Thermal detection systems, methods, and devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9723229-B2
Application number	US-201113819496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2011
Priority date	Aug 27, 2010
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for thermal detection. A thermal detection device includes a visual camera, a thermal detector, a controller, a user interface, a display, and a removable and rechargeable battery pack. The thermal detection device also includes a plurality of additional software and hardware modules configured to perform or execute various functions and operations of the thermal detection device. An output from the visual camera and an output from the thermal detector are combined by the controller or the plurality of additional modules to generate a combined image for display on the display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal imaging device comprising:
a housing including a handle portion, wherein a removable and rechargeable battery pack is configured to be inserted into the handle portion for providing power to the thermal imaging device, wherein the battery pack includes a battery pack housing, at least one battery cell positioned within the battery pack housing, a terminal, and a latch mechanism, and, when the battery pack is coupled to the thermal imaging device, the latch mechanism engages the housing of the thermal imaging device to secure the battery back to the thermal imaging device such that a portion of the battery pack housing remains exposed;
a visual camera configured to generate a first signal related to a visual image;
an infrared sensor configured to generate a second signal related to a thermal image;
a display configured to display the visual image based on the first signal and the thermal image based on the second signal; and
a controller electrically connected to the visual camera, the infrared sensor, the display, and the inserted battery pack, the controller configured to receive the first signal, the second signal, a feedback control signal, and a calibration signal, the controller further configured to control the display based on the first signal, the second signal, the feedback control signal, and the calibration signal;
wherein the feedback control signal is related to at least one selected from the group consisting of an amount of light detected by the visual camera, an amount of thermal radiation detected by the infrared sensor, an ambient temperature, and an average ambient temperature;
wherein the calibration signal is related to one or more operational parameters, the operational parameters including at least one selected from the group consisting of the ambient temperature, a rate of change of the ambient temperature, and an operating temperature of the thermal imaging device; and
wherein the controller includes a memory configured to store the visual image and the thermal image, the memory further configured to store a set of temperature data associated with the thermal image, the set of temperature data being appended to the visual image, and the visual image, including the appended set of temperature data, and the thermal image being stored separately in the memory.

2. The thermal imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising a light emitting diode (“LED”) worklight.

3. The thermal imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the battery pack has a lithium-based chemistry.

4. The thermal imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface that includes a plurality of switches associated with controlling the thermal imaging device.

5. The thermal imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the user interface includes a button for toggling between a visual image display mode and a thermal image display mode.

6. The thermal imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store the visual image and thermal image such that the visual image and the thermal image are associated with each other.

7. A method of operating a thermal imaging device, the method comprising:
inserting a removable and rechargeable battery pack into a handle portion of the thermal imaging device, the battery pack including a battery pack housing, at least one battery cell positioned within the battery pack housing, a terminal, and a latch mechanism, and, when the battery pack is inserted into the thermal imaging device, the latch mechanism engages the thermal imaging device to secure the battery pack to the thermal imaging device such that a portion of the battery pack housing remains exposed;
receiving a signal from a trigger portion related to capturing an image of a scene;
monitoring an ambient temperature associated with the thermal imaging device;
receiving a feedback control signal related at least one selected from the group consisting of an amount of light detected by the visual camera, an amount of thermal radiation detected by the infrared sensor, an ambient temperature, and an average ambient temperature;
receiving a calibration signal related to one or more operational parameters, the operational parameters including at least one selected from the group consisting of the ambient temperature, a rate of change of the ambient temperature, and an operating temperature of the thermal imaging device;
storing a visual image of the scene associated with a visual camera in a memory of the thermal imaging device;
storing a thermal image of the scene associated with an infrared sensor in the memory of the thermal imaging device;
storing a set of temperature data associated with the thermal image to the memory, the set of temperature data being appended to the visual image, and the visual image, including the appended set of temperature data, and the thermal image being stored separately in the memory;
selectively displaying one of the visual image and the thermal image on a display;
wherein the visual image and the thermal image are displayed at least partially based on the feedback control signal and the calibration signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining a rate at which the ambient temperature of the thermal imaging device is changing.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising compensating the infrared sensor based on the rate at which the ambient temperature of the thermal imaging device is changing.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising supplying heat to the infrared sensor to substantially match a temperature of the infrared sensor to the ambient temperature of the thermal imaging device.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising generating a feedback signal based on an output of the infrared sensor to control a setting of the visual camera.

12. A thermal imaging device comprising:
a visual camera configured to generate a first signal related to a visual image;
an infrared sensor configured to generate a second signal related to a thermal image;
a display configured to display the visual image based on the first signal and the thermal image based on the second signal;
a rechargeable lithium-based battery pack configured to be inserted into a handle portion of the thermal imaging device for providing power to the thermal imaging device, the battery pack including a battery pack housing, at least one battery cell positioned within the battery pack housing, a terminal, and a latch mechanism, and, when the battery pack is coupled to the thermal imaging device, the latch mechanism engages the thermal imaging device to secure the battery pack to the thermal imaging device such that a portion of the battery pack housing remains exposed; and
a controller electrically connected to the visual camera, the infrared sensor, the display, and the battery pack, the controller configured to control the display of the visual image and the thermal image on the display, the visual image based on the first signal and a feedback control signal, and the thermal image based on the second signal, the feedback control signal, and a calibration signal, the controller including a memory configured to store the visual image and the thermal image;
wherein the feedback control signal is related to at least one selected from the group consisting of an amount of light detected by the visual camera, an amount of thermal radiation detected by the infrared sensor, an ambient temperature, and an average ambient temperature;
wherein the calibration signal is related to one or more operational parameters, the operational parameters including at least one selected from the group consisting of the ambient temperature,

Assignees

• Nguyen Evans H
• Mergener Matthew J
• Burch Wade
• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Nguyen Evans H
• Mergener Matthew J
• Burch Wade

Classifications

• G01J5/028 Primary

  using a charging unit or battery · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N25/671

  for non-uniformity detection or correction · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title