INTERACTIVE USER INTERFACES AND METHODS FOR VIEWING LINE TEMPERATURE PROFILES OF THERMAL IMAGES

• US 20100014746A1
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Pickett, James T., Warnke, Stefan H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,547,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/72 Investigating presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

An interactive graphical user interface includes a moveable pointer, which may be activated to select points of a computer-generated thermal image of an object, as the pointer is moved over a display of the image, so that line temperature profiles, which correspond to predetermined lines extending through the selected points, may be viewed, for example, on a line temperature profile chart of the interface, for each selected point as the pointer is moved. Each predetermined line extends between the corresponding selected point and another, predetermined, point of the image. The other predetermined point may either coincide with an origin of an x-axis or a y-axis of an orthogonal coordinate system, in which the image is aligned, or may be any other point of the thermal image, for example, one that is pre-selected by a user, with the moveable pointer.

Claims

1. A method for viewing, on an interactive computer display, multiple line temperature profiles of a computer-generated thermal image of an object, the thermal image being presented on the computer display, the method comprising:

activating a moveable pointer to select a first point of the thermal image;

moving the activated pointer from the first point of the thermal image to a second point of the thermal image, and from the second point to a third point of the thermal image, without stopping at the second point; and

viewing a first line temperature profile corresponding to a first predetermined line of the thermal image, that extends through the first point, a second line temperature profile corresponding to a second predetermined line of the thermal image, that extends through the second point, and a third line temperature profile corresponding to a third predetermined line of the thermal image, that extends through the third point;

wherein viewing the first, second and third line temperature profiles occurs in sequence as the activated pointer is being moved.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third line temperature profiles are viewed on a chart that is presented alongside the thermal image, on the computer display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

viewing a fourth line temperature profile corresponding to a fourth predetermined line, that extends through the first point, a fifth line temperature profile corresponding to a fifth predetermined line, that extends through the second point, and a sixth line temperature profile corresponding to a sixth predetermined line, that extends through the third point;

wherein viewing the fourth line temperature profile occurs simultaneously with viewing the first line temperature profile;

viewing the fifth line temperature profile occurs simultaneously with viewing the second line temperature profile; and

viewing the sixth line temperature profile occurs simultaneously with viewing the third line temperature profile.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the fourth predetermined line extends orthogonal to the first predetermined line, the fifth predetermined line extends orthogonal to the second predetermined line, and the sixth predetermined line extends orthogonal to the third predetermined line.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the thermal image is aligned within an x-y orthogonal image coordinate system;

the first, second and third predetermined lines extend from an origin of, and parallel to, an x-axis of the image coordinate system, the first, second and third lines being offset from one another along a y-axis of the image coordinate system;

the first, second and third line temperature profiles are viewed on a first chart that is presented alongside the thermal image, on the computer display, at a first location, the first chart comprising an x-axis and a temperature axis extending orthogonal to the x-axis of the first chart, the x-axis of the first chart extending parallel to the x-axis of the image coordinate system and having an origin aligned with the origin thereof;

the fourth, fifth and sixth predetermined lines extend from an origin of, and parallel to, the y-axis of the image coordinate system, the fourth, fifth and sixth lines being offset from one another along the x-axis of the image coordinate system; and

the fourth, fifth and sixth line temperature profiles are viewed on a second chart that is presented alongside the thermal image, on the computer display, at a second location, the second chart comprising a y-axis and a temperature axis extending orthogonal to the y-axis of the second chart, the y-axis of the second chart extending parallel to the y-axis of the image coordinate system and having an origin aligned with the origin thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined line extends straight from a fixed point of the thermal image to the first point of the image, the second predetermined line extends straight from the fixed point to the second point of the thermal image, and the third predetermined line extends from the fixed point to the third point of the thermal image.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising activating the pointer of the display to select the fixed point prior to activating the pointer to select the first point and moving the activated pointer from the first point to the second point, and from the second point to the third point.

8. A method for viewing, on an interactive computer display, multiple line temperature profiles of a thermal image of an object, the thermal image being presented on the computer display, the method comprising:

activating a movable pointer to select a first point of the thermal image, the first point being located with respect to a second point on the image, at which a marker of the display is located, in order to generate a first line between the first and second points;

viewing a first line temperature profile corresponding to the first line;

moving the activated pointer to a third point on the thermal image and then to a fourth point on the thermal image, without stopping at the third point, and while the marker remains located at the second point, in order to generate a second line, between the second and third points, and a third line, between the second and fourth points, respectively; and

viewing a second line temperature profile corresponding to the second line and a third line temperature profile corresponding to the third line;

wherein viewing the first, second and third line temperature profiles occurs in sequence as the activated pointer is being moved.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the thermal image is aligned within an x-y orthogonal coordinate system; and

each of the first, second and third line temperature profiles are presented along a projection of the first, second and third lines, respectively, onto one of an x-axis and a y-axis of the coordinate system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting the second point of the thermal image with the pointer, prior to selecting the first point.

11. An interactive graphical user interface for viewing line temperature profiles of a computer-generated thermal image of an object, in conjunction with the thermal image of the object, on a display, the user interface comprising:

a pointer being movable over the displayed thermal image to select points of the thermal image from an array of points defining the image, the points being selectable when the pointer is activated, and as the pointer is being moved; and

a line temperature profile chart, which is dynamically updated as the activated pointer is being moved, in order to show a line temperature profile corresponding to each selected point;

wherein each line temperature profile corresponds to a predetermined line extending through the corresponding selected point.

12. The interface of claim 11, further comprising:

a marker overlaid on the display;

wherein the marker moves with the activated pointer and thereby coincides with each selected point as the pointer selects each point.

13. The interface of claim 12, wherein the marker comprises a line coinciding with the predetermined line extending through each selected point.

14. The interface of claim 11, wherein:

the displayed thermal image is aligned within an x-y orthogonal image coordinate system; and

each predetermined line extends from an origin of, and parallel to, one of an x-axis of the image coordinate system and a y-axis of the image coordinate system.

15. The interface of claim 14, further comprising:

a marker overlaid on the display;

wherein the marker moves with the activated pointer and comprises a line coinciding with the predetermined line extending through each selected point.

16. The interface of claim 11, wherein each predetermined line extends straight from a fixed point to each selected point as the pointer selects each point.

17. The interface of claim 16, wherein the fixed point is selectable with the pointer.

18. The interface of claim 16, further comprising:

a marker overlaid on the display;

wherein the marker moves with the activated pointer and comprises a line coinciding with the predetermined line extending through each selected point.

19. The interface of claim 18, wherein the marker further comprises a first end point of the line, coinciding with each selected point, and a second end point of the line, coinciding with the fixed point.

20. The interface of claim 11, further comprising:

a toggle-type switch;

wherein the pointer, when positioned over the switch and activated, selects between at least two types of predetermined lines for the line temperature profiles;

wherein a first type of predetermined line extends from an origin of, and parallel to, one of an x-axis and a y-axis of an orthogonal coordinate system in which the displayed thermal image is aligned; and

a second type of predetermined line extends from a fixed point straight to each selected point, as the pointer selects each point.

21. The interface of claim 20, wherein the fixed point is selectable with the pointer.