HAZARD DETECTION FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT

• US 20120134527A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Utopus Insights, Inc. (Vestas Wind Systems A/S)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hampapur, Arun, Liu, Xuan, Pankanti, Sharathchandra U., Culp, James R., Fenhagen, Frank D. IV
• Granted Patent: US 8,929,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30184 Infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/422 Technical drawings; Geographical maps

Abstract

An approach that detects locations of hazardous conditions within an infrastructure is provided. This approach uses satellite imagery, GIS data, automatic image processing, and predictive modeling to determine the location of the hazards automatically, thus optimizing infrastructure management. Specifically, a hazard detection tool provides this capability. The hazard detection tool comprises a detection component configured to: receive visual media containing asset location data about a set of physical assets, and hazard location data about potential hazards within a vicinity of each of the set of physical assets. The detection component further receives graphical information system (GIS) data containing asset location data about each of the set of physical assets. The hazard detection tool further comprises an analysis component configured to: analyze the visual media to determine if a hazardous condition exists for each of the set of physical assets; and apply the GIS data to the visual media to determine a location of hazardous conditions within the infrastructure.

Claims

1. A method for detecting locations of hazardous conditions within an infrastructure, comprising:

receiving visual media containing asset location data about a physical asset, and hazard location data about potential hazards within a vicinity of the physical asset;

receiving graphical information system (GIS) data containing asset location data about the physical asset;

analyzing the visual media data to determine if a hazardous condition exists for the physical asset; and

applying the GIS data to the visual media to determine a location of the hazardous condition.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

classifying the hazardous condition; and

generating a response based on the classifying.

3. The method according to claim 1, the physical asset being one of a plurality of physical assets within the infrastructure.

4. The method according to claim 1, the visual media comprising satellite imagery.

5. The method according to claim 1, the analyzing comprising automatic image processing.

6. The method according to claim 5, the automatic image processing comprising at least one of the following:

background modeling, object detection, spatial intensity field gradient analysis, line detection, and texture detection.

7. A system for detecting locations of hazardous conditions within an infrastructure comprising:

at least one processing unit;

memory operably associated with the at least one processing unit; and

a hazard detection tool storable in memory and executable by the at least one processing unit, the hazard detection tool comprising;

a detection component configured to;

receive visual media containing asset location data about a set of physical assets, and hazard location data about potential hazards within a vicinity of each of the set of physical asset;

receive graphical information system (GIS) data containing asset location data about each of the set of physical assets; and

an analysis component configured to;

analyze the visual media to determine if a hazardous condition exists for each of the set of physical assets; and

apply the GIS data to the visual media to determine a location of the hazardous condition within the infrastructure.

8. The hazard detection tool according to claim 7, further comprising:

a classification component configured to classify the hazardous condition; and

a response component configured to generate a response based on the classification of the hazardous condition.

9. The hazard detection tool according to claim 7, the visual media comprising satellite imagery.

10. The hazard detection tool according to claim 7, the analysis component configured to analyze the visual media further configured to perform automatic image processing.

11. The hazard detection tool according to claim 10, the automatic image processing performed by the analysis component comprising at least one of the following:

background modeling, object detection, spatial intensity field gradient analysis, line detection, and texture detection.

12. A computer program product for detecting locations of hazardous conditions within an infrastructure, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media, to:

receive visual media containing asset location data about a set of physical assets, and hazard location data about potential hazards within a vicinity of each of the set of physical asset;

receive graphical information system (GIS) data containing asset location data about each of the set of physical assets;

analyze the visual media to determine if a hazardous condition exists for each of the set of physical assets; and

apply the GIS data to the visual media to determine a location of the hazardous condition within the infrastructure.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media to:

classify the hazardous condition; and

generate a response based on the classification of the hazardous condition.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, the visual media comprising satellite imagery.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media to perform automatic image processing.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, the automatic image processing comprising at least one of the following:

background modeling, object detection, spatial intensity field gradient analysis, line detection, and texture detection.

17. A method for deploying a system for detecting locations of hazardous conditions within an infrastructure, comprising:

providing a hazard detection component within a computer infrastructure having functionality to;

receive visual media containing asset location data about a set of physical assets, and hazard location data about potential hazards within a vicinity of each of the set of physical asset;

receive graphical information system (GIS) data containing asset location data about each of the set of physical assets;

analyze the visual media to determine if a hazardous condition exists for each of the set of physical assets; and

apply the GIS data to the visual media to determine a location of the hazardous condition within the infrastructure.

18. The method of claim 17, the hazard detection component within the computer infrastructure further having functionality to:

classify the hazardous condition; and

generate a response based on the classification of the hazardous condition.

19. The method of claim 17, the visual media comprising satellite imagery.

20. The method of claim 17, the hazard detection component within the computer infrastructure further having functionality to perform automatic image processing.

21. The method of claim 20, the automatic image processing comprising at least one of the following:

background modeling, object detection, spatial intensity field gradient analysis, line detection, and texture detection.