Fluke Corporation

Infrared Solutions, Inc.

Thomas J McManus

Kirk R Johnson

Peter A Bergstrom

Mathew Noel Rekow

Joseph V Ferrante

Michael D Stuart

Matthew F Schmidt

Thomas Heinke

John Neeley

Lindsey Berdan

Jordan B Schlichting

Roger Schmidt

John W Pratten

Jody Forland

Jamie Rhead

Justin M Sheard

Eugene Skobov

Daren M Thomas

John W Pratreu

Charles R Frigard

A camera producing visible light images with thermal data. The camera may include visible light lens and sensor, an infrared light lens and sensor, and a display. The display displays some of the visible light image and thermal data from the respective sensors. The visible light image is divided into an array of zones where each zone may provide thermal data associated with the corresponding portion of the target shown in the zone. The camera may sense infrared images also provide audible alarms where the alarm is emitted with a tone of variable output to indicate the relative level of the alarm.

Visible light and IR combined image camera

A thermal imaging camera comprises an infrared lens assembly and associated IR sensor for detecting thermal images of a target scene, a processor, and at least one additional sensor. The at least one additional sensor is configured to provide measurement data to the processor, where it is compared to a predetermined requirement. If the measurement data satisfies the predetermined requirement, the camera will prompt the user via a display. During use, the camera can prompt the user to provide annotation data, conduct a thermographic inspection, inspect the target scene, or perform other tasks based on the measurement data.

Activity and/or environment driven annotation prompts for thermal imager

A system for measuring a device under test (DUT) includes a computing device and a measurement device that measures an electrical or physical parameter of the DUT. The computing device receives and stores measurement data in a DUT record associated with the DUT. The computing device further obtains a first image of the DUT, displays the first image as a reference image with a first reference frame, receives a live image of the DUT from an image sensor, and displays the live image with a second reference frame that corresponds to the first reference frame. A cursor on the live image moves according to movement of the image sensor relative to the DUT. A second image of the DUT is obtained, wherein the second image is substantially aligned with the reference image based on an alignment of the cursor with the second reference frame. The second image is stored in the DUT record.

Maintenance management systems and methods

A thermal imaging system having visible light and infrared camera modules can perform various methods for reducing parallax errors between captured visible light and infrared images. The system can perform a first calibration method, which can be manual or automatic, and can receive subsequent parallax refinement adjustments via a user interface. The parallax refinement adjustments may be stored in memory for future use. Systems can include an add-on lens capable of interfacing with the infrared camera module for producing modified infrared images. The system can perform methods to reduce parallax between modified infrared and visible light images, and can receive subsequent parallax refinement adjustments to further reduce parallax between the modified infrared and visible light images. The add-on lens parallax refinement data can be stored in memory of the camera memory of the lens for future use in parallax correction.

Methods for end-user parallax adjustment

Systems and techniques for obtaining and maintaining maintenance records for various assets are described. In one embodiment, a computing device may be wirelessly coupled to a measurement device when the computing device is placed in proximity with the computing device. Upon measuring one or more parameters of a device under test (DUT), the measurement device may provide the measured parameters to the computing device in the form of measurement data. In some embodiments, the computing device associates the measured parameters with the corresponding DUT from which the measurements were obtained and provides the associated measured parameter to, for example, a service provider for future access. In another embodiment, the measurement device itself is configured to associate the measurement parameters with the DUT and provide the associated measurement parameters to the service provider.

An infrared imaging probe that includes an elongated wand and an electrically isolating connection between the imaging components, located at the distal end of the wand, and the image processing components, located at the proximal end of the wand.

Infrared imaging probe

A method for presenting a thermal image within a visible light image includes the steps of: identifying an outline of each object of interest within the visible light image; and, selecting an area of the visible light image, whose edge corresponds to the outline of each object of interest, in which to present the thermal image. An alternative method includes the steps of: identifying an area of interest within the thermal image; and selecting another area, separate from the area of interest, from which to remove a portion of the thermal image in order to display the visible light image therein. The visible light and thermal images are captured by a system that includes a visible light camera module and an infrared camera module. The visible light and thermal images are displayed on a display of the system, and selections are made via an interactive element of the system.

Thermography methods

A thermal imaging camera may be used to capture a visible-light (VL) image and an infrared (IR) image. In some examples, the camera includes a range imaging camera module that captures the VL and an infrared camera module that captures the IR image. In such examples, the VL image may include a plurality of different portions that each correspond to a different portion of the scene and distance-to-target data associated with each of the different portions of the scene. The camera may align each of the plurality of different portions of the VL image based on the distance-to-target data associated with corresponding portions of the scene so as to correct a parallax error between the VL image and the IR image. The camera may then concurrently display the VL image in alignment with the IR image.

Thermal imaging camera with range detection

A visible light (VL) and infrared (IR) combined image camera with a laser pointer. The laser pointer may be used for marking a hot spot on an object or for focusing an IR lens of a camera on an object. The laser pointer may be adjacent to the VL optics and offset from the IR optics. The VL sensor array may be much larger than the IR sensor array and the camera may also display the pixels of IR data with a much larger instantaneous field of view than the VL pixels. The camera may also provide audible alarms where the alarm is emitted with a tone of variable output to indicate the relative level of the alarm.

Visible light and IR combined image camera with a laser pointer

Methods, camera, and a computer-readable medium for registering on a camera display infrared and visible light images of a target scene taken from different points of view causing a parallax error.

An infrared (IR) light camera or sensor that provides temperature alarms. The temperature alarms may be audible, vibrational, and visual to indicate when a portion of the IR image meets user-defined alarm criteria. Visual alarms may be provided by displaying on a camera display unit the portions of the IR image that meet the alarm criteria.

A legend overlaid on a composite image includes at least one zone, corresponding to a coded portion of the image, and at least one other zone, which is transparent, corresponding to an un-coded portion of the image.

Legend including transparent zone

Methods and apparatuses of registering on a camera display separate fields of view of a visible light camera module and an infrared camera module by focusing the IR camera module. The fields of view can be displayed in several display modes including 1) full screen visible, infrared and/or blended, 2) picture-in-a-picture such as partial infrared image in a full screen visible image, and 3) infrared color alarms in visible-light images.

A camera that can capture a visible light image and an infrared image of a target scene. The camera includes a focusable infrared lens and a display. The display provides the visible light and infrared images in a focus mode or an analysis mode. In the focus mode, the percentage of infrared imagery of the target scene is relatively higher to assist the user in focusing the infrared image. In analysis mode, the percentage of infrared imagery is relatively lower to assist the user in analyzing and visualizing the target scene. The modes may be switched manually or automatically.

Growing community of inventors

Maple Grove, MN, United States of America

Thomas J McManus