US 12,253,471 B2 · Surface defect monitoring system

Abstract

A system for taking high-resolution photographs from a vehicle-mounted camera, forming orthomosaics from video and/or multiple high-resolution photographs, and using artificial intelligence to detect and classify pavement flaws and defects in the imagery. Detection also includes the ability to capture quantifiable metrics for the defects and/or a region of interest. Three-dimensional imagery is produced from the same images as the orthomosaics. Surface and terrain map products made from the same source images capture additional details such as depth and volume. The highlighted orthomosaics and three-dimensional imagery can then be used as a basis to determine the pavement surface condition and subsequently support maintenance orders and manage pavement repairs. Further, metadata such as latitude, longitude, and altitude geo-location coordinates and sampling time can also be transferred to the output products to create a digital time history and enable analysis for preventative maintenance planning. Alternatively-sourced imagery may also be analyzed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A surface defect monitoring system comprising:

a. a high-resolution camera attachable to a land vehicle and oriented to photograph pavement;
b. a database operable to receive, store, and retrieve images and video data produced by said high-resolution camera;
c. an image processing facility operable to retrieve said images and video data from said database and to produce metadata-stamped orthomosaics, 3D imagery, and digital surface and terrain maps;
d. a defect detection and analysis facility comprising an artificial intelligence engine operable to:
i. receive:
1) said digital surface and terrain maps;
2) said metadata-stamped orthomosaics;
and
3) imagery and video data from alternative sources;
ii. analyze said metadata-stamped orthomosaics, said alternatively-sourced imagery, and said digital surface and terrain maps for pavement surface defects;
iii. detect various kinds of defects in the pavement surface responsive to said analysis;
and
iv. superimpose upon said metadata-stamped orthomosaics respective various indicators of said defects.

10 more elements

A surface defect monitoring system comprising:

a. a high-resolution camera attachable to a land vehicle and oriented to photograph pavement;
b. a database operable to receive, store, and retrieve images and video data produced by said high-resolution camera;
c. an image processing facility operable to retrieve said images and video data from said database and to produce metadata-stamped orthomosaics;
d. a defect detection and analysis facility comprising an artificial intelligence engine operable to:
i. receive:
1) digital surface and terrain maps;
2) said metadata-stamped orthomosaics;
and
3) imagery and video data from alternative sources;
ii. analyze said metadata-stamped orthomosaics and said digital surface and terrain maps for pavement surface defects;
iii. detect various kinds of defects in the pavement surface responsive to said analysis;
iv. superimpose upon said metadata-stamped orthomosaics respective various indicators of said defects;
and
v. analyze said alternatively-sourced imagery;
e. a history analysis facility operable to:
i. compare a plurality of metadata-stamped orthomosaics having various sequential time stamps to identify evolving pavement defects;
and
ii. analyze said identified evolving pavement defects with an artificial intelligence engine to predict degradation and evolving maintenance requirements.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Surface defect monitoring system

Life of this patent

Surface defect monitoring system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20