Device for monitoring an enclosure, in particular the hold of an aircraft

• US 20020030608A1
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe Industrielle D'Aviation Latecore
• Original Assignee: Societe Industrielle D'Aviation Latecore
• Inventors: Boucourt, Gerard
• Granted Patent: US 6,529,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/125 by using a video camera to detect fire or smoke

Abstract

This device comprises at least one sensor (3) consisting of a CCD camera of very short spectral band lying between 0.4 μm and 1.1 μm, fitted with an infrared filter eliminating the spectral band lying between around 0.4 μm and 0.8 μm, this sensor being associated with a computer (4) catering in particular for image processing, at least one display screen (6) and a control board (5).

It is thus possible, with the aid of a single type of sensor (3), to detect hot spots, flames, smoke and the shifting of objects, and to provide a visualization of the inside of the enclosure (2).

Claims

1. Device for monitoring an enclosure, in particular the hold of an aircraft, characterized in that it comprises at least one sensor consisting of a CCD camera of very short spectral band lying between 0.4 μ

m, fitted with an infrared filter eliminating the spectral band lying between around 0.4 μ

m and 0.8 μ

m, this sensor being associated with a computer catering in particular for image processing, by means of a display screen and a control board.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each camera is associated with a near infrared lighting element.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the lighting element is an 880 nm silicon element.

4. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that each camera and the associated lighting element are housed inside a sealed box closed by a porthole.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the box also contains a temperature-regulating device and/or a device for de-icing the porthole, as well as a supply, command and control block.

6. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the computer brings about the lighting of each lighting element for durations of between around 40 and 100 milliseconds.

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it compares two images, one of which constitutes a reference image, which are acquired successively so as to detect variations in the position of the objects lying in the field of each camera.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it analyses the histogram of the grey levels of an image provided by a camera with counting of the points having a level higher than a predetermined threshold and forming a connected region of the image, so as to deduce therefrom the existence and the extend of a zone of fire.

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that it performs a discrimination interfering phenomena, such as those resulting from the sun or from an incandescent lamp.

10. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it analyses the distribution of the gray levels as well as the number of classes present in each image delivered by a camera so as to detect the possible presence of smoke.

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises a hygrometric sensor situated in the enclosure, for discrimination between fog and smoke.

12. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the fog/smoke discrimination is carried out by analyzing the spatio-temporal gradient of diffusion.

13. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the computer is linked to at least one alarm to which a signal is delivered upon detection of an anomaly.