# US 10,455,166 B2 · Thermal imaging sensor which connects to base units and makes thermal temperature data available over industrial protocols to monitoring systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,455,166 B2 - Document ID: US10455166B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/365,681 - Filed: 2016-11-30 - Published: 2017-06-01 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-01 - Applicants: Maarten Van Laere - Inventors: Maarten Van Laere - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455166B2 ## CPC - H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources} - G01J 5/025: {Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface} - G01J 5/10: using electric radiation detectors - H04N 1/00209: {Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax} - H04N 23/23: from thermal infrared radiation - G01J 5/485: {Temperature profile} - G01J 2005/0077: {Imaging} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) ## Abstract A Thermal Imaging Sensor for providing a new innovative way for monitoring temperature in critical facilities. The thermal imaging sensor(s) connect to base units using wired or wireless connectivity. The thermal image data is transformed into numeric temperature data either by the sensor or the base unit. This image into numeric temperature data conversion allows for thermal data integration with monitoring, management and or automation applications using SNMP, Modbus, Bacnet, XML, JSON, HTTP, Serial over IP, any other IP based protocol or serial protocol so that the sensor can be used by monitoring and/or automation systems. With the present invention, a thermal imaging sensor is automatically recognized by applications as any other temperature sensor while having all the benefits from thermal imaging compared to traditional temperature sensors. It also connects to a base unit like any other regular sensor. The thermal imaging sensor in the present invention is not a standalone unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A temperature sensing device comprising: a thermal imaging sensor; a base unit; one or more monitoring systems; the thermal imaging sensor connected to the base unit; the base unit connected to the one or more monitoring systems; the thermal imaging sensor determining temperature values; the thermal imaging sensor communicating temperature values to the base unit; and the base unit making temperature values available over industrial protocols to one or more monitoring systems. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the thermal imaging sensor connects to the base unit and makes temperature values available over industrial protocols to monitoring systems. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein one or more thermal imaging cameras are connected to the base unit; the base unit determining temperature value(s) from thermal image(s) data; the base unit making temperature values available through an IP based protocol that can be used by monitoring and/or automation systems. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein the IP based protocol includes SNMP, Modbus, Bacnet, XML, and Serial over IP. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the main component of the thermal imaging sensor consists of one or more thermal imaging cameras; and the thermal camera is a device that forms an image using infrared radiation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the data from thermal images can either be converted into one or more temperature values in the sensor itself or in the base unit to which the sensor is connected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the conversion feature can either be included in the sensor itself or in the logic unit of the base unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein one or more thermal imaging sensors are connected directly through a wired and/or wireless connection with the base unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the thermal image sensor connects using a wired or wireless connectivity to the base unit; the base unit is a device acting as a logical unit; and the base unit is connected to an IP enabled network. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the base unit is a logic unit that makes the values of digital or analog sensors available over the IP enabled network to one or more applications and to the end-user, using different types of communication protocols. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the data is directly available to users without requiring a sensor management application. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, further comprising applications for monitoring or providing management platforms that enable central monitoring, reporting, control, and alerts that are connected in one or more networks. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein a non-limitative list of such applications includes: network monitoring systems, infrastructure monitoring software, DCIM, SCADA systems, industrial automation platforms, and building management systems. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising middleware between the base unit and the applications. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more applications that receive or retrieve, directly or indirectly, the values and/or alerts from the thermal imaging sensors using IP or serial based protocols over a communications network or by any automation network protocol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein applications communicate directly or indirectly with more than one base unit; and at least one base unit communicates directly with one or more monitoring applications. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein direct data retrieval or reception is when the applications communicate directly over IP 40 with the base unit; and the base unit communicates with applications using IP or serial based network protocols. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the thermal imaging sensor is connected, directly or indirectly, using a wired or wireless connection with the base unit; the base unit connects to the IP network and makes the data available via IP network or serial protocols to applications; the thermal cameras generate a thermal image as output which needs to be converted into numeric data is if where a traditional temperature sensor; and the thermal imaging sensor that connects to the base unit converts the thermal image into digital temperature data which is shared over IP protocols to applications that require numeric sensor data.