Visual indicator status recognition

• US 10,147,025 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shockwatch Incorporated (Media Recovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Shockwatch Incorporated (Media Recovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Branch, Clinton A., Kerr, Angela K., Kohleriter, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, XUEMEI G
• Application Number:
  US13/944,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20140023264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 116216, 235385, 292 92, 340 101, 3405452, 34099516, 340540
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/229 for investigating time/temperature history
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure

Abstract

A system and technique for visual indicator status recognition includes an imaging system configured to capture a first optical data of an indicator, the imaging system configured to verify indicator code indicia is derivable from the first optical data. Responsive to verifying that the indicator code indicia is derivable from the first optical data, the imaging system is configured to capture a second optical data of the indicator. The system and technique also includes a detection module executable by a processing unit to analyze the second optical data and derive status information of the indicator.

Claims

1. A visual indicator recognition system, comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image of an indicator device; and

a detection circuit executable by a processing unit to;

derive at least one of a model number and a serial number of the indicator device from the image;

based on the at least one of the model number and the serial number, access relational data to determine a location on the indicator device of a dynamic indicating region for a type of indicator device indicated by the at least one of the model number and the serial number, the at least one of the model number and the serial number indicative of a physical phenomenon measured by the type of the indicator device;

optically manipulate the image to position a select area of the image in a particular location based on the location of the indicating region; and

analyze the select area to derive status information of the indicator device corresponding to the indicating region.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the status information includes an activation status of the indicator device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the status information includes an armed status of the indicator device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the status information includes an activation duration of the indicator device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is configured to derive the at least one of the model number and the serial number from a barcode in the image.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is configured to perform character recognition processing to derive the at least one of the model number and the serial number from the image.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is configured to derive the status information based on the relational data.

8. A visual indicator recognition system, comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image of an indicator device; and

a detection circuit executable by a processing unit to;

derive at least one of a model number and a serial number of the indicator device from the image;

based on the at least one of the model number and the serial number, access relational data to identify a capture window for a type of indicator device indicated by the at least one of the model number and the serial number, the at least one of the model number and the serial number indicative of a physical phenomenon measured by the type of the indicator device;

optically manipulate the image to position the indicator device depicted in the image within the capture window; and

analyze the image to derive status information of the indicator device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the detection circuit is configured to derive the status information based on the relational data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the detection circuit is configured to determine a translation rule from the relational data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the capture window defines a position for the indicator device to locate an indicating region of the indicator device in a particular location.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the detection circuit is configured to derive the at least one of the model number and the serial number from a barcode in the image.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the detection circuit is configured to perform character recognition processing to derive the at least one of the model number and the serial number from the image.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the detection circuit is configured to analyze at least two different and spaced apart locations in the image to acquire the status information of the indicator device corresponding to respective indicating regions of the indictor device.

15. A method, comprising:

capturing an image of an indicator device;

deriving at least one of a model number and a serial number of the indicator device from the image;

based on the at least one of the model number and the serial number, identifying a capture window for a type of indicator device indicated by the at least one of the model number and the serial number, the at least one of the model number and the serial number indicative of a physical phenomenon measured by the type of the indicator device;

optically manipulating the image to position the indicator device depicted in the image within the capture window; and

analyzing the image to derive status information of the indicator device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising accessing relational data to identify the capture window based on the at least one of the model number and the serial number.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising accessing relational data to identify a translation rule based on the at least one of the model number and the serial number.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the capture window to define a position for the indicator device to locate an indicating region of the indicator device in a particular location.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising deriving the at least one of the model number and the serial number from a barcode in the image.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising performing character recognition processing to derive the at least one of the model number and the serial number from the image.