US 11,900,749 B2
Fully automated self-divesting cluster screening system
William Hastings, Billings, MT (US); James Gilkeson, Alexandria, VA (US); and Douglas MacIvor, Arlington, VA (US)
Assigned to The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Feb. 2, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/105,055.
Application 18/105,055 is a continuation of application No. 16/839,867, filed on Apr. 3, 2020, granted, now 11,574,515.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/935,370, filed on Nov. 14, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/829,987, filed on Apr. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0260349 A1, Aug. 17, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G07C 9/28 (2020.01); G06Q 50/26 (2012.01); G01V 5/00 (2006.01); G08B 21/08 (2006.01); G08B 21/18 (2006.01)
CPC G07C 9/28 (2020.01) [G01V 5/0041 (2013.01); G06Q 50/265 (2013.01); G08B 21/182 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cluster screening system comprising:
a plurality of chamber scanners, a given chamber scanner being configured to scan a user to identify whether the user is carrying an item that is to be divested;
a plurality of divestment scanners fewer in number than the plurality of chamber scanners and configured to obtain a detailed item characterization of the item divested from the user, a given divestment scanner being shared to service multiple chamber scanners by multiplexing divested items received from the multiple chamber scanners;
the cluster screening system being configured to coordinate availability of chamber scanners by verifying an identity of the user, and selectively directing the user enter the given chamber scanner according to the identity of the user;
the cluster screening system being configured to verify the identity of the user to determine whether the user is prescheduled to undergo screening, or the user is an unscheduled walk-up who is not prescheduled to undergo screening; and
the cluster screening system being configured to verify the identity of the user by communicating with an identity verification technology or process upstream of and in network communication with the cluster screening system in the security screening process.