Patent ID: 11928852
Assignee: THEIA GROUP, INCORPORATED
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. A method for monitoring a change in analog or other physical state conditions of a monitoring device such as a gauge, meter, light or other human-readable machine monitor that are in use for monitoring a condition, or a control that allows a human to control a condition, the method comprising:
a) operating a camera with at least one subsystem having a supervisory computer or control circuitry;
b) communicating images obtained with the camera to the subsystem via a communications component, and wherein the subsystem includes a processor and software containing instructions for storing the communicated images and for manipulating the images, wherein the images comprise one of more frames of video;
c) receiving the communicated images, and storing and manipulating the received communicated images via the processor and software containing instructions for storing the communicated images and for manipulating the images;
d) manipulating the images by processing instructions with the processor of the subsystem by extracting at least a sufficient portion of the image;
e) digitizing the gauge, meter, light or other human-readable portion of the device by digitizing the extracted image or image portion that is obtained with the camera and communicated to the subsystem and converting the extracted image or image portion into a sequence of digital values associated with the said device that is in use for monitoring a condition such as a gauge, meter, light or other human-readable machine monitor;
f) wherein the subsystem comprises a first subsystem and a second subsystem, wherein the first subsystem includes the camera and communications component and includes a supervisory computer or control circuitry, and wherein the second subsystem includes a supervisory computer or control circuitry;
g) wherein operating the camera is carried out with the first subsystem supervisory computer or control circuitry or the second subsystem supervisory computer or control circuitry;
h) providing access to at least one network comprising one or more of the Internet or SCADA network;
i) generating with said subsystem addressable values and making said addressable values accessible through said one or more of said Internet or said SCADA network;
j) wherein said network communicates with said first or second subsystem while said first or second subsystem is in communication with said camera; and
k) monitoring adjustments to the control made by a human; and
l) receiving one or more frames of video that are communicated with the second subsystem, and retrieving with said second subsystem said one or more frames of video on demand;
m) wherein the image or image portion comprises a field of view, and
n) operating a change detection means provided in at least one of the first subsystem or second subsystem, and detecting, with the change detection means, the entry of an object or hand into the field of view, and, when the entry of the object or hand into the field of view is detected, sending a frame or video, capturing a frame or video when the change detection means detects a human adjusting a control or taking actions; and
o) processing the detected changes of the human actions adjusting a control or taking actions and providing additional information in conjunction with the sequence of digital values associated with the said devices that are in use for monitoring a condition, such as the gauge, meter, light or other human-readable machine monitor, that were obtained from the image or extracted image portion.