Apparatus for visual comparison of infrared images
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for comparative viewing of an undercarriage of a vehicle to detect defects or anomalies in components thereof comprising:
- an infrared camera mounted in an enclosure positioned beneath a vehicle undercarriage for capturing thermal images of selected portions of said undercarriage within the field of view of said camera;
one or more infrared image reflectors mounted in said camera field-of-view so disposed as to permit said camera to capture two spaced apart thermal images for transmission to a viewing apparatus; and
said viewing apparatus disposed remotely from said enclosure for visually displaying side-by-side thermal infrared images to permit comparison of said images of undercarriage components within the field-of-view of said camera.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for visually observing thermal disparities between like vehicular components that are spatially separated. The invention uses only one infrared camera and one or more surfaces to reflect the thermal image of spatially separated components into the camera. The image generated by the infrared camera can be sent directly to a viewing apparatus or to a computer capable of controlling internal camera functions as well and providing video processing and analysis capabilities.
28 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for comparative viewing of an undercarriage of a vehicle to detect defects or anomalies in components thereof comprising:
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an infrared camera mounted in an enclosure positioned beneath a vehicle undercarriage for capturing thermal images of selected portions of said undercarriage within the field of view of said camera; one or more infrared image reflectors mounted in said camera field-of-view so disposed as to permit said camera to capture two spaced apart thermal images for transmission to a viewing apparatus; and said viewing apparatus disposed remotely from said enclosure for visually displaying side-by-side thermal infrared images to permit comparison of said images of undercarriage components within the field-of-view of said camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for detecting defects or anomalies in running gear of a vehicle comprising the steps of:
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positioning an infrared camera at a location so that a vehicle can pass over the camera; positioning one or more infrared image reflectors within the field-of-view of the camera so as to enable the camera to capture the thermal image of two spaced apart vehicular components; adjusting the field-of-view of the one or more infrared image reflectors and camera so as to encompass left and right side running gear; transmitting the thermal images to a viewing apparatus; and simultaneously displaying the thermal images from each side running gear so as to permit comparison of the heat characteristics thereof. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification