U.S. patent application number 11/177857 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-22 for apparatus and method for asynchronously analyzing data to detect radioactive material.
This patent application is currently assigned to Quintell of Ohio, LLC. Invention is credited to Jerry JR. Bohine.
Application Number | 20070040673 11/177857 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36000465 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070040673 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bohine; Jerry JR. |
February 22, 2007 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASYNCHRONOUSLY ANALYZING DATA TO DETECT
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Abstract
A radioactive material detection system includes a cargo
container monitoring system and a control center. The cargo
container monitoring system has a radiation sensor configured to
detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time
and a transceiver configured to send the information received from
the radiation sensor. The control center is in communication with
the transceiver of the cargo container monitoring system. The
control center is configured to receive data from at least one
additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system
and to asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one
additional source and the information from the radiation sensor,
during transit, so as to detect radioactive material in a cargo
container.
Inventors: |
Bohine; Jerry JR.; (Gates
Mills, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD L.L.P.
ONE COMMERCE SQUARE
2005 MARKET STREET, SUITE 2200
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103
US
|
Assignee: |
Quintell of Ohio, LLC
|
Family ID: |
36000465 |
Appl. No.: |
11/177857 |
Filed: |
July 8, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10801357 |
Mar 16, 2004 |
6965314 |
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11177857 |
Jul 8, 2005 |
|
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10458923 |
Jun 10, 2003 |
6891470 |
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10801357 |
Mar 16, 2004 |
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60460202 |
Apr 3, 2003 |
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60456754 |
Mar 21, 2003 |
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60445408 |
Feb 6, 2003 |
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60407148 |
Aug 28, 2002 |
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60388512 |
Jun 12, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
340/539.26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01V 5/0075 20130101;
G01V 5/0083 20130101; G01T 1/167 20130101; G01V 5/0016 20130101;
G01V 5/0091 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/539.26 |
International
Class: |
H04Q 7/00 20060101
H04Q007/00 |
Claims
1. A radioactive material detection system comprising: a cargo
container monitoring system having a radiation sensor configured to
detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time
and a transceiver configured to send the information received from
the radiation sensor; and a control center in communication with
the transceiver of the cargo container monitoring system, the
control center being configured to receive data from at least one
additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system
and to asynchronously analyze, during transit, the data from the at
least one additional source and the information from the radiation
sensor, so as to detect potential radioactive material in a cargo
container.
2. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein
the at least one additional source includes one of active container
scanning systems, container manifests, container weight, container
moment of inertia in one or more dimensions, container transit
histories, container source logs, container destination logs, a
country of origin log, a destination country log, and a field
investigation report.
3. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein
the transceiver communicates with the control center by using one
of a cellular system, a wireless computer network, an infrared
system, an ultrasonic system, a satellite system, and a radio
system.
4. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein
the at least one additional source includes intelligence
information about the shipper, the country of origin, the shipping
route, transit country, freight forwarder, consignee, owner of the
cargo, manifest, and history of shipper.
5. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein
the at least one additional source includes an apparatus that
measures one of rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia
properties of the cargo container.
6. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein
the cargo container monitoring system also monitors at least one of
temperature data, tamper detection data, odor data, sound data and
motion sensor data.
7. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, further
comprising a dynamic rating system for each container that is
updated during transit based upon the asynchronously analyzed
data.
8. The radioactive material detection system of claim 1, wherein
the cargo container monitoring system utilizes spectral data
collected by the radiation sensor to identify naturally occurring
or manmade radioisotopes and eliminates the naturally occurring or
manmade radioisotopes to distinguish between naturally occurring or
manmade material and fissile material.
9. A method of detecting radioactive material within a cargo
container, the method comprising: detecting radiation using a cargo
container monitoring system having a radiation sensor; sending
information received from the radiation sensor to a control center
in communication with the cargo container monitoring system;
receiving, at the control center, data from at least one additional
source other than the cargo container monitoring system; and
asynchronously analyzing, during transit of the cargo container,
the data from the at least one additional source and the
information from the radiation sensor so as to detect potential
radioactive material in the cargo container.
10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: upon a
potential detection of radioactive material, taking action during
transit of the cargo container.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the action during
transit includes at least one of intercepting the cargo container
before arrival, conducting a field investigation of a shipper of
the cargo container, conducting a physical inspection of the cargo
container, performing an active scan on the cargo container,
increasing a warning level for the cargo container and increasing
sensitivity of monitoring of the cargo container.
12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the radiation
detecting includes active scanning.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the radiation
detecting includes interpreting the data acquired by the active
scan during transit.
14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the radiation
detecting occurs over a predetermined or commanded period of
time.
15. The method according to claim 9, wherein transit of the cargo
container includes at least one of over-water shipping, over-land
hauling, air transport and train/rail transport.
16. The method according to claim 9, wherein transit of the cargo
container includes unloading one of a ship, a truck, a train and an
airplane.
17. The method according to claim 9, wherein the asynchronous
analyzing occurs during one of queuing, loading and unloading.
18. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one
additional source includes an apparatus that measures one of
rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia properties of
the cargo container.
19. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one
additional source includes one of container manifests, container
weight, container moment of inertia in one or more dimensions,
container transit histories, container source logs, container
destination logs, a country of origin log, a destination country
log, and a field investigation report.
20. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one
additional source includes intelligence information about the
shipper, the country of origin, the shipping route, transit
country, freight forwarder, consignee, owner of the cargo,
manifest, and history of shipper.
21. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one
additional source includes detecting physical tampering of the
cargo container.
22. A radioactive material detection system comprising: a cargo
container monitoring system having a radiation sensor that detects
the presence of radioactive material in a cargo receptacle; an
inertia test apparatus configured to detect mass and inertia data
of the cargo receptacle; and a control center in communication with
the cargo container monitoring system to receive radiation data
from the radiation sensor, the control center being configured to
receive data from the inertia test apparatus and to asynchronously
analyze, during transit, the inertia data and radiation data so as
to detect potential radioactive material in a cargo container.
23. The radioactive material detection system according to claim
22, wherein the cargo container monitoring system includes at least
one of an active scanner and a passive scanner.
24. The radioactive material detection system according to claim
22, wherein transit includes at least one of queuing, loading,
shipping and unloading.
25. The radioactive material detection system according to claim
22, wherein the inertia test apparatus is integrated into a lifting
device.
26. The radioactive material detection system according to claim
22, wherein the inertia test apparatus measures at least one of
rotational inertia and moment of inertia.
27. A method of detecting radioactive material within a cargo
container, the method comprising: receiving, at a control center,
sensed information about the cargo container from a cargo container
monitoring system having a radiation sensor configured to detect
radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time;
receiving, at the control center, data about the cargo container
from at least one additional source; and asynchronously analyzing,
at the control center, the data from the at least one additional
source and the sensed information so as to identify potential
radioactive material within the cargo container.
28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising: upon
identification of potential radioactive material, taking action
during transit of the cargo container.
29. The method according to claim 28, wherein transit includes at
least one of queuing, loading, shipping and unloading.
30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the at least one
additional source includes an apparatus that measures one of
rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia properties of
the cargo container.
31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the at least one
additional source includes one of active container scanning
systems, container manifests, container weight, container transit
histories, container source logs, container destination logs, a
country of origin log, a destination country log, and a field
investigation report.
32. A radioactive material detection system comprising: a cargo
container monitoring system having a radiation sensor configured to
detect at least one of gamma spectrum and neutrons over a
predetermined or commanded period of time; and a control center in
communication with the cargo container monitoring system, the
control center being configured to receive data from at least one
additional source other than the cargo container monitoring system
and to asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one
additional source and the information from the radiation sensor so
as to detect potential radioactive material in a cargo
container.
33. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein
the at least one additional source includes one of active container
scanning systems, container manifests, container weight, container
moment of inertia in one or more dimensions, container transit
histories, container source logs, container destination logs, a
country of origin log, a destination country log, and a field
investigation report.
34. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein
the cargo container monitoring system communicates with the control
center by using one of a cellular system, a wireless computer
network, an infrared system, an ultrasonic system, a satellite
system, and a radio system.
35. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein
the at least one additional source includes intelligence
information about the shipper, the country of origin, the shipping
route, transit country, freight forwarder, consignee, owner of the
cargo, manifest, and history of shipper.
36. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein
the at least one additional source includes an apparatus that
measures one of rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia
properties of the cargo container.
37. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein
the cargo container monitoring system also monitors at least one of
temperature data, tamper detection data, odor data, sound data and
motion sensor data.
38. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, further
comprising a dynamic rating system for each container that is
updated based upon the asynchronously analyzed data.
39. The radioactive material detection system of claim 32, wherein
the cargo container monitoring system utilizes spectral data
collected by the radiation sensor to identify naturally occurring
or manmade radioisotopes and eliminates the naturally occurring or
manmade radioisotopes to distinguish between naturally occurring or
manmade and fissile material.
40. A method of detecting radioactive material within a cargo
container, the method comprising: detecting radiation using a cargo
container monitoring system having a radiation sensor that detects
one of gamma spectrum and neutrons; sending information received
from the radiation sensor to a control center in communication with
the cargo container monitoring system; receiving, at the control
center, data from at least one additional source other than the
cargo container monitoring system; and asynchronously analyzing the
data from the at least one additional source and the information
from the radiation sensor so as to detect potential radioactive
material in the cargo container.
41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising: upon a
potential detection of radioactive material, taking intervening
action regarding the cargo container.
42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the intervening
action includes at least one of intercepting the cargo container,
conducting a field investigation of a shipper of the cargo
container, conducting a physical inspection of the cargo container,
performing an active scan on the cargo container, increasing a
warning level for the cargo container and increasing sensitivity of
monitoring of the cargo container.
43. The method according to claim 40, wherein the radiation
detecting includes active scanning.
44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the radiation
detecting includes interpreting the data acquired by the active
scan.
45. The method according to claim 40, wherein the radiation
detecting occurs over a predetermined or commanded period of
time.
46. The method according to claim 40, wherein the asynchronously
analyzing of the cargo container occurs during at least one of
over-water shipping, over-land hauling, air transport and
train/rail transport.
47. The method according to claim 40, wherein the asynchronously
analyzing of the cargo container occurs during unloading one of a
ship, a truck, a train and an airplane.
48. The method according to claim 40, wherein the asynchronously
analyzing of the cargo container occurs during one of queuing,
loading and unloading.
49. The method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one
additional source includes an apparatus that measures one of
rotational inertia properties and moment of inertia properties of
the cargo container.
50. The method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one
additional source includes one of container manifests, container
weight, container moment of inertia in one or more dimensions,
container transit histories, container source logs, container
destination logs, a country of origin log, a destination country
log, and a field investigation report.
51. The method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one
additional source includes intelligence information about the
shipper, the country of origin, the shipping route, transit
country, freight forwarder, consignee, owner of the cargo,
manifest, and history of shipper.
52. The method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one
additional source includes detecting physical tampering of the
cargo container.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/801,357 filed Mar. 16, 2004, entitled
"Apparatus and Method for Asynchronously Analyzing Data to Detect
Radioactive Material," which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 10/458,923 filed Jun. 10, 2003,
entitled "Method and Apparatus for Detection of Radioactive
Material," the entire contents of which are incorporated by
reference herein.
[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Applications No. 60/460,202 filed on Apr. 3, 2003;
60/456,754 filed on Mar. 21, 2003; 60/445,408 filed Feb. 6, 2003;
60/407,148 filed Aug. 28, 2002; and 60/388,512 filed Jun. 12, 2002,
all entitled "Method and Apparatus for Detection of Radioactive
Material," the entire contents of which are incorporated by
reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and
method for asynchronously analyzing data to detect nuclear weapons
and/or radioactive material and, more particularly, to an apparatus
and method for asynchronously analyzing data to detect nuclear
weapons and/or radioactive material within a vessel or container
during shipment from one location to another.
[0004] There is a growing concern that terrorists or others may at
some time in the near future attempt to import into the United
States or some other country radioactive or nuclear material which
may then be used for the construction of a nuclear weapon for
carrying out terrorist objectives. One way of shipping such
radioactive or nuclear material is to hide the material among or
within seemingly innocuous cargo. For example, such nuclear
material could be placed within a standard, sealed cargo container
of the type typically employed for shipping cargo by sea, rail, air
or by truck. The nuclear material could be positioned within such a
sealed cargo container along with other innocuous goods with the
container being positioned, for example, within the hold of a large
container ship which may be transporting a thousand or more such
containers from one location to another. Typically, existing cargo
inspection systems are employed either at the port of debarkation
or the port of entry for such container ships. Because of the large
number of containers which are typically transported by a single
large container ship, it is difficult, if not impossible, using the
presently available inspection equipment and personnel to
thoroughly check each and every container for the presence of any
type of contraband, including radioactive or nuclear material. A
more typical scenario presently is to provide spot-checks of a
certain number of containers in a given shipment using, for
example, active scanning technology such as X-ray, gamma ray or
even neutron interrogation of the selected containers which is done
on a small sub-set of the overall number of containers. An active
scan is anytime an outside energy source is introduced to
interrogate or stimulate materials within an object such as a
container. Active scans may include neutrons, Gamma rays, magnetic
resonance, electromagnetic waves such as infrared, radiofrequency,
X-ray, conceivably even ultrasonic, and the like. Generally, active
scanning systems include a neutron detector of some sort for
detecting neutrons emitted from excited materials within the object
or container.
[0005] Other types of scanning technologies, which are not fully
commercially developed, but which may also be considered to be
active scanning inspection systems include nuclear fluorescence and
thermal nuclear analysis (TNA). A nuclear fluorescence system
irradiates an object to be tested with a particular radiant
spectrum and if there is nuclear material within the object a
different energy is emitted back out from the object. For example
using neutrons from a deuterium-deuterium reaction, such neutrons
have sufficient energy to activate Uranium-235 or Plutonium, among
others, which causes a fission reaction in that material (e.g.,
input 4-5 MeV and get 6+ MeV out due to the fission reaction).
Detecting a higher energy output from the object is an indication
that there is an "amplifier" inside the object. Thermal neutrons
used in TNA have a very low velocity. If a neutron is produced in a
fission reaction activated by a thermal neutron, it usually emitted
at high energy nominally 2 MeV where 1 eV is equivalent to about
10K degrees with one degree of freedom. The presense of fissionable
material is revealed by detection of such a high energy emission.
Presently, active scanning inspection equipment do not operate and
get analyzed quickly enough to provide real-time scanning for every
container. One proposed solution is to scan the containers as they
are received at the port of loading and then put the containers in
storage pending on-loading. The analysis time of such scanned
images slows that process because it requires expertise (similar to
radiology and X-ray interpretation). When the data has been
analyzed, a particular container may then be flagged for a more
thorough or detailed inspection which not only causes delays in the
transport of the containers, as well as potential huge back ups in
the loading and unloading of the container ships, but is too late
in detecting the presence of nuclear material or suspected shielded
containers.
[0006] Another way to analyze containers for potential threats is
by analyzing manifest information or container source/destination
data. A problem with detecting nuclear and fissile materials
shielded in containers using only container manifest information or
container source/destination data are potential transshipment
diversionary tactics. Terrorists wishing to conceal the nuclear
material and/or shielding may make modifications to the container
or the container contents in an attempt to veil nuclear material
and/or shielding. Alternatively, such terrorists may ship the
containers to a number of intermediate destinations which would not
be recognized as high risk sources themselves directly. Likewise, a
terrorist organization may bribe, coerce, convince or dupe a
shipper, such as a "less than container load" (LCL) shipper, into
adding an illicit crate into a consolidated shipment. In an extreme
case, a terrorist organization may acquire a company that already
has an established shipping record for innocuous materials and ship
an entire container loaded with nuclear material under the name of
the acquired company. The likelihood of detecting such a container
by spot check active scanning and limited manifest information or
container source/destination data is very low.
[0007] It is desirable to have an apparatus and method for
asynchronously analyzing data to detect radioactive material within
a sealed container which is within a vessel while the container is
in transit from one location to another. In this manner, it is
possible to more accurately identify potential threats while in
transit using data from multiple sources to permit appropriate
action to be taken long before the radioactive or nuclear material
enters the territorial limits of a country.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Briefly stated, the present invention comprises a
radioactive material detection system including a cargo container
monitoring system and a control center. The cargo container
monitoring system includes a plurality of radioactive material
detection apparatuses each having a wireless transmitter, a
radiation sensor configured to detect radiation over a
predetermined or commanded period of time, a detection controller
configured to send sensed radiation to the wireless transmitter for
transmission and an identification tag electrically coupled to one
of the controller and the wireless transmitter and configured to
provide identification data or location data to the information
being transmitted by the wireless transmitter. The cargo container
monitoring system also includes a master unit/master module having
a receiver configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted
information from each of the wireless transmitters of the plurality
of radioactive material detection apparatuses, a transceiver and a
master controller coupled to the receiver and configured to send
the information received from the radioactive material detection
apparatuses through the transceiver. The control center is in
communication with the transceiver of the master unit/master
module. The control center is configured to receive data from at
least one additional source other than the master unit/master
module and to asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one
additional source and the information from the radioactive material
detection apparatuses so as to detect radioactive material in a
particular container.
[0009] In yet another aspect, the present invention comprises a
method of detecting radioactive material within a plurality of
containers using a radioactive material detection system. The
radioactive material detection system includes a cargo container
monitoring system and a control center. The cargo container
monitoring system includes a plurality of radioactive material
detection apparatuses and a master unit/master module. The
plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses each have a
wireless transmitter, a radiation sensor, a detection controller
and an identification tag. The master unit/master module has a
receiver configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted
information from each of the wireless transmitters, a transceiver
and a master controller. The control center is in communication
with the transceiver of the master unit/master module. The control
center is configured to receive data from at least one additional
source other than the master unit/master module and to
asynchronously analyze the data from the at least one additional
source and the information from the radioactive material detection
apparatuses so as to detect radioactive material in a particular
container. The method includes using the master unit/master module
and the plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses to
sense at least one of gamma radiation and neutrons at each
radioactive material detection apparatus and transmit the initially
sensed signal to the master unit/master module; establishing a
background radiation space for the plurality of containers based
upon the initially sensed signals; storing the background radiation
space in the master unit/master module or the control center;
sensing at least one of gamma radiation and neutrons over the
predetermined or commanded period of time at each radioactive
material detection apparatus and transmitting the currently sensed
signal to the master unit/master module; establishing a current
radiation space for the plurality of containers based upon the
currently sensed signals; comparing the current radiation space as
currently sensed by the radioactive material detection apparatuses
to the background radiation space as initially sensed by the
radioactive material detection apparatuses in order to identify an
anomaly amongst the plurality of containers; asynchronously
analyzing the data from the at least one additional source and the
compared information so as to identify an anomaly amongst the
plurality of containers, to reduce false positives, to reduce false
negatives and/or to increase a sensitivity reading.
[0010] In yet another aspect, the present invention comprises a
method of detecting radioactive material within a plurality of
containers using a radioactive material detection system. The
radioactive material detection system includes a cargo container
monitoring system and a control center. The cargo container
monitoring system includes a master unit/master module and a
plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses. Each
radioactive material detection apparatus has a transmitter, a
detection controller and a radiation sensor configured to detect
radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time. The
control center is in communication with the master unit/master
module and is configured to receive data from at least one
additional source other than the master unit/master module. The
method includes: sensing radiation at each radioactive material
detection apparatus; receiving sensed information from each
radioactive material detection apparatus at the master unit/master
module, over the predetermined or commanded period of time;
adjusting for background or cosmic radiation to create adjusted
sensor information and to facilitate the identification of an
anomaly or unusual data which is likely to indicate the presence of
nuclear radioactive material; and asynchronously analyzing the data
from the at least one additional source and the adjusted sensor
information so as to identify an anomaly amongst the plurality of
containers, to reduce false positives, to reduce false negatives
and/or to increase a sensitivity reading.
[0011] In yet another aspect, the present invention comprises a
method of detecting radioactive material within a plurality of
containers using a radioactive material detection system. The
radioactive material detection system includes a cargo container
monitoring system and a control center. The cargo container
monitoring system includes a master unit/master module and a
plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses. Each
apparatus has a transmitter, a detection controller and a radiation
sensor configured to detect radiation over a predetermined or
commanded period of time. The control center is in communication
with the master unit/master module and is configured to receive
data from at least one additional source other than the master
unit/master module. The method includes: mounting the plurality of
radioactive material detection apparatuses to the plurality of
cargo containers, the total set of detection apparatuses comprising
an array of detector and cargo container locations; sensing at
least one of gamma radiation and neutrons in totality and/or by
spectral distribution over the predetermined or commanded period of
time at each radioactive material detection apparatus and
transmitting signals representing measured radiation to the master
unit/master module; calculating an average measured radiation level
at each radioactive material detection apparatus location
throughout the entire array of radioactive material detection
apparatuses by averaging the radiation sensed at radioactive
material detection apparatuses proximate to each radioactive
material detection apparatus, the set of average values for the
plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses forming a
varying set of calculated estimates of background radiation space
for the plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses and
corresponding cargo containers; and comparing the measured
radiation at each radioactive material detection apparatus location
to the calculated estimate of background radiation at each location
in order to create compared sensor information; and asynchronously
analyzing the data from the at least one additional source and the
compared sensor information so as to identify an anomaly amongst
the plurality of containers, to reduce false positives, to reduce
false negatives and/or to increase a sensitivity reading.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The following detailed description of preferred embodiments
of the invention will be better understood when read in conjunction
with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the
invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are
presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the
invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and
instrumentalities shown.
[0013] In the drawings:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a cargo container
monitoring system having a plurality of radioactive material
detection apparatuses arranged on a plurality of objects to be
tested which are arranged in a three-dimensional matrix in
accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram of a
radioactive material detection apparatus in accordance with the
preferred embodiments of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic functional block diagram of a master
unit/master module or receiver station in accordance with the
preferred embodiments of the present invention;
[0017] FIGS. 4-5 are a flow diagram demonstrating a transit path of
a container from a source to a destination;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a functional diagram demonstrating custodial
transfer points during transit for a container;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a schematic functional block diagram of a
radioactive material detection system in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
[0020] FIG. 8 is a graphic demonstrating a general asynchronous
analysis in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the
present invention as compared with the time for inspection,
analysis and queue of an active scanning system functioning
alone.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] Referring to the drawings, wherein the same reference
numerals are employed for indicating like elements throughout the
several figures, there is shown in FIGS. 1-3, a schematic
representation of a cargo container monitoring system 10 in
accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention. The
cargo container monitoring system 10 (FIG. 1) includes a plurality
of radioactive material detection apparatuses 20 (FIG. 2) and a
master unit/master module 40 (FIG. 3). Each radioactive material
detection apparatus 20 includes a transmitter 26, a radiation
detector or sensor 24, a detection controller 30 and an
identification tag or ID tagger 28. Each transmitter 26 is capable
of transmitting information in correspondence with a signal.
Preferably, the transmitter 26 transmits information using radio
frequency, infrared, light waves, microwaves, electrical voltage,
electrical current and the like. Each radiation sensor 24 has a
sensor output and is configured to detect radiation over a
predetermined or commanded period of time. Preferably, the
radiation sensor 24 is configured to vary the sensor output in
proportion to an amount of radiation detected. The amount of
radiation detected may be an amount of intensity or a cumulative
value as sensed over a predetermined or commanded period of time.
Each detection controller 30 is configured to receive the output
from its associated radiation sensor 24 and to send its respective
output signal to its respective transmitter 26 for transmission.
Each identification tag 28 is electrically coupled to at least one
of the controller 30 and the transmitter 26 and is configured to
provide identification data and/or location data to the information
being transmitted by the transmitter 26. The identification data
may include a unique identifier for an object to be tested 12, and
may additionally include information about the contents, ownership,
source and/or destination of the object to be tested 12.
Preferably, the radiation sensor 24 varies the sensor output in
proportion to an amount of radiation detected.
[0022] The master unit/master module 40 includes a receiver 42, an
indication output such as transmitter or transceiver 48 of the
master unit/master module 40 and a master controller or information
processing system 46. The receiver 42 is configured to receive the
transmitted information from each of the transmitters 26 of the
radioactive material detection apparatuses 20. The master
controller 46 is coupled to the receiver 42 and is configured to
drive an indication output or transmitter 48 based upon a status of
the information received. The indication output 48 may be connected
to a remote or local indicator light, annunciator panel, display
device, sound generating device (i.e., a horn or a buzzer), and the
like. Alternatively, the indicator output 48 may be a transmitter
or transceiver 48 connected to a remote communication system such
as a cellular system, a telephonic system, a wired computer
network, a satellite system, a radio system and the like for
communicating with a control center 220 (FIG. 7).
[0023] Preferably, a plurality of subsets of the plurality of
radioactive material detection apparatuses 20 are arranged on a
plurality of objects to be tested 12, as depicted in FIG. 1, and
the plurality of objects to be tested 12 are arranged such that
subsets of the plurality of radioactive material detection
apparatuses 20 arranged on adjacent objects to be tested 12 are
capable of detecting at least a portion of other adjacent objects
to be tested 12 nearest thereto. For example, a first subset of the
plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses 20 may be
arranged on a first object to be tested 12 and a second subset of
the plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses 20 may
be arranged on a second object to be tested 12. The first and
second objects to be tested 12 are arranged such that the first
subset of the plurality of radioactive material detection
apparatuses 20 is capable of detecting at least a portion of the
second object to be tested 12 and vice versa. Preferably, at least
three of the plurality of radioactive material detection
apparatuses 20 are arranged on each object to be tested 12 and are
oriented on the object to be tested 12 in a manner that minimizes
the distance from any point within the object to be tested 12 to
one of the three radioactive material detection apparatuses 20. It
is contemplated that a plurality of radioactive material detection
systems 10 can be inter-connected by a supervisory monitoring or
control station for monitoring a plurality of floors, areas,
buildings, holds and the like.
[0024] In one possible implementation, FIG. 1 may be a schematic
representation of the hold of a typical container ship 100 (FIG. 7)
of a type well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The
container ship 100 includes the cargo container monitoring system
10 which is employed for receiving within its hold and, in some
cases upon its deck, a plurality of objects to be tested such as
box-like cargo containers 12 generally of a predetermined size of
approximately 10 feet by 10 feet by 40 feet or 10 feet by 10 feet
by 20 feet. The cargo containers 12 are preloaded with goods to be
shipped from one location to another before being loaded onto the
container ship 100. Typically, the containers 12 preloaded with the
goods to be shipped are sealed before being placed on the container
ship 100. The hold of the container ship 100 is sized for receiving
a plurality of such containers 12 in a side by side, end to end
relationship with other containers 12 being stacked one on top of
another to effectively establish a three dimensional container
matrix 14 to take advantage of the available space of the container
ship 100 for maximum shipping efficiency. The containers 12 are
typically made of steel or some other rigid, high strength material
in order to provide adequate support for the overlying containers
12 and to adequately protect the goods being shipped within each
container 12 from damage which may occur during shipment and the
loading/unloading of the containers 12. A typical large container
ship 100 may receive one thousand or more containers 12 for
shipping from one location to another. As mentioned above, because
of the size of the containers 12 and the number of containers on
each container ship 100, it is difficult if not impossible to
adequately inspect each and every container for contraband,
including radioactive material, at the time the containers 12 are
being unloaded from the container ship 100 for further
transport.
[0025] The term cargo container 12 as used herein should not be
construed as limiting and may include any cargo receptacle, box, or
container in which material is held or carried, and/or may include
large equipment being shipped which itself could constitute a sort
of container (e.g., a pre-fabricated machine or building).
[0026] The present invention provides a method and system for
detecting the presence of radioactive or nuclear material within
such containers 12 on a container ship 100 (or in some other mode
of transport) as the ship is transporting the containers 12 from
one location to another (see FIGS. 4-6). Typically, the ocean
transit time of a container ship 100 is at least several days and
could be as many as 10 or more days from the time a loaded
container ship 100 leaves a port at a first location until the time
that the container ship 100 enters a port at a second location. For
shipments between Western Europe and the United States, a typical
transit time is in the range of 9 to 11 days for an east coast U.S.
port. The present invention takes advantage of the relatively long
transit time to facilitate an orderly, thorough detection of the
presence of radioactive or nuclear material within a container 12
without creating any unacceptable delays or port congestion either
at the departure or arrival port of the container ship 100. In this
manner, appropriate action may be taken while the ship 100 is still
out to sea, long before approaching or entering a port. In
addition, because the presence of nuclear or radioactive material
can be detected while the ship 100 is at sea, the ship 100 can be
held outside of a port to prevent entry of the material into a
country or may be diverted to a safe harbor for further
inspection.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a functional schematic block diagram of the sensor
apparatus 20 in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the
present invention. The sensor apparatus 20 is contained within a
housing 22 which is preferably sealed and is made of a generally
rigid high strength material such as a polymeric material.
Preferably, the sensor housing 22 is tamper resistant and includes
a mechanism for identifying by a quick, visual or other inspection
whether the housing 22 has been opened or otherwise tampered with
and or an internal electronic means to detect tampering. The
housing 22 is adapted to be secured to the inside or outside of a
container 12 at a predetermined location. Various techniques and
methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the art may be
employed for securing the housing 22 to the container 12 including
the use of one or more mechanical fasteners such as screws, bolts,
clamps, etc., the use of an adhesive or epoxy adhesive, suction
cups, a magnetic attachment device or any other suitable attachment
device or technique. Preferably, the housing 22 is adapted to be
temporarily secured to an interior or exterior surface of the
container 12. Thus, the radioactive material detection apparatus 20
may be a portable unit. However, it is within the scope and spirit
of the present invention that the housing 22 be permanently secured
to a container 12. Preferably, the location on the container 12
where the housing 22 is secured will be such that the housing 22
will not affect the loading or unloading of the container 12 or the
stacking of the containers 12 in the three dimensional matrix 14.
Preferably, the housing 22 is relatively small as compared to the
container 12 or other object to be tested.
[0028] Referring again to FIG. 2, the housing 22 contains the
components necessary for passive detection of the presence of
radioactive material over the time period during which the
container ship 100 moves from one port to another. In the present
embodiment, the housing 22 includes a gamma radiation detection
sensing component or sensor 24, a transmitter 26, an identification
component or ID tagger 28, a controller 30, a location component or
tagger 32 and a power source 34 for providing operating power to
the other components as needed. Preferably, the gamma radiation
sensor component 24 is a self-contained passive device capable of
sensing the presence of gamma radiation emitted from radioactive
material which may be present within or near the container 12 to
which the sensor apparatus 20 is attached. The gamma radiation
sensing component 24 is preferably of a type which is generally
well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and is available
from several sources. The gamma radiation sensing component 24
provides an electrical output signal which is proportional to the
sensed gamma radiation. The output from the gamma radiation sensing
component 24 is supplied as an input to the transmitter 26. The
output of the radiation sensor 24 may also be accumulated over a
predetermined or commanded intervals of time prior to transmission
to transmitter 26. Suitable signal conditioning components (not
shown) may be interposed between the gamma radiation sensing
component 24 and the transmitter 26.
[0029] The purpose of the gamma radiation sensing component 24 is
to maximize sensitivity and thus the detection of counterband
radioactive or nuclear material (fissile material). However,
sensitive gamma ray detectors may also be sensitive to particular
radioactive isotopes occurring naturally as trace elements within
certain commercially acceptable materials. Potassium 40 which
occurs in potassium based fertilizer as well as the decay products
of trace radioactivity in clay are examples of commercially
acceptable materials which may be detected by the gamma radiation
sensing component 24. Man-made radioactive materials intended for
use in medical or industrial applications which may also be legally
shipped in cargo containers could also be detected. Thus, the
detection by the gamma radiation sensing component 24 of the
present system could constitute false detection of apparently
clandestine fissile material.
[0030] One way to minimize the occurrence of such false positive
detections is by using a separate detector which is sensitive to
neutrons, along with the gamma radiation sensing component 24. The
vast majority of naturally occurring radioactive elements and of
man-made radioactive isotopes do not emit neutrons whereas fissile
materials do emit neutrons. In this manner, simultaneous monitoring
using the gamma radiation sensing component 24 along with a neutron
monitoring component permits differentiation between the fissile
materials and other radioactive sources.
[0031] Another way of identifying potential false positive
detections by the gamma radiation sensing component 24 is by also
detecting gamma-ray spectral characteristics. Each radioactive
isotope emits gamma rays having an identifiable characteristic
energy spectrum. By detecting the gamma ray spectrum, the specific
source material can be easily identified. Detection can be
registered as a spectral continuum or more simply in properly
chosen discreet energy bins. Detectors and associated electronics
that register radiation in specific energy windows are commercially
available. For example, potassium 40 with an energy peak of 1.466
MEV can be readily distinguished from other isotopes and
particularly from fissile materials having different energy peaks.
Other naturally occurring and man-made isotopes can be
distinguished in the same manner. The presence of heavy shielding
(e.g., "high Z material") between the radiation source and the
detector can potentially degrade and smear the characteristic
spectral lines and thus lessen the usefulness of spectral
identification. However, commercially acceptable, legitimately
shipped naturally occurring materials, such as potassium, are
likely to be uniformly distributed in the cargo containers and not
deliberately shielded. Hence, some of the radiation will still
reach the detector unobstructed and will thus provide a means of
detecting the associated energy spectrum and identifying signature.
Man-made radiation sources also have characteristic radiation
signatures and ideally will be declared on the shipping manifest to
facilitate the occurrence of false positive detections.
[0032] Although the sensing component 24 employed in connection
with the present invention is extremely sensitive, in part due to
the long detection times and highly sensitive detector structure,
massive deliberate shielding of the interior of all or part of a
container 12 remains a potential concern. For such shielding to be
most effective, it must contain both gamma and neutron attenuating
components. Gamma attenuating materials must be very dense and of a
high atomic number, such as lead or a similar dense material. On
the other hand, neutron attenuating materials must be of a low
atomic weight but of a large volume. The conflicting shielding
requirements between gamma radiation and neutrons are impractical
in terms of both the container weight and volume constraints. To
meet the weight constraints, the high density shielding required
for gamma radiation must be concentrated right around the fissile
material. This results in a disproportionately high weight to
moment of inertia ratio for the container 12. As a result, massive
shielding within a container 12 can be detected by measuring the
weight to moment of inertia ratio of the container 12. Any
container 12 having an unusually high weight to moment of inertia
ratio is likely to have deliberate shielding and can be identified
for further analysis. Thus, when the measured moment of inertia
varies by a predetermined deviation amount, the detection
controller 30 or the master unit/master module 40 may determine
that heavy shielding is being used within a particular object to be
tested 12. To preclude degradation of the sensitivity of the gamma
radiation sensing component 24 due to massive shielding, the
present invention includes equipment (not shown) for measuring the
mass and at least one but preferably three moments of inertia of
each cargo container 12 at the port of embarkation, prior to
loading the container 12 onto the container ship. Thus, measurement
of a threshold mass/moment of inertia concentration can be
considered to be a probable detection of a false negative
condition.
[0033] Alternatively, a rotational inertia test may be performed on
each container 12 being shipped. The rotational inertia test
comprises simply raising one or more edges of the container 12 and
measuring the movement and/or acceleration for a given lifting
force. The test may be performed along one or more axes. The
density of any shielding material may be determined using a simple
algorithm along with the measured test data and the total weight of
the container 12. The calculation provides an indication of how
concentrated the total weight of the container 12 may be--a
concentrated weight may be high density shielding (i.e., "high Z
material" or the like). Thus, when the measured rotational inertia
varies by a predetermined deviation amount, the detection
controller 30 or the master unit/master module 40 may determine
that heavy shielding is being used within a particular object to be
tested 12. This technique may be used to test for false negation in
detection systems used for ship borne containers, trucks, cares,
airline cargo containers and in almost any other shipping
environments or non-shipping environment in which details of the
contained material may be obscured from observation or might not
otherwise be available.
[0034] Performance of the present invention can be further enhanced
by utilizing information from the shipping manifest and from other
sources relating to the type of contents, the shipper, the
destination, prior history of the cargo, etc. in combination with
the gamma radiation sensing component 24 and related components.
One example of the use of such information relates to the manifest
of man-made radioactive sources or a threshold concentration of
high density as discussed above. The combination of data from the
present invention along with information from other sources 222
(FIG. 7) improves the probability of the detection of fissile
material and minimizes the probability of false positives or false
negatives. Thus, the present invention includes provisions for
merging data from various additional sources 222 to improve true
positive detection and to minimize false positives or false
negatives. False negatives, as used herein, include missing a
container 12 having nuclear material therein because the
sensitivity threshhold is too stringent.
[0035] A neutron detector or any other suitable sensor could be
employed instead of or in addition to the gamma radiation sensing
component 24. If a neutron detector is used in conjunction with the
gamma radiation sensing component 24 both types of emissions would
be measured with the measured information being provided on
separate channels or multiplexed over a single channel. In
addition, the gamma radiation sensing component 24, neutron
detector and/or other sensor would have self diagnostics to
periodically confirm proper functionality and to provide an
indication of any potential tampering and/or damage. The lack of an
appropriate output signal from a gamma radiation sensing component
24, neutron detector or other sensor would suggest that the
associated container 12 could be suspect.
[0036] The transmitter 26 is adapted to receive the output signal
from the gamma and/or neutron radiation sensing component 24 and to
transmit the signal in a manner well known to those of ordinary
skill in the art. Preferably, the transmitter 26 is of the radio
frequency type. However, it will be appreciated by those of
ordinary skill in the art that the transmitter 26 may be of some
other type such as an infrared or acoustic transmitter.
Alternatively, the transmitter 26 may be of a type used in
connection with satellite transmissions and/or a type used with
cellular telephones. Alternatively, the transmitter 26 may use a
spread spectrum or other efficient commercial communications method
to facilitate transmission to and/or from a plurality of
transmitters 26 arranged in an array, a matrix, a cluster and the
like. Alternatively, the transmitter 26 may be a part of a
transceiver, with the capability of sending as well as receiving
signals. Any received signals would be routed to the controller 30
for execution of the received commands. The precise type of
transmitter 26 employed should not be considered to be a limitation
on the present invention. Preferably, the transmitter 26 includes a
built in antenna or other transmitting element. Alternatively, a
separate antenna (not shown) may be employed.
[0037] The identification component or ID tagger 28 is also
connected to the transmitter 26 for the purpose of transmitting
identification information. Preferably, each sensor apparatus 20
can be uniquely identified utilizing the identification component
28 in combination with the transmitter 26. The identification
component 28 may use any of a variety of techniques including the
use of a particular transmitter frequency, the use of digital
identification techniques or the like. Accordingly, the particular
techniques or technology used by the identification component 28
should not be considered to be a limitation on the present
invention.
[0038] A location component or location tagger 32 is also included
to permit identification of the physical location of the sensor 20.
Again, any standard technique or device known to those skilled in
the art may be employed for performing the functions of the
location component 32. Location information from the location
component 32 is also transmitted by the transmitter 26.
Alternatively, the location information may be input to the
receiver station (FIG. 3) by bar coding or other means as would be
recognized by one skilled in the art.
[0039] The controller 30 is employed for controlling the operation
of the gamma radiation sensing component 24, the transmitter 26,
the identification component 28 and the location component 32. The
controller 30 may be a microprocessor, ASIC, or any other suitable
known controlling device which has been programmed with software or
firmware for providing the necessary control signals to the other
components within the sensor apparatus 20. For example, in one
embodiment, the controller 30 may control the timing of the
transmission by the transmitter 26 of the identification
information and/or the information received from the gamma
radiation sensing component 24. Moreover, the controller 30 may
control the operation of the other components to minimize battery
life. Other control schemes or techniques will be apparent to those
of ordinary skill in the art.
[0040] The power source 34 is preferably a self contained, battery
which contains sufficient energy to power the other components
within the sensor apparatus 20 for at least the transit time of the
container ship 100. Preferably, the battery is of the rechargeable
type. However, non-rechargeable batteries may alternatively be
employed. The power source 34 also includes the necessary
protection circuitry for the battery including a voltage regulator,
short circuit protection, etc., as well as the necessary circuitry
for recharging the battery. Although in the presently preferred
embodiment a battery is employed as the primary power source, it
will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that
other power sources may be employed such as solar cells or the
like. It will also be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the
art that external power may be supplied to the sensor apparatus 20
on a periodic basis to permit a form of "burst" transmission of the
data obtained by the gamma radiation sensing component 24.
Accordingly, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in
the art that any suitable power source may alternatively be
employed.
[0041] As previously stated, the housing 22 containing the various
components of the sensor apparatus 20 is adapted to be secured to a
container 12. FIG. 1 illustrates a container in which three
separate sensor apparatuses 20 are secured at three spaced
locations on different sides of the container 12. In particular, a
first sensor apparatus 20 is secured to a first side panel of the
container approximately one third of the distance from a first end,
a second sensor apparatus is secured to an end panel of the
container 12 and a third sensor apparatus 20 is secured to a top
panel of the container 12 approximately one third of the distance
from the second end of the container 12. Alternatively, the first
and third sensor apparatuses 20 can be affixed on the same side of
the container. By positioning the three sensor apparatuses 20 in
this manner, complete coverage of the interior of the container 12
and the surrounding vicinity may be obtained. It will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that a lesser or greater
number of sensor apparatuses 20 may be used for a container 12, for
example, one for each container 12. Additionally, a single sensor
apparatus 20 may be used for detecting the presence of nuclear
material in two or more containers.
[0042] As discussed above, the primary concept of the present
invention involves detecting the presence of radioactive or nuclear
material within a container 12 during transit to take advantage of
a longer detection time and to prevent entry of any nuclear or
radioactive material into a country or port. To achieve this
result, a receiver station 40 is provided. The receiver station 40
is preferably located on the container ship 100. However, it will
be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the
receiver station 40 may be at some other location, such as a
land-based location, if desired. All that is necessary is that the
receiver station 40 have the ability to receive signals from the
transmitter 26 of each sensor apparatus 20 within a container ship
100 either directly or indirectly such as through a satellite link
or the like.
[0043] As best shown in FIG. 3, the receiver station 40 includes a
receiver 42, a decoder 44 and an information processing system 46.
The receiver 42 is preferably of the same type as the transmitter
26 so that the receiver 42 is capable of receiving signals
transmitted by the transmitter 26 of each sensor apparatus 20.
Preferably, the receiver 42 includes a built in antenna or,
alternatively, a separate antenna (not shown) may be provided. The
receiver 42 receives and demodulates signals received from the
transmitter 26 for each of the sensor apparatuses 20. However,
special purpose processors may be used as well. The demodulated
signals are then fed to a decoder 44 which is also of a type known
to those of ordinary skill in the art. The decoder 44 effectively
decodes the received signals and converts them to a digital format,
sending them to the information processing system 46. In the
present embodiment, the information processing system is a personal
computer which includes suitable software to permit analysis of the
information signals received from each of the sensor apparatuses
20. Preferably the information processing system 46 includes a
database which is keyed to each individual sensor apparatus 20
utilizing the identification information provided by the
identification component 28 of each sensor. The received
information creates a background radiation space. Preferably, the
information system 46 receives and stores in the database the
information obtained from the gamma and neutron radiation sensing
component 24 of each sensor apparatus 20. Alternatively, a command
center 220 (FIG. 7) receives and stores a database of the
information obtained from each sensor apparatus 20 and/or for each
information system 46. The received information from each sensor
apparatus 20 permits the information system 46, over time, to make
adjustments for background or cosmic radiation to facilitate the
identification of anomalies or unusual data which is likely to
indicate the presence of radioactive material. Software available
within the information processing system 46 analyzes the received
information from each gamma and neutron radiation sensing component
24, over time, for the purpose of determining background radiation
and any such anomalies which could indicate the presence of
radioactive or nuclear material. Typically, the entire set of
sensor apparatuses 20 will measure the sum of any signal due to
radioactive cargo and the background radiation at each sensor
location. The background radiation level can be determined to high
accuracy at each sensor location by fitting smooth curves to the
radiation curve measured throughout the matrix of containers or
objects to be tested and the associated sensor apparatuses 20
attached thereto which thereby creates the aforementioned
background radiation space. Deviation in radiation count at any
detector or sensor apparatus 20 over the smoothed background
radiation level for that position are indications of local
radioactivity. If the presence of radioactive or nuclear material
is detected, the information processing system 46 transmits an
alarm signal either to personnel on board the container ship 100 or
to a central facility utilizing an indication output or transmitter
48. The indication output 48 may be a cellular phone, satellite
radio, Internet connection, or any other suitable device which may
employed for transmitting the alarm signal to the desired location.
The information processing system 46 also includes software which
uses information from the location component 32 to identify the
particular location on the container ship 100 where a sensor
apparatus 20 detects the presence of radioactive material using the
three dimensional container matrix 14. In this manner,
identification of a particular container 12 which may contain
radioactive material is facilitated. Transmitter 48 may also have
the capability of transmitting command signals to component 26
attached to container 20, if the embodiment of component 26 is a
transceiver. Thus, the master unit/master module 40 may be a
monitoring device or a controlling device.
[0044] It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art
that while a particular preferred embodiment of a system for
detecting the presence of radioactive material within a ship board
container 12 has been described, the basic concepts of the present
invention are applicable in other environments. For example, the
same basic techniques and technology may be employed in sensing the
presence of radioactive or nuclear material in containers 12 being
shipped by other methods such as by rail, air, truck, etc. Further,
the same techniques could alternatively be employed for detecting
the presence of radioactive or nuclear material in a non-container
environment such as non-container, bulk shipments, by merely
placing sensor apparatuses 20 at various locations within, for
example, the hold of a ship 100 where bulk shipments are stored for
transit. Thus, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in
the art that one basic premise of the preferred embodiments of the
present invention is to make maximum use of the transit time for
the purpose of detecting the presence of radioactive material and
thereby eliminate or at least minimize the need to check individual
containers or bulk shipments upon arrival at a port or other
location. The preferred invention may also be utilized for
non-modularized bulk shipments, for example on a ship 100, by
regular loading and spacing of detector apparatuses 20 to that have
larger area of detection and thus greater range of detection. If
the arrays have directionality as well, locating the specific point
within a larger space can be accomplished via triangulation.
Location determination within a ship 100 greatly facilitates
intervention. Each module would still be linked to a central relay
point as before. The larger arrays would compensate for lessened
regularity of the array positioning and will use the transit time
for most efficient detection a substantial improvement of detection
accuracy and provide for intervention by the inspection authority
during transit when flexibility of response is possible.
[0045] The whole system transmission can be made more secure by
proper encoding of all communications to and from the detection
apparatuses 20 and the master unit/master module 40 as well as
between the master unit/master module and the control center 220
(FIG. 7) as would be known to one skilled in the art.
[0046] Each sensor or detector 24 can be calibrated during
production for a particular energy spectrum response as compared to
an isotopic element calibration standard. The calibration standard
may also be attached or disposed on or near each sensor or detector
24 to serve as a continuous reference for comparison during
measurement. Further, the sensors or detectors 24 may also be
configured for field calibration or standardization as would be
known in the art. Furthermore, each sensor or detector 24 can be
operated with an automatic temperature calibration or compensation
feature to facilitate consistent performance across a wide range of
temperatures.
[0047] The cargo container monitoring system 10 described herein
may be used in conjunction with, or integrated with other cargo
security systems, such as chemical and biological detectors,
tamper-proof security systems (so called electronic container seal
or "E-seal technology") and information systems that may be used in
cargo inspection systems. The cargo container monitoring system 10
as described above can also incorporate human sensor technology.
For example, an acoustic sensor or microphone, an odor sensor, a
motion sensor or any other type of sensor which may detect the
presence of humans could be included either within the sensor
housing 22 or within a separate housing. Such a sensor could
function continuously or could be activated by the controller 30 or
by the receiver station 40 to confirm the presence of a human
stowaway or "minder" within a container 12. The detection of the
presence of a human within a container 12 together with the
detection of radioactive material in the container 12 provides
additional confirmation of the successful use of the cargo
container monitoring system 10. Thus, it is contemplated that the
present invention can be used in combination with a live being
detector configured to detect the presence of a live being within
an object to be tested 12, like a container 12 described above.
[0048] Successful detection of nuclear weapons, fissile material or
"dirty" nuclear waste material is a function of a number of
variables: fissile strength, shielding of target, attenuation of
target by surrounding material, area of detection devise, and time
available for detection. The latter variable, the time of
detection, will overcome all other variables in successful
detection.
[0049] The sensor apparatus 20 could also be used with a GPS system
for identifying the location of a container 12, truck, or other
object to be tested, etc. to which the sensor apparatus 20 may be
secured. In addition, the sensor apparatus 20 itself may be used to
indicate that the seal of a container has been breached.
[0050] When the present invention is implemented as a
communication-linked radioactive material detection system 200
(FIG. 7), the radioactive material detection system 200 can also be
used to perform other vital and non-vital functions such as
commercial GPS locating, protection against clandestine opening of
the transportation unit and simple logistical information polling.
The linked data can be compared to a database of manifest shipping
information to identify the parties involved in the shipment of the
target shipment, thus proving for rapid investigation even during
transit and to resolve a target identification of legitimate
cargo.
[0051] FIGS. 4-5 are a flow diagram demonstrating a transit path of
a container 12 from a source to a destination. FIG. 6 is a
functional diagram demonstrating custodial transfer points during
transit for a container 12. As can be seen, between the original
shipper and the final end user destination, there are many
intermediate points where a container 12 may be tampered with or
compromised along the way. Additionally, having a container 12
change ships 100 at intermediate ports may be used superficially
veil the actual source or source port S from a country that may be
considered a higher security threat due to terrorist activity in
such a country to a country that is not considered a high security
risk. One of the major vulnerabilities of trusted shippers is that
they can be compromised, and therefore, by merging data from a
plurality of additional sources 222 and with the cargo container
monitoring system 10 the likelihood of detecting such a compromised
container is greatly improved.
[0052] FIG. 7 shows that the radioactive material detection system
200 includes a cargo container monitoring system 10 and a control
center 220. The cargo container monitoring system 10 includes a
plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses 20 and a
master unit/master module 40. The plurality of radioactive material
detection apparatuses 20 each have a wireless transmitter 26, a
radiation sensor 24 configured to detect radiation over a
predetermined or commanded period of time, a detection controller
30 configured to send sensed radiation to the wireless transmitter
26 for transmission and an identification tag 28 electrically
coupled to one of the controller 30 and the wireless transmitter 26
and configured to provide identification data or location data to
the information being transmitted by the wireless transmitter 26.
The master unit/master module 40 has a receiver 42 configured to
receive the wirelessly transmitted information from each of the
wireless transmitters 26 of the plurality of radioactive material
detection apparatuses 20, a transceiver 48 and a master controller
46 coupled to the receiver 42 and configured to send the
information received from the radioactive material detection
apparatuses 20 through the transceiver 48. The control center 220
is in communication with the transceiver 48 of the master
unit/master module 40. The control center 220 is configured to
receive data from at least one additional source 222 other than the
master unit/master module 40 and to asynchronously analyze the data
from the at least one additional source 222 and the information
from the radioactive material detection apparatuses 20 so as to
detect radioactive material in a particular container 12. The
transceiver 48 communicates with the control center 220 by using
one or more of a cellular system, a wireless computer network, an
infrared system, an ultrasonic system, a satellite system, and a
radio system.
[0053] The preferred embodiments also provide for a method of
detecting radioactive material within a plurality of containers 12
using a radioactive material detection system 200. The radioactive
material detection system 200 includes a cargo container monitoring
system 10 and a control center 220. The cargo container 12
monitoring system includes a master unit/master module 40 and a
plurality of radioactive material detection apparatuses 20. Each
radioactive material detection apparatus 20 has a transmitter 26, a
detection controller 30 and a radiation sensor 24 configured to
detect radiation over a predetermined or commanded period of time.
The control center 220 is in communication with the master
unit/master module 40 and is configured to receive data from at
least one additional source 222 other than the master unit/master
module 40. Radiation is sensed at each radioactive material
detection apparatus 20. The sensed information is received from
each radioactive material detection apparatus 20 at the master
unit/master module 40, over the predetermined or commanded period
of time. Either the master unit/master module 40 or the command
center 220 adjusts for background or cosmic radiation in order to
create adjusted sensor information and to facilitate the
identification of an anomaly or unusual data which is likely to
indicate the presence of nuclear radioactive material. The command
center 220 asynchronously analyzes the data from the at least one
additional source 222 and the adjusted sensor information so as to
identify an anomaly amongst the plurality of containers 12, to
reduce false positives, to reduce false negatives and/or to
increase a sensitivity reading.
[0054] The preferred embodiments also provide for another method of
detecting radioactive material within a plurality of containers 12
using a radioactive material detection system 200. The plurality of
radioactive material detection apparatuses 20 are mounted to the
plurality of cargo containers 12, the total set of detection
apparatuses 20 comprising an array of detector and cargo container
locations. At least one of gamma radiation and neutrons are sensed
in totality and/or by spectral distribution over the predetermined
or commanded period of time at each radioactive material detection
apparatus 20 and signals representing measured radiation are
transmitted to the master unit/master module 40 which communicates
the sensed data to the control center 220. The control center 220
calculates an average measured radiation level at each radioactive
material detection apparatus location throughout the entire array
of radioactive material detection apparatuses 20 by averaging the
radiation sensed at radioactive material detection apparatuses 20
proximate to each radioactive material detection apparatus 20. The
set of average values for the plurality of radioactive material
detection apparatuses 20 forms a varying set of calculated
estimates of background radiation space for the plurality of
radioactive material detection apparatuses 20 and corresponding
cargo containers 12. The control center 220 compares the measured
radiation at each radioactive material detection apparatus location
to the calculated estimate of background radiation at each location
in order to create compared sensor information. The control center
220 then asynchronously analyzes the data from the at least one
additional source 222 and the compared sensor information so as to
identify an anomaly amongst the plurality of containers 12, to
reduce false positives, to reduce false negatives and/or to
increase a sensitivity reading.
[0055] The present invention provides for the analysis of the
multiple sources of data 222 for each container 12 thereby
providing each container 12 with a rating system. With the present
system, there is an opportunity to make changes to the rating of a
particular container 12 in transit thereby providing a dynamic
rating system. Each alternate source of data 222 may contribute to
increasing the rating of the particular container 12 making it
subject to higher scrutiny and the possibility of taking other
actions. For example, an increased rating for a particular
container 12 could trigger a changed standard deviation criteria
(i.e., a different sigma resulting in an increased sensitivity) for
monitoring the sensed data around that container 12 using the cargo
container monitoring system 10 which sensitizes the ability to
detect anomalies around that container 12.
[0056] Additional sources of data 222 include active container
scanning systems, container manifests, container weight, container
moment of inertia in one or more dimensions, container transit
histories, container source logs, container destination logs, a
country of origin log, a destination country log, and a field
investigation report to name a few. Other additional sources of
data 222 include intelligence information about the shipper, the
country of origin, the shipping route, transit country, freight
forwarder, consignee, owner of the cargo and the like.
[0057] Another alternate source of data 222 could also be based on
an historical database for the shippers. If there is a shipment
that is outside the normal pattern of the shipper, such data may
set a higher warning level for a particular container 12. Thus, the
present invention contemplates a standard shipper profile in order
to identify changes in the shipping methods, sources, destinations,
manifests and the like for those profiled shippers.
[0058] Yet another alternate source of data 222 includes evidence
that the container was opened en route by detection of tampering of
the container doors (e.g., "E-seal" systems). Preferably, the
tampering detection is also remotely monitored during transit so
that data can be merged with the other data in the control center
220 and appropriate action can be taken such as increasing the
sensitivity of the cargo container monitoring system 10.
[0059] Asynchronous data analysis en route or in transit obviously
enables other steps to potentially be taken such as increasing the
sensitivity of the transitory monitoring of the containers 12,
conducting field investigations of the shippers, conducting
physical inspections of the container in question and the like. The
key is being able to intervene and take action before the
questionable container 12 has arrived in the destination port
D.
[0060] Combining active scanning data with the cargo container
monitoring system 10 makes the data from such active scanning more
timely. The actively scanned images are either interpreted by a
human operator or alternatively, the data is stored as an
electronic image which may be interpreted using image recognition
software. In the case of the human interpretation, results may not
be sent to the control center 220 until after ship 100 has departed
from the source port S, but preferably before the container 12
arrives at the destination port D. Instead of having to temporarily
store the containers 12, action can be taken en route. FIG. 8 is a
graphic demonstrating a general asynchronous analysis in accordance
with the preferred embodiments of the present invention as compared
with the time for inspection, analysis and queue of an active
scanning system functioning alone. Both methods would require a
transit time, but by merging the data at the control center 220 the
transit time can be utilized to analyze the actively scanned data
and possibly take other actions with the cargo container monitoring
system 10 during transit. Thus, the present invention supports both
active and passive scanning systems in a synergistic and
interactive fashion so that more timely action can be taken.
[0061] While described herein as combining active scanning
technology with passive scanning technology, it is contemplated
that passive scanning data can be combined with passive scanning
data, active scanning data can be combined with active data and
combinations thereof along with other additional sources of data to
perform asynchronous analysis of data in accordance with the
preferred embodiments of the present invention.
[0062] From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present
invention comprises an apparatus and method for asynchronously
analyzing data to detect radioactive material within a sealed
container which is within a vessel while the container is in
transit from one location to another. It will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the
embodiments described above without departing from the broad
inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this
invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed,
but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and
scope of the present invention as defined by the appended
claims.
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