# US 2010/0166322 A1 · Security Screening Image Analysis Simplification Through Object Pattern Identification > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0166322 A1 - Document ID: US20100166322A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/346,382 - Filed: 2008-12-30 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-30 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Joaquin Madruga; Barry L. Minor; Michael A. Paolini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100166322A1 ## CPC - G01V 5/20: Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## Abstract A mechanism is provided for security screening image analysis simplification through object pattern identification. Popular consumer electronics and other items are scanned in a control system, which creates an electronic signature for each known object. The system may reduce the signature to a hash value and place each signature for each known object in a “known good” storage set. For example, popular mobile phones, laptop computers, digital cameras, and the like may be scanned for the known good signature database. At the time of scan, such as at an airport, objects in a bag may be rotated to a common axis alignment and transformed to the same signature or hash value to match against the known good signature database. If an item matches, the scanning system marks it as a known safe object. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, in a data processing system, for security screening image analysis simplification through object pattern identification, the method comprising: scanning an object to form an electronic representation of the scanned object; generating an electronic signature of the scanned object; reducing the electronic signature to a hash value for the scanned object; comparing the hash value for the scanned object against a set of hash values for known safe objects; and responsive to the hash value for the scanned object matching a hash value for a known safe object, marking the scanned object as safe. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein marking the scanned object as safe comprises: highlighting the scanned object on a scan display. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: removing the scanned object from a scan display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: scanning a known safe object to form an electronic representation of the scanned known safe object; generating an electronic signature of the scanned known safe object; reducing the electronic signature of the scanned known safe object to a hash value for the scanned known safe object; and adding the hash value for the scanned known safe object to the set of hash values for known safe objects. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: responsive to the hash value for the scanned object not matching a hash value for a known safe object, determining whether the scanned object is similar to a previously scanned object; and responsive to the scanned object being similar to a previously scanned object, incrementing a counter associated with the previously scanned object; and responsive to the counter associated with the previously scanned object reaching a predetermined threshold, adding the hash value for the scanned object to the set of hash values for known safe objects. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: responsive to the scanned object not being similar to a previously scanned object, recording the hash value for the scanned object and initiating a counter associated with the scanned object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: comparing the hash value for the scanned object against a set of hash values for suspected security threat objects; responsive to the hash value for the scanned object matching a hash value for a suspect security threat object, determining whether the match is a false positive; and responsive to the match being a false positive, adding the hash value for the scanned object to the set of hash values for known safe objects. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: responsive to the match being a false positive, marking the scanned object as a candidate to be scanned in a controlled environment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein scanning the object to form the electronic representation of the scanned object comprises: obtaining a three-dimensional representation of the scanned object; and performing processing on the three-dimensional representation of the scanned object. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein performing processing on the three-dimensional representation of the scanned object comprises: rotating the three-dimensional representation of the scanned object to a common axis alignment. ### Claim 11 A computer program product comprising a computer recordable medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to: scan an object to form an electronic representation of the scanned object; generate an electronic signature of the scanned object; reduce the electronic signature to a hash value for the scanned object; compare the hash value for the scanned object against a set of hash values for known safe objects; and responsive to the hash value for the scanned object matching a hash value for a known safe object, mark the scanned object as safe. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to: remove the scanned object from a scan display. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to: scan a known safe object to form an electronic representation of the scanned known safe object; generate an electronic signature of the scanned known safe object; reduce the electronic signature of the scanned known safe object to a hash value for the scanned known safe object; and add the hash value for the scanned known safe object to the set of hash values for known safe objects. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to: responsive to the hash value for the scanned object not matching a hash value for a known safe object, determine whether the scanned object is similar to a previously scanned object; and responsive to the scanned object being similar to a previously scanned object, increment a counter associated with the previously scanned object; and responsive to the counter associated with the previously scanned object reaching a predetermined threshold, add the hash value for the scanned object to the set of hash values for known safe objects. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to: compare the hash value for the scanned object against a set of hash values for suspected security threat objects; responsive to the hash value for the scanned object matching a hash value for a suspect security threat object, determine whether the match is a false positive; and responsive to the match being a false positive, add the hash value for the scanned object to the set of hash values for known safe objects. ### Claim 16 An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: scan an object to form an electronic representation of the scanned object; generate an electronic signature of the scanned object; reduce the electronic signature to a hash value for the scanned object; compare the hash value for the scanned object against a set of hash values for known safe objects; and responsive to the hash value for the scanned object matching a hash value for a known safe object, mark the scanned object as safe. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: remove the scanned object from a scan display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: scan a known safe object to form an electronic representation of the scanned known safe object; generate an electronic signature of the scanned known safe object; reduce the electronic signature of the scanned known safe object to a hash value for the scanned known safe object; and add the hash value for the scanned known safe object to the set of hash values for known safe objects. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: responsive to the hash value for the scanned object not matching a hash value for a known safe object, determine whether the scanned object is similar to a previously scanned object; and responsive to the scanned object being similar to a previously scanned object, increment a counter associated with the previously scanned object; and responsive to the counter associated with the previously scanned object reaching a predetermined threshold, add the hash value for the scanned object to the set of hash values for known safe objects. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: compare the hash value for the scanned object against a set of hash values for suspected security threat objects; responsive to the hash value for the scanned object matching a hash value for a suspect security threat object, determine whether the match is a false positive; and responsive to the match being a false positive, add the hash value for the scanned object to the set of hash values for known safe objects.