Extended temperature range mapping process of a furnace enclosure using various device settings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9696210-B2
Application number	US-201414306063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2014
Priority date	Jun 16, 2014
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A process is provided for mapping temperatures in an enclosure during a combustion process. A device setting of an image-capturing device is provided. An intensity-temperature mapping is generated by performing an intensity-temperature calibration based on an intensity of an image pixel in a field of view (FOV) generated by the image-capturing device, a corresponding temperature measurement, and a selected device setting. Each emitted radiation of selected regions is detected based on a first image in the FOV. At least one region is determined whether the region is poor responsive, based on the intensity-temperature mapping associated with the device setting. The at least one poor responsive region is replaced with acceptable regions unaffected by the saturation from at least one other image captured at a different device setting for higher temperature resolution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for mapping temperatures in an enclosure during a combustion process, comprising:
providing a device setting for an image-capturing device;
generating an intensity-temperature mapping by performing an intensity-temperature calibration based on an intensity of an image pixel in a field of view (FOV) generated by the image-capturing device, a corresponding temperature measurement, and the device setting of the image-capturing device;
detecting an amount of emitted radiation of selected regions within the enclosure based on a first image in the FOV captured by the image-capturing device at the device setting;
determining whether at least one region of said selected regions is poor responsive, which is underexposed or overexposed, such that an accurate temperature is unable to be estimated based on the intensity-temperature mapping associated with the device setting; and
replacing, using a computer processor, temperatures of the at least one poor responsive region with temperatures from acceptable regions unaffected by a saturation from at least one other image in the FOV captured at a different device setting in order to provide an extended temperature mapping of the enclosure, wherein the extended temperature mapping has higher temperature resolution and range than that associated with the first image in the FOV.

2. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a plurality of predetermined device settings;
changing the device setting of the image-capturing device to a different predetermined device setting when the at least one portion of each selected region is poor responsive; and
maintaining the device setting of the image-capturing device when the temperature is free of poor response.

3. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a plurality of predetermined device settings;
sequentially capturing a predetermined number of images at different predetermined device settings; and
selecting a subset of acceptable images from the captured images at the different predetermined device settings for substituting the poor responsive regions of the first image with corresponding regions of the selected subset of acceptable images.

4. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
partitioning the first image captured by the image-capturing device based on the temperatures from the intensity-temperature mapping; and
identifying the poor responsive regions of the first image for which an accurate temperature is unable to be estimated for replacement.

5. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a plurality of images for the same FOV based on different device settings; and
retrieving corresponding regions of the first image from the at least one other image that shares substantially the same FOV.

6. The process according to claim 5 , further comprising:
detecting a different temperature range of the selected regions of the first image based on the device settings; and
creating sub-regions of the selected regions based on the corresponding intensity-temperature mapping.

7. The process according to claim 6 , further comprising:
searching for the at least one other image having regions unaffected by poor responsiveness for the higher temperature resolution; and
selecting the acceptable portions unaffected by the poor responsiveness from the at least one other image based on the temperature values.

8. The process according to claim 7 , further comprising:
determining which portions of the acceptable regions have higher temperature resolutions based on the temperature values; and
substituting at least one portion of the poor responsive regions with the portions of the acceptable regions for obtaining better temperature resolution in a predetermined temperature range.

9. An apparatus for mapping temperatures in an enclosure, the apparatus comprising:
a mapping unit configured for:
providing a device setting for an image-capturing device;
generating an intensity-temperature mapping by performing an intensity-temperature calibration based on an intensity of an image pixel in a field of view (FOV) generated by the image-capturing device, a corresponding temperature measurement, and the device setting of the image-capturing device;
detecting an amount of emitted radiation of selected regions within the enclosure based on a first image in the FOV captured by the image-capturing device at the device setting;
determining whether at least one region of said selected regions is poor responsive, which is underexposed or overexposed, such that an accurate temperature is unable to be estimated based on the intensity-temperature mapping associated with the device setting; and
replacing, using a computer processor, temperatures of the at least one poor responsive region with temperatures from acceptable regions unaffected by a saturation from at least one other image in the FOV captured at a different device setting in order to provide an extended temperature mapping of the enclosure, wherein the extended temperature mapping has higher temperature resolution and range than that associated with the first image in the FOV.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the mapping unit is configured for:
providing a plurality of predetermined device settings;
changing the device setting of the image-capturing device to a different predetermined device setting when the at least one portion of each selected region is poor responsive; and
maintaining the device setting of the image-capturing device when the temperature is free of poor response.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the mapping unit is configured for:
providing a plurality of predetermined device settings;
sequentially capturing a predetermined number of images at different predetermined device settings; and
selecting a subset of acceptable images from the captured images at the different predetermined device settings for substituting the poor responsive regions of the first image with corresponding regions of the selected subset of acceptable images.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the mapping unit is configured for:
partitioning the first image captured by the image-capturing device based on the temperatures from the intensity-temperature mapping; and
identifying the poor responsive regions of the first image for which an accurate temperature is unable to be estimated for replacement.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the mapping unit is configured for:
generating a plurality of images for the same FOV based on different device settings; and
retrieving corresponding regions of the first image from the at least one other image that shares substantially the same FOV.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the mapping unit is configured for:
detecting a different temperature range of the selected regions of the first image based on the device settings; and
creating sub-regions of the selected regions based on the corresponding intensity-temperature mapping.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the mapping unit is configured for:
searching for the at least one other image having regions unaffected by poor responsiveness for the higher temperature resolution;
selecting the acceptable portions unaffected by the poor responsiveness from the at least one other image based on the temperature values;
determining which portions of the acceptable regions have higher temperature resolutions based on the temperature values; and
substituting at least one portion o

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Venkatesha Sharath
• Au Kwong W
• Bietto Stefano

Classifications

• G01J5/064

  Ambient temperature sensor; Housing temperature sensor; Constructional details thereof · CPC title

• G01J5/0044 Primary

  Furnaces, ovens, kilns (G01J5/0007, G01J5/004 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06T5/005

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T5/008

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T2207/10048

  Infrared image · CPC title