Automated surface distress measurement system

• US 20060276985A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Xu, Bugao, Huang, Yaxiong
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/81
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/025 by scanning the object
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 7/04 involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus, system and method for determining surface conditions in real time including a real time digital imaging device positioned relative to capture one or more images of a surface and an image processing device that processes the one or more images to identify defects (e.g., cracks) in the surface, wherein the imaging processing device determines the intensity of one or more regions of the one or more images, compares the intensity of one of the one or more regions to the intensity of another of the one or more regions, and designates the region as defective.

Claims

1. A system for determining surface conditions in real time comprising:

a real time digital imaging device positioned to capture one or more images of a surface; and

an image processing device that processes the one or more images to identify defects in the surface, wherein the imaging processing device determines the intensity of one or more regions of the one or more images, compares the intensity of one of the one or more regions to the intensity of another of the one or more regions, and designates the region as defective.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the real time digital imaging device comprises a line-scan camera and two IR laser line projectors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the real time digital imaging device comprises two or more line-scan cameras and three or more IR laser line projectors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the real time digital imaging device comprises a line-scan camera and an LED light bar.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a visible laser to aid in the alignment of the line-scan camera with a light line produced by the LED light bar.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display device in communication with the image processing device to display data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the real time digital imaging device is positioned about a car, a truck, a van, a bus, an SUV, an ATV, a four wheeler, a trailer, a sled, a wagon, a cart or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the intensity of the one or more regions discern a pattern and the pattern is compared to a longitudinal template, a transverse template, diagonal template mixtures or combinations thereof, wherein the comparison of the template to the pattern indicates the presence of cracking.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processing device compares the intensity of the one or more regions to a longitudinal template, a transverse template, a diagonal template or combinations thereof, wherein the comparison discerns defects.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processing device performs one or more formats the one or more images, labels the one or more images and processes the one or more images.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processing device adjusts the acquisition timing of the digital imaging device in relation to the reflectivity of the surface, in relation to the speed at which the digital imaging device is moving relative to the surface or a combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external illumination source, wherein the external illumination source comprises:

one or more LEDs in electrical communication in communication with a power source to produce an emission;

one or more lenses to focus the emission; and

one or more mirrors positioned to reflect the emission onto a surface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more LEDs are arranged in one or more rows;

the one or more lenses comprises one or more cylindrical lenses; and

the one or more mirrors comprises 2 mirrors.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a wavelength matched filter in optical communication with the real time digital imaging device.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more global positioning systems, distance measurement systems, road location reference systems, wireless network adaptors, Ethernet adaptors, modems, computers, cameras, sensors or a combination thereof in communication with the image processing device.

16. A surface distress measurement apparatus for determining surface conditions in real time comprising:

one or more cameras; and

two or more laser line projectors positioned on a vehicle relative to a surface to capture one or more images of the surface.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising 2 line-scan cameras and 4 IR laser line projectors.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a visible laser to aid in the alignment of the line-scan camera.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an external illumination source, wherein the external illumination source comprises:

one or more LEDs in electrical communication in communication with a power source to produce an emission;

one or more lenses to focus the emission; and

one or more mirrors positioned to reflect the emission onto a surface.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

one or more laser pointers, line projectors, tilting mounts, or combinations thereof to aid in the alignment of the one or more cameras and the external illumination source.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

an image processing device in communication with the one or more line-scan cameras to process the one or more images to identify defects in the surface, wherein the imaging processing device determines the intensity of one or more regions of the one or more images, compares the intensity of one of the one or more regions to the intensity of another of the one or more regions, and designates the region as defective a display device in communication with the image processing device to display data.

22. A method of measuring the condition of a surface in real time measurement comprising the steps of:

acquiring one or more images of the surface; and

processing the image in real time to identify defects in the surface, wherein the processing comprises determining the intensity of one or more regions of the one or more images, comparing the intensity of one of the one or more regions to the intensity of another of the one or more regions, and designating the region as defective.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the indicator corresponds to a transverse crack;

a longitudinal crack;

a diagonal crack, a multi-dimensional crack, a non-cracked feature or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising comparing the intensity of the one or more regions to a longitudinal template, transverse template, diagonal template, and combinations thereof, wherein the comparison of the template to the region indicates the presence of a crack.