System for geological defect detection utilizing composite video-infrared thermography
First Claim
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1. A selectively mobile system for infrared thermographic and visual scanning and comparative analysis for evaluating geological areas for subterranean anomalies comprising:
- an infrared scanner for scanning a geological area;
a video camera for scanning such a geological area;
mobile carrying means upon which said infrared scanner and said video camera are fixable for movement relative to such geological area while scanning;
location indicator means; and
image and location data processing and preservation means;
said infrared scanner and said video camera being alignable to provide overlapping fields of view having a common area of focus;
said location indicator means comprising means for providing location data uniquely representative of locations of such geological area within the common area of focus;
said image and location data processing and preservation means comprising means for continuously capturing infrared and video images add location data within the common area of focus;
for superposing the infrared image, video image and location data on single composite video frames, for successively video recording such composite video data frames for further use; and
for simultaneously selectively monitoring the infrared and video images and location data for visual verification of such video data frames.
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Abstract
A selectively mobile system with an infrared scanner and video camera having a common area of focus and apparatus for detecting location permits detection of subterranean geological anomalies. Infrared and visual images are simultaneously successively recorded on videotape together with related location data and other relevant information. Video recorded infrared, video and location data are selectively captured on successive frames. Such frames are recorded for further analysis.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A selectively mobile system for infrared thermographic and visual scanning and comparative analysis for evaluating geological areas for subterranean anomalies comprising:
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an infrared scanner for scanning a geological area; a video camera for scanning such a geological area; mobile carrying means upon which said infrared scanner and said video camera are fixable for movement relative to such geological area while scanning; location indicator means; and image and location data processing and preservation means; said infrared scanner and said video camera being alignable to provide overlapping fields of view having a common area of focus; said location indicator means comprising means for providing location data uniquely representative of locations of such geological area within the common area of focus; said image and location data processing and preservation means comprising means for continuously capturing infrared and video images add location data within the common area of focus;
for superposing the infrared image, video image and location data on single composite video frames, for successively video recording such composite video data frames for further use; and
for simultaneously selectively monitoring the infrared and video images and location data for visual verification of such video data frames. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A selectively mobile system for infrared thermographic and visual scanning and comparative analysis for evaluating geological areas comprising:
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an infrared scanner for scanning a selected area; a video camera for scanning such area; mobile carrying means upon which said infrared scanner and said video camera are fixable for movement relative to such area while scanning; location means; and image and location data processing and preservation means for continuously capturing infrared and video images and location data, for superposing the infrared image, video image and location data on single composite video frames, and for successively video recording such composite video data frames for further use. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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33. A system according to claim 99 wherein each video frame includes a plurality of discrete segments;
- one of such segments carrying a captured infrared image of such scanned geological area an another of the segments carrying a captured video image of such scanned geological area.
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38. A selectively mobile system for infrared thermographic and visual scanning and comparative analysis for evaluating geological areas for subterranean anomalies comprising at least one infrared scanner, at least one video camera, a location detecting means, image and location data processing means, image and location data preservation means and a vehicle for carrying said infrared scanner, video camera, location means and processing and preservation means;
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said infrared scanner and said video camera being colocated and affixed by carrying means to said vehicle and alignable to provide overlapping fields of view having a common area of focus of selectively scanned portions of a geological area as said vehicle is moved relative thereto; said video camera providing video data output representing successive visual images of the selectively scanned area portions; said infrared scanner providing infrared data output representing variations in temperature of the selectively scanned area portions; said location detection means being responsive to movement of said vehicle for providing location data representing at least he relative position of said vehicle in said geological area, said location data identifying two selectively scanned area portions; said image and location data processing means comprising; (a) means for colorizing the infrared data output to provide colored infrared data wherein colors represent differences between anamolous and nonanamolous regions of the selectively scanned area portions; (b) means for converting the location data to visually recordable form; (c) means for permitting operator provision of further visually recordable information data relevant to the selectively scanned area portions; (d) composite video processing means for superposing the colored infrared data, visual data, visually recordable location data, and information data to provide composite video data wherein video frames each have segments corresponding to such forms of data; and (e) video monitor means for operator viewing of the composite video data; said image and location data preservation means comprising; (f) at least one video recorder for sequentially recording video frames of said composite video data; and (g) color videocopy processor means selectively operator actuated for providing hard copy of selected video frames.
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39. A method of infrared thermographic and video scanning and comparative analysis for evaluating geological areas for subterranean anomalies, comprising
colocating an infrared scanner and a video camera by affixing them on a mobile carrying means; -
aligning the infrared scanner and video camera to provide overlapping fields of view having a common area of focus; capturing successive infrared images of the common area of focus to provide infrared image data representative thereof;
while concommitantlycapturing successive video images of the common area of focus to provide video image data representative thereof; and
while also concommitantlycapturing successive location data uniquely representative of geologic locations within the common area of focus; superposing the infrared image, video image and location data on a composite video data frame; and successively video recording such video data frames for further use. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification