Patent Grant
8513615
This Application is a Section 371 National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/CN2010/080429, filed Dec. 29, 2010 and not yet published, which claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 201010223333.2 filed on Jun. 30, 2010 in the State Intellectual Property Office of China, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates to a human body security inspection apparatus, more particularly, to a millimeter-wave inspection apparatus for human body inspection.
It is known in the art that human body security inspection apparatus mainly includes metal detectors, trace inspection equipment as well as x-ray transmission apparatus. Specifically, the metal detectors are only sensitive to the metallic substance; trance inspection equipment is merely effective to inspect explosive and drugs, whereas x-ray transmission apparatus can only detect metallic/non-metallic articles, explosive, and drugs and so on. Furthermore, the x-ray transmission apparatus can have a relatively high space resolution and a certain scanning speed, but is harmful to the human body to a certain degree, due to ionizing radiation of the x-ray. Therefore, they are limited to be employed in the human body security inspection.
In order to satisfy the demand for the human body security inspection without harming the human body, it is essential to provide a millimeter-wave inspection apparatus, which at least alleviates or fully eliminates at least one of the above mentioned technical problems.
Bearing in mind of the above shortages in prior arts, an object of the present invention is to alleviate at least one aspect of the above problems and defects.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a millimeter-wave inspection apparatus to perform security inspection of the human body.
According one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a millimeter-wave inspection apparatus. The millimeter-wave inspection apparatus includes: optics devices, configured to receive millimeter-wave energy radiated from an object to be inspected and focus the received millimeter-wave energy; a radiometer receiving device configured to receive the focused millimeter-wave energy and transform the millimeter-wave energy into electrical signal; and an imaging device configured to generate a temperature image of the object to be inspected in accordance with the electrical signal.
In one embodiment, the optics device further includes: a swing reflection device configured to receive and reflect the millimeter-wave energy from the object to be inspected; a convex lens device configured to focus the millimeter-wave energy from the swing reflection device; and a path-folding reflection plate device configured to fold the propagating path of the focused millimeter-wave energy.
In one embodiment, the swing reflection device comprises: a support frame, a swing reflection plate which is rotatably supported onto the support frame; and a first driving motor, which is connected to the swing reflection plate, so as to sway the swing reflection plate back and forth.
Preferably, the support frame comprises: a first support plate, a second support plate which is disposed to be in parallel with and opposite to the first support plate, and a plurality of positioning rods with equal lengths, one end of which is fixed to the first support plate, while the other end thereof is fixed to the second support plate, the plurality of positioning rods are in parallel with and are perpendicular to the first and second support plates.
In another embodiment, the swing reflection device further comprises a swing position-limit mechanism, to define the range of the swing angle of the swing reflection plate, which comprises a swing member, one end of which is coupled to the driving motor, and a pair of stop parts are disposed on the second support plate, the other end of the swing member is defined to swing between the pair of the stop parts.
Preferably, a rotating shaft is formed on one end of the swing reflection plate, and is rotatably supported on the first support plate through a bearing; the other end of the swing reflection plate is connected to the swing member, to synchronously rotate with the swing member.
In yet another embodiment, the path-folding reflection plate device comprises: a reflection plate; an angle adjusting mechanism configured to adjust an angle of the reflection plate; and a height adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a height of the reflection plate.
Specifically, the height adjusting mechanism comprises: a first double-screw bolt fixed on the main frame of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus; a second double-screw bolt having a rotation direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first double-screw bolt; a threaded sleeve, which has a lower portion threadedly connected to the first double-screw bolt and an upper portion threadedly connected to the second double-screw bolt, wherein the height of the reflection plate is adjusted by rotating the threaded sleeve; and a locking nut which is capable of locking the height of the height adjusting mechanism.
In one embodiment, the angle adjusting mechanism comprises: a rotating shaft, by which the reflection plate is roatably connected to the top of the second double-screw bolt.
In another embodiment, the path-folding reflection device further includes a position-limit mechanism, to prevent the reflection plate from rotating as the threaded sleeve rotates.
Specifically, the position-limit mechanism comprises: a first position-limit plate, which has an upper end connected to the reflection plate and a lower end with a slot; and a second position-limit plate, which has a lower portion fixed onto the main frame of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus and an upper portion inserted into the slot at the lower end of the first position-limit plate.
In one embodiment, the convex lens device is a biconvex lens.
In another embodiment, the radiometer receiving device comprises: a linear array of radiometers; first and second positioning plates, which fix the radiometers therebetween by a first fastener; and a support frame configured to condition the angle of the radiometers.
In another embodiment, the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus further comprises a radiometer temperature calibration device, which comprises: a normal temperature calibration mechanism, having a calibration temperature equal to the current environment temperature, to calibrate the initial value of the radiometer; and a high temperature calibration mechanism, having a calibration temperature higher than the current environment temperature, to cooperate with the normal temperature calibration mechanism for calibrating the gain of the radiometer.
Specifically, the normal temperature calibration mechanism comprises a rotatable normal temperature calibration hollow cylinder assembly and a second driving motor mounted onto a bracket, to drive the normal temperature calibration hollow cylinder assembly to continually rotate around the radiometer.
Preferably, the high temperature calibration mechanism comprises a high temperature calibration semi-circular plate assembly and a third driving motor mounted on the bracket to drive the high temperature calibration semi-circular plate assembly to continually swing around the radiometer.
In another embodiment, the normal temperature calibration hollow cylinder assembly and the high temperature calibration semi-circular plate assembly rotate about the same axis, one end of the normal temperature calibration mechanism is attached to the rotating shaft, which in turn is connected to the output shaft of the second driving motor, the shaft end of the rotating shaft is formed with a shafting hole in which a key is formed, and the output shaft of the second driving motor is inserted into the shafting hole of the rotating shaft, thereby achieving a direct connection therebetween.
In one embodiment, the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus further comprises a control device, to control operations of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus.
In another embodiment, the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus includes a main frame, and the optics devices and the radiometer receiving device are mounted onto the main frame.
In yet another embodiment, the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus further includes a camera which acquires an optical image of the object to be inspected.
Compared with the prior art, since the millimeter-wave is used to perform security inspection in the present invention, the present invention can produce the following technical effect: it would not be harmful to the human health by employing the passive millimeter-wave human body security inspection technology; and the contraband items to be concealed within the human clothing can be efficiently and effectively detected. Moreover, the design of path-folding means is employed, so that the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus becomes more compact.
Those and/or other aspect and advantages can be apparent and readily understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment, in combination with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the specific examples. It is apparent for those skilled in the art to understand configurations, advantages and functionality of the present invention from the disclosure of the following embodiment.
The present invention can also be implemented by or embodied in other different embodiments. Various details of the description can be modified or altered based on different concepts and applications without departing from the spirits of the present invention.
Moreover, the attached drawings are simplified views to schematically convey the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the drawing only illustrates the related assembly to the present invention, while failing to delimit the number, shapes and sizes of the assembly as implemented. When implementing the present invention, the shapes, number and the scale can be altered as required, and these may become more complex.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various embodiments of the invention are shown.
It will be appreciated that the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus further includes a control device 150 to control operations of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus. In particular, the control device 150 sends out control instructions for controlling various components of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus. The imaging device will transform the electrical signal obtained by the radiometer receiving device 80 into the image information for detection and identification. It is apparent that the imaging device can be embodied in various forms such as computers, microprocessors and display devices.
In addition, the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus further includes a main frame 20 which is used to protect and support various components of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus. For example, the optics devices 30, 50, 60 and the radiometer receiving device 80 can be mounted onto the main frame 20. The imaging device can be incorporated into the main frame 20, so as to form an integral device. The imaging device can also be electrically connected to the other components so as to achieve remote imaging. It will be appreciated that the imaging device can integrally be formed on the main frame 20, to directly observe the obtained temperature image. Furthermore, the imaging device can also be disposed in other devices of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus or separated from the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus, as required.
In one embodiment, as shown in
Specifically, the optics device 30, 50, 60 further includes: a swing reflection device 30 configured to receive and reflect the millimeter-wave energy from the object to be inspected; a convex lens device 50 configured to focus the millimeter-wave energy from the swing reflection device 30; and a path-folding reflection plate device 60 configured to fold the propagating path of the focused millimeter-wave energy.
In an embodiment, the convex lens device 50 is a biconvex lens.
Hereinafter, the swing reflection device 30 and the path-folding reflection device 60 of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus in accordance with the present invention will be described with reference to
As shown in
The support frame 31 includes a first support plate 40 and a second support plate 42 which are disposed to be in parallel and opposite to each other. Both of the first support plate 40 and the second support plate 42 are fixed onto the main frame 20 of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus by the threaded connection member such as screws.
In one preferable embodiment, a plurality of positioning rods 41 with equal lengths are provided to ensure to be parallel between the first support plate 40 and the second support plate 42. As shown in
In
In one preferred embodiment, an end cover 38 is disposed outside of the first support plate 40, in order to prevent the foreign substances such as dust entering into the bearing 39. The end cove 38 is fixed onto the first support plate 40 by screws, so as to cover the bearing hole in which the bearing 39 is mounted.
In one preferred embodiment, the swing reflection device further comprises a swing position-limit mechanism 36, 37, to define the range of the swing angle of the swing reflection plate 32. In the preferred embodiment shown in
As shown in
In one preferred embodiment, one end of the swing member 36 is directly coupled to the driving motor 35.
Referring to
More preferably, the pair of stop parts 37 can be a pair of convex stop posts.
More preferably, elastic sleeves are provided on the pair of stop parts 37 and/or the swing member 36, in order to alleviate or eliminate impact and noise.
In one preferred embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the above preferred embodiment, as the swing reflection plate 32 is directly and rigidly connected to the driving motor 35 without any other transmission mechanisms, the structure thereof is simple. In addition, the driving motor 35 is capable of driving the swing reflection plate 32 to be swayed back and forth in high-speed.
In another preferred embodiment, the driving motor 35 is a torsion motor. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Other types of motors are possible, such as a stepper motor.
Furthermore,
Specifically, the path-folding reflection plate device 60 includes: a reflection plate 61; an angle adjusting mechanism 64 configured to adjust an angle of the reflection plate 61; and a height adjusting mechanism 65, 67, 68 configured to adjust the height of the reflection plate 61.
Furthermore, the height adjusting mechanism 65, 67, 68 includes: a first double-screw bolt 68 fixed on the main frame 20 of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus; and a second double-screw bolt 65 having a rotation direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first double-screw bolt 68. The height adjusting mechanism further includes a threaded sleeve 67, which has a lower portion threadedly connected to the first double-screw bolt 68 and an upper portion threadedly connected to the second double-screw bolt 65, wherein the height of the reflection plate 61 is adjusted by rotating the threaded sleeve 67. In addition, the height adjusting mechanism further includes a locking nut 66 which is capable of locking the height of the height adjusting mechanism.
In addition, the angle adjusting mechanism 64 includes a rotating shaft 64, by which the reflection plate 61 is roatably connected to the top of the second double-screw bolt 65. Specifically, the rotation shaft 64 is provided with threads. When it is released, the reflection plate 61 can be adjusted within a certain range of angle.
In one preferred embodiment, the path-folding reflection device 60 further includes a position-limit mechanism 62, 63, in order to prevent the reflection plate 61 from rotating as the threaded sleeve 67 rotates. Specifically, the position-limit mechanism 62, 63 includes a first position-limit plate 62, which has an upper end connected to the reflection plate 61 and a lower end with a slot; and a second position-limit plate 63, which has a lower portion fixed onto the main frame 20 of the millimeter-wave inspection apparatus and an upper portion inserted into the slot at the lower end of the first position-limit plate 62. Thus, the second position-limit plate 63 is embedded in the slot of the first position-limit plate 62, so as to prevent the reflection plate 61 from rotating as the threaded sleeve 67 rotates.
It will be appreciated that when the threaded sleeve 67 rotates, the first double-screw bolt 68 and the second double-screw bolt 65 move in opposite directions at the same time, thereby doubling speed of elevation or dropping.
In particular, the support frame 81 is provided with a sliding hole 810, and the radiometer receiving device 80 further comprises a second fastener 811. The second fastener 811 passes through the sliding hole 810 and connects the support frame 81 to a curved plate of the first positioning plate 82, so that the second fastener 811 can slide within the sliding hole 810 so as to adjust the angle of the first positioning plate 82 and thus to adjust the orientation of the radiometer 83 with respect to the support frame 81.
Furthermore, a fan 91 is disposed within the inner side of the curved plate of the first positioning plate 82, and vent holes 97 corresponding to the fan 91 are provided on the curved plate.
In addition,
The surfaces of the first and second positioning plates 82 and 84 are respectively disposed with a plurality of heat dissipation fins 95. The radiometer receiving device 80 further comprises air passage clapboards 89, 90 configured to enclose the heat dissipation fins 95 to form air passages. The radiometer receiving device 80 further comprises a shielding cylinder 92, which encloses the first and second positioning plates 82 and 84, as well as the radiometers 83, while leaving a gap in the receiving direction of the radiometer 83.
It is understood that the radiometer receiving device 80 further includes high frequency amplifiers 85 and a high frequency amplifier bracket 86 configured to fix the high frequency amplifiers 85 and a bracket press plate 87. The high frequency amplifier bracket 86 contains grids, and each of the high frequency amplifiers 85 is mounted in each of the grids.
In addition, the radiometer receiving device 80 further comprises a data sampling circuit board 88, which is mounted onto the second positioning plate 84.
It should be understood that the radiometers 83 are arranged at a certain angle depending on the radiation path design. The first and second positioning plates 82, 84 with heat dissipation fins 95 and the air passage clapboards 89, 90 define the heat dissipation air passage, and the heat generated by the radiometer 83 is discharged by the fan 91, to prevent the radiometers 83 from being affected by the environment temperature.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown, the high temperature calibration mechanism mainly includes a high temperature calibration semi-circular plate assembly 130 and a third driving motor 142.
As shown in
As shown in
In
As shown in
As shown in
In one shown preferred embodiment, one end of the normal temperature calibration mechanism 111 is attached to the rotating shaft 116 which is provided with a flange disc. The rotating shaft 116 is connected to the output shaft of the second driving motor 118. Preferably, the shaft end of the rotating shaft 116 is formed with a shafting hole in which a key is provided, and the output shaft of the second driving motor 118 is inserted into the shafting hole of the rotating shaft 116, thereby achieving a direct connection therebetween.
As shown in
In
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Although the present invention is described in combination with the accompanying drawings, the embodiment disclosed in the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the preferred embodiment as an example, rather than is limitative on the present invention.
Although some embodiments of the general inventive concept are illustrated and explained, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the overall inventive concept of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 1 0223333 | Jun 2010 | CN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2010/080429 | 12/29/2010 | WO | 00 | 4/26/2011 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2011/079790 | 7/7/2011 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4015896 | Sonnet | Apr 1977 | A |
| 5047783 | Hugenin | Sep 1991 | A |
| 5760397 | Huguenin et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
| 6353224 | Sinclair et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 7583074 | Lynch et al. | Sep 2009 | B1 |
| 8213672 | Daly et al. | Jul 2012 | B2 |
| 20020044276 | Stoner et al. | Apr 2002 | A1 |
| 20080290265 | Daly et al. | Nov 2008 | A1 |
| 20090041292 | Daly et al. | Feb 2009 | A1 |
| 20100069782 | Icove et al. | Mar 2010 | A1 |
| 20100193688 | Koch et al. | Aug 2010 | A1 |
| 20100264316 | Delaney et al. | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| 20110133087 | Mann et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1170306 | Jan 1998 | CN |
| 101644770 | Feb 2010 | CN |
| 9007130 | Jun 1990 | WO |
| WO03029772 | Apr 2003 | WO |
| 2006129113 | Dec 2006 | WO |
| 2009157552 | Dec 2009 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| First Chinese Office for Chinese Application No. 201010223333.2, dated Nov. 5, 2012, 5 pages. |
| Written Opinion of the International Search Report in Chinese for PCT/CN2010/080429 filed Dec. 28, 2010; 10 pages. |
| Supplemental European Search Report for European Application No. 10838372.0-1240 (PCT/CN2010/080429), search completed Jun. 13, 2012, 11 pages. |
| European Office Action from EP 10838372.0, dated May 16, 2013. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120085909 A1 | Apr 2012 | US |
