Data collection process for optical leak detection

• US 8,274,402 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LDARtools Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LDARtools Incorporated
• Inventors: Moses, Kevin, Moses, Rex
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, JACK K
• Application Number:
  US12/359,196
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/605, 348/164
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/002 by using thermal means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/38 by using light G01M3/02 takes precedence
• 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

Method for collecting video files of one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components, including receiving information pertaining to the one or more LDAR components within a specified area, recording a video of the LDAR components for a predetermined amount of time using a camera, associating the video with the information, and storing the video along with the information to a memory located in a computer.

Claims

1. A method for collecting video files of one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components, comprising:

receiving information pertaining to the LDAR components within a specified area;

displaying the LDAR components in a first Graphical User Interface (GUI) window;

displaying one or more icons representing all possible LDAR components within a second GUI window;

receiving a request to transfer at least one of the one or more icons from the second GUI window to the first GUI window such that one or more LDAR components represented by the at least one of the one or more icons will be part of the LDAR components in the first GUI window;

recording a video of the LDAR components for a predetermined amount of time using a camera;

associating the video with the information; and

storing the video along with the information to a memory located in a computer.

2. A method for collecting video files of one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components, comprising:

receiving information pertaining to the LDAR components within a specified area;

displaying an image of the LDAR components;

aligning a view finder of a camera such that the view finder displays LDAR components on the camera as shown on the image;

recording a video of the LDAR components for a predetermined amount of time using the camera;

associating the video with the information; and

storing the video along with the information to a memory located in a computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information comprises temperature, date, time, LDAR component types, name of the LDAR components or the specified area, location of the specified area, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein recording the video comprises superimposing the information, a photograph, or combinations thereof onto the video.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein storing the video comprises encoding the video into a video file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein encoding the video comprises:

receiving a selection of a codec in which to encode the video file; and

compressing the video file according to the codec.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising prompting a user to record another video of the LDAR components within the specified area at a different viewing angle.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the camera is an infrared camera.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the camera is an optical leak detection camera.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the camera is coupled to the computer via an adapter cable having a first end coupled to the camera and a second end coupled to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection of the computer.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the camera is coupled to the computer via a wireless connection.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an indication from a user that one of the LDAR components is leaking;

prompting the user to obtain a closer video of the one of the LDAR components that is leaking;

recording the closer video of the one of the LDAR components that is leaking; and

storing the closer video to the memory located in the computer.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining a first image of the LDAR components for use as a reference point;

displaying the first image of the LDAR components; and

positioning the camera such that a display of the LDAR components on the camera is substantially similar to the first image.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a first image of the LDAR components; and

positioning the camera such that a view finder of the camera is substantially similar to the first image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the camera is positioned in a substantially similar geographical location as that of where the first image was taken.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first image is retrieved from a database.

17. A method for collecting video files of one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components, comprising:

receiving information pertaining to the LDAR components within a specified area;

displaying a first image of the LDAR components;

positioning a camera such that a view finder of the camera is substantially similar to the first image;

obtaining a second image of the LDAR components using the camera; and

comparing the first image with the second image to determine whether the LDAR components have been recorded at a substantially similar geographical location as that of where the first image was taken;

recording a video of the LDAR components for a predetermined amount of time using the camera;

associating the video with the information; and

storing the video along with the information to a memory located in a computer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first image and the second image are infrared light images or visible light images.

19. A system, comprising:

a camera for recording video images of one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components;

a computer in communication with the camera, wherein the computer is configured to control the camera; and

an adapter cable having a first end coupled to the camera and a second end coupled to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection of the computer; and

wherein the computer comprises a memory having program instructions configured to;

obtain a first image of the LDAR components using the camera; and

compare the first image of the LDAR components with a second image of the LDAR components to determine whether the LDAR components obtained for the first image were obtained at a substantially similar geographical location as that of where the second image was taken.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer is stored in the camera.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the camera is an infrared camera.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the camera is an optical leak detection camera.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer comprises a memory further comprises program instructions configured to:

receive information pertaining to the LDAR components within a specified area;

cause the camera to record a video of the LDAR components for a predetermined amount of time;

associate the video with the information; and

store the video along with the information to the memory.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory further comprises program instructions configured to superimpose the information, a photograph, or combinations thereof onto the display.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory further comprises program instructions configured to:

receive an indication from a user that one of the LDAR components is leaking;

prompt the user to obtain a closer video of the one of the LDAR components that is leaking;

record the closer video of the one of the LDAR components that is leaking; and

store the closer video to the memory located in the computer.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive information pertaining to one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components within a specified area;

display the LDAR components in a first Graphical User Interface (GUI) window;

display one or more icons representing all possible LDAR components within a second GUI window; and

receive a request to transfer at least one of the one or more icons from the second GUI window to the first GUI window such that one or more LDAR components represented by the at least one of the one or more icons will be part of the LDAR components in the first GUI window;

record a video of the LDAR components for a predetermined amount of time using a camera;

associate the video with the information; and

store the video along with the information to a memory located in the computer.