Industrial endoscope, observation method, observation device, underwater machine, pump inspection system, underwater robot control system, and underwater robot control method

{
  "publication_number": "US11391940B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Industrial endoscope, observation method, observation device, underwater machine, pump inspection system, underwater robot control system, and underwater robot control method",
  "abstract": "Provided are various devices, systems and methods for observing pumps and the like. Provided is an industrial endoscope including an imaging device, a flexible holding member configured to hold the imaging device, and one or a plurality of nozzles fixed to the holding member and which injects a fluid.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A pump inspection system comprising: an endoscope inserted into a pump; and an inspection device to which the endoscope is connected, wherein the endoscope comprises: a capture module including a plurality of cameras, and a cable configured to transmit camera images obtained by the plurality of cameras to the inspection device, the plurality of cameras are arranged at different positions in the capture module to respectively obtain camera images of different capturing directions from one another, and the inspection device comprises: a storage in which, for each of a plurality of reference markers provided inside the pump, a position of the reference marker in the pump is stored, a position determiner comprising a processor configured to determine a position of a distal end of the endoscope in the pump on the basis of camera images of an inside of the pump obtained by the plurality of cameras, and a direction determiner comprising a processor configured to determine a direction into which the distal end of the endoscope faces in the pump on the basis of the camera images of an inside of the pump obtained by the plurality of cameras, calculates a distance from the distal end of the endoscope to the reference marker on the basis of two camera images that capture the same reference marker, among the camera images of an inside of the pump obtained by the plurality of cameras, and determines the position of the distal end of the endoscope in the pump on the basis of distances to at least three different reference markers and the positions of the reference markers in the pump.",
    "2. The pump inspection system according to claim 1, wherein directional relationships between the capturing directions of the plurality of cameras and a direction of the distal end of the endoscope are stored in the storage, and the direction determiner calculates the capturing direction of the camera that has captured the reference marker on the basis of an in-image position of the reference marker in the camera image that captures the reference marker, among the camera images of an inside of the pump obtained by the plurality of cameras, and obtains the direction into which the distal end of the endoscope faces on the basis of the directional relationship between the direction of the distal end of the endoscope and the capturing direction of the camera.",
    "3. The pump inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device comprises a multi-display that respectively displays the camera images of an inside of the pump obtained by the plurality of cameras on a plurality of screens.",
    "4. The pump inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device comprises: a spherical display processor that converts the camera images of an inside of the pump obtained by the plurality of cameras into spherical display images, and a spherical display that displays the spherical display images on a spherical screen.",
    "5. The pump inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device comprises: a stereoscopic display processor that converts the camera images of an inside of the pump obtained by the plurality of cameras into stereoscopic display images, and a stereoscopic display that displays the stereoscopic display images on a stereoscopic display screen."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to an industrial endoscope, an observation method, an observation device, an underwater machine, a pump inspection system, an underwater robot control system, and an underwater robot control method.\n\nVarious devices and techniques for observing pumps and the like have been proposed.\n\nVarious devices, systems, and methods for observing pumps and the like are provided.\n\nThere is provided an industrial endoscope including an imaging device, a flexible holding member configured to hold the imaging device, and one or a plurality of nozzles fixed to the holding member and which injects a fluid.\n\nFIG. 1 is a schematic configuration view of an industrial endoscope 100 according to an embodiment.\n\nFIG. 2 is a view for describing an operation of the industrial endoscope 100.\n\nFIG. 3 is a schematic configuration view of an industrial endoscope 101 as a first modification.\n\nFIG. 4 is a schematic configuration view of an industrial endoscope 102 as a second modification.\n\nFIG. 5 is a schematic configuration view of an industrial endoscope 103 as a third modification.\n\nFIG. 6 is a schematic configuration view of an industrial endoscope 104 according to a fourth modification.\n\nFIG. 7 is a schematic configuration view of an industrial endoscope 105 according to a fifth modification.\n\nFIG. 8 is a schematic configuration view of an observation device 100 according to a first embodiment.\n\nFIG. 9 is a schematic configuration view of an observation device 101 according to a second embodiment.",
  "cpc": [
    "G02B 23/2476",
    "A61B 1/00",
    "B25J 9/1697",
    "B63B 2203/00",
    "B63C 11/52",
    "B63G 2008/005",
    "G02B 23/14"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 9/16",
    "B63C 11/52",
    "G02B 23/14",
    "G02B 23/24"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Ebara Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Motohiko Nohmi",
    "Yumiko SEKINO"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-01-22",
  "publication_date": "2022-07-19",
  "grant_date": "2022-07-19",
  "priority_date": "2017-03-31",
  "application_number": "US-201816499198-A",
  "family_id": "63674752",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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