# US 11,449,981 B2 · System, method and apparatus for measuring energy loss > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,449,981 B2 - Document ID: US11449981B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/369,761 - Filed: 2019-03-29 - Published: 2019-10-03 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-29 - Assignees: Qeatech Inc. - Applicants: Qeatech Inc. - Inventors: Mansour Asrani; Peyvand Melati Rad; Omid Alaei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11449981B2 ## CPC - G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach} - G01J 5/027: {making use of sensor-related data, e.g. for identification of sensor parts or optical elements} - G01J 5/0859: {Sighting arrangements, e.g. cameras} - G01N 21/9515: {Objects of complex shape, e.g. examined with use of a surface follower device (measuring contours and curvatures G01B11/24)} - H04N 23/20: for generating image signals from infrared radiation only - G01J 2005/0077: {Imaging} - G01N 25/72: Investigating presence of flaws - G06T 2207/30184: Infrastructure - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - 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) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A system for quantifying building envelope energy loss, including a camera assembly for acquiring a building image set of said building envelope reflecting actual energy loss from the building envelope, a comparison image generator for generating a comparison image set using the building image set, data relating to said building, and a predetermined energy loss standard, the comparison image set reflecting a standard energy loss profile of the building envelope that meets the predetermined energy loss standard, an image comparator for comparing the building image set to the comparison image set to determine at least one extent to which the actual energy loss exceeds to the energy loss profile. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for quantifying building envelope energy loss for a building, the system comprising: a camera assembly, comprising a camera, for acquiring a building image set of said building envelope reflecting actual energy loss from the building envelope; a comparison image generator for generating a comparison image set using the building image set, data relating to said building, and a predetermined energy loss standard, the comparison image set reflecting a standard energy loss profile of the building envelope that meets the predetermined energy loss standard; an energy loss calculator for calculating at least one extent to which an actual energy loss exceeds the energy loss profile by comparing the building image set to the comparison image set and using exterior data as an energy loss calculation factor, the exterior data comprising a speed of wind associated with the building envelope; wherein the building image set comprises a plurality of pixels and the comparison image set comprises comparison image set elements, wherein each pixel of each building image set corresponds to a comparison image set element; and wherein the energy loss calculator compares the comparison image set to the building image set by comparing each comparison image set element to its corresponding building image set pixel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A system as claimed in claim 1, the system further comprising a report generator for receiving and reporting said at least one extent to which the actual energy loss exceeds to the energy loss profile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the comparison image set comprises a comparison numerical map set comprising at least one comparison numerical map. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A system as claimed in claim 1, the system further comprising an image converter for converting the building image set to a building numerical map set. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one comparison numerical map is comprised of comparison numerical entries in a comparison table, and wherein said numerical entries comprise comparison building envelope temperatures, at building envelope locations, that reflect the standard energy loss profile. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the building numerical map set comprises at least one building numerical map having building numerical entries in a building table, said building numerical entries comprising actual temperatures at building envelope locations. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data includes window measurements and door measurements of said building, and wherein the window measurement and door measurements are calculated using the building image set. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data includes the size of the building. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a building envelope crack detector for processing the building image set to detect cracks in the building envelope. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the report generator further reports at least one report image providing a visual representation of energy loss. ### Claim 11 A method of quantifying building envelope energy loss for a building, the method comprising: using an infrared camera, acquiring a building image set of said building envelope reflecting energy loss from the building envelope; using a processor-based comparison image generator, generating a comparison image set using the building image set, data relating to said building, and a predetermined energy loss standard, the comparison image set reflecting a standard energy loss profile of the building envelope that meets the predetermined energy loss standard; using a processor-based energy loss calculator, calculating at least one extent to which an actual energy loss exceeds the energy loss profile by comparing the building image set to the comparison image set and using exterior data as an energy loss calculation factor, the exterior data comprising a speed of wind associated with the building envelope; wherein the building image set comprises a plurality of pixels and the comparison image set comprises comparison image set elements, wherein each pixel of each building image set corresponds to a comparison image set element; and wherein comparing the building image set to the comparison image set comprises comparing each comparison image set element to its corresponding building image set pixel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, the method further comprising using a processor-based report generator to receive and report said at least one extent to which the actual energy loss exceeds to the energy loss profile. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the comparison image set comprises a comparison numerical map set comprising at least one comparison numerical map. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, the method further comprising using a processor-based image converter to convert the building image set to a building numerical map set. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one comparison numerical map is comprised of comparison numerical entries in a comparison table, and wherein said numerical entries comprise comparison building envelope temperatures, at building envelope locations, that reflect the standard energy loss profile. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the building numerical map set comprises at least one building numerical map having building numerical entries in a building table, said building numerical entries comprising actual temperatures at building envelope locations. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the data includes window measurements and door measurements of said building, and wherein the window measurement and door measurements are calculated using the building image set. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the data includes the size of the building. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising using a processor-based building envelope crack detector to process the building image set to detect cracks in the building envelope. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising reporting at least one report image providing a visual representation of energy loss. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exterior data further comprises a humidity level of outside air at the building envelope. ### Claim 22 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the exterior data further comprises a humidity level of outside air at the building envelope.