Gauge reading device and system
AssigneeCypress Envirosystems, Inc.
InventorHarry Sim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gauge monitoring system can include a parameter store that stores parameter data in digital form for at least one gauge. The parameter data can correspond to different gauge readings. An image processing circuit can be coupled to receive image data from an image sensor physically attached to at least one gauge. The image processing circuit can analyze the image data to generate image data points corresponding to the gauge image and generates a gauge reading from the image data points and the parameter data. A transmitting circuit transmit the gauge reading to a location remote from the gauge. A control circuit that activates the image processing circuit and couples the gauge reading to the transmitting circuit.
Claims41
A gauge reading system, comprising:
- a parameter store that stores parameter data in digital form for at least one gauge;
- an image processing circuit coupled to receive image data from an image sensor physically attached to at least one gauge, wherein the image data comprises a plurality of pixels along at least one path intersecting a needle of the at least one gauge, and wherein the image processing circuit is configured to analyze the image data to generate image data points corresponding to a gauge image by determining an average intensity for the plurality of pixels and identifying pixels within an intensity limit from the average intensity, and wherein the image processing circuit is further configured to generate a gauge reading based on the identified pixels within the intensity limit from the average intensity and the parameter data;
- a transmitting circuit configured to transmit the gauge reading to a location remote from the gauge;
- and
- control circuit configured to activate the image processing circuit and to couple the gauge reading to the transmitting circuit.
A method of reading a gauge, comprising:
- a. acquiring image data of a gauge from an image sensor physically attached to the gauge;
- b. processing the image data in a gauge reading system to distinguish gauge measurement points from non-measurement points, wherein distinguishing the gauge measurement points from non-measurement points comprises:
- scanning a predetermined pattern of pixels along at least one path intersecting a needle of the gauge, and
- determining an average pixel intensity for the pattern of pixels;
- c. determining a gauge reading from the gauge measurement points based on pixels of the image data within an intensity limit from the average pixel intensity and at least stored gauge parameter data;
- d. sending the gauge reading to a location remote from the gauge.
A gauge reading system, comprising:
- at least one gauge reader, comprising
- an image sensor for generating digital image data,
- an attachment for affixing the gauge reader to a gauge and directing an image of the gauge image to the image sensor,
- an image processor for generating a gauge reading from the image data, wherein the image processor is configured to determine an average intensity for a plurality of pixels in the digital image data situated along at least one path intersecting a needle of the gauge, identify pixels of the plurality of pixels having and intensity within an intensity limit from the average intensity, and generate a gauge reading based on the pixels of the image having a predetermined deviation from the average intensity, and
- an output circuit that outputs the gauge reading to a location remote from the gauge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.