Electrical cabinet infrared monitor

• US 9,706,137 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Scanlon, Thomas J., Fox, Michael, Hgasten, Nicholas, Hoelter, Theodore R., Strandemar, Katrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher S
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEASLEY, DEIRDRE L
• Application Number:
  US13/839,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 348143, 348 82, 2503381
• 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

Various techniques are provided to monitor electrical equipment. In some implementations, a monitoring system for a cabinet may include an infrared camera configured to capture thermal images of at least a portion of electrical equipment positioned in an interior cavity of the cabinet. In some implementations, the monitoring system also includes a communication interface configured to transmit the thermal images from the infrared camera for external viewing by a user. In some implementations, the thermal images may be provided through various wired and wireless communication techniques. In some implementations, the infrared camera may receive electrical power through a physical coupling to an electrical connector within the cabinet and/or through electromagnetic energy harvesting techniques. Other implementations are also provided.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for a cabinet, the system comprising:

an infrared camera configured to capture thermal images of at least a portion of monitored electrical equipment positioned in an interior cavity of the cabinet;

a communication interface configured to transmit the thermal images from the infrared camera for external viewing by a user;

an electromagnetic coupler configured to be disposed adjacent to at least one conductor of the monitored electrical equipment within the cabinet and receive a magnetic field generated concentrically to a current passed by the at least one conductor of the monitored electrical equipment within the cabinet;

an energy harvesting circuit coupled to the electromagnetic coupler and configured to provide electrical power in response to a change induced in the electromagnetic coupler by the magnetic field; and

a battery configured to store the electrical power and to power the infrared camera.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the thermal images are displayed on a user-viewable screen.

3. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the screen is mounted on an exterior surface of the cabinet.

4. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the screen is remote from the cabinet.

5. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the screen is configured to display one or more electrical parameters associated with the electrical equipment.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the infrared camera is one of a plurality of infrared cameras of the monitoring system configured to capture thermal images of corresponding portions of the electrical equipment, wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit the thermal images from the infrared cameras for external viewing by the user.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6, further comprising an image processor configured to receive the thermal images from the communication interface and provide the thermal images to a user-viewable screen.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7, further comprising the screen.

9. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the image processor is configured to provide the thermal images to the screen for simultaneous viewing of the thermal images by the user.

10. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the image processor is configured to combine the thermal images into composite thermal images and provide the composite thermal images to the screen for viewing of the composite thermal images by the user.

11. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the infrared camera is further configured to receive electrical power through a physical coupling to an electrical connector within the cabinet.

12. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic coupler is a resonant tank circuit.

13. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the current passed by the at least one conductor is a first current;

the electromagnetic coupler comprises an inductive coil arranged orthogonal to the magnetic field;

the change comprises a second current induced in the inductive coil by the magnetic field; and

the energy harvesting circuit is configured to provide electrical power from the second current.

14. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the electromagnetic coupler comprises a plurality of conductive plates configured to interact with the magnetic field;

the change comprises differential charges induced between the conductive plates; and

the energy harvesting circuit is configured to provide electrical power from the differential charges.

15. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is a wireless interface.

16. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication interface is a WiFi interface or a Bluetooth interface.

17. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control a frame rate of the infrared camera and a frame transmission rate of the communication interface.

18. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the infrared camera is configured to implement non-uniformity correction (NUC) without a shutter.

19. The monitoring system of claim 18, further comprising an actuator configured to be actuated to blur at least one of the thermal images captured by the infrared camera to implement the NUC.

20. A method of monitoring an interior cavity of a cabinet, the method comprising:

capturing, by an infrared camera, thermal images of at least a portion of monitored electrical equipment positioned in the interior cavity of the cabinet;

transmitting, by a communication interface, the thermal images from the infrared camera for external viewing by a user;

receiving, by an electromagnetic coupler disposed adjacent to at least one conductor of the monitored electrical equipment within the cabinet, a magnetic field generated concentrically to by a current passed by the at least one conductor of the monitored electrical equipment within the cabinet;

providing, by an energy harvesting circuit coupled to the electromagnetic coupler, electrical power in response to a change induced in the electromagnetic coupler by the magnetic field;

storing, by a battery, the electrical power; and

powering, by the battery, the infrared camera.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising displaying the thermal images on a user-viewable screen.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the screen is mounted on an exterior surface of the cabinet.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the screen is remote from the cabinet.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying one or more electrical parameters associated with the electrical equipment.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the infrared camera is one of a plurality of infrared cameras, the method further comprising:

capturing, by the infrared cameras, thermal images of corresponding portions of the electrical equipment; and

transmitting, by the communication interface, the thermal images from the infrared cameras for external viewing by the user.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving the thermal images from the communication interface at an image processor; and

providing the thermal images from the image processor to a user-viewable screen.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the providing comprises providing, by the image processor, the thermal images to the screen for simultaneous viewing of the thermal images by the user.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

combining, by the image processor, the thermal images into composite thermal images; and

providing, by the image processor, the composite thermal images to the screen for viewing of the composite thermal images by the user.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving electrical power at the infrared camera through a physical coupling to an electrical connector within the cabinet.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the electromagnetic coupler is a resonant tank circuit.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the current passed by the at least one conductor is a first current;

the electromagnetic coupler comprises an inductive coil arranged orthogonal to the magnetic field;

the change comprises a second current induced in the inductive coil by the magnetic field; and

the energy harvesting circuit is configured to provide electrical power from the second current.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the electromagnetic coupler comprises a plurality of conductive plates configured to interact with the magnetic field;

the change comprises differential charges induced between the conductive plates; and

the energy harvesting circuit is configured to provide electrical power from the differential charges.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein the communication interface is a wireless interface.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the wireless communication interface is a WiFi interface or a Bluetooth interface.

35. The method of claim 20, further comprising controlling a frame rate of the infrared camera and a frame transmission rate of the communication interface.

36. The method of claim 20, further comprising performing a non-uniformity correction (NUC) using the infrared camera without a shutter.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising blurring at least one of the thermal images captured by the infrared camera to implement the NUC.