of anomaly is collected into separate groups to create tracks having lengths, which are collections of similar anomalies of a given type from the neighboring consecutive frames.
• the software of the prototype consists of four separate programs, working under Linux open-source OS, and having the following functionalities:
• hss_pfdev providing microwave images from the system.
• hss rfpipeline detecting anomalies from microwave images.
• hss_server receiving anomalies using the PM subsystem, aggregating all received anomalies into tracks, and issuing a detection signal.
• the invention generally comprises:
• the transmitters/emitters and receivers/sensors are positioned on each of two side pillars which are connected via an overhead beam (i.e., an arch).
• This structure forms a portal, said portal comprising the two side pillars electronically connected with the overhead beam, said portal thus forming an inspection area.
• Each one of said two side pillars comprise linear vertical arrays of 16-124 millimeter- wave emitters and 8-124 millimeter-wave receivers, one or more magnetometers, and two or more video cameras.
• the system further comprises a power input system and a calculation processor.
• Said emitters transmit cyclic broadband radio wave signals towards the inspection area, said receivers sensing said broadband radio wave signals after they are either transmitted through or scattered by the target and/or any objects.
• the broadband radio wave signals are either unimpacted direct signals or scattered signals which have been redirected or otherwise affected after impacting the target moving through said inspection area.
• Said receivers then send the sensed data to said calculation processor, said Imaging processor then providing one or more 2-dimensional images of said target based on said unimpacted direct signals and said scattered signals.
• Said calculation processor further analyzes said sensed data, to select one or more sections of said one or more 2-dimensional images, said one or more sections corresponding to a detected concealed item of interest.
• the one or more magnetometers provide supplemental magnetic field data to said processor for said analyzing, e.g., for further confirmation of an item of interest.
• Said one or more video cameras provide for tracking of said concealed item of interest perhaps even beyond the inspection area. Additional optical sensors may also be utilized in the device;
• the system and device further allow for embodiments comprising inter alia the following options.
• [0058] Cyclic scanning with cycle time of the order of a millisecond broadband (with a bandwidth of a one to ten GHz) millimeter range radio-wave signal with a given frequency switching of the inspection area by many stationary transmitters.
• Cyclic scanning with separation of transmitters o Including time division of transmitters, o including separation of transmitters by frequency, or o a combination of both methods.
• Cyclic scanning with transmitter placement comprising: o full height (height), adjacent, about 1.5-2.5 m, or o Height step, equally spaced and positioned every few cm (i.e., 2-3 cm) from one another. o
• the device o Hence the device’s linearity - minimum number (cycle time requirement) with minimum pitch and full height.
• Transmitters are located on different sides of the human movement area to obtain cross-sectional images from different viewing angles (aperture synthesis, on the X-Y axes) - "portal" configuration.
• the image stream is multichannel, with the following options:
• channel A provides data as a gradient of brightness based on characteristics of the scattered or transmitted signals received
• channel B provides data based on a characteristic of the speed of movement of the target/scatterer of signals
• the image can be represented as a colored image or as a set of images in some color coding scheme, e.g., RGB), wherein: a) channel A: provides data as a gradient of brightness based on characteristics of the scattered or transmitted signals received; b) channel B: provides data based on a characteristic of speed of movement of the target/scatterer of signals; c) channel C: provides data as a co-linear vertical polarization based on characteristics of the scattered or transmitted signals received; d) channel D: provides data as a cross-linear polarization based on characteristics of the scattered or transmitted signals received; e) channel E: provides data as a co-linear horizontal polarization based on characteristics of the scattered or transmitted signals received.
• the anomaly of interest is a combination of brightnesses and colors of the image areas, including when the brightnesses of the image areas correspond to the intensity of scattering in this area, and the color of the area corresponds to the speed and direction of movement of the objects in this area;
• Y1 - including the addition to the information about the anomaly position and confidence in the correctness of finding the anomaly of the additional information, obtained from the microwave images analysis (features);
• ROI entire area
• Optical image flow analysis (cameras, stereo pairs, TOF%) e.g.:
• the invention may comprise any one or more of the following methods of radiation:
• Transmitters on the other side of the gantry are only switched on with a sweep down; • the transmitters on the other side of the portal are only switched on by sweep up;
• Receiving methods include but are not limited to:
• Processing methods include but are not limited to:
• the invention thus comprises:
• a security screening device comprising: a power input system, a calculation processor, and a portal, said portal comprising two electronically connected side pillars, said portal forming an inspection area, each one of said two side pillars comprising a linear array of two or more millimeter-wave emitters, a linear array of one or more millimeter-wave receivers, one or more magnetometers, and one or more video cameras, said two or more millimeter-wave emitters transmitting cyclic broadband radio wave signals towards said inspection area, said one or more receivers sensing said cyclic broadband radio wave signals emitted by said two or more millimeter-wave emitters, said cyclic broadband radio wave signals being unimpacted direct signals or scattered signals after impacting a target moving through said inspection area, said receivers sending sensed data to said calculation processor, said calculation processor providing one or more 2-dimensional images of said target based on said unimpacted direct signals and said scattered signals, said calculation processor further analyzing said sensed data, to select one or more sections of said one or more 2- dimensional images,
• said cyclic broadband radio wave signals transmitted have a bandwidth of 5-20 GHz, said signals transmitted varying in frequency.
• said cyclic broadband radio wave signals transmitted vary in time, in frequency, or both in time and in frequency.
• said emitters are positioned in a vertical line and with an equal spacing between one another, and wherein said receivers are positioned in a vertical line and with an equal spacing between one another.
• said emitters transmit and said receivers sense said cyclic broadband radio wave signals in one orthogonal polarization.
• said processor creates an image stream from said sensed data.
• said processor provides a separation of a phase of the cyclic broadband radio wave signals.
• said portal has a height of 1.5-2.5 meters.
• said processor provides cross-eyed images of said target based on a location of said emitters and said receivers on both sides of said inspection area.
• said analyzing further comprising providing a confidence value corresponding to said detected concealed item of interest.
• said analyzing further comprising providing a numeric representation corresponding to said detected concealed item of interest.
• said portal further comprising an overhead beam connecting said two side pillars, said overhead beam housing, said power input system and said calculation processor.
• each one of said side pillars further comprising a radio frequency generation, distribution and demodulation module and a data acquisition processor.
• said two side pillars are electronically connected via a floor cable duct.
• said emitters transmit and said receivers sense said broadband radio wave signals in two orthogonal polarizations.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
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• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Geophysics And Detection Of Objects (AREA)

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• 2023
  • 2023-03-13 WO PCT/IB2023/052407 patent/WO2024189400A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2023-03-13 EP EP23712621.4A patent/EP4680995A1/de active Pending
  • 2023-03-13 JP JP2025554201A patent/JP2026509912A/ja active Pending
  • 2023-03-13 CN CN202380095916.7A patent/CN120917339A/zh active Pending
  • 2023-03-13 KR KR1020257034009A patent/KR20260002679A/ko active Pending
• 2025
  • 2025-09-11 IL IL323306A patent/IL323306A/en unknown
  • 2025-09-12 MX MX2025010839A patent/MX2025010839A/es unknown

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