Portable digital infrared thermography system
First Claim
1. A digital infrared thermography system for producing and recording thermographic images of objects, the system comprising:
- a portable infrared camera for capturing thermographic images of objects and for producing an electronic thermographic image signal corresponding to said thermographic images;
a digital data processing and recording device for receiving and processing said electronic thermographic image signal to produce a formatted digital signal in the form of a plurality of frames of images, said data processing and recording device including means for performing multiple tasks simultaneously;
digital display means for receiving said formatted digital signal and displaying images corresponding to said formatted digital signal on a first portion of the display while simultaneously displaying on a second portion of the display information allowing a user to perform multiple tasks;
means for selecting individual frames of said formatted digital signal and producing digital frame signals; and
digital storage means for storing said digital frame signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A highly portable infrared thermography system automates the collection, display, analysis, annotation, and recording of thermographic data and facilitates the efficient generation of reports. The system includes an infrared camera and a digital video data collector (VDC) having an embedded PC with an internal hard drive. The VDC also includes a VGA color LCD display with touch screen overlay for displaying images, presenting information to a thermographer, and for receiving data and command inputs from the thermographer. The system can be carried with a custom vest and battery belt, or it can be mounted to a hand truck. Thermographic images captured by the infrared camera are received by the VDC and displayed in real time at rates of at least thirty frames per second to eliminate flicker. The VDC also interfaces with a videotape recorder for displaying and recording images. Other interfaces include a visible image camera interface, a digital video interface, and a base station computer interface. Images of interest are stored on the VDC'"'"'s hard drive where they can be retrieved for analysis and report generation in the field. A portable printer can be attached to the VDC to enable the thermographer to print reports as they are generated. Images can be annotated by the thermographer on the display, and the annotated images stored. The display is operable to prompt the thermographer with route information regarding particular equipment to be thermograhically inspected, and to suggest particular problems possibly indicated by a particular thermographically-observed condition.
180 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A digital infrared thermography system for producing and recording thermographic images of objects, the system comprising:
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a portable infrared camera for capturing thermographic images of objects and for producing an electronic thermographic image signal corresponding to said thermographic images; a digital data processing and recording device for receiving and processing said electronic thermographic image signal to produce a formatted digital signal in the form of a plurality of frames of images, said data processing and recording device including means for performing multiple tasks simultaneously; digital display means for receiving said formatted digital signal and displaying images corresponding to said formatted digital signal on a first portion of the display while simultaneously displaying on a second portion of the display information allowing a user to perform multiple tasks; means for selecting individual frames of said formatted digital signal and producing digital frame signals; and digital storage means for storing said digital frame signals. - 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)
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24. A digital infrared thermography unit for processing, displaying, and recording at least thermographic images as represented by thermographic image signals comprising individual frames of thermographic images, said unit comprising:
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a camera interface for receiving at least thermographic image signals produced by an infrared camera; a video digitizer for digitizing and multiplexing image signals received by the camera interface, producing multiplexed image signals; digital display means for receiving at least thermographic images as represented by said multiplexed image signals; a high speed path dedicated to routing at least the multiplexed image signals to said display means for display of the multiplexed image signals at a rate of at least thirty frames of images per second; means for displaying said multiplexed image signals on a first portion of the display while simultaneously displaying on a second portion of the display information allowing a user to perform multiple tasks; means for selecting individual frames of said multiplexed image signals and producing digital frame signals; an internal memory for storing said digital frame signals; an embedded computer for controlling the processing and display of the multiplexed image signal, and for controlling the storage of the selected digital frame signals in said memory; and a databus interconnecting at least the video digitizer, digital display means, means for selecting, and embedded computer. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A digital infrared thermography system for producing, processing, displaying, and recording thermographic and visible images of objects, the system comprising:
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a infrared camera for capturing thermographic images of objects and for producing an electronic thermographic image signal comprising individual frames of thermographic images corresponding to the captured thermographic images; a visible image camera for capturing visible images of objects and for producing an electronic visible image signal comprising individual frames of visible images corresponding to the captured visible images; a video data collector for receiving, processing, displaying, and recording said thermographic and visible image signals, comprising; a camera interface connected to said infrared and visible image cameras for receiving said thermographic and visible image signals; a video digitizer for digitizing and multiplexing the image signals received by said interface, producing multiplexed image signals; a digital video signal interface for receiving digital video signals comprised of individual frames of images; a programmable logic array for converting said digital video signals to a format readily useable by said data collector, producing formatted image signals; a touch screen display for displaying thermographic and visible images as represented by the multiplexed and formatted image signals; means for selecting and annotating individual frames of the multiplexed and formatted image signals, producing selected digital frame signals; an internal hard drive for recording the selected digital frame signals; and an embedded computer for controlling the processing and displaying of the multiplexed and formatted image signals, and for controlling the selecting, annotating, and recording of the selected digital frame signals; a battery for providing power to said system; and a carrying vest for supporting at least said video data collector on a person'"'"'s body.
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Specification