Detecting the presence of failure(s) in existing man-made structures

• US 6,952,487 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2001
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patton, David L., Spoonhower, John P., Paz-Pujalt, Gustavo R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORADIA, SHEFALI DINESH
• Application Number:
  US09/828,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20020146150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 702/134, 702/135, 404/107, 382/103, 427/8, 252/301.19
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures

Abstract

A method for capturing at least one image of an existing man-made structure and for detecting the presence of failure(s) in such existing man-made structure including: providing a detectable material on the surface or in an existing man-made structure so that portions of the detectable material will be present in the failure(s) of the existing man-made structure; providing an image sensor and which captures at least one image of the existing man-made structure and identifies failure(s) due to the existence of the detectable material in the failure(s) to provide at least one digital image; and processing the captured digital image(s) to provide a visual image of the existing man-made structure to determine the presence of failure(s) in the existing man-made structure.

Claims

1. A method for capturing at least one image of an existing man-made structure and for detecting the presence of failure(s) in such existing man-made structures comprising:

(a) separately providing a detectable material on a surface so that portions of the detectable material will be present in the failure(s) of the existing man-made structure that accentuates the failure, wherein the detectable material is separately applied, after forming the surface as a man-made structure;

(b) providing an image sensor which captures at least one image of the existing man-made structure and identifies failure(s) due to the existence of the detectable material in the failure(s) to provide at least one digital image; and

(c) processing the captured digital image(s) to provide a visual image of the existing man-made structure to determine the presence of failure(s) in the existing man-made structure;

wherein the digital image(s) is captured by a capture device which is located in an aircraft or satellite.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital image processing includes comparing previously captured digital images with newly captured digital image(s) to determine variations in the captured digital image(s) at predetermined coordinates which indicate a potential failure in the existing man-made structure.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the image processing includes storing in memory a representation of different failures to be detected and comparing the captured digital image with the failures to determine the presence of a failure, and location of such failure.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the detectable material interacts with incident radiation emitted from an aircraft or satellite to cause radiation from the failure in the existing man-made structure to be detected by the image sensor.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the detectable material includes encapsulated dyes or phosphors.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the detectable material is included in a liquid solution or solid solution which Is distributed on the failure in the existing man-made structure.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the detectable material is a lanthanide, and wherein the lanthanide is combined with halogen elements to form a detectable halide.

8. The method in claim 4 wherein the detectable material includes cholesteric characteristics that change their orientation based on thermal equilibrium with the surroundings and exhibit a different color that can be detected by the image sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes (i) forming the surface at a fixed location, and (ii) applying the detectable material, after forming the surface at the fixed location.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the detectable material is separately provided on a road surface.