ROOF INSPECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF USE
First Claim
1. A vehicle adapted for traversing and inspecting an irregular terrain, comprising:
- a chassis supported above a surface by a pair of flexible continuous tracks on opposing left and right sides of said chassis, each of said tracks engaged with at least one driven sprocket and at least one free sprocket,wherein said chassis has a front end and a rear end with a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, and an upper deck and a generally opposing bottom surface, said bottom surface defining a first clearance near said ends, and a second clearance along a substantially transverse axis extending between said sides and located intermediate said ends, wherein said second clearance is substantially greater than said first clearance when said chassis is positioned on a substantially planar surface;
a motive system supported by said chassis and operative to propel said vehicle by engagement with one or more of said at least one driven sprockets, said motive system comprising;
(a) a motor connected to and operative to propel said vehicle by engaging one or more of said at least one driven sprockets;
(b) said pair of flexible continuous tracks; and
(c) a partially collapsible tread attached lengthwise along each of said tracks, wherein said collapsible tread and said second clearance cooperate to substantially prevent overturning of said vehicle when traversing an irregular terrain;
a power system supported by said chassis and providing energy to power said vehicle;
an imaging system supported by said chassis and comprising a main imaging assembly, a lens assembly spaced apart from and above said chassis, and a wireless router capable of transmitting to a computer remote from said vehicle;
a sensor system supported by said chassis and comprising one or more positional sensors and a plurality of range sensors; and
a control system supported by said chassis and electrically connected to said motive system, said power system, said imaging system, and said sensor system, wherein said control system comprises;
(a) a first microcontroller dedicated to executing a system control program that directs the motion of said vehicle; and
(b) a second microcontroller dedicated to monitoring said sensor system, activating said motive system, and receiving signals from a remote console, wherein said remote console comprises user interface controls and a wireless transmitter.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Devices, systems, and methods for inspecting and objectively analyzing the condition of a roof are presented. A vehicle adapted for traversing and inspecting an irregular terrain includes a chassis having a bottom surface that defines a higher ground clearance at an intermediate location, thereby keeping the center of mass low when crossing roof peaks. In another embodiment, the drive tracks include a partially collapsible treads made of resilient foam. A system for inspecting a roof includes a lift system and a remote computer for analyzing data. Vehicles and systems may gather and analyze data, and generate revenue by providing data, analysis, and reports for a fee to interested parties.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A vehicle adapted for traversing and inspecting an irregular terrain, comprising:
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a chassis supported above a surface by a pair of flexible continuous tracks on opposing left and right sides of said chassis, each of said tracks engaged with at least one driven sprocket and at least one free sprocket, wherein said chassis has a front end and a rear end with a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, and an upper deck and a generally opposing bottom surface, said bottom surface defining a first clearance near said ends, and a second clearance along a substantially transverse axis extending between said sides and located intermediate said ends, wherein said second clearance is substantially greater than said first clearance when said chassis is positioned on a substantially planar surface; a motive system supported by said chassis and operative to propel said vehicle by engagement with one or more of said at least one driven sprockets, said motive system comprising; (a) a motor connected to and operative to propel said vehicle by engaging one or more of said at least one driven sprockets; (b) said pair of flexible continuous tracks; and (c) a partially collapsible tread attached lengthwise along each of said tracks, wherein said collapsible tread and said second clearance cooperate to substantially prevent overturning of said vehicle when traversing an irregular terrain; a power system supported by said chassis and providing energy to power said vehicle; an imaging system supported by said chassis and comprising a main imaging assembly, a lens assembly spaced apart from and above said chassis, and a wireless router capable of transmitting to a computer remote from said vehicle; a sensor system supported by said chassis and comprising one or more positional sensors and a plurality of range sensors; and a control system supported by said chassis and electrically connected to said motive system, said power system, said imaging system, and said sensor system, wherein said control system comprises; (a) a first microcontroller dedicated to executing a system control program that directs the motion of said vehicle; and (b) a second microcontroller dedicated to monitoring said sensor system, activating said motive system, and receiving signals from a remote console, wherein said remote console comprises user interface controls and a wireless transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A vehicle adapted for traversing and inspecting an irregular terrain, comprising:
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a chassis supported above a surface by a pair of flexible continuous tracks on opposing left and right sides of said chassis, each of said tracks engaged with at least one driven sprocket and at least one free sprocket, wherein said chassis has a front end and a rear end with a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, and an upper deck and a generally opposing bottom surface, said bottom surface defining a first clearance near said ends, and a second clearance along a substantially transverse axis extending between said sides and located intermediate said ends, wherein said second clearance is substantially greater than said first clearance when said chassis is positioned on a substantially planar surface; a motive system supported by said chassis and operative to propel said vehicle by engagement with one or more of said at least one driven sprockets, said motive system comprising said pair of tracks and at least one motor connected to and operative to propel said vehicle by engaging one or more of said at least one driven sprockets; a power system supported by said chassis and providing energy to power said vehicle; an imaging system supported by said chassis and comprising a main imaging assembly, a lens assembly, and a wireless router; a sensor system supported by said chassis and comprising positional sensors and range sensors, wherein said positional sensors comprise one or more of a compass, a three-axis gyroscope, a GPS module, and a shaft encoder, and wherein said range sensors comprise a plurality of ultrasonic range detectors; and a control system supported by said chassis and electrically connected to said motive system, said power system, said imaging system, and said sensor system, wherein said control system comprises one or more microprocessors, a system control program, and a remote console having user interface controls and a wireless transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for inspecting a roof, comprising:
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a vehicle adapted for traversing and inspecting a roof, said vehicle comprising; (a) a chassis supported above a surface by a pair of flexible continuous tracks on opposing left and right sides of said chassis, each of said tracks engaged with at least one driven sprocket and at least one free sprocket, wherein said chassis has a front end and a rear end with a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, and an upper deck and a generally opposing bottom surface, said bottom surface defining a first clearance near said ends, and a second clearance along a substantially transverse axis extending between said sides and located intermediate said ends, wherein said second clearance is substantially greater than said first clearance when said chassis is positioned on a substantially planar surface; (b) a motive system supported by said chassis and operative to propel said vehicle by engagement with one or more of said at least one driven sprockets, wherein said motive system comprises (i) a motor connected to and operative to propel said pair of flexible continuous tracks by engaging one or more of said at least one driven sprockets, and (ii) a partially collapsible tread releasably attached lengthwise along each of said tracks; (c) a power system supported by said chassis and providing energy to power said vehicle; (d) an imaging system supported by said chassis and comprising a main imaging assembly, a lens assembly spaced apart from and above said chassis, and a wireless router; (e) a sensor system supported by said chassis and comprising positional sensors and range sensors, wherein said positional sensors comprise one or more of a compass, a three-axis gyroscope, a GPS module, and a shaft encoder, and wherein said range sensors comprise a plurality of ultrasonic range detectors; and (f) a control system supported by said chassis and electrically connected to said motive system, said power system, said imaging system, and said sensor system, wherein said control system comprises one or more microprocessors, a system control program, and a remote console having user interface controls and a wireless transmitter; and a lift system comprising a carriage sized and shaped to support said vehicle, and a hoist assembly for lifting said carriage up to said roof; and a remote computer configured to receive data stored by said vehicle, analyze said data, and produce a report. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification