Systems and approaches for thermal imaging
First Claim
1. A thermal imaging system, the system comprising:
- a thermal imaging sensor configured to capture a plurality of thermal images of a plurality of assets in an environment;
a non-thermal imaging sensor coupled to the thermal sensor, the non-thermal imaging sensor configured to capture a plurality of non-thermal images of the plurality of assets;
an asset identification system configured to identify a particular asset from the plurality of assets, the particular asset being previously identified by being input into the asset identification system, the asset identification system identifying the particular asset by instructing a user to capture a unique identifier image associated with the particular asset and comparing the capture to a plurality of baseline unique identifier images;
an image alignment system; and
a controller configured to control operation of the thermal imaging sensor, the non-thermal imaging sensor, the asset identification system, and the image alignment system;
wherein when the asset identification system identifies the particular asset, the controller is configured to (i) present at least one of a previously-captured baseline image or a template image of the particular asset to the user via a display such that the user may approximate an orientation of a present thermal view of the particular asset and a present non-thermal view of the particular asset to the at least one of the previously-captured baseline image or template image, (ii) control the image alignment system to adjust the orientation of the present thermal view of the particular asset and the present non-thermal view of the particular asset to match the at least one of the previously-captured baseline image or template image, and (iii) cause the thermal imaging sensor to capture a thermal image of the present thermal view of the particular asset and the non-thermal imaging sensor to capture a non-thermal image of the present non-thermal view of the particular asset.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermal imaging system includes a thermal imaging sensor adapted to capture any number of thermal images of any number of assets in an environment, a non-thermal imaging sensor coupled to the thermal sensor and being adapted to capture any number of non-thermal images of the assets, an asset identification system adapted to identify a particular asset from the assets, an image alignment system, and a controller adapted to control operation of the thermal imaging sensor, the non-thermal imaging sensor, the asset identification system, and the image alignment system. Upon identifying the particular asset via the asset identification system, the controller is adapted to control the image alignment system to adjust an orientation of the thermal image and the non-thermal image and cause the thermal imaging sensor and the non-thermal imaging sensor to capture the image.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A thermal imaging system, the system comprising:
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a thermal imaging sensor configured to capture a plurality of thermal images of a plurality of assets in an environment; a non-thermal imaging sensor coupled to the thermal sensor, the non-thermal imaging sensor configured to capture a plurality of non-thermal images of the plurality of assets; an asset identification system configured to identify a particular asset from the plurality of assets, the particular asset being previously identified by being input into the asset identification system, the asset identification system identifying the particular asset by instructing a user to capture a unique identifier image associated with the particular asset and comparing the capture to a plurality of baseline unique identifier images; an image alignment system; and a controller configured to control operation of the thermal imaging sensor, the non-thermal imaging sensor, the asset identification system, and the image alignment system; wherein when the asset identification system identifies the particular asset, the controller is configured to (i) present at least one of a previously-captured baseline image or a template image of the particular asset to the user via a display such that the user may approximate an orientation of a present thermal view of the particular asset and a present non-thermal view of the particular asset to the at least one of the previously-captured baseline image or template image, (ii) control the image alignment system to adjust the orientation of the present thermal view of the particular asset and the present non-thermal view of the particular asset to match the at least one of the previously-captured baseline image or template image, and (iii) cause the thermal imaging sensor to capture a thermal image of the present thermal view of the particular asset and the non-thermal imaging sensor to capture a non-thermal image of the present non-thermal view of the particular asset. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of repeatably acquiring thermal images in an environment, the method comprising:
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providing a thermal imaging system comprising a thermal imaging sensor adapted to capture a plurality of thermal images of a plurality of assets, a non-thermal imaging sensor configured to capture a plurality of non-thermal images of a plurality of assets simultaneously with the thermal image sensor, an asset identification system configured to identify a particular asset from the plurality of assets, an image alignment system, and a controller configured to control operation of the thermal imaging sensor, the non-thermal imaging sensor, the asset identification system, and the image alignment system; identifying, via the asset identification system, the particular asset, the particular asset being previously identified by being input into the asset identification system, the asset identification system identifying the particular asset by instructing a user to capture a unique identifier image associated with the particular asset and comparing the capture to a plurality of baseline unique identifier images; presenting, with the image alignment system, at least one of a previously-captured baseline image or a template image of the particular asset to the user via a display such that the user may approximate an orientation of a present thermal view of the particular asset and a present non-thermal view of the particular asset to the at least one of the previously-captured baseline image or template image; adjusting, with the image alignment system, the orientation of the present thermal view of the particular asset and the present non-thermal view of the particular asset to match the at least one of the previously-captured baseline image or template image; and causing, with the controller, the thermal imaging sensor to capture a thermal image of the present thermal view of the particular asset and the non-thermal imaging sensor to capture a non-thermal image of the present non-thermal view of the particular asset. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A thermal imaging device, the device comprising:
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a housing; a thermal imaging sensor at least partially arranged on an exterior surface of the housing and configured to capture a plurality of thermal images of a plurality of assets in an environment; a non-thermal imaging sensor at least partially arranged on the exterior surface of the housing and coupled to the thermal sensor, the non-thermal imaging sensor configured to capture a plurality of non-thermal images of the plurality of assets, the particular asset being previously identified by being input into the asset identification system, the asset identification system identifying the particular asset by instructing a user to capture a unique identifier image associated with the particular asset and comparing the capture to a plurality of baseline unique identifier images; an asset identification system configured to identify a particular asset from the plurality of assets; an image alignment system; and a controller configured to control operation of the thermal imaging sensor, the non-thermal imaging sensor, the asset identification system, and the image alignment system; wherein when the asset identification system identifies the particular asset, the controller is configured to (i) present at least one of a previously-captured baseline image or a template image of the particular asset to the user via a display such that the user may approximate an orientation of a present thermal view of the particular asset and a present non-thermal view of the particular asset to the at least one of the previously-captured baseline image or template image, (ii) control the image alignment system to adjust the orientation of the present thermal view of the particular asset and the present non-thermal view of the particular asset to match the at least one of the previously-captured baseline image or template image, and (iii) cause the thermal imaging sensor to capture a thermal image of the present thermal view of the particular asset and the non-thermal imaging sensor to capture a non-thermal image of the present non-thermal view of the particular asset.
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Specification