Imaging tool for vibration and/or misalignment analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10083501-B2
Application number	US-201615332377-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2016
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods can be used for analyzing image data to determine an amount of vibration and/or misalignment in an object under analysis. Image distortion present in the image data due to vibration and/or misalignment of the object during operation can be detected automatically or manually, and can be used to determine an amount of vibration and/or misalignment present. The determined amount of vibration and/or misalignment can be used to determine alignment calibration parameters for inputting into an alignment tool to facilitate alignment of the object. Various steps in determining the image distortion and/or the alignment calibration parameters can be performed using single components or can be spread across multiple components in a system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for analyzing vibration and/or misalignment of an object comprising:
acquiring image data representative of an object while the object is in an operating state;
determining an amount of image distortion in the image due to vibration and/or misalignment of the object;
determining an amount of vibration and/or misalignment of the object based on the determined amount of image distortion, the determining the amount of vibration and/or misalignment comprising determining one or more alignment calibration parameters representative of an amount of misalignment present in the object; and
performing an alignment procedure to improve the alignment of the object based on the determined one or more alignment calibration parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inputting the determined one or more alignment calibration parameters into an alignment tool.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the alignment procedure comprises using the alignment tool.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before performing the alignment procedure, stopping operation of the object.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
determining the one or more alignment calibration parameters representative of the amount of misalignment is performed via a processor; and wherein
inputting the determined one or more alignment calibration parameters into the alignment tool comprises communicating the determined one or more alignment parameters from the processor to the alignment tool.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising
determining the shape of the image distortion; and
determining a type of misalignment of the object based on the determined shape of the image distortion; and wherein
the determined one or more alignment calibration parameters representative of the amount of misalignment are based on the determined amount and shape of image distortion.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of presenting the acquired image data on a display; and wherein determining an amount of image distortion in the image due to vibration and/or misalignment of the object comprises receiving, via a user interface, a selection of an area in the image data presented on the display corresponding to the image distortion.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the amount of image distortion in the image due to vibration and/or misalignment of the object further comprises determining the amount of image distortion in a first direction and an amount of image distortion in a second direction different from the first.

9. A system for analyzing vibration and/or misalignment of an object comprising:
an imaging tool configured to receive radiation from a target scene and to generate image data representative of the target scene;
an alignment tool configured to assist a user in performing an alignment process; and
a processing system in communication with the imaging tool and the alignment tool, the processing system including one or more processors configured to collectively:
determine an amount of image distortion in the image data generated by the imaging tool; and
determine one or more alignment calibration parameters representative of the amount of misalignment of the object based on the determined amount of image distortion; and wherein
the alignment tool is configured to assist the user in performing the alignment process based on the alignment calibration parameters.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein at least one processor of the processing system is located in the imaging tool such that the imaging tool is configured to determine the one or more alignment calibration parameters and communicate the one or more alignment parameters to the alignment tool.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
at least one processor of the processing system is located in the alignment tool; such that
the imaging tool is configured to communicate image data to the alignment tool; and
the alignment tool is configured to determine, from the received image data, the amount of image distortion and the one or more alignment calibration parameters.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein determining the amount of image distortion in the image data comprises determining the area of the image distortion in the image data.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:
determine a shape of image distortion present in the image data; and
determine a type of misalignment present in the object based on the determined shape of the image distortion.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a user interface and a display, and wherein determining the amount and/or shape of image distortion in the image data comprises receiving an input via the user interface identifying the image distortion on the display.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processing system is configured to alert a user if the determined image distortion exceeds a predetermined amount.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processing system is in communication with a database of image distortion data, and wherein the determined amount of image distortion in the image data is compared to the database of image distortion data to determine a severity of misalignment present in the object, and, if the severity of misalignment exceeds a predetermined level, alerting the user of excessive misalignment.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the database is stored on a remote server.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein alerting the user comprises alerting the user of a severity and/or a type of misalignment present in the object based.

19. The system of claim 9 , wherein the imaging tool comprises an infrared (IR) camera module configured to receive IR radiation from a target scene and generate IR image data representative of the target scene.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:
determine, based on IR image data of the object, thermal growth of the object;
calculate second alignment calibration parameters for the object based on the determined thermal growth; and wherein
the alignment tool is configured to assist the user in performing the alignment process based on the alignment calibration parameters and the second alignment calibration parameters.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the imaging tool further comprises a visible light (VL) camera module configured to receive VL radiation from a target scene and generate VL image data representative of the target scene.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the processing system is configured to generate a combined IR and VL image, and wherein the image distortion is determined based on the VL image data.

23. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processing system is configured to
determine a first amount of image distortion in a first set of image data taken from a first point of view;
determine a second amount of image distortion in a second set of image data taken from a second point of view; and
determine first and second alignment calibration parameters based on the first and second amounts of image distortion, respectively; and wherein
the alignment tool is configured to assist the user in performing alignment processes in multiple dimensions based on the first and second alignment calibration parameters.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first and second fields of view differ by appro

Assignees

• Fluke Corp

Inventors

• Stuart Michael D
• Bernet John C

Classifications

• G01H9/00 Primary

  Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves by using radiation-sensitive means, e.g. optical means · CPC title

• G06T7/001

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• G06T7/246

  using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments · CPC title

• G06T2207/10048

  Infrared image · CPC title

• G06T7/20

  Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) · CPC title