# US 12,669,397 B2 · Modular sensor fusion platform for hydrocarbon storage equipment monitoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,669,397 B2 - Document ID: US12669397B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/805,809 - Filed: 2024-08-15 - Published: 2025-02-27 - Granted: 2026-06-30 - Earliest claimed: 2023-08-23 - Assignees: Clean Connect AI, Inc. - Applicants: Clean Connect AI Inc. - Inventors: David A. Conley; Luke Coats; Remington Engelhard; Jaren Samples - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12669397B2 ## CPC - G01M 3/16: using electric detection means ({G01M3/045,} G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence) - H04N 7/188: {Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position (signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253)} - G01F 23/0007: {for discrete indicating and measuring (G01F23/02 - G01F23/28 take precedence)} - G01M 3/002: {by using thermal means} - G01M 3/38: by using light (G01M3/02 takes precedence) - G03B 17/561: {Support related camera accessories} - G06V 10/147: Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) - G06V 10/803: {of input or preprocessed data} - G06V 20/52: Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) - H04N 23/13: with multiple sensors - H04N 23/23: from thermal infrared radiation - H04N 23/57: Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices - H04N 23/695: Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects - E21B 43/2607: {Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations} - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract Various embodiments of the present technology relate to solutions for hydrocarbon equipment monitoring. In some examples, a detection system comprises a compute engine, a gimbal, a sensor suite, and an imaging system. The compute engine generates signaling that directs the gimbal to orient the imaging system, signaling that directs the imaging system to image the equipment, and signaling that directs the sensor suite to sense the equipment. The gimbal orients the imaging system based on the signaling. The imaging system images the equipment and transfers images depicting the storage equipment to the compute engine. The sensor suite senses the equipment and transfers sensor data that characterizes the equipment to the compute engine. The compute engine processes the data with a machine learning engine trained to determine the status of the equipment. The compute engine transfers a machine learning output that indicates the status to a downstream system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A detection system to monitor a hydrocarbon storage environment, the detection system comprising: a compute engine; a gimbal communicatively coupled to the compute engine; a sensor suite communicatively coupled to the compute engine; an imaging system communicatively coupled to the compute engine and operatively coupled to the gimbal; a housing that mounts the compute engine, the gimbal, the sensor suite, and the imaging system, wherein the sensor suite is internally mounted to the housing and detachably coupled to the housing via a quick connect socket; the compute engine configured to: receive a command to view a piece of hydrocarbon storage equipment; generate control signaling that directs the gimbal to orient the imaging system and transfer the control signaling to the gimbal to orient the imaging system to view the piece of hydrocarbon storage equipment; generate image signaling that directs the imaging system to image the hydrocarbon storage equipment and transfer the image signaling to the imaging system; and generate sensor signaling that directs the sensor suite to sense the hydrocarbon storage equipment and transfer the sensor signaling to the sensor suite; the gimbal configured to receive the control signaling and orient the imaging system to view the piece of hydrocarbon storage equipment based on the control signaling; the imaging system configured to receive the image signaling, image the hydrocarbon storage equipment, and transfer image data that depicts the hydrocarbon storage equipment to the compute engine; the sensor suite configured to receive the sensor signaling, sense the hydrocarbon storage equipment, and transfer sensor data that characterizes the hydrocarbon storage equipment to the compute engine; and the compute engine configured to receive the image data and the sensor data, process the image data and the sensor data with a machine learning algorithm trained to determine a status of the hydrocarbon storage equipment, and transfer a machine learning output that indicates the status of the hydrocarbon storage equipment to a downstream system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises at least one of an aluminum frame, a steel frame, or a plastic frame. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 wherein the compute engine and the gimbal are mounted internally on the housing and the imaging system is mounted externally on the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The detection system of claim 3 wherein the imaging system and the compute engine are detachably coupled to the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The detection system of claim 4, wherein the imaging system comprises a quick connect attachment to detachably couple to the housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The detection system of claim 5 wherein the housing is detachably coupled to a mounting structure that mounts the housing at an elevation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 wherein the imaging system comprises an infrared video camera. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 wherein the sensor suite comprises a visible spectrum video camera and a rangefinder. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 wherein the gimbal comprises one or more actuators and rotors to adjust one or more of roll, yaw, or tilt of the imaging system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 wherein: the machine learning is trained to detect leaks in the hydrocarbon storage equipment based on the image data and sensor data; and the machine learning output comprises data that indicates when the hydrocarbon storage equipment comprises a leak. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 wherein: the machine learning is trained to measure fill levels in the hydrocarbon storage equipment based on the image data and sensor data; and the machine learning output comprises data that indicates the fill level of the hydrocarbon storage equipment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 further comprising a cooling system to regulate the temperature of the compute engine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The detection system of claim 12 wherein the cooling system comprises an air jet, an air channel, an inlet filter, and an outlet filter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The detection system of claim 13 wherein the inlet filter and the outlet filter are permeable to air and impermeable to liquid and particulate matter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The detection system of claim 13 wherein the inlet filter and the outlet filter are permeable to air and semipermeable to liquid and particulate matter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 wherein the image data comprises infrared video footage that depicts the hydrocarbon storage equipment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The detection system of claim 1 wherein the sensor data comprises visible spectrum video footage and a distance between the hydrocarbon storage equipment and the detection system. ### Claim 18 A method of operating a detection system to monitor a hydrocarbon storage environment, the method comprising: mounting a thermal imaging system and a sensor suite, wherein the thermal imaging system is externally coupled to the detection system via a gimbal and the sensor suite is internally mounted to the detection system via a quick connect socket; orienting a thermal imaging system to view hydrocarbon storage equipment; generating thermal image data depicting the hydrocarbon storage equipment; generating sensor data that characterizes the hydrocarbon storage equipment; processing the thermal imaging data and the sensor data using a machine learning algorithm trained to identify a status of the hydrocarbon storage equipment and responsively generating a machine learning output; and transferring the machine learning output to downstream systems. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising: vectorizing the thermal imaging data to generate numeric representations of the thermal imaging data; and wherein: processing the thermal imaging data using the machine learning algorithm comprises processing the numeric representations of the thermal imaging data; and responsively generating the machine learning output comprises generating the machine learning output that indicates when the hydrocarbon storage equipment comprises a leak. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable medium stored thereon instructions to monitor a hydrocarbon storage environment using a detection system, that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: orienting a thermal imaging system externally mounted to the detection system via a gimbal to view a piece of hydrocarbon storage equipment; directing the thermal imaging system to generate thermal image data depicting the hydrocarbon storage equipment; directing a sensor suite to generate sensor data that characterizes the hydrocarbon storage equipment, wherein the sensor suite is internally mounted to the detection system via a quick connect socket; obtaining the thermal image data depicting the hydrocarbon storage equipment generated by the thermal imaging system and obtaining the sensor data generated by the sensor suite; processing the thermal imaging data and the sensor data using a machine learning algorithm trained to identify the status of the hydrocarbon storage equipment and responsively generating a machine learning output; and transferring the machine learning output to downstream systems.