Accessory support system for remote inspection device

• US 7,979,689 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inspectron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Perceptron Incorporated (Atlas Copco AB)
• Inventors: Miller, Jeffrey J., Newman, Tye, Schober, Jeff, Eckhoff, Paul J., Watt, Brandon, Boehnlein, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): VON BUHR, MARIA N
• Application Number:
  US12/074,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 700/11, 700/12, 713/1, 713/2, 717168-178, 710 8- 11, 710104-106, 710300-306, 710/314, 710/315, 370464-467, 370/469, 719321-327, 709230-237
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A remote inspection apparatus has an active display unit receiving image data in digital form and graphically rendering the image data on an active display. A communication medium connects devices to the active display unit, such as an imager head capturing the image data. A computer readable medium records one or more instances of software for operating the one or more devices. A computer processor located in the active display unit that operates a boot loader program to detects and sequentially interrogate the devices by different protocols in order to determine appropriate software to load and operate the devices.

Claims

1. A remote inspection apparatus, comprising:

a display housing coupled to a proximate end of a cable and configured to be grasped by a user, wherein the cable encapsulates at least two wires that form a serial data bus;

an imager housing that detachably couples to a distal end of a cable and houses an imaging device therein, the imaging device being operable to capture an image proximate to the distal end of the cable, convert the image into a video signal and transmit the video signal over the serial data bus;

an inspection accessory device that detachably couples to the distal end of the cable in lieu of the imager housing and houses a sensor therein, the sensor being operable to capture data proximate to the distal end of the cable and transmit the data over the serial data bus;

wherein the display housing includes a display adapted to receive the video signal and graphically render the image, a computer memory that stores one or more instances of software for operating the inspection apparatus, and a computer processor in data communication with the computer memory to operate a boot loader program that;

(a) sends a first inquiry over the serial data bus in accordance with a default interrogation protocol;

(b) loads a default instance of software from the computer memory upon receiving a reply to the first inquiry;

(c) sends a second inquiry over the serial data bus in accordance with a non-default interrogation protocol upon failing to receive a reply to the first inquiry;

(d) loads another instance of software from the computer memory upon receiving a reply to the second inquiry, where the another instance of software operates the inspection apparatus such that the inspection apparatus is compatible with the inspection accessory device.

2. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, further includes an audio device in wireless communication with the computer processor in the display housing.

3. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, further includes a head mounted display in wireless communication with the computer processor in the display housing.

4. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the display housing includes an expansion card configured to enhance capabilities of the head mounted display.

5. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the boot loader program reports that a device is unknown if neither the first reply nor the second reply is received.

6. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer memory records a plurality of device profiles, and the boot loader program reports a hardware mismatch if no profile exists that accommodates all of the replies.

7. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the boot loader program reports need for a software upgrade if an attempt to retrieve the software fails.

8. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the boot loader program reports need for a software upgrade if an attempt to run the software fails.

9. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer processor is adapted to communicate with a source of new software and download the new software to the computer memory.

10. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 9, wherein the source of the new software is an expansion card inserted into said display housing.

11. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 9, wherein the source of the new software is a computer readable medium running on an external computer processor in communication with said computer processor.

12. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said serial data bus operates in accordance with I2C.

13. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein serial data bus operates in accordance with USB.

14. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the imaging device having an imager integrated circuit that responds to the first inquiry with a first reply.

15. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inspection accessory device having an imager integrated circuit in communication with an imager head microprocessor, and the imager head microprocessor responds to the second inquiry with a second reply.

16. The remote inspection apparatus of claim 15, wherein the imager head microprocessor replies with an identifier for the inspection accessory device.