Laser scanning leak detection and visualization apparatus

• US 10,634,575 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2017
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Miranda, John Armando
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Philip P.
• Application Number:
  US15/471,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20170284887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/04 by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/38 by using light G01M3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/31 Projection devices for colour picture display , e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]

Abstract

A gas detecting apparatus and method for detecting gas leaks are disclosed. The gas detecting apparatus includes an infrared (IR) detector configured to monitor a presence of one or more gases in a field-of-interest (FOI), wherein the IR detector generates IR light distribution information within the FOI; a controller configured to analyze the IR light distribution information to identify one or more locations of one or more gases in the FOI; and a visible light projector configured to project a visible image in the FOI based on the analysis by the controller, wherein the visible image depicts the one or more locations of the one or more gases in the FOI.

Claims

1. A gas detecting apparatus, comprising:

an infrared (IR) detector configured to monitor a presence of one or more gases in a field-of-interest, wherein the IR detector generates IR light distribution information within the field-of-interest to be analyzed to identify the presence of one or more gases for gas leak detection;

a processor configured to analyze the IR light distribution information to identify one or more locations of one or more gases in the field-of-interest;

a visible light projector configured to project a visible image into the field-of-interest based on an analysis by the processor, wherein the visible image is a two-dimensional pattern of visible light that is projected as a solid beam of visible light or a pulsating beam of visible light, and upon reaching the field-of-interest, the two-dimensional pattern of visible light forms a three-dimensional pattern that frames an outer edge of each of the one or more locations of the one or more gases identified in the field-of-interest, the visible light projector comprising;

a visible light source configured to generate the solid beam of the visible light or the pulsating beam of the visible light; and

a laser scanner configured to scan the visible light into an area covering the field-of-interest, wherein the processor controls at least one of the visible light source and the laser scanner to project the visible image; and

a touch screen display configured to capture an image of a gas leak with geo-location data upon touch by a user.

2. The gas detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an IR light projector comprising;

an IR laser source configured to generate a beam of IR light, and

an IR scanner configured to scan the beam of the IR light into a two-dimensional projecting pattern covering the field-of-interest,

wherein the processor is configured to control at least one of the IR laser source and the scanner to project the beam of the IR light into the two-dimensional projecting pattern in the field-of-interest; and

wherein the IR detector generates the IR light distribution information based on the beam of the IR light scanned in the two-dimensional projecting pattern.

3. The gas detecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a single unit of the scanner is used as both the laser scanner and the IR scanner.

4. The gas detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor analyzes a gas concentration distribution within the field-of-interest based on the IR light distribution information, and identifies the one or more locations of the one or more gases based on the analyzed gas concentration distribution.

5. The gas detecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the visible light projector is further configured to project supplemental information into the field-of-interest, and wherein the supplemental information comprises at least one of:

one or more distances to the one or more locations of the one or more gases;

one or more kinds of the one or more gases;

one or more concentrations of the one or more gases; and

one or more warning levels of the one or more gases.

6. The gas detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional pattern of the visible light being projected into the field-of-interest is rectangular, elliptical, or oval.

7. The gas detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional pattern of the visible light is one or more of green, red, blue, yellow, white, or a combination of green, red, blue, yellow, and/or white.

8. The gas detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display the two-dimensional pattern of the visible light that frames the outer edge of each of the one or more locations of the one or more gases identified in the field-of-interest.

9. The gas detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solid beam of the visible light or the pulsating beam of the visible light further identifies gas leak sources and/or seepage locations.

10. The gas detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate three-dimensional (3D) point cloud data.

11. A method for detecting gas leaks, comprising:

generating Infrared (IR) light distribution information within a field-of-interest to be analyzed to identify a presence of one or more gases for gas leak detection;

analyzing the IR light distribution information to identify one or more locations of one or more gases in the field-of-interest; and

projecting a visible image into the field-of-interest based on an analyzed result, wherein the visible image is a two-dimensional pattern of visible light that is projected as a solid beam of visible light or a pulsating beam of visible light, and upon reaching the field-of-interest, the two-dimensional pattern of visible light forms a three-dimensional pattern that frames an outer edge of each of the one or more locations of the one or more gases identified in the field-of-interest, wherein the projecting of the visible image comprises;

generating the solid beam of the visible light or the pulsating beam of the visible light; and

scanning the solid beam of the visible light or the pulsating beam of the visible light into an area covering the field-of-interest; and

capturing an image of a gas leak with geo-location data upon touch by a user on a touch screen display.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

generating a beam of IR light, and scanning the beam of the IR light into a two-dimensional projecting pattern covering the field-of-interest, wherein the IR light distribution information is generated based on the beam of the IR light scanned in the two-dimensional projecting pattern.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the scanning of the solid beam of the visible light or the pulsating beam of the visible light into the area covering the field-of-interest and the scanning of the beam of the IR light into the two-dimensional projecting pattern covering the field-of-interest is from a single scanning unit.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the one or more locations of the one or more gases are identified by a gas concentration distribution within the field-of-interest obtained from the IR light distribution information.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

projecting supplemental information into the field-of-interest, wherein the supplemental information comprises at least one of;

one or more distances to the one or more locations of the one or more gases;

one or more kinds of the one or more gases;

one or more concentrations of the one or more gases; and

one or more warning levels of the one or more gases.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the two-dimensional pattern of the visible light is one or more of green, red, blue, yellow, white, or a combination of green, red, blue, yellow, and/or white.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

identifying gas leak sources and/or seepage locations with the solid beam of the visible light or the pulsating beam of the visible light.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

generating three-dimensional (3D) point cloud data from the (IR) light distribution information.