Patents by Inventor Cornelius Koch

Cornelius Koch has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6584170
    Abstract: In a device and processes for inspecting an object (1), particularly a piece of luggage, in which radiation is emitted by a stationary radiation source (2) while the object (1) is transported in a straight line through the radiation with intensity levels of unabsorbed radiation being detected by a detector arrangement (3) and processed into an image of the object (1), the object (1) is rotated by a rotating device (8) through an angle after a pass through the radiation in order to change its transport position, and is subsequently transported through the radiation again with another image being produced. This facilitates improved inspection by reducing so-called “dark alarms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Heimann Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Aust, Cornelius Koch, Claus Meder
  • Publication number: 20030031293
    Abstract: In a device and processes for inspecting an object (1), particularly a piece of luggage, in which radiation is emitted by a stationary radiation source (2) while the object (1) is transported in a straight line through the radiation with intensity levels of unabsorbed radiation being detected by a detector arrangement (3) and processed into an image of the object (1), the object (1) is rotated by a rotating device (8) through an angle after a pass through the radiation in order to change its transport position, and is subsequently transported through the radiation again with another image being produced. This facilitates improved inspection by reducing so-called “dark alarms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: Stefan Aust, Cornelius Koch, Claus Meder
  • Patent number: 5091924
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for examining containers and/or vehicles at an airport for impermissible contents, such as explosives, weapons, drugs, smuggled goods and the like. To improve the ability to identify such items in the article or vehicle under inspection, an image processor is provided having a computer to which the signals of the radiation detectors are supplied. The computer uses these signals to calculate a radiation silhouette of the articles. A memory is provided in which a reference image of the article is stored. A comparison circuit is supplied with the signals from the computer and from the memory, so that a differential image derived from the calculated radiation silhouette from the computer and from the reference image is displayed on a monitor, connected to the comparison circuit. Differences between the cureent image and the reference image can thereby be easily observed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1992
    Assignee: Heimann GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Bermbach, Gerhard Doenges, Georg Geus, Cornelius Koch
  • Patent number: 5065418
    Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting containers or vehicles at airports for illegal contents, such as bombs, weapons, drugs or smuggled goods includes two x-ray generators and two line-shaped radiation detectors, a first of the radiation detectors receiving radiation from a fan beam of a first radiation generator, and the second radiation detector receiving radiation from a fan beam of a second radiation generator. The respective central rays of the fan beams are disposed substantially perpendicularly realtive to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: Heimann GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Bermbach, Gerhard Doenges, Georg Geus, Cornelius Koch
  • Patent number: 4788704
    Abstract: An X-ray device for scanning objects moving on a conveyor path and for processing the detector signals acquired by the scan has a comparator for identifying faulty signals, the comparator being in a control chain for an image storage memory such that, in the event of a faulty detector signal, the contents of a memory row preceding the faulty detector signal are transferred into the memory row into which the faulty detector signal, if a correct signal, would have been stored. The system also includes a correction element for generating a reference signal at 100% radiation intensity in which the mean value of a number of measured signals is formed. The system also includes an element for reducing the amplitude of the useful signal during measurement in comparison to the amplitude allocated to a radiation intensity of 100%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Heimann GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Donges, Cornelius Koch
  • Patent number: 4756015
    Abstract: An x-ray scanner generates a fan-shaped x-ray beam through which an object to be inspected is moved and a detector line which generates signals corresponding to the radiation attenuated by the object. The processing electronics includes a comparator for recognizing faulty detector signals by means of which the roll-in of data ito the image memory is controllable such that, given a faulty detector signal, the transfer of the information into a memory line allocated to the detector is inhibited. The x-ray scanner also includes an allocator unit which omits predetermined detector channels for the purpose of geometric balancing. Given outage of a detector, its detector channel is omitted by the allocator unit, based on a signal from the comparator, instead of a prescribed detector channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1988
    Assignee: Heimann GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Doenges, Cornelius Koch
  • Patent number: 4748645
    Abstract: X-ray pictures of bodies are produced by a point X-ray source by providing measuring points in a linear detector array for the local intensity of the X-rays; their measured values control the brightness in picture elements of a monitor. All embodiments of the linear detector array deviating from a circular arc about the X-ray generator result in nonlinear distortion. The nonlinear distortions are compensated by a corresponding arrangement of the measuring points. The invention can be used for checking any object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Inventors: Gerhard Donges, Cornelius Koch
  • Patent number: 4736401
    Abstract: An X-ray scanner for examining objects moved through an X-ray beam on a conveyor has a detector array disposed at the opposite side of the conveyor from the X-ray source and a pulse generator connected to the motor which drives the conveyor for generating a pulse trail dependent on the speed of the motor, and hence on the speed of the conveyor. The pulse generator is connected to a scanner for the detector array and controls the scan rate dependent upon the conveyor speed. The conveyor speed is controlled such that the quotient of the scan rate and the conveying speed is maintained constant in order to hold the imaging scale constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: Heimann GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Donges, Thomas Herwig, Cornelius Koch, Georg Geus