IMAGE PROCESSING OF APPARATUS CONDITION

• US 20090110289A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: ANDRESEN, GERROD E., MAGGIORE, JEANNE C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/195
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30108 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of continually monitoring and detecting in real-time a condition of an apparatus is detailed. In one step, an apparatus is continually monitored in real-time using continual real-time images of the apparatus taken by at least one camera. In another step, the continual real-time images of the apparatus from the at least one camera are communicated to at least one computer processing unit. In still another step, the continual real-time images of the apparatus are processed using at least one software program embedded in the at least one computer processing unit in order to monitor and detect in real-time a condition, of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A method of continually monitoring and detecting in real-time a condition of an apparatus the method comprising:

continually monitoring in real-time an apparatus using continual real-time images of the apparatus taken by at least one camera;

communicating the continual real-time images of the apparatus from the at least one camera to at least one computer processing unit; and

processing the continual real-time images of the apparatus using at least one software program embedded in said at least one computer processing unit in order to monitor and detect in real-time a condition of the apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is at least one of equipment, a tool, a vehicle, a satellite, an aircraft, underwater, and in-space.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera monitors a pre-determined portion of the apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera monitors at least one of settings, positions, readings, color changes, and surface changes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera uses at least one of high-resolution, infrared, high-definition, laser, night-vision, optical, light-illumination, and laser-illumination.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera monitors an aircraft during at least one of pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera is mounted on one or more robotic arms.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of collecting a reference image fault database for comparison to the apparatus.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of collecting the reference image fault database is done by taking images of a reference apparatus, which is substantially the same as the apparatus, under varying conditions.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a real-time fault of the apparatus based on comparing the continual real-time images of the apparatus to a reference image fault database.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of at least one of storing the continual real-time images of the apparatus into a storage database and trending a condition of the apparatus over time.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of outputting the detected real-time fault of the apparatus to a user interface.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the software program at least one of determining whether the apparatus is outside of a desired state, determining whether the apparatus is being used improperly, determining whether there is a fault of the apparatus, determining remaining life of the apparatus, and determining predicted failure of the apparatus.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of at least one or more of closely examining the apparatus, repairing the apparatus, and replacing the apparatus based on the processed continual real-time images.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of alerting a user what corrective actions are needed based on the processed continual real-time images.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed automatically and without human intervention.

17. A system for continually monitoring and detecting in real-time a condition of an apparatus, the system comprising:

at least one camera for continually taking real-time images of an apparatus;

at least one computer processing unit for processing continual real-time images of an apparatus taken by the at least one camera;

a reference image fault database in the computer processing unit; and

at least one software program in the computer processing unit for detecting, based on continual real-time images of an apparatus, a condition of an apparatus using the reference image fault database.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the system is for monitoring and detecting in real-time a condition of an apparatus comprising at least one of equipment, a tool, a vehicle, a satellite, an aircraft, underwater, and in-space.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one camera is at least one of high-resolution, infrared, high-definition, laser, night-vision, optical, light-illuminated, and laser-illuminated.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one camera is mounted on one or more robotic arms.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the reference image fault database comprises images of a reference apparatus, which is substantially the same as an apparatus being monitored, under varying conditions.

22. The system of claim 17 further comprising at least one storage database for at least one of storing and trending a condition of an apparatus over time.

23. The system of claim 17 further comprising a user interface for communicating at least one of a detected real-time fault and condition of an apparatus.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the system is for automatically monitoring and detecting in real-time a condition of an apparatus without human intervention.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one software program is for at least one of determining whether an apparatus is outside of a desired state, determining whether an apparatus is being used improperly, determining whether there is a fault of an apparatus, determining remaining life of an apparatus, and determining predicted failure of an apparatus.