Security scanners with capacitance and magnetic sensor arrays

A security scanning device for scanning, identifying and imaging the contents of devices in a sensing space, comprising:

• a plurality of arrays of sensor means adjacent the sensing space;
• means for developing a plurality of electric fields between at least one excitation electrode and each of a plurality of detection electrodes of a second array of detection electrodes of said sensor means in response to input signals applied to said excitation electrode of said sensor means;
• means for dividing the sensing space into small cubes in multiple layers;
• means for delivering signals from each detection electrode of said second array of detection electrodes of said sensor means to a data acquisition system;
• means for analyzing signals received by said data acquisition system to determine the nature of the devices in said sensing space and to image a cross-section of the device;
• and
• a knowledge database associated with said means for analyzing signals received by said data acquisition system, said database being indexed such that data is used for back propagation for identifying concealed objects, said means for analyzing signals received by said data acquisition system to determine the nature of the devices in said sensing space and to image a cross-section of the device, comprising:
• architecture and means to implement image knowledge bases, which characterize objects, whose image attributes are acquired from multiple sensors.

An electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) system for scanning, identifying and imaging the contents of devices in a sensing space comprising:

• an array of excitation and detection electrodes adjacent the sensing space;
• an excitation signal generator configured to apply a signal to at least one of said excitation electrodes to permit measurement of changes in capacitance between the excitation electrode and each of a plurality of detection electrodes;
• means for deliver capacitance signals from each detection electrode to a data acquisition system;
• and
• means for analyzing capacitance signals received by said data acquisition system to determine the nature of the devices in said sensing space and to image a cross-section of the device, said capacitance signals received by said data acquisition system being positive when a device in said sensing space is dielectric material and negative when a device in said sensing space is metal, representing a negative change in capacitance, said means for analyzing signals received by said data acquisition system being configure to invert is the capacitance data during image reconstruction to permit imaging metallic devices using capacitance signals.