Data collection process for optical leak detection

• US 8,866,637 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• 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): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US13/625,619
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/605, 348/164, 348/143, 382/280
• 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 non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a route of specified areas to be monitored for a gas or liquid leak, wherein each specified area includes one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components;

receive a video of at least one specified area in the route;

display the video of the at least one specified area on the computer; and

display the LDAR components as one or more icons in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

associate the video of the at least one specified area in the route with information corresponding to the LDAR components in the at least one specified area in the route; and

store the video of the at least one specified area in the route with the information corresponding to the LDAR components to a memory or a hard drive in the computer.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to receive a modification to the LDAR components in the route.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the modification comprises a removal or an addition of one or more LDAR components in the route.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions that cause the computer to display at least one specified area in the route as an icon in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the video is a video of all of the LDAR components in the at least one specified area in the route.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer 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.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the information corresponding to the LDAR components in the at least one specified area in the route comprises temperature, date, time, LDAR component types, name of the LDAR components or the specified area, or combinations thereof.

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

receive a route of specified areas to be monitored for a gas or liquid leak, wherein each specified area includes one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components;

receive a video of at least one specified area in the route;

display the video of the at least one specified area on the computer; and

superimpose information corresponding to the LDAR components within the at least one specified area in the route, a photograph, or combinations thereof onto the video.

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

receive a route of specified areas to be monitored for a gas or liquid leak, wherein each specified area includes one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components;

receive a video of at least one specified area in the route;

display the video of the at least one specified area on the computer; and

prompt a user to record another video of the LDAR components within the at least one of the specified areas at a different viewing angle.

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

receive a route of specified areas, wherein each specified area includes one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components;

receive one or more images associated with monitoring for a gas or liquid leak in at least one specified area in the route;

display the images on the computer;

display the at least one specified area in the route as an icon in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window;

receive an indication based on the displayed images of whether at least one of the LDAR components within the at least one specified area is leaking; and

if the indication indicates that at least one of the LDAR components within the at least one specified area is not leaking, display a message on the computer for a user to proceed to another specified area in the route.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the images comprise a video of LDAR components in all specified areas in the route.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the indication indicates that the least one of the LDAR components is leaking, and further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

prompt a 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.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the indication is received automatically from a camera in response to the at least one of the LDAR components within the at least one specified area leaking.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to receive a request to record a closer image of the LDAR components in response to receiving an indication that the at least one of the LDAR components within the at least one specified area is leaking.

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

receive a route of specified areas, wherein each specified area includes one or more Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) components;

receive one or more images associated with monitoring for a gas or liquid leak in at least one specified area in the route;

display the images on the computer;

display the LDAR components as one or more icons in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window;

receive an indication based on the displayed images of whether at least one of the LDAR components within the at least one specified area is leaking; and

if the indication indicates that at least one of the LDAR components within the at least one specified area is not leaking, display a message on the computer for a user to proceed to another specified area in the route.

17. 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, wherein the information corresponds to an information field from a list of information fields;

receive a video from a camera that records the specified area;

superimpose the information onto the video from the camera, while the video is being recorded at the specified area; and

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

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the list of information fields comprises information fields for temperature, date, time, LDAR component types, name of the LDAR components or the specified area, or combinations thereof.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

display the list of information fields; and

receive the information corresponding to the information field from the list of information fields.