Drive-through scanning systems
A drive-through scanning system comprises a radiation generating means arranged to generate radiation at two different energy levels and direct it towards a scanning volume, detection means arranged to detect the radiation after it has passed through the scanning volume, and control means arranged to identify a part of a vehicle within the scanning volume, to allocate the part of the vehicle to one of a plurality of categories, and to control the radiation generating means and to select one or more of the energy levels depending on the category to which the part of the vehicle is allocated.
1. A drive-through scanning system comprising:
a radiation generating system arranged to generate radiation at different energy levels, wherein the energy levels comprise a first energy level and a second energy level, wherein the first energy level is greater than the second energy level, and wherein the radiation generating system is arranged to direct the radiation towards a scanning volume;
a detector array configured to detect radiation passing through the scanning volume;
an infrared light source configured to illuminate a plane within the scanning volume; and
a controller configured to receive data indicative of a vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume, determine if the vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume meets a condition, and control the radiation generation system to change from the second energy level to the first energy level based on the vehicle portion meeting said condition.
2. The drive-through scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the condition is that a cargo occupied portion of the vehicle is entering the scanning volume.
3. The drive-through scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the condition is that a human occupied portion of the vehicle is out of the scanning volume.
4. The drive-through scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the radiation generating system directs said radiation into the scanning volume within an imaging plane.
5. The drive-through scanning system of claim 4 , wherein the infrared light source is configured to determine a profile of the portion of the vehicle that is within the imaging plane.
6. The drive-through scanning system of claim 5 , wherein the profile of the portion of the vehicle that is within the imaging plane is a vertical profile.
7. The drive-through scanning system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a light sensor or camera arranged to be directed toward the scanning volume and generate data indicative of the vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume.
8. The drive-through scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the radiation generation system to direct the first energy level or the second energy level to the portion of the vehicle passing through the scanning volume based on determining if the vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume contains cargo to be inspected or a human.
9. The drive-through scanning system of claim 7 , wherein the light sensor comprises a light beam generator and a detector configured to determine when the light beam is blocked.
10. The drive-through scanning system of claim 1 , further comprising an integration circuit, wherein the detector array is configured to generate at least one detector signal and wherein the integration circuit is arranged to integrate the at least one detector signal over integration times of at least two different time periods.
11. The drive-through scanning system of claim 7 , wherein the radiation generating system comprises a first X-ray source configured to generate radiation of the first energy level and a second X-ray source configured to generate radiation of the second energy level.
12. The drive-through scanning system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the first X-ray source to direct radiation having the first energy level toward the scanning volume after identifying a trailing edge of a cab of the vehicle based on the data indicative of the vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume.
13. The drive-through scanning system of claim 1 , further comprising a movement sensor configured to generate data indicative of a movement of the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to receive the data indicative of the movement of the vehicle and to the radiation generating system depending on the movement.
14. The drive-through scanning system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a trailing edge of a cab of the vehicle based on the data indicative of the vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume.
15. The drive-through scanning system of claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display instructions to a driver of the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to control the display.
16. A drive-through scanning system comprising:
a radiation generating system arranged to generate radiation at different energy levels, wherein the energy levels comprise a first energy level and a second energy level, wherein the first energy level is greater than the second energy level, and wherein the radiation generating system is arranged to direct the radiation towards a scanning volume;
a detector array configured to detect radiation passing through the scanning volume;
an infrared light source configured to illuminate a plane within the scanning volume; and
a controller configured to receive data indicative of a vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume, determine if the vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume meets a condition, and control the radiation generation system to change from the second energy level to the first energy level based on the vehicle portion meeting said condition, wherein the condition is that a cargo occupied portion of the vehicle is entering the scanning volume and that a human occupied portion of the vehicle is out of the scanning volume.
17. The drive-through scanning system of claim 16 , wherein the radiation generating system directs said radiation into the scanning volume within an imaging plane.
18. The drive-through scanning system of claim 17 , wherein the infrared light source is configured to determine a profile of the portion of the vehicle that is within the imaging plane.
19. The drive-through scanning system of claim 18 , wherein the profile of the portion of the vehicle that is within the imaging plane is a vertical profile.
20. The drive-through scanning system of claim 16 , further comprising at least one of a light sensor or camera arranged to be directed toward the scanning volume and generate data indicative of the vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume.
21. The drive-through scanning system of claim 16 , wherein the radiation generating system comprises a first X-ray source configured to generate radiation of the first energy level and a second X-ray source configured to generate radiation of the second energy level.
22. The drive-through scanning system of claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the first X-ray source to direct radiation having the first energy level toward the scanning volume after identifying a trailing edge of a cab of the vehicle based on the data indicative of the vehicle portion passing through the scanning volume.