Patent ID: 8345094
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: F16L,G01B,G01N

Abstract:
1. An inspection system for inspecting an interior surface of a pipeline, said system comprising: a frame adapted to travel in the pipeline; a camera for imaging a selected portion of the interior surface of the pipeline, said camera having an optical axis and a field of view and being mounted in a rotatable manner on the frame; and a two-dimensional pattern generator for generating a two-dimensional pattern projection, said generator being mounted with the camera to project the two-dimensional pattern projection in the field of view of the camera, the two-dimensional pattern projection comprising at least two line projections parallel to each other; wherein the camera provides images of the selected portion of the internal surface comprising the two-dimensional pattern projection for monitoring a perpendicularity of the optical axis of the camera with respect to the selected portion of the interior surface of the pipeline thanks to a deformation of a shape of the two-dimensional pattern projection, wherein said generator is mounted proximate the optical axis of the camera to project the two-dimensional pattern projection in parallel with the optical axis of the camera; and a remote station operatively coupled to the camera for receiving and displaying said images of the selected portion to an operator, the remote station comprising a processing unit configured for receiving an identification of at least two points of interest on said images from the operator, the at least two points of interest defining a physical characteristic of the selected portion, the processing unit being further configured for determining a distance in pixels between the at least two points of interest and determining a dimension of the physical characteristic from the distance in pixels, and wherein said processing unit is further adapted to calibrate the inspection system responsively to the shape of the two-dimensional pattern projection.