US 12,253,471 B2
Surface defect monitoring system
Scott Steffan, Hamburg, NY (US); Constantine Papageorgiou, Needham, MA (US); and Amit Mehra, Arlington, VA (US)
Assigned to Terracon Consultants, Inc., Olathe, KS (US)
Filed by Pave-AI Inc., Olathe, KS (US)
Filed on Oct. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/493,342.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/087,529, filed on Oct. 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0373473 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 21/88 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)
CPC G01N 21/8851 (2013.01) [G06T 7/0002 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8861 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8874 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8877 (2013.01); G01N 2021/888 (2013.01); G01N 2021/889 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10004 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surface defect monitoring system comprising:
a. a high-resolution camera attachable to a land vehicle and oriented to photograph pavement;
b. a database operable to receive, store, and retrieve images and video data produced by said high-resolution camera;
c. an image processing facility operable to retrieve said images and video data from said database and to produce metadata-stamped orthomosaics, 3D imagery, and digital surface and terrain maps;
d. a defect detection and analysis facility comprising an artificial intelligence engine operable to:
i. receive:
1) said digital surface and terrain maps;
2) said metadata-stamped orthomosaics; and
3) imagery and video data from alternative sources;
ii. analyze said metadata-stamped orthomosaics, said alternatively-sourced imagery, and said digital surface and terrain maps for pavement surface defects;
iii. detect various kinds of defects in the pavement surface responsive to said analysis; and
iv. superimpose upon said metadata-stamped orthomosaics respective various indicators of said defects.