Method and device for automatically identifying the deepest point on the surface of an anomaly

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to methods and devices for automatically identifying the deepest point on the surface of anomalies on a display object using a video inspection device.

Video inspection devices such as video endoscopes or borescopes identify anomalies (eg, pits or dents) on an object that may have resulted from, for example, damage, wear, corrosion, or improper installation. Can be used to inspect the surface of an object for use and analysis. In many examples, the surface of the object is inaccessible and cannot be viewed without the use of a video inspection device. For example, a video inspection device can detect any anomalies that may have formed on the surface of an aircraft or generator turbine engine blade to determine if any repair or further maintenance is required. It can be used to inspect to identify. In order to make that assessment, it is often necessary to obtain accurate dimensional measurements of the surface and anomalies to ensure that the anomalies do not exceed or deviate from the operating limits or required specifications for the object. Is.

Video inspection devices can be used to acquire and display a two-dimensional image of the surface of a display object showing anomalies to determine the dimensions of the anomaly on the surface. This 2D image of the surface is used to generate 3D data on the surface that provides 3D coordinates (eg, (x, y, z)) of multiple points on the surface, including those that are unusually close together. can do. In some video inspection devices, the user can operate the video inspection device in a measurement mode in which the user inputs a measurement screen in which the cursor is placed on a two-dimensional image to determine the geometric dimensions of the anomaly. In many examples, it is difficult to evaluate the contours of display features from a two-dimensional image, and it is difficult to place the cursor highly accurately in anomalous proximity. For example, when trying to measure the depth of anomalies, it can be difficult to determine the position of the deepest point on the surface of the anomaly from a two-dimensional image and place the cursor over it.

In some video inspection devices, the depth of the anomaly places three cursors, one around the anomaly to establish a reference surface, and then the vertical distance between the reference surface and the surface of the fourth point. Is determined by placing a fourth cursor on a point that is not on the reference surface to determine. This depth measurement is most often used to attempt to measure the deepest point on the surface of an anomaly. After each cursor is placed using the joystick, and after the new cursor is appropriately first placed in the center of the screen, the user has a button to indicate that the cursor has been placed and is ready for the next. push. Therefore, for the fourth cursor in the depth measurement, the user must move the cursor from the center of the screen to the anomaly position, and then the cursor to manually find the deepest point on the surface of the anomaly. Must move around. This process can be time consuming and may not always result in the deepest point being identified.

The above considerations are provided solely for general background information and are not used to help determine the scope of the subject to be claimed.

<p><patcit num="1"><text>U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0287288</text></patcit></p>

Methods and devices for automatically identifying the deepest point on the surface of anomalies on a display object using a video inspection device are disclosed. The video inspection device acquires and displays an image of the surface of the object to be displayed. The reference surface is determined with a region of interest containing multiple points on the surface of the anomaly. The video inspection device determines the depth for each of the multiple points on the surface of the anomaly in the area of interest. The point with the maximum depth on the surface of the anomaly is identified as the deepest point. The advantage that may be realized in the methods for automatically identifying the deepest point on the surface of the anomaly and the implementation of some disclosed embodiments of the device does not require the user to manually identify the deepest point. Therefore, the time for performing the depth measurement is shortened, and the measurement accuracy is improved.

One embodiment is a method of automatically identifying the deepest point on the surface of an abnormality on the surface of a display object. The method is a step of acquiring an image of the surface of the display object with an imager (imaging device), a step of displaying the image of the display object on a monitor, and multiple points on the surface of the display object using a central processing unit. Steps to determine the 3D coordinates of, a step to determine the reference surface using the central processing unit, a step to determine the region of interest containing multiple points on the anomalous surface using the central processing unit, the central processing unit The step of determining the depth for each of multiple points on the surface of the anomaly in the region of interest using, and the region of interest having the maximum depth as the deepest point on the surface of the anomaly using the central processing unit. It comprises a step of determining a point on the surface of the anomaly within.

Another embodiment is a device for automatically identifying the deepest point on the surface of anomalies on the surface of the object to be displayed. The device determines the reference surface, which determines the imager for acquiring an image of the surface of the display object, the monitor that displays the image of the display object, and the three-dimensional coordinates of multiple points on the surface of the display object. Determine the region of interest that contains multiple points on the surface of the anomaly, determine the depth for each of the multiple points on the surface of the anomaly within the region of interest, and determine the maximum depth as the deepest point on the surface of the anomaly. It is provided with a central processing unit for determining points on the surface of anomalies within the region of interest that have a coordinate.

This brief description of the invention merely provides an overview of the subject matter disclosed herein by one or more exemplary embodiments, and only by interpreting the claims or by the appended claims. It is intended not to act as a guide to define or limit the defined claims. This brief description is provided to introduce an exemplary selection of simplified formal concepts further explained in the detailed description below. This brief description is not intended to identify the main or essential features of the claimed subject matter and is intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. It's not a thing. The claims are not limited to implementations that resolve any or all of the shortcomings mentioned in the background.

To help you understand the methods within the features of the invention, a detailed description of the invention may be made by reference to specific embodiments, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. There is. However, it should be noted that the drawings show only certain embodiments of the invention and therefore the scope of the invention includes other equally valid embodiments and should not be considered limiting its scope. Is. The drawings are generally focused on explaining the features of a particular embodiment of the invention and are not necessarily scaled or emphasized. In drawings, similar numbers are used to indicate similar parts throughout the various drawings. Thus, for further understanding of the invention, references may be made to the following detailed description read in connection with the drawings.

<figref num="1">FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary video inspection device.</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 2 is an exemplary image obtained by a video inspection device on the surface of a display object having anomalies in an exemplary embodiment of the invention.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 3 shows an exemplary method and device flow for automatically identifying the deepest point on the surface of anomalies on a display object shown in the image of FIG. 2 of an exemplary embodiment of the invention. It is a figure.</figref><figref num="4">FIG. 4 shows an exemplary reference surface determined by a video inspection device.</figref><figref num="5">FIG. 5 shows an exemplary region of interest determined by the video inspection device.</figref><figref num="6">FIG. 6 shows another exemplary region of interest as determined by the video inspection device.</figref><figref num="7">FIG. 7 is a graphical representation of an exemplary profile of the surface of a display object shown in the image of FIG. 1 of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.</figref>

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary video inspection device 100. The video inspection device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is exemplary and the scope of the invention is limited to any particular video inspection device 100 or any particular configuration of components within the video inspection device 100. It will be understood that it is not.

The video inspection device 100 can include an elongated probe 102 with an insertion tube 110 and a head assembly 120 located at the distal end of the insertion tube 110. The insertion tube 110 can be a flexible tubular portion through which all interconnections between the head assembly 120 and the probe electronics 140 pass. The head assembly 120 can include a probe optical system 122 for guiding and focusing the light from the display object 202 onto the imager 124. The probe optical system 122 can include, for example, a lens singlet (single lens) or a lens having a plurality of components. The imager 124 can be a solid-state CCD or CMOS image sensor for obtaining an image of the display object 202.

The removable tip or adapter 130 can be placed on the distal end of the head assembly 120. The removable tip 130 provides tip-field optical system 132 (eg, lens, window, or aperture) that functions in combination with probe optical system 122 that guides and focuses light from the display object 202 onto the imager 124. Can include. The removable tip 130 also allows light passage through the lighting LED (not shown) when the light source for the video inspection device 100 emits light from the tip 130, or the light from the probe 102 through the display object 202. Elements (not shown) can be included. The tip 130 can also provide side-view functionality by including a camera view to the side and a waveguide (eg, a prism) that turns on the light output. The tip 130 may also be provided with a stereoscopic optical element or a structured light projection element for use in determining three-dimensional data on the display surface. Elements that can be included in the tip 130 can also be included in the probe 102 itself.

The imager 124 can include a plurality of pixels formed by multiple rows and columns, and can generate an image signal in the form representing an analog voltage of light incident on each pixel of the imager 124. The image signal is via an imager hybrid 126 that provides electronics for signal buffering and tuning, and an imager harness that provides wiring for control and video signals between the imager hybrid 126 and the imager interface electronic circuit 142. Can propagate to 112. The imager interface electronic circuit 142 processes the power supply, the timing generator for generating the imager clock signal, the analog front end for digitizing the imager video output signal, and the digitized imager video data into a more useful video format. Can include a digital signal processor for.

The imager interface electronic circuit 142 is part of a probe electronic circuit 140 that provides a collection of functions for operating the video inspection device 100. The probe electronic circuit 140 can also include a calibration memory 144 that stores calibration data for the probe 102 and / or the tip 130. The microcontroller 146 also has on the display object 202 to store and read the calibration data in the calibration memory 144 to communicate with the imager interface electronic circuit 142 to determine and set the gain and exposure settings. It can be included in probe electronics 140 to control the delivered light and to communicate with the central processing unit (CPU) 150 of the video inspection device 100.

In addition to communicating with the microcontroller 146, the imager interface electronic circuit 142 can also communicate with one or more video processors 160. The video processor 160 can receive video signals from the imager interface electronics 142 and output signals to a variety of monitors 170, 172, including an integrated display 170 or an external monitor 172. The integrated display 170 can be a liquid crystal screen built into the video inspection device 100 for displaying various images or data (eg, images, menus, cursors, measurement results of the display object 202) to the inspector. The external monitor 172 can be a video monitor or a computer-type monitor connected to the video inspection device 100 for displaying various images or data.

The video processor 160 can provide / receive commands, status information, streaming video, still video images, and graphical overlays to / from CPU150, and image capture, image enhancement, graphical overlay merging, distortion correction, frame averaging, It may consist of FPGAs, DSPs, or other processing elements that provide features such as scaling, digital zoom, overlays, merging, flipping, motion detection, video format conversion and compression.

In addition to providing the host with other functions including image, video and audio storage and recall functions, system control, measurement processing, etc., the CPU 150 has a joystick 180, buttons 182, keypad 184, and / or microphone 186. It can be used to manage the user interface by receiving input via. The joystick 180 can be manipulated by the user to perform operations such as menu selection, cursor movement, slider adjustment, and joint control of the probe 102, and may include push button functionality. Button 182 and / or keypad 184 can also be used to provide menu selection and user commands (eg, freeze or save still images) to CPU 150. The microphone 186 can be used by the inspector to provide voice instructions for freezing or storing still images.

The video processor 160 can also communicate with the video memory 162 used by the video processor 160 to temporarily hold frame buffering and processing data. The CPU 150 can also communicate with the CPU program memory 152 for storing programs executed by the CPU 150. In addition, the CPU 150 can communicate with volatile memory 154 (eg RAM) and non-volatile memory 156 (eg flash memory device, hard drive, DVD, or EPROM memory device). The non-volatile memory 156 is the primary memory for streaming video and still images.

The CPU 150 can also communicate with computer I / O interface 158, which provides various interfaces to peripherals and networks such as USB, Firewire, Ethernet, audio I / O, and wireless transceivers. This computer I / O interface 158 can be used to store, recall, transmit, and / or receive still images, streaming video, or audio. For example, a USB "thumb drive" or CompactFlash® memory card can be plugged into computer I / O interface 158. In addition, the video inspection device 100 can be configured to send frames of image data or streaming video data to an external computer or server. The video inspection device 100 can incorporate a TCP / IP communication protocol suite, and each computer can also be incorporated into a wide area network that includes multiple local and remote computers that incorporate the TCP / IP communication protocol suite. Together with the incorporation of the TCP / IP protocol suite, the video inspection device 100 incorporates several transport layer protocols, including TCP and UDP, and several different layer protocols, including HTTP and FTP.

Although a particular component is shown in Figure 1 as a single component (eg CPU150), it will be appreciated that multiple separate components can be used to perform the functions of the component.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary image 200 obtained by the video inspection device 100 on the surface 210 of the display object 202 having the anomaly 204 of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the anomaly 204 is shown as a recess in which the material has been removed from the surface 210 of the display object 202 within the anomaly 204 due to damage or wear. The anomaly 204 shown in this exemplary embodiment is merely an example, and the methods of the invention may be applied to other types of irregularities (eg, cracks, corrosion holes, coating losses, surface deposits, etc.). Will be understood. Once the image 200 is obtained and the anomaly 204 is identified, the image 200 is the dimension of the anomaly 204 (eg, height or depth, length, width, area, volume, points to lines, profile slices, etc.). Can be used to determine. In one embodiment, the image 200 used can be a two-dimensional image 200 of the surface 210 of the display object 202 containing the anomaly 204.

FIG. 3 is a flow of an exemplary method 300 for automatically identifying the deepest point on the surface 210 of anomalies 204 on a display object 202 shown in image 200 of FIG. 2 in an exemplary embodiment of the invention. It is a figure. It will be appreciated that the steps described in the flow diagram of FIG. 3 can be performed in a different order than those shown in the flow diagram, and that not all steps are required for a particular embodiment.

In step 310 of exemplary method 300 (FIG. 3), and as shown in FIG. 2, the user acquires at least one image 200 of the surface 210 of the display object 202 having anomalies 204 and video monitors it. A video inspection device 100 (eg, imager 124) can be used to display on (eg, integrated display 170 or external monitor 172).

In step 320 of the exemplary method 300 (FIG. 3), the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) has three-dimensional coordinates (eg, eg) of a plurality of surface points on the surface 210 of the display object 202 including the surface points of the anomaly 204. , (X, y, z)) can be determined. In one embodiment, the video inspection device can generate 3D data from the image 200 to determine the 3D coordinates. Several different existing technologies are used to provide 3D coordinates of surface points within image 200 of surface 210 (Figure 2), such as stereo, scanning system, stereo triangulation, phase shift analysis, phase shift moire. Structural light method, laser dot projection, etc.) can be used.

Most such techniques include the use of calibration data, especially including optical characteristic data used to reduce errors in 3D coordinates that would otherwise be induced by optical distortion. .. In some techniques, 3D coordinates may be determined using one or more images acquired in close time, which may include similar to the projected pattern. References to 3D coordinates determined using image 200 also have 3D coordinates determined using one or more images 200 of the surface 210 acquired in close time, and It should be understood that the image 200 displayed to the user in the described motion may or may not actually be used to determine the 3D coordinates.

In step 330 of exemplary method 300 (FIG. 3), and as shown in FIG. 4, the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) can determine the reference surface 250. In other embodiments, the reference surface 250 can be curved, while in some embodiments the reference surface 250 can be flat. Similarly, in other embodiments, the reference surface 250 may have a different shape (eg, cylinder, sphere, etc.), while in one embodiment, the reference surface 250 may have a planar form. For example, the joystick 180 (or other pointing device) of the video inspection device 100 to select one or more reference surface points on the surface 210 of the display object 202 in close proximity to the anomaly 204 to determine the reference surface. For example, a mouse, touch screen)) can be used.

In one embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 4, the sum of the three reference surface points 221, 222, 223 is the three reference surface points 221, 222, 223 selected on the surface 210 adjacent to the anomaly 204. Selected on the surface 210 of the display object 202 in close proximity to the anomaly 204 to make a depth measurement of the anomaly 204. In one embodiment, the plurality of reference surface points 221, 222, 223 on the surface 210 of the display object 202 place the reference surface cursors 231, 232, 233 (or other pointing device) on the surface 210. It can be selected by arranging it on each pixel 241, 242, 243 of the image 200 corresponding to 221, 222, 223. In an exemplary depth measurement, the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) can determine the three-dimensional coordinates of each of the plurality of reference surface points 221, 222, 223.

The 3D coordinates of three or more surface points close to one or more of the three reference surface points 221, 222, 223 selected on the surface 210 close to the anomaly 204 determine the reference surface 250 (eg, plane). Can be used to In one embodiment, the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) has three-dimensional coordinates of three reference surface points 221, 222, 223 to determine the equation of reference surface 250 (eg, surface) having the form: Can perform curve fitting.

k_0RS+ k_1RS1. X_iRS+ k_2RS. Y_iRS1= z_iRS (1) Here, (x_iRS, Y_iRS, Z_iRS) Are the coordinates of any 3D point on the defined reference surface 250, and k_0RS, K_1RS, And k_2RSIs the coefficient obtained by curve fitting in 3D coordinates.

It should be noted that multiple reference surface points (ie, at least as many points as there are k coefficients) are used to perform curve fitting. Curve fitting finds k coefficients that give the best fit to the points used (eg, least squares approximation). The k coefficients define a plane or other reference surface 250 close to the next used 3D point. However, if more points are used in the curve fitting than the number of k coefficients, then when inserting the x and y coordinates of the points used in the equation of a plane (Equation 1), the result of z is noise and It will generally not exactly match the z coordinate of the point due to any deviation from the plane that may actually exist. Thus, x_iRS1And y_iRS1Can be any value, and as a result z_iRSIs x_iRS, Y_iRSRepresents the z of the plane defined by. Therefore, the coordinates shown in these equations can be exactly for any point on the defined surface, not necessarily the points used in the fitting to determine the k coefficients.

In other embodiments, 3 points are k_0RS, K_1RS, And k_2RSThere are only one or two selected reference surface points that prohibit the use of fitting curves based solely on the three-dimensional coordinates of those reference surface points, as they are needed to determine. In that case, the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) can identify a plurality of pixels close to each pixel of the image corresponding to the plurality of points on the surface 210 close to the reference surface point (s). And the 3D coordinates of the proximity point (s) can be determined, which allows curve fitting to determine the reference surface 250.

Although the exemplary reference surface 250 has been described as being determined based on the reference surface points 221, 222, 223 selected by the reference surface cursors 231, 232, 233, in other embodiments, the reference surface 250 is Using a pointing device to place a reference surface shape 260 (eg, circle, square, rectangle, triangle, etc.) close to anomaly 204, and a reference surface point 261 of shape 260 to determine the reference surface 250, It can be formed by using 262, 263, 264. Reference surface points 261, 262, 263, 264 of shape 260 can be points selected by the pointing device, or can be sized to surround the anomaly 204 or on or on the perimeter of the shape. It will be understood that it can be another point in close proximity.

In step 340 of exemplary method 300 (FIG. 3), and as shown in FIG. 5, the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) has a region of interest 270 close to the anomaly 204 based on the reference surface point of the reference surface 250. To determine. Region 270 of interest contains multiple surface points of anomalies 204. In one embodiment, the region of interest 270 is formed by forming a region of interest shape 271 (eg, a circle) based on two or more reference surface points 221, 222, 223. In another embodiment, the region of interest 270 can be determined by forming a cylinder perpendicular to the reference surface 260 and passing it through or in close proximity to two or more reference surface points 221, 222, 223. .. With reference to FIG. 4 again, the region of interest can be formed within the reference surface shape 260 and the reference surface points 261, 262, 263, 264.

The exemplary region of interest shape 271 of FIG. 5 is formed by passing through reference surface points 221, 222, 223, but in another embodiment the shape of the smaller diameter reference surface is closer to the reference surface point. It can be formed by passing through only. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the region of interest 280 is a region of interest shape 281 (eg,) in which the diameter of the circle 281 is closer to the two reference surface points 221, 222 that are less than the distance between the two reference surface points 221, 222. , Circular). It will be appreciated that region of interest shapes 271, 281 and regions of interest 270, 280 may or may not be displayed on image 200.

After the regions of interest 270, 280 have been determined in step 350 of the exemplary method 300 (FIG. 3), the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) moves from each of the plurality of surface points in the region of interest to the reference surface 250. Determine the distance (ie, depth). In one embodiment, the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) determines the distance of a line extending between the reference surface 250 and each of the plurality of surface points within the region of interest 270, 280, and the line is perpendicular to the reference surface 250. Cross to.

In step 360 of exemplary method 300 (FIG. 3), the video inspection device locates the deepest surface point 224 within regions of interest 270, 280 by determining the surface point farthest from the reference surface 250 (eg,). Select the surface point with the longest line extending to the reference surface 250). It is understood that the "deepest point" or "deepest surface point" as used herein can be the farthest point recessed with respect to the reference surface 250 or the farthest point protruding from the reference surface 250. Will be. The video inspection device 100 displays the deepest surface point 224 in the region of interest 270, 280 on the image, for example by displaying the cursor 234 (Fig. 5) or other graphic identifier 282 (Fig. 6) on the deepest surface point 224. Can be identified. In addition and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the video inspection device 100 has a depth of 290 (inch or millimeter) of the deepest surface point 224 within the region of interest 270, 280 on image 200 (ie, from the deepest surface point 224). The length of the vertical line extending to the reference surface 250) can be displayed. The user must manually identify the deepest surface point 224 in the anomaly 204 by automatically displaying the cursor 234 or other graphic identifier 282 (Figure 6) at the deepest surface point 224 in the areas of interest 270, 280. Since not, the video inspection device 100 reduces the time required for depth measurement and improves the accuracy of depth measurement.

Once cursor 234 is displayed at the deepest surface point 224 within regions of interest 270, 280, the user can select that point to acquire and store depth measurements. The user can also move the cursor 234 within the region of interest 270, 280 to determine the depth of other surface points within the region of interest 270, 280. In one embodiment, the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) can monitor the movement of the cursor 234 and detect when the cursor 234 stops moving. When the cursor 234 stops moving for a predetermined time (eg, 1 second), the video inspection device 100 (eg, CPU 150) can determine the deepest surface point close to the cursor 234 (eg, centered on the cursor 234). And the cursor 234 can be automatically moved to that position.

FIG. 7 is a graph representation of an exemplary profile 400 of the surface 210 of the display object 202 shown in image 200 of FIG. In this exemplary profile 400, the reference surface 250 is shown to extend between two reference surface points 221, 222 and the respective reference surface cursors 231, 232, respectively. The location and depth 290 of the deepest surface point 224 within the region of interest is also shown in the graph. In another embodiment, the point cloud display can also be used to display the deepest surface point 224.

In view of the above, embodiments of the present invention automatically determine the depth of anomalies on the surface. The technical effect is to reduce the time required to perform the depth measurement and improve the accuracy of the depth measurement because the user does not have to manually identify the deepest point.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects of the invention may be embodied as systems, methods, or computer program products. Accordingly, aspects of the invention are fully hardware embodiments, fully software embodiments (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or "services", "circuits", "circuits" herein. It may take the form of an embodiment that combines aspects of software and hardware that may all be commonly referred to as "configuration", "module" and / or "system". Further, aspects of the invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable media (s) having computer readable program code embodied on it. it can.

Any combination of one or more computer-readable media (s) may be utilized. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. Computer-readable storage media may be, for example, but not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or devices, or any suitable combination described above. More specific examples (non-exhaustive lists) of computer-readable storage media would include: electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM). ), Read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optics, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any of the above. The right combination of. In the context of this document, the computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store programs used or associated with instruction execution systems, devices, or devices.

Program code and / or executable instructions embodied on computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, wireless, wired, fiber optic cables, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of those described above. It may be transmitted using a suitable medium.

Computer program code for performing operations for aspects of the invention, such as object-oriented programming languages such as Java®, Smalltalk, C ++, and "C" programming languages or similar programming languages. It may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including traditional procedural programming languages. The program code is entirely on the user's computer (device), partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on the remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or It may be run on the server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer over any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), or the connection is made to an external computer. May be (eg, over the internet using an internet service provider).

Aspects of the invention are described herein with reference to flow chart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be appreciated that each block of the flowchart and / or block diagram, and the combination of blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions, in which instructions executed through the processor of a computer or other programmable data processor, perform a function / action specified within a block or multiple blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram. It may be provided to a general purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or the processor of another programmable data processing device to generate a machine so as to create a means for.

These computer program instructions also cause the instructions stored on a computer-readable medium to generate a manufactured article containing instructions that perform a function / operation specified in a block or multiple blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram. , Computers, other programmable data processing devices, or may be stored on a computer-readable medium that can instruct other devices to function in a particular way.

Computer program instructions also provide a process for instructions executed on a computer or other programmable device to perform a function / action specified in a block or multiple blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram. To a computer, other programmable device or other device to trigger a series of operating steps performed on the computer, other programmable data processor, or other device to spawn a computer implementation process. May be loaded.

The present specification discloses the present invention including the best form, and examples thereof to enable those skilled in the art to carry out the present invention including making and using any device or system and performing any incorporation method. Is used. The patentable scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and may include other embodiments conceived by those skilled in the art. Such other embodiments are when they have structural elements that do not differ from the wording of the claims, or when they contain equivalent structural elements that have a non-substantial difference from the wording of the claims. It is intended to be within the scope of claims.

100 Video Inspection Device 102 Probe 110 Insertion Tube 112 Imager Harness 120 Head Assembly 122 Probe Optical System 124 Imager 126 Imager Hybrid 130 Detachable Tip 132 Tip Field Optical System 140 Probe Electronic Circuit 142 Imager Interface Electronic Circuit 144 Calibration Memory 146 Micro Controller 150 CPU152 CPU Program memory 154 Volatile memory 156 Non-volatile memory 158 Computer I / O interface 160 Video processor 162 Video memory 170 Integrated display 172 External monitor 180 Joystick 182 Button 184 Keypad 186 Microphone 200 Image 202 Display object 204 Abnormal 210 Surface 221 Reference surface point 222 Reference surface point 223 Reference surface point 224 Deepest surface point 231 Reference surface cursor 232 Reference surface cursor 233 Reference surface cursor 234 Deepest point cursor 241 pixels 242 pixels 243 pixels 250 Reference surface 260 Reference surface shape 261 Reference surface point 262 Reference surface point 263 Reference surface point 264 Reference surface point 270 Area of interest 271 Area of interest shape 280 Area of interest 281 Area of interest Shape 282 Deepest point Graphic indicator 290 Depth 300 Method 310 Surface image (Step) 320 Surface Point 3D (Step) 330 Reference Surface (Step) 340 Area of Interest (Step) 350 Depth of Surface Point in Area of Interest (Step) 360 Position and Depth of Deepest Surface Point 400 Profile