Patent ID: 8780207

Claim:
A computerised method of automatically acquiring a series of thermal images, the method comprising the steps of: i) processing a data file containing a series of identifiers, each identifier corresponding to a geographic location of a building; ii) receiving location data from a geographic position sensing unit; iii) defining a camera search area defined by the location data and a location of a camera relative to the position sensing unit; iv) providing a map display representing a geographic area comprising the location of the geographic position sensing unit and one or more location markers representing buildings having a corresponding identifier in the data file, the map display being continually updated with a current location of the position sensing unit; v) displaying an indicator of the camera search area on the map display, wherein the indicator is used to identify locations on the map display that correspond to actual locations at which the camera is pointing at a current time; vi) repeatedly scanning the camera search area for any buildings falling within the camera search area by comparing the geographic locations of the series of identifiers with the camera search area; and vii) acquiring a thermal image of a building with the camera when a geographic location of the building corresponding to one of the series of identifiers is within the camera search area.