INFRARED SENSOR SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20130335550A1
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hogasten, Nicholas, Frank, Jeffrey D., Teich, Andrew C., Rochenski, Thomas W., Scanion, Thomas J., Deal, Mary L., McGowan, Arthur J. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US13/973,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20130335550A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/82
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/002 by using thermal means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/00 Image analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/125 by using a video camera to detect fire or smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 from thermal infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Infrared imaging systems and methods disclosed herein, in accordance with one or more embodiments, provide for a wireless thermal imaging system comprising one or more wireless thermal image sensors adapted to capture and provide thermal images of structural objects of a structure for monitoring moisture of the structural objects and a processing component adapted to receive the thermal images of the structural objects from the one or more wireless thermal image sensors, and process the thermal images of the structural objects to generate moisture content information for remote analysis of restoration conditions of the structural objects.

Claims

1. A wireless thermal imaging system, comprising:

a communication component adapted to remotely communicate with a user over a network;

one or more wireless thermal image sensors adapted to capture and provide thermal images of structural objects of a structure for monitoring moisture and/or temperature of the structural objects; and

a processing component adapted to receive the thermal images of the structural objects from the one or more wireless thermal image sensors, and process the thermal images of the structural objects to generate at least one of moisture content information for remote analysis of restoration conditions of the structural objects and/or fire hazard information for remote analysis of fire hazard conditions for the structural objects.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more wireless thermal image sensors comprise one or more infrared cameras adapted to continuously monitor environmental parameters including one or more of humidity, temperature, and moisture associated with the structural objects.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless thermal imaging system comprises a ruggedized thermal camera system adapted for use as a disaster monitoring camera system to detect and monitor damage from disastrous events including at least one of flooding, fire, explosion, and earthquake, and wherein the ruggedized thermal camera system comprises an enclosure to enclose each of the corresponding thermal image sensors and is configured to withstand disastrous events.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless thermal imaging system comprises a thermal camera system adapted for use as a safety monitoring system to detect one or more persons in the structure including one or more fallen persons in the structure, and wherein the processing component is adapted to generate an alert to emergency personnel in the event of a fire or a person in need of assistance.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more wireless thermal image sensors are adapted to monitor one more conditions of the structure including measuring one or more of moisture, humidity, and ambient conditions of its structural envelope.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein condition information of the structural objects of the structure is collected locally via the processing component and provided to a hosted website over the network via the communication component for remote viewing and analysis of restoration conditions by the user.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising wireless sensors including a moisture meter and/or a hygrometer to monitor moisture conditions and provide information on the moisture conditions related to the structure to the processing component.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrared imaging system is adapted to simultaneously monitor multiple structures.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more wireless thermal image sensors are affixed to at least one structural object of the structure to provide a view of one or more other structural objects of the structure to monitor the temperature of the structural objects to provide the fire hazard information for the remote analysis afire hazard conditions for the structural objects, and wherein the processing component is adapted to provide an alarm to notify authorities if a fire hazard reaches a predetermined threshold based on the temperature.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing component is adapted to provide an alarm to remotely notify the user of a disastrous event related to the structure based on a threshold condition with specific moisture or temperature ranges.

11. A method, comprising:

remotely communicating with a user over a network;

capturing and providing thermal images of structural objects of a structure for monitoring moisture and/or temperature levels of the structural objects;

receiving the thermal images of the structural objects from one or more wireless thermal image sensors; and

processing the thermal images of the structural objects to generate at least one of moisture content information for remote analysis of restoration conditions of the structural objects and/or fire hazard information for remote analysis of fire hazard conditions for the structural objects.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising monitoring environmental parameters of the structural objects including one or more of humidity, temperature, and moisture associated with the structural objects.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting and monitoring damage from disastrous events including at least one of flooding, fire, explosion, and earthquake; and

generating an alert to provide information based on the detecting and monitoring to authorities.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting one or more persons in the structure including one or more fallen persons in the structure; and

communicating with authorities to provide information based on the processing and/or the detecting.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising monitoring one more conditions of the structure including measuring one or more of moisture, humidity, temperature, and ambient conditions of its structural envelope.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

gathering condition information of the structural objects of the structure; and

sending the condition information to a hosted website over the network for remote viewing and analysis of restoration conditions by the user.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the thermal images and/or moisture content information in a memory component.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is adapted to simultaneously monitor multiple structures.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing an alarm to remotely notify the user of a disastrous event related to the structure based on a threshold condition with specific moisture or temperature ranges.

20. A computer-readable medium on which is stored non-transitory information for performing a method by a computer, the method comprising:

remotely communicating with a user over a network;

receiving thermal images of structural objects of a structure from one or more wireless thermal image sensors; and

processing the thermal images of the structural objects to generate moisture content information for remote analysis of restoration conditions of the structural objects and/or fire hazard information for remote analysis of fire hazard conditions for the structural objects.