Abstract:
This invention is directed to an apparatus and method for sensing and detecting a number of physical, biological and chemical characteristics of a person, preferably in connection with the process of verifying the identity of the individual. The apparatus may be employed as part of the check-in procedures at airports, bus stations, train stations, cruise ships and other vessels, as well as other situations where identification verification may be required, e.g. banking transactions and the like.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a sensing and detecting apparatus and method, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for sensing and detecting a variety of physical, biological and chemical characteristics of an individual during the course of identification verification while traveling, conducting a bank transaction and other situations where proof of identification may be required. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The increasingly violent, persistent and widespread activity of terrorists and other fanatical elements of many societies has required the development of countermeasures to enhance the security of travelers, both internationally and domestically, as well as citizens engaged in their day-to-day lives. Perhaps the most visible increase in security has taken place at airports where luggage is now routinely subjected to X-ray, and passengers are directed through metal detectors while their carry-on bags are X-rayed and physically searched for unapproved items. Some airports have automated sensors to detect the presence of explosive materials on one&#39;s person, while others use handheld sensing devices which employ wipes to swab items carried by a passenger to check for explosives. 
         [0003]    The danger posed by terrorists and others is not limited to explosives or weapons such as firearms, knives etc. carried on an airplane, bus, vessel or the like. On the contrary, chemical and biological weapons may of even greater concern because the number of people potentially at risk may be far in excess of those passengers on an airplane or other mode of transportation carrying the terrorist(s). 
         [0004]    In addition to the intentional infliction of harm to citizens of our country, biological threats from contagious diseases such as avian flu, malaria, small pox, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and others may be introduced to our population from international visitors. The number of flights and vessels arriving from foreign countries each day is significant, and individuals entering the country may be carrying serious disease, with or without their knowledge, placing our citizens at risk. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This invention is directed to an apparatus and method for sensing and detecting a number of physical, biological and chemical characteristics of a person, preferably in connection with the process of verifying the identity of the individual. The apparatus may be employed as part of the check-in procedures at airports, bus stations, train stations, cruise ships and other vessels, as well as other situations where identification verification may be required, e.g. banking transactions and the like. 
         [0006]    In one presently preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises a monitoring station and an analysis center. The individual is prompted to look at a screen during which time his or her photograph is taken and a temperature profile of the skin of at least the upper torso is sensed. The person is required to place his or her fingers on one or more touch pads at the monitoring station which may be equipped with sensors capable of detecting the presence of biological agents and chemical agents on the fingers and remainder of the hands. Additional sensors have the capability of detecting the fingerprints of the subject while they are present on the touch pad. 
         [0007]    The goal of the invention is to provide authorities with data, as close to real time as possible, which is collected by the sensors, cameras and other detection equipment at the monitoring stating. This data is sent to an analyzing center, coupled to the monitoring station, for comparison with existing data bases. For example, the photograph and fingerprints of the individual may be compared with national and/or international data bases of known terrorists and criminals who may otherwise be using forged passports, driver&#39;s licenses or other identification papers. The biological and chemical sensors are effective to detect trace amounts of different agents on the person of the individual. The analysis center may be housed at the monitoring station, or the data may be transmitted from the monitoring station to one or more remote locations for analysis depending on the type and complexity of the analysis required. 
         [0008]    The results of the analysis may be used to prevent a passenger from boarding a particular mode of transportation, or conducting a financial transaction, for example, or it may be used to track an individual entering or leaving the country. For example, it is contemplated that temperature profile data would be immediately analyzed at or near the monitoring station so that a person with a high fever, for example, would be prevented from boarding a vehicle until examined by appropriate medical personnel. It may take more time to evaluate and analyze data relating to physical characteristics of a person, or the biological and chemical agents which they may have on their person, and in those instances threats identified from such analysis could be addressed by authorities waiting at the destination of the vehicle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The structure, operation and advantages of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic, side view of the apparatus of this invention depicting an individual located at the monitoring station with his hands on the touch pad of the device; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged, plan view of the touch pad illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the sensor array located at the monitoring station and the analysis center coupled thereto; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is schematic view of nano-tubes which may be associated with the touch pad. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Referring now to the drawings, an apparatus  10  is schematically depicted for sensing and detecting various physical, chemical and biological characteristics of a person. The apparatus  10  includes a monitoring station  12  and an analysis center  14  which may be located in a common housing  16 , or the analysis center  14  may be at one or more remote locations. In the event the analysis center(s)  14  is remotely located, it may be coupled to the monitoring station  12  via the Internet, through RF or similar transmissions or other suitable means. See arrows  18  in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0016]    In one presently preferred embodiment of the apparatus  10 , the housing  16  mounts a display screen  20  which supports a digital camera  22  and an infrared camera  24 , as best seen in  FIG. 2 . A ledge  26  extends outwardly from the housing  16 , and its top surface mounts two touch pads  28  and  30 . Each of the touch pads  28  and  30  may have a contact  32  for each of the fingers of one&#39;s hand, and a contact  34  for the thumb is positioned on the lower surface of the ledge  22 . If the apparatus  10  is intended for use at an airport, for example, the housing  16  may include a slot  21  through which a boarding pass may be dispensed after completion of the passenger monitoring procedure, described in detail below. 
         [0017]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , in addition to the digital camera  22  and infrared camera  24  the monitoring station  12  may include a biological sensor  36 , a chemical sensor  38  and a fingerprint sensor  40  depicted schematically in block form in the Fig. The biological sensor  36  and chemical sensor  38  are associated with the touch pads  28 ,  30 , and/or thumb contacts  34 . They may take a variety of forms, each capable of sensing or detecting biological or chemical agents which are present on the fingers and hand of a person who uses the apparatus  10 , as discussed below. One preferred form of the sensors  36  and  38  is an LOC, e.g. “lab-on-a-chip.” LOC devices integrate multiple laboratory functions on a single chip, typically of only a few millimeters in dimension, and are capable of detecting a variety of chemical and biological agents. Nano-tubes  42 , or other sub-micrometer or nano-sized channels, may be employed as a means of transfer of biological and/or chemical agents from the fingers at their point of engagement with contacts  32  and  34  to the LOC or other analysis device. See  FIG. 5 . 
         [0018]    One or more of the contacts  32  on the touch pads  28  and  30 , as well as the thumb contact  34 , may include a fingerprint sensor  40  such as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,174, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. It is also contemplated that the fingerprints of one using the apparatus  10  may be digitally photographed at the touch pads  28  and  30  with sufficient detail to permit a comparison with fingerprints in existing data bases. 
         [0019]    The apparatus  10 , and method of detecting and sensing physical, biological and chemical characteristics of a person, operates as follows. The apparatus  10  may be located at an airport, train station, bus station, pier or any other facility where verification of the identity of a person may take place. The person is initially instructed to approach the apparatus  10  and place his or her hands in the position shown in  FIG. 1 , i.e. with the fingers of the left hand atop the contacts  32  of touch pad  28 , the fingers of the right hand atop the contacts  32  of touch pad  30  and the thumbs atop the thumb contact  34  so that the ledge  26  is grasped between the thumb and fingers. In this position, the head of the person faces the display screen  20 . The apparatus  10  is operable to cause prompts to appear on the display screen  20 , such as instructions to grasp the ledge  26  as noted above, and this draws the attention of the person directly to the screen  26  so that his or her face is clearly visible. 
         [0020]    At this juncture, the digital camera  22  is operated to take one or more photos and produce a signal representative of the image of at least the head of the subject which is transmitted to the analysis center  14 . The infrared camera  24  is also actuated while the subject views the display screen  24 , and it functions to produce a signal representative of the temperature profile of the person from the exposed areas of skin at least in the area of the head and neck. It is contemplated that the analysis center  14  may include software capable of interpreting the signal from the infrared camera  24  nearly immediately so that if a person has a high fever, typical of a potentially serious disease, he or she may be taken to a separate area for examination by medical personnel. Identification of an individual from the data provided by the digital camera  22  may well take more time than would elapse between a person&#39;s monitoring by apparatus  10  and the departure of the particular vehicle he or she is traveling on. However, the digital signal of the person&#39;s image may be transmitted via the Internet or other means to a central data base, e.g. part of the “analyzing center  14 ” as that term is used herein, for comparison with national and/or international data bases. By the time the airplane, vessel, bus etc. reaches its destination, the identity of each person screened by the apparatus  10  may be determined, and local authorities can be alerted to meet such person(s), if necessary. 
         [0021]    As noted above, the biological sensor  36 , chemical sensor  38  and fingerprint sensor  40  are associated with the touch pads  28  and  30  as well as the thumb contact  34 . Engagement of the person&#39;s hands, e.g. fingers and thumbs, with these sensors  36 ,  38  and  40  initiates a sensing and detection sequence capable of identifying various biological agents such as anthrax, SARS, avian flu, malaria, small pox etc., and different types of harmful chemical agents such as nerve gas, ricin, explosives and the like. The biological and chemical tests may be performed using one or more LOCs, nano-sensors or other sensing or detection devices. The fingerprints of the subject may also be obtained by operation of the fingerprint sensor  40  as noted above. 
         [0022]    The data obtained from the apparatus of this invention is useful to both identify the identity of an individual, and to determine if the subject may be carrying, or at least has been exposed to, potentially dangerous biological and/or chemical agents. It is intended to provide additional layers of protection to the security measures already in place at such venues as airports and the like, and allow authorities to track individuals of interest. 
         [0023]    While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.