Patent ID: 7068301

Claim:
A method of inspecting a structure or a facility or components thereof from a remote location, the method comprising acts of: loading a desired maintenance program into an inspection apparatus, the apparatus having a computer and a camera control unit coupled to the computer and adapted to receive and process images from an imager that is housed separately from the camera control unit, the apparatus being capable of capturing, together with the imager, both a streaming video digital image of the structure or facility or components thereof and a still digital image of the structure or facility or components thereof; instructing the same apparatus to capture, together with the imager, at least one of a) the streaming video digital image of the structure or facility or components thereof at a first location and b) the still digital image of the structure or facility or components thereof at a first location; operating the same apparatus to enter in the program remarks about the structure or facility or components thereof, the remarks including at least one of notes regarding a condition of the structure or facility or components thereof, a date the image was taken, an identification of the structure or facility or components thereof, and an identification of a person using the apparatus; instructing the same apparatus to electronically transmit the at least one of streaming video digital image, still digital image and remarks to a second location remote from the first location; reviewing the at least one of streaming video digital image, still digital image and the remarks at the second location; preparing instructions based on at least one of the streaming video digital image, still digital image and remarks; transmitting instructions back to the first location; and performing maintenance on the structure or facility or components thereof in response to the instructions.