Inspection system and method
AssigneeEnvirosight LLC
InventorRichard Lindner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of inspecting a lateral pipe extending from a manhole, said method comprising: (a) inserting an imaging head into said manhole using a positioning system, said imaging head connected to an elongated member and comprising an imaging device adapted to convert an image to an image signal, a lens optically coupled to said imaging device, and at least one lamp suitable for projecting a light beam, said lamp having a beam that is adjustable to enable said beam to move relative said imaging device; (b) imaging a target located within said lateral pipe; (c) holding said imaging device essentially steady while imaging said target and adjusting said beam to adjust the illumination of said target.
Claims24
A method of inspecting a lateral pipe extending from a manhole, said method comprising:
- (a) inserting an imaging head into said manhole using a positioning system, said imaging head connected to an elongated member and comprising an imaging device adapted to convert an image to an image signal and having an optical axis, a lens optically coupled to said imaging device, and at least one lamp suitable for projecting a light beam, said lamp having a beam with a beam axis that is adjustable to enable said beam axis to move relative said optical axis;
- (b) imaging a target located within said lateral pipe;
- (c) holding said imaging device essentially steady while imaging said target and adjusting said beam to adjust the illumination of said target.
An inspection system suitable for inspecting the interior of elongated structures, said system comprising:
- a positioning system comprising an elongated member;
- an imaging head connected to said elongated member and comprising an imaging device adapted to convert an image to an image signal and an optical axis, a lens optically coupled to said imaging device, and at least one lamp having an adjustable beam having a beam axis enabling said beam axis to move relative said optical axis;
- and
- an operator control device separate form said imaging head to control said imaging device.
A method of inspecting a pipe comprising:
- extending an imaging system into a manhole;
- imaging the interior of said manhole at a first magnification level of an imaging device;
- locating a lateral pipe connected to said manhole;
- imaging the interior of said lateral pipe at a second magnification level greater than said first level to image a target;
- and
- while holding the image of said target steady, adjusting a beam axis of a lamp on said imaging system to alter illumination of said target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.