Patent ID: 8903046
Filing Date: 2014-12-02
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A covert mobile inspection vehicle for obtaining a radiographic image of an object, having a surface, outside the vehicle, comprising: a backscatter X-ray scanning system comprising an X-ray source and a plurality of detectors; one or more sensors to obtain surveillance data from a predefined area surrounding the vehicle; a laser range finder for determining a distance from at least one of the plurality of detectors to points on the surface of the object and adapted to cause a beam of infra-red light to be transmitted to a point on the surface of the object and detect light reflected from the point on the surface of the object, wherein a time taken for the beam of infra-red light to return to the laser range finder is indicative of a distance to the surface of the object; and a processor for processing the obtained radiographic image by using the determined distance of the surface of the object to obtain an atomic number of material contained in the object, wherein the processor uses said distance to determine and apply an intensity correction to the obtained radiographic image thereby causing an intensity of the obtained radiographic image of the surface of the object, located at a distance greater than a predefined distance, to be increased by a predefined factor and an intensity of the obtained radiographic image of the surface of the object, located at a distance less than a predefined distance, to be reduced by a predefined factor.