METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSSESSING PROPERTIES OF LIQUIDS BY USING X-RAYS

1 ) A method for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the method including:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays in a scanning device, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) modelling a position of the liquid product with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector of the scanning device;

c) processing the modeled position to compute path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid; and

d) processing the path length data and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

2 ) Method for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the method including:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays using a scanning device, the X-ray data conveying a two-dimensional representation of the liquid product and providing information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) deriving container characterization data on the basis of the X-ray data;

c) processing the container characterization data to derive path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid;

d) processing the path length data and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

3 ) A method as defined in claim 1 , said method further comprising:

a) deriving container characterization data;

b) processing the container characterization data to model the position of the liquid product with respect to either one of the X-ray source and the X-ray detector of the scanning device.

4 ) A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein deriving the container characterization data is performed before the scanning.

5 ) A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein deriving the container characterization data includes receiving measurements obtained by contacting the container with a mechanical component.

6 ) A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein deriving the container characterization data includes receiving measurements obtained using a non-contact measurement system.

7 ) A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the non-contact measurement system includes an optical camera.

8 ) A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the non-contact measurement system includes a laser scanner to optically capture the shape of the container.

9 ) A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein deriving the container characterization data includes processing the X-ray data.

10 ) A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the X-ray data is generated by placing the liquid product on a conveyor belt of the scanning device and scanning the liquid product with X-rays as the liquid product is being displaced by the conveyor belt.

11 ) A method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the X-ray data conveys an X-ray image of the liquid product, the method including processing the X-ray data to extract container perspective data, the perspective data conveying information about the spatial extent of the container in a direction along which X-rays interacting with the body of liquid propagate therethrough.

12 ) A method as defined in claim 11 , including the step of processing the perspective data to extract information about a cross-sectional shape of the container.

13 ) A method as defined in claim 3 , including processing the container characterization data to derive information about a cross-sectional shape of the container.

14 ) A method as defined in claim 13 , including generating a virtual model of the container.

15 ) A method as defined in claim 14 , including computationally manipulating the virtual model to locate the virtual model in a virtual model of the X-ray machine used for the scanning, the X-ray machine including an X-ray source and an X-ray detector.

16 ) A method as defined in claim 15 , including computationally manipulating the virtual model of the container to locate the virtual model of the container in a position relative to a virtual source of X-rays, the position corresponding to a position of the real container relative to a real source of X-rays during the scanning.

17 ) A method as defined in claim 16 , including computing intersection points of X-rays through the virtual model of the container on the basis of the position of the virtual model with relation to the virtual source of X-rays.

18 ) A method as defined in claim 17 , including processing the intersection points to generate the path length data.

19 ) A method as defined in claim 16 , computationally manipulating the virtual model of the container to register the virtual model of the container with a virtual model of a reference element that defines a reference position of the real container with relation to the real source of X-rays.

20 ) A method as defined in claim 19 , wherein the virtual model of the reference element includes a virtual model of a tray for supporting the liquid product during the scanning.

21 ) A method as defined in claim 10 , including processing the X-ray data to extract information about a wall thickness of the container.

22 ) A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the X-ray data includes:

a) first X-ray image data derived by performing a first scanning of the liquid product with X-rays and conveys an image of the liquid product from a first point of view; and

b) second X-ray image data derived by performing a second scanning, the second X-ray image data conveying an image of the liquid product from a second point of view.

23 ) A method as defined in claim 22 , including deriving the information about the spatial extent of the container from the second X-ray image data.

24 ) A method as defined in claim 23 , wherein the first point of view and the second point of view are generally along orthogonal directions.

25 ) An apparatus for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the apparatus including:

a) a scanning device for scanning the liquid product with X-rays to derive X-ray data, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) a processing element having an input in communication with said device and being programmed for:

i) modeling a position of the liquid product with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector in the scanning device;

ii) processing the modeled position to compute path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid; and

iii) processing the path length data and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat;

c) an output for releasing data conveying results obtained by the processing element.

26 ) A computer readable storage medium storing a program element for execution by a computing device for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, said program element when executing on said processor implementing a method comprising:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays in a scanning device, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) modelling a position of the liquid product with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector of the scanning device;

c) processing the modeled position to compute path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid; and

d) processing the path length data and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

27 ) An apparatus for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the apparatus including:

a) an input for receiving container characterization data;

b) a computer based processing component for:

i) modeling a position of the liquid product with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector;

ii) processing the modeled position to compute path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid;

iii) processing the path length data and the container characterization data for determining if the liquid product is a security threat; and

c) an output for releasing data conveying the result of the determining.

28 ) Method for determining a length of a path followed by X-rays through a body of liquid held in a container, the method including:

a) scanning the container with X-rays to generate X-ray image data;

b) modeling a position of the container with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector;

c) deriving the length of the path of X-rays through the body of liquid held in the container at least in part based on the modelled position of the container.

29 ) A method as defined in claim 28 , wherein modeling the position of the container includes extracting container characterization data from X-ray image data.

30 ) A method as defined in claim 29 , wherein the characterization data includes container width information.

31 ) A method as defined in claim 29 , wherein the characterization data includes container height information.

32 ) A method as defined in claim 29 , wherein the container characterization data indicates whether or not that the container has a cap.

33 ) Method for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the method including:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) generating a virtual model of the container by using software executed by a computer;

c) processing the virtual model and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

34 ) A method as defined in claim 33 , including deriving container characterization data and processing the container characterization data with the computer to generate the virtual model of the container.

35 ) A method as defined in claim 34 , including computationally manipulating the virtual model to locate the virtual model in a virtual model of the X-ray machine used for the scanning, the X-ray machine including an X-ray source and an X-ray detector.

36 ) A method as defined in claim 35 , including computationally manipulating the virtual model of the container to locate the virtual model of the container in a position relative to a virtual source of X-rays, the position corresponding to a position of the real container relative to a real source of X-rays during the scanning.

37 ) A method as defined in claim 36 , including computing intersection points of X-rays through the virtual model of the container on the basis of the position of the virtual model with relation to the virtual source of X-rays.

38 ) A method as defined in claim 37 , including processing the intersection points to generate path length data.

39 ) A method as defined in claim 36 , computationally manipulating the virtual model of the container to register the virtual model of the container with a virtual model of a reference element that defines a reference position of the real container with relation to the real source of X-rays.

40 ) A method as defined in claim 39 , wherein the virtual model of the reference element includes a virtual model of a tray for supporting the liquid product during the scanning.

41 ) A method as defined in claim 34 , wherein deriving container characterization data includes processing the X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays.

42 ) A method as defined in claim 34 , wherein the characterization data includes container width information.

43 ) A method as defined in claim 34 , wherein the characterization data includes container height information.

44 ) A method as defined in claim 35 , wherein the container characterization data indicates whether or not that the container has a cap.

45 ) An apparatus for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the apparatus comprising:

a) a device for scanning the liquid product with X-rays to derive X-ray data, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid; and

b) a processing element having an input in communication with said device and being programmed for

i) receiving the X-ray data;

ii) generating a virtual model of the container;

iii) processing the virtual model and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

46 ) A computer readable storage medium storing a program element for execution by a computing device for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, said program element when executing on said processor implementing a method comprising:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) generating a virtual model of the container;

c) processing the virtual model and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.