X-ray scanning system and method for inspecting an object

1 . A method of x-ray scanning and inspecting at least one object, the method comprising:

selecting a first position on a surface in a first scan area for a first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner;

wherein the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner has a first x-ray beam source and a first x-ray detector and is configured for backscatter imaging;

rotating wheels and moving the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner on the surface of the first scan area to the first selected position, with a movable conveyance;

performing a first scan of at least a first side of a first object with the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner, while at least one of the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner and the first object are moving, and generating a first compilation of scanning data;

selecting a second position on a surface in a second scan area for the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner;

rotating wheels and moving the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner on the surface of the second scan area to the second selected position, with a movable conveyance;

performing a second scan of at least a first side of a second object with the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner, while at least one of the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner and the second object are moving, and generating a second compilation of scanning data;

wherein the first object and the second object may be the same object or different objects, the first and the second scan areas may be the same or different, and the first and the second selected positions are different;

transmitting the second compilation of scanning data to an inspection station;

moving at least one of a second x-ray scanner and the second object being scanned, wherein the second object being scanned or the second x-ray scanner is moved relative to the other;

wherein the second x-ray scanner is separate and distinct from the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner and has a second x-ray beam source and a second x-ray detector;

performing a third scan of at least a second side of the second object with the second x-ray scanner, while the at least one of the second x-ray scanner and the second object being scanned are moving, and generating a third compilation of scanning data, wherein the second side of the second object being scanned is different than the first side of the second object being scanned;

wherein the second compilation of scanning data and the third compilation of scanning data are separate and distinct scan data sets;

transmitting the third compilation of scanning data to the inspection station;

integrating the second compilation of scanning data with the third compilation of scanning data, at the inspection station; and

wherein the selecting of the second position of the first mobile x-ray scanner for the second scan and the moving of the at least one of the second x-ray scanner and the second object being scanned for the third scan are based upon mitigating crosstalk between the first x-ray beam source and the second x-ray detector and between the second x-ray beam source and the first x-ray detector, or to provide for a linear movement path of the object being scanned.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising inspecting the integrated compilation of the first and the second scanning data, at the inspection station, upon the integrating of the first compilation of scanning data with the second compilation of scanning data, and thereby inspecting the scanned object.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

moving at least one of a third scanner and the object being scanned, and scanning the object while the at least one of the third x-ray scanner and the object are moving, and generating a third compilation of scanning data;

transmitting the third compilation of scanning data to the inspection station; and

integrating the third compilation of scanning data with the first and the second compilations of scanning data.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising inspecting the integrated compilations of the scanning data, at the inspection station, and thereby inspecting the object.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of inspecting the integrated compilations of scanning data is performed with the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the inspecting the integrated compilations of scanning data comprises displaying the integrated compilations of scanning data on the same or proximate screens for viewing by a single viewer or inspector.

7 . The method of x-ray scanning and inspecting an object of claim 1 , wherein the selecting of the first position of the first mobile backscatter imaging x-ray scanner is selected to provide for the linear movement path of the object being scanned.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a) and b), wherein a) and b) are:

a) measuring or sensing at least one of a first distance between the first mobile x-ray scanner and the first side of the object being scanned and a second distance between the second x-ray scanner and the second side of the object being scanned; and

mitigating vertical scaling artifacts with the at least one measured or sensed distance; and

b) resampling at least one of a vertical dimension of the object being scanned and a horizontal dimension of the object being scanned, with at least one of the first mobile x-ray scanner and the second x-ray scanner; and

mitigating at least one of a vertical scaling artifact and a horizontal scaling artifact, with the at least one resample.