초록 ▼

An IR camera for recording and presenting a thermal image of an object includes optical receiving elements for focusing infra-red radiation received from the object onto a focal plane array and processing elements for receiving and processing the data from the focal plane array to form a thermal ima

An IR camera for recording and presenting a thermal image of an object includes optical receiving elements for focusing infra-red radiation received from the object onto a focal plane array and processing elements for receiving and processing the data from the focal plane array to form a thermal image, presentation elements for presenting the thermal image and storage elements for storing the thermal image. The IR camera further includes receiving elements for receiving from at least one humidity sensor arranged to provide humidity information, information about the humidity in a least one measuring point on the object, and forwarding the humidity information to the processing elements, the processing elements the processing elements being arranged to include the humidity information in the thermal image. In this way the camera can directly identify any points on the object where there is risk for damp.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. An IR camera (1) for recording and presenting a thermal image of an object (8), said camera comprising: optical receiving means (5) for focusing infra-red radiation received from the object onto a focal plane array (7); processing means (9) for receiving and processing

The invention claimed is: 1. An IR camera (1) for recording and presenting a thermal image of an object (8), said camera comprising: optical receiving means (5) for focusing infra-red radiation received from the object onto a focal plane array (7); processing means (9) for receiving and processing the data from the focal plane array (7) to form a thermal image; presentation means (19) for presenting the thermal image; storage means (18) for storing the thermal image; receiving means (15) for receiving information about the ambient temperature and/or air humidity from one or more external sensors; and at least one internal humidity sensor (10) or external humidity sensor arranged to provide information about the humidity in at least one measuring point on the object (8) based on an electrical property of the object, and forwarding said humidity information to a calculating means (17;45), said calculating means being arranged to include said humidity information in the thermal image. 2. The IR camera according to claim 1, further comprising at least one input means (11) for providing humidity information. 3. The IR camera according to claim 1, wherein said at least one internal humidity sensor (10) or external humidity sensor is a pin moisture meter utilizing the principle of electrical resistance. 4. The IR camera according to claim 1, wherein said at least one internal humidity sensor (10) or external humidity sensor is a pinless moisture meter using radio frequency signals to penetrate the material being tested. 5. The IR camera according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means (15) is arranged to receive said humidity information from an external humidity sensor. 6. The IR camera according to claim 1, further comprising a laser pointer (21) for pointing out, for a first point of interest in the thermal image, a corresponding point on the object. 7. The IR camera according to claim 6, further comprising calculation means (17) for calculating a first position in said thermal image for said first point of interest and based on the first position calculate at least one further position for at least one further point of interest in the image, said points of interest corresponding to points on the object in which measurements in which the humidity is measured. 8. The IR camera according to claim 7, wherein said presentation means (19) are arranged to present the measured humidity information in said points of interest in the thermal image. 9. The IR camera according to claim 1, wherein said presentation means (19) are arranged to present the humidity information from said at least one measuring point on the object in the thermal image by including in the image a position marker indicating the position of the measuring point and a number indicating the value of the humidity information in said measuring point. 10. The IR camera according to claim 1, further comprising calculating means (17) arranged to assign a range of colors to the humidity information, and said presentation means (19) is arranged to present the humidity information as a humidity image using said range of colors. 11. The IR camera according to claim 10, wherein said presentation means (19) is arranged to present the humidity image superimposed on the thermal image, on a visual image of the object or on a drawing of the object. 12. The IR camera according to claim 1, further comprising calculating means (17) for performing calculations that diagnose the object's structural condition. 13. The IR camera according to claim 12, wherein said receiving means (15) receives ambient humidity information about a relative humidity in the air near the IR camera, and wherein said calculating means (17) is arranged to take said ambient humidity information into account when performing said calculations. 14. The IR camera according to claim 13, further comprising means (13) for measuring said ambient humidity in the air near the IR camera and providing it to the receiving means. 15. The IR camera according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means (15) receives information about a temperature in the air near the IR camera, and wherein said calculating means (17) is arranged to take said temperature into account when performing said calculations. 16. The IR camera according to claim 15, further comprising means (13) for measuring said temperature in the air near the IR camera and providing it to the receiving means (15). 17. A method for humidity detection in an object (8), comprising the following steps: recording a thermal image of the object (8) using a thermal camera for recording and presenting a thermal image of an object (8), said camera comprising optical receiving means (5) for focusing infra-red radiation received from the object onto a focal plane array (7) and processing means (9) for receiving and processing the data from the focal plane array (7) to form a thermal image; measuring the ambient temperature and/or air humidity in the air near the camera; measuring the humidity in at least one measuring point on the object (8) using at least one internal humidity sensor (10) or external humidity sensor based on at least one electrical property of the object; and processing the humidity information and the thermal image to calculate an image including said humidity information. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said processing device (9) is the processing device (9) of the camera. 19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the processing device (9) is a processing device in a computer such as a personal computer. 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein said at least one internal humidity sensor (10) or external humidity sensor is a pin moisture meter utilizing the principle of electrical resistance. 21. The method according to claim 17, wherein said at least one internal humidity sensor (10) or external humidity sensor is a pinless moisture meter using radio frequency signals to penetrate the material being tested. 22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising using a laser pointer (21) for pointing out, for a first point of interest in the thermal image, a corresponding point on the object. 23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising calculating a first position in said thermal image for said first point of interest and based on the first position calculating at least one further position for at least one further point of interest in the image, said points of interest corresponding to points on the object in which measurements in which the humidity is measured. 24. The IR camera according to claim 23, wherein a presentation means (19) is arranged to present the measured humidity information in said points of interest in the thermal image. 25. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of presenting the humidity information from said at least one measuring point on the object in the thermal image by including in the image a position marker indicating the position of the measuring point and a number indicating the value of the humidity information in said measuring point. 26. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of assigning a range of colors to the humidity information, and presenting the humidity information using said range of colors. 27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of presenting the humidity information superimposed on the thermal image. 28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of receiving a visual image of the object and presenting the humidity information superimposed on the visual image. 29. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of performing calculations that diagnose a building's structural condition. 30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising receiving ambient humidity information about a relative humidity in the air near the IR camera, and taking said ambient humidity information into account when performing said calculations. 31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising measuring said ambient humidity in the air near the IR camera and taking said ambient humidity into account when performing said calculations. 32. The method according to claim 29, further comprising receiving information about a temperature in the air near the IR camera, and taking said temperature into account when performing said calculations. 33. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, having thereon computer readable program means which, when run in a processing device, causes the processing device to perform the following steps: receiving a thermal image recorded by a thermal camera for recording and presenting a thermal image of an object (8), said camera comprising optical receiving means (5) for focusing infra-red radiation received from the object onto a focal plane array (7) and processing means (9) for receiving and processing the data from the focal plane array (7) to form a thermal image; receiving information about the humidity in at least one measuring point on the object (8) using at least one internal humidity sensor (10) or external humidity sensor based on an electrical property of the object; receiving information about the ambient temperature and/or air humidity from one or more external sensors; processing the humidity information and the thermal image to present an image including said humidity information; and presenting said humidity information in a presentation means.