Patent Document ID: 9251582
Application ID: 13731209
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented system for enhanced automated visual inspection of a physical asset comprising: a visual inspection device that generates images of the physical asset; and a computing device including a processor, a memory device coupled to said processor, and a storage device coupled to said memory device and to said processor, wherein said storage device includes at least one historic image of the physical asset and at least one engineering model substantially representing the physical asset, said computing device configured to: receive, from a present image source, at least one present image of the physical asset captured by said visual inspection device; determine, from said at least one present image, a set of present salient features; determine, from said at least one historic image, a set of historic salient features; compare said set of present salient features and said set of historic salient features; identify from said at least one historic image using at least one image retrieval method employing said set of present salient features and said set of historic salient features, at least one matching historic image corresponding to said at least one present image; identify from said at least one engineering model, at least one matching engineering model corresponding to said at least one present image; and determine a pose of said visual inspection device with respect to the physical asset based upon said engineering model.