Method for inspection, inspection system, gas detector, and terminal device

Abstract

To easily record the relation between the result of an inspection and the position of an inspection.SOLUTION: A generation unit generates positional data representing the position of a target to inspect. A detection result acquisition unit acquires the result of an inspection as the result of conducting an inspection of detecting gas flowing from the inspection target object. A storage unit store the positional data and the result of the detection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection method, an inspection system, a gas detector, and a terminal device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is an inspection device that performs a gas leak inspection while applying a suction nozzle that sucks in gas to an object to be inspected (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When a gas leak is detected, a mark is made on the position where the leak was detected in the object to be inspected, so that the inspection position where the leak was found can be identified. Also, when inspecting one line, there is an inspection method that obtains detection results for each elapsed time from the start of the inspection. For example, in the case of an inspection object that takes 10 seconds from the start to the end of one line inspection, if a leak is detected 5 seconds after the start of the inspection, the position of the inspection object where the leak occurred can be identified as the position where the inspection device arrives 5 seconds after the start of the inspection. In such a case, the inspection position where the leak occurred can be identified based on the inspection time when the leak was discovered from the start of the inspection. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2004-527743 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when marking the inspection position where a leak has occurred, if the object to be inspected is a product, it may not be permitted to write the mark directly. Also, if the shape of the object to be inspected is complex, it may be difficult to reach some inspection points (pipe connections, etc.) and therefore difficult to mark the inspection position where the leak has actually occurred. Also, since it is difficult to accurately mark the inspection position where the gas leak actually occurred, it is difficult to accurately mark the inspection position where the leak has occurred. For this reason, it is not necessarily easy to record the relationship between the inspection results and the inspection positions.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide an inspection method, inspection system, gas detector, and terminal device that can easily record the relationship between the inspection results and the inspection position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is an inspection method in which a generation unit generates position data representing the position of an object to be inspected as an inspection object, a detection result acquisition unit acquires a detection result which is a result of an inspection to detect gas flowing out from the inspection object, and a memory unit stores the position data and the detection result.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting a gas leak from an inspection object, comprising: a generating unit that generates position data representing a position of an object to be inspected; a detection result acquiring unit that acquires a detection result that is a result of an inspection to detect a gas leaking from the inspection object; and a storage unit that stores the position data and the detection result. It is an inspection system having the above structure.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a gas detector having a measurement unit that obtains a detection result that is the result of an inspection to detect gas flowing out from an object to be inspected, a generation unit that generates position data that represents the position of an object inspecting the object to be inspected, and a communication unit that transmits the detection result and the position data to an external device.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a terminal device having a generation unit that generates position data representing the position of an object to be inspected, a detection result acquisition unit that acquires detection results that are the result of an inspection to detect gas flowing out from the object to be inspected, and a memory unit that stores the position data and the detection results. Effect of the Invention

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, the relationship between the inspection results and the inspection positions can be easily recorded. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing how an inspection object W is inspected using a gas detector 10. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an inspection system S using a gas detector 10 in a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of test data stored in a storage unit 210. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the gas detector 10. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the terminal device 20. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of report data displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 20. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an inspection system SA in another embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the gas detector 10A. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the terminal device 20A. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a display screen of a terminal device 20 (20A). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An inspection system S using a gas detector according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing how an inspection target W is inspected using a gas detector 10. As shown in FIG. Gas detector 10 is provided with nozzle 10a, and detects gas by taking in external gas from nozzle 10a and measuring the gas. This gas detector 10 is a handy type, and an inspector can hold it in one hand and inspect for gas outflow by bringing the tip of nozzle 10a into contact with or close to an inspection point. An inspection point is a region that has been determined as the target for inspection. For example, the gas detector 10 takes in gas near the inspection target W through an opening provided at the tip of the nozzle 10a and measures the concentration of the gas to be detected. An inspector holds the gas detector 10 and moves the nozzle 10a close to the outer surface of the inspection target W or along the outer surface of the inspection target W, thereby allowing the gas detector 10 to measure gas leaking to the outside of the inspection target W. In addition, for example, the gas detector 10 can be moved so that the opening of the gas detector 10 moves along the outer surface of the inspection target W, and the position of the inspection target W from which the gas to be detected is leaking (for example, the position of a hole opened in the inspection target W) can be detected based on the position of the nozzle 10a and the measured gas concentration. In this embodiment, the type of gas to be detected by the gas detector 10 is hydrogen gas, and the gas detector 10 measures hydrogen gas. The inspection object W is an object from which gas may leak. The inspection object W may be, for example, any of a gas pipe, a container, a sheet member, etc. With regard to the sheet member, there are some that are formed into a bag shape by joining one end of at least a part of the sheet to the other end, and such a joint may be inspected.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an inspection system S using gas detector 10 according to the first embodiment. In the inspection system S, a gas detector 10 and a terminal device 20 are communicably connected via a network NW.

[0014] The gas detector 10 also includes a communication unit 101 , a suction unit 102 , a measurement unit 103 , an imaging unit 104 , and a control unit 105 . The communication unit 101 is communicably connected to the terminal device 20 via the network NW, and transmits and receives various types of data. The suction unit 102 sucks gas outside the gas detector 10 through the nozzle 10a into the inside of the gas detector 10. The suction unit 102 is, for example, a suction pump connected to a suction path of the nozzle 10a.

[0015] The measurement unit 103 obtains a detection result that is a result of performing an inspection to detect the gas aspirated by the aspirating unit 102. For example, the measurement unit 103 may detect the target gas contained in the gas flowing out from the inspection target W, and obtain a measurement value indicating the concentration of the target gas as the detection result. In other words, the measurement value is an example of the detection result. Furthermore, the measurement unit 103 determines whether or not the measured value is within a reference range based on a reference range previously stored in a predetermined storage area. The reference range may be a range represented by either an upper limit value or a lower limit value, or may be a range represented by an upper limit value and a lower limit value.

[0016] The imaging unit 104 captures an image in accordance with the control of the control unit 105. The target area captured by the imaging unit 104 is an area where the position where the nozzle 10a of the gas detector 10 sucks in the gas can be grasped. More specifically, the imaging unit 104 captures an image of an area including the tip of the nozzle 10a. As a result, by bringing the tip of the nozzle 10a of the gas detector 10 close to the inspection target W and performing the inspection, the imaging area includes the tip of the nozzle 10a and the inspection target W, and the imaging unit 104 can capture an image including the tip of the nozzle 10a and the inspection target W.

[0017] The control unit 105 controls each unit of the gas detector 10. For example, the control unit 105 transmits a detection result indicating that a gas has been detected by the gas detector 10 to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 101. The control unit 105 also transmits an image captured by the imaging unit 104 to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 101.

[0018] The terminal device 20 is a small, portable terminal and includes a communication unit 201, a data acquisition unit 202, a generation unit 203, an image synthesis unit 204, a report generation unit 205, a writing unit 206, a control unit 207, an input unit 208, an output unit 209, and a memory unit 210. The communication unit 201 is communicably connected to the gas detector 10 via the network NW, and transmits and receives various data. The data acquiring unit 202 acquires various data from the gas detector 10 via the communication unit 201. For example, the data acquiring unit 202 has a detection result acquiring unit 2021 and an image acquiring unit 2022. The detection result acquiring unit 2021 acquires a detection result that is a result of an inspection to detect gas flowing out from the inspection object W. The image acquiring unit 2022 acquires an image of the inspection object W captured by the imaging unit 104 of the gas detector 10 from the imaging unit 104.

[0019] The generating unit 203 determines, based on the detection result acquired by the data acquiring unit 202, whether or not the measurement value indicated by the detection result exceeds a reference range. Moreover, the generation unit 203 generates position data representing the position of the object W to be inspected. For example, the generation unit 203 generates position data by identifying the position of the object to be inspected of the inspection target W based on the image acquired by the data acquisition unit 202 .

[0020] The image synthesis unit 204 generates a detection result image by synthesizing a captured image showing the appearance of the inspection target W with an image showing a position corresponding to the position data and the detection result.

[0021] The report generating unit 205 generates report data by writing the detection result image and the conditions under which the inspection was performed in the corresponding items of the template data of the report. The template data of the report may be stored in the storage unit 210, and the report generating unit 205 may read the template data from the storage unit 210 to generate the report data. The conditions under which the inspection was performed may be, for example, at least one of the name of the object to be inspected, the lot number, the name of the inspector, the date and time of the inspection, and the like.

[0022] The writing unit 206 writes and stores the position data and the detection result in the storage unit 210. The writing unit 206 can also write the captured image, the composite image, and the like in the storage unit 210 together with the position data and the detection result.

[0023] The control unit 207 controls each unit of the terminal device 20 .

[0024] The input unit 208 accepts operational input from an inspector. The output unit 209 outputs various data. For example, the output unit 209 has a liquid crystal drive circuit and a liquid crystal display panel, and generates a drive signal from the liquid crystal drive circuit based on output data (e.g., image data) output from the control unit 207, and outputs the drive signal to the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel displays an image according to the image data by driving the elements of each pixel according to the drive signal output from the liquid crystal drive circuit. Here, the input unit 208 and the output unit 209 may be configured with a touch panel.

[0025] The storage unit 210 stores the position data and the detection results. The memory unit 210 is configured with a storage medium, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a random access read / write memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), or any combination of these storage media. The storage unit 210 may be, for example, a non-volatile memory.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the test data stored in the storage unit 210. As shown in FIG. The inspection data is data in which the inspection object, lot number, inspector, inspection date and time, inspection position, measurement value, judgment result, captured image, and composite image are associated with each other. The inspection object is data that can identify the inspection object, for example, the name of the inspection object. The lot number indicates the lot number of the inspection object. The inspector is the name of the person in charge of inspecting the inspection object. The inspection date and time indicates the date and time when the inspection was performed. The inspection position indicates the position of the inspection object among the inspection objects. The measurement value indicates the concentration of gas detected by the gas detector 10. The judgment result indicates whether the measurement value exceeds the standard range or not. If the measurement value exceeds the standard range, it indicates that there is a gas leak from the inspection object W with a concentration that exceeds the standard range. The captured image is image data captured at the time when gas is detected by the gas detector 10. The composite image is an image in which a mark based on the detection result is composited with the captured image.

[0027] In addition, the storage unit 210 can also store other data such as template data, reference ranges, etc. The reference ranges stored in the storage unit 210 may be the same as the reference ranges stored in the gas detector 10.

[0028] The network NW may be any of the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), etc., or a combination of these. The network NW may be any of wired and wireless, or a combination of these. Here, the gas detector 10 and the terminal device 20 may be connected by short-range wireless communication, as long as they can be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. The short-range wireless communication may be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0029] Next, FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the gas detector 10. When starting an inspection, an inspector inputs into gas detector 10 the name of any inspection object W, the lot number of the inspection object, and inspector identification information individually assigned to the inspector. This input is performed, for example, by touching a menu screen displayed on a touch panel provided on gas detector 10. Control unit 105 of gas detector 10 transmits the input name of inspection object W, the lot number, and inspector identification information to terminal device 20. The inspector touches the inspection start button on the touch panel, holds the gas detector 10 in one hand, and performs the inspection by bringing the gas detector 10 close to the inspection target W. At this time, the inspector holds the terminal device 20 in the other hand and can check the detection results displayed on the screen of the terminal device 20. This allows the inspector to check the detection results displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 20 while holding the nozzle 10a of the gas detector 10 against the inspection point. When the inspection start button is pressed, gas detector 10 starts suction by driving suction unit 102 (step S101). As a result, gas near the opening of gas detector 10 is sucked into the housing of gas detector 10. Gas detector 10 is brought close to inspection object W by an inspector, and then moved along the outer surface of inspection object W to measure gas.

[0030] The measuring unit 103 measures the aspirated gas (step S102) and obtains a measurement value. The imaging unit 104 images the imaging area (step S103). Here, an image is captured when the tip of the nozzle 10a of the gas detector 10 is brought close to the inspection target W and the gas is measured in step S102.

[0031] The control unit 105 transmits the detection result obtained from the measurement unit 103 and the captured image captured by the imaging unit 104 to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 101 (step S104). After transmitting the data in step S104, the control unit 105 determines whether or not to terminate the measurement (step S105). If an instruction to terminate the measurement is input from outside (e.g., the power-off button is pressed), the measurement is terminated (step S105-YES). If the measurement is not to be terminated (e.g., the power-off button is not pressed) (step S105-NO), the process proceeds to step S101.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 receives the name of the inspection object W, the lot number, and the inspector identification information transmitted from the gas detector 10 , and stores them in the memory unit 210 . Next, the data acquisition unit 202 of the terminal device 20 acquires the detection result and the captured image transmitted from the gas detector 10 in response to reception by the communication unit 201 (step S201). The generating unit 203 judges whether the measurement value indicated by the detection result exceeds the reference range based on the acquired detection result (step S202). The reference range may be stored in advance in the storage unit 210. The reference range may be a range indicated by either an upper limit value or a lower limit value, or may be a range indicated by an upper limit value and a lower limit value. The generating unit 203 reads out the value indicating the reference range stored in the storage unit 210, and if the measurement value exceeds the reference range (step S202-YES), identifies an image corresponding to the nozzle included in the captured image, identifies the position of the tip of the nozzle from the image of the identified nozzle, and identifies the position of the inspection object W indicated by the position of this tip as the position of the object that has been inspected. In this case, the identified position can be obtained as position data. In addition, since the inspection is performed by bringing the nozzle 10a into contact with or close to the inspection point when the inspection is performed using the gas detector 10, the position of the tip of the nozzle 10a can be regarded as the inspection position on the inspection object W.

[0033] Based on the position data generated by the generation unit 203, the image synthesis unit 204 generates a synthetic image by superimposing a mark on the position of the captured image indicated by the position data (step S203). Here, the image synthesis unit 204 may synthesize not only the mark but also other data. For example, in addition to synthesizing the mark, the image synthesis unit 204 may superimpose at least one of a character string representing a measurement value and a character string representing a determination result as to whether or not gas has leaked.

[0034] The report generating unit 205 generates report data by writing the composite image and the detection result in the corresponding items of the template data (step S204). The template data may be data in which areas for writing the composite image or the captured image and the conditions under which the inspection was performed are laid out. The report generating unit 205 reads the template data from the storage unit 210, and generates report data including the composite image, the inspection object, the lot number, the inspector, the inspection date and time, the measurement value, the inspection position, and the judgment result based on the template data.

[0035] Next, writing unit 206 stores the detection result and the position data in memory unit 210 in association with the name, lot number, and inspector identification information of inspection object W (step S205). Here, writing unit 206 may store report data generated by report generating unit 205, a determination result as to whether or not the measurement value exceeds the reference range, and inspection date and time, together with the detection result and the position data. Regarding the inspection date and time, writing unit 206 may use the date and time at which the detection result was received in step S201 as the inspection date and time, or gas detector 10 may include the inspection date and time in the detection result and transmit it to terminal device 20.

[0036] Here, the inspection position can be specified by analyzing the captured image when the inspection object W is measured by the gas detector 10, and the inspection position and the detection result are stored, so that the relationship between the inspection position and the inspection result at that position can be easily stored. Therefore, even if, for example, the inspection position of the inspection object W is at a position where the tip of the nozzle 10a can reach but is out of reach, and it is difficult to directly mark the inspection object W by hand, the inspected position (the position where the gas outflow is detected) can be recorded, and a mark represented by data can be accurately left at the inspected position (the position where the gas outflow is detected). Therefore, it is possible to avoid marking a position different from the position where the gas outflow is detected, and there is no need to directly mark the inspection object. In this way, the effort of storing the inspection position can be saved.

[0037] Next, control unit 207 determines whether or not the test has ended (step S206), and ends the process if the test has ended (step S206-YES), and transitions to step S201 if the test has not ended (step S206-NO). Regarding whether or not the test has ended, it may be determined that the test has ended when a signal indicating the end of the test is received from gas detector 10, or it may be determined that the test has ended when no detection result is received for a certain period of time or more.

[0038] On the other hand, in step S202, if the measurement value included in the detection result does not exceed the inspection range (step S202-NO), the writing unit 206 stores the detection result and the position data in the storage unit 210 (step S205). The writing unit 206 stores the detection result and the position data, and may also store at least one of the captured image and the composite image. Then, the control unit 207 transitions the process to step S206.

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, the gas detector 10 transmits both the detection result and the captured image to the terminal device 20. However, the control unit 105 of the gas detector 10 may be configured to determine whether or not the measurement value indicated by the detection result exceeds a reference range, transmit the captured image and the detection result when the measurement value exceeds the reference range, and transmit the detection result without transmitting the captured image when the measurement value does not exceed the reference range. In this case, the captured image is not transmitted when the measurement value does not exceed the reference range, so that the processing load on the gas detector 10 can be reduced, and the amount of communication between the gas detector 10 and the terminal device 20 can be reduced.

[0040] 6 is a diagram showing an example of report data displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 20. When the report data is to be output to the output unit 209, the control unit 207 accepts an operation input from the inspector, which specifies the report data to be displayed, from the input unit 208, reads out the specified report data from the storage unit 210, and outputs it to the output unit 209 as image data, so that the report data can be displayed on the display screen of the output unit 209.

[0041] The report data shown in this figure illustrates, as an example, a case in which a template is used in which a first display area R1 in which a composite image is displayed and a second area R2 in which detection results, etc. are displayed are arranged side by side. A composite image is displayed in the first display region R1. In the composite image, a mark Ma and a judgment result Ja are combined with a captured image G1 including an image of the inspection object W. In addition, an inspection point Te representing a part of the inspection object W to be inspected is also combined and displayed in this composite image. Here, the inspection point Te is a part of the inspection object W where two parts are connected, and a connection part along the circumferential direction is shown as the inspection point. Such an inspection point may be stored in advance in the storage unit 210, and the stored data may be read and used. In addition, the report generation unit 205 may analyze the captured image to determine the part where the parts are connected, and the inspection point Te may be specified based on the determination result. In addition, the report generation unit 205 may analyze the captured image to determine a part of the inspection object W where the tip of the nozzle is determined to be in contact with or close to the tip of the nozzle, as the inspection point Te.

[0042] The second display area R2 displays the inspection object, lot number, inspector, inspection date and time, measurement value, inspection position, and judgment result. The control unit 207 can read out the inspection data stored in the storage unit 210 and cause the output unit 209 to output the data on the inspection object, lot number, inspector, inspection date and time, measurement value, inspection position, and judgment result.

[0043] By displaying such report data on the display screen of the terminal device 20, the inspector and the manager who receives the report from the inspector can easily and intuitively grasp from the image the situation in the vicinity, including the position in the inspection object W where the gas leakage was found during the inspection. This allows the situation at the time the gas leakage was detected to be understood, along with information that allows the cause of the leakage (presence or absence of cracks, holes, etc.) and the effects of the leakage (such as contamination of the surrounding area by the leaked gas). In addition to the captured image, the measured values ​​can also be easily grasped. Furthermore, report data is generated that includes an image of the inspection object W captured when measurement is performed by the gas detector 10, thereby eliminating the need for the inspector to create the report himself / herself.

[0044] Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an inspection system SA in another embodiment. In the inspection system SA, a gas detector 10A and a terminal device 20A are communicably connected via a network NW. In this embodiment, the same functions as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Only the different functions will be described.

[0045] In gas detector 10A, attitude detection unit 106 detects the attitude of gas detector 10A. The attitude detected by attitude detection unit 106 is, for example, the position and orientation. Attitude detection unit 106 has a three-axis acceleration sensor and an orientation sensor. A three-axis acceleration sensor detects acceleration along two orthogonal horizontal axes (x-axis, y-axis) and a vertical axis (z-axis). A three-axis acceleration sensor detects acceleration along each of the three axes and outputs a detection result that indicates the detected acceleration. Here, the acceleration sensor outputs not only the acceleration but also the time when the acceleration was detected as a detection result. The orientation sensor detects the orientation of the gas detector 10A. A gyro sensor or a magnetic sensor may be used as the orientation sensor. The orientation sensor detects the orientation of the gas detector 10A and outputs a detection result indicating the detected orientation. Here, the orientation sensor outputs not only the orientation detection result but also the time when the orientation was detected as the detection result. The control unit 105A transmits the detection result that gas has been detected, the captured image, and the detection results detected by the attitude detection unit 106 (the detection results of the three-axis acceleration sensor and the detection results of the orientation sensor) to the terminal device 20A via the communication unit 101.

[0046] In the terminal device 20A, the data acquisition unit 202A includes a detection result acquisition unit 2021, an image acquisition unit 2022, and an attitude acquisition unit 2023. The attitude acquisition unit 2023 acquires the detection result of detecting the attitude of the detector that detects gas via the communication unit 201. The detection result includes the detection result of the three-axis acceleration sensor and the detection result of the orientation sensor.

[0047] The generating unit 203A determines whether or not the measurement value indicated by the detection result obtained by the data obtaining unit 202A exceeds a reference range, based on the detection result. Furthermore, the generation unit 203A specifies the position of the object to be inspected of the inspection target W based on the detection result of the orientation acquired by the orientation acquisition unit 2023, thereby generating position data. Furthermore, the generation unit 203A detects the orientation of the gas detector 10A when the measurement was performed, based on the detection result of the orientation sensor.

[0048] Next, Fig. 8 is a flow chart explaining the operation of gas detector 10A. An inspector presses an inspection start button while holding gas detector 10A at a predetermined start position in the vicinity of inspection object W. The start position is a predetermined position, and may be, for example, on a fixedly set platform in the vicinity of inspection object W. In addition, the relative positional relationship between the start position and inspection object W is known. When gas detector 10A detects that the inspection start button has been pressed (step S150), it starts suctioning gas (step S151). Attitude detection unit 106 detects acceleration along two orthogonal horizontal axes (x-axis, y-axis) and a vertical axis (z-axis) and detects the orientation of gas detector 10A to detect the attitude of gas detector 10A and obtain attitude data (step S152). Gas detector 10A is brought close to inspection object W by an inspector, and then moved along the outer surface of inspection object W to measure gas.

[0049] The measuring unit 103 measures the aspirated gas (step S153) and obtains a measurement value. The imaging unit 104 images the imaging area (step S154). Here, an image is captured at the time when the tip of the nozzle 10a of the gas detector 10A is brought close to the inspection target W and the gas is measured in step S153.

[0050] The control unit 105 transmits the detection result obtained from the measurement unit 103, the captured image captured by the imaging unit 104, and posture data indicating the detected posture to the terminal device 20A via the communication unit 101 (step S155). After transmitting the data in step S155, the control unit 105 determines whether or not to end the measurement (step S156). If an instruction to end the measurement is input from outside (e.g., the power-off button is pressed), the measurement is ended (step S156-YES). If the measurement is not to be ended (e.g., the power-off button is not pressed) (step S156-NO), the process proceeds to step S152.

[0051] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the terminal device 20A. Terminal device 20A receives the name of inspection object W, the lot number, and the inspector identification information transmitted from gas detector 10A, and stores them in storage unit 210. Next, the data acquisition unit 202A of the terminal device 20A acquires the detection result, the captured image, and the attitude data transmitted from the gas detector 10A in response to reception by the communication unit 201 (step S251). When the attitude data is obtained, the generating unit 203A generates position data based on the attitude data (step S252). The generating unit 203A identifies the position of the gas detector 10A based on the time series history of acceleration measurement for each axis of the three-axis acceleration sensor among the attitude data. Here, when the gas detector 10A starts an inspection, the gas detector 10A is moved to a predetermined start position, and when the measurement start button is input by an inspector, the relative position based on the start position is identified based on the history of the detection results of the acceleration sensor from the time the measurement start button was pressed. For example, the detection results of the acceleration of the three axes are integrated for each axis to obtain the movement distance for each of the three axes. Here, the detection results of the acceleration of the three axes include the measurement time, so that the movement history along the time for each axis can be obtained, and the position of the gas detector 10A based on the start position can be obtained based on the movement history for each of the three axes.

[0052] Furthermore, the generation unit 203A detects the orientation of the gas detector 10A when the measurement was performed, based on the detection result of the orientation sensor. The generating unit 203A identifies the position of the tip of the nozzle 10a based on the position identified based on the detection result of the acceleration and the orientation identified based on the detection result of the orientation sensor. Here, since the nozzle 10a is fixedly attached to the gas detector 10A, the position of the nozzle 10a based on the gas detector 10A can be determined by storing in advance the relative position between the position of the gas detector 10A and the tip of the nozzle 10a. Furthermore, when the orientation of the gas detector 10A changes, the position of the tip of the nozzle 10a also changes. The generating unit 203A identifies the position of the gas detector 10A based on the detection result of the acceleration, and then determines the relative position of the nozzle 10a with respect to the gas detector 10A according to the orientation identified based on the detection result of the orientation sensor, thereby identifying the position of the nozzle 10a as the inspection position and obtaining position data representing the position of the tip of the nozzle 10a.

[0053] Here, the generation unit 203A may identify the inspection position based on the posture detection result, or may identify the position using both the posture detection result and the result of identifying the position of the nozzle 10a included in the captured image.

[0054] In this way, when the inspection position is identified based on the attitude of gas detector 10A, it is possible to identify the inspection position by a method different from the method of estimating the inspection position based on an image. For example, when imaging is prohibited in an area where the inspection target W exists, it is possible to identify the inspection position even if lighting is unavailable and the surroundings are dark. Furthermore, when the inspection position is identified based on the attitude of gas detector 10A, it is possible to identify the inspection position even if gas detector 10A is not equipped with imaging unit 104. That is, the gas detector may be provided with attitude detection unit 106 and not with imaging unit 104. In this case, terminal device 20 may not be provided with image acquisition unit 2022.

[0055] The generating unit 203A determines whether or not the measurement value indicated by the acquired detection result exceeds the reference range based on the acquired detection result (step S253). If the measurement value exceeds the reference range (step S253-YES), the generating unit 203A outputs an instruction to the image synthesis unit 204 to perform image synthesis.

[0056] When the image synthesis unit 204 receives an image synthesis instruction from the generation unit 203A, it generates a synthetic image by superimposing a mark on the position of the captured image indicated by the position data based on the generated position data (step S254). Here, the image synthesis unit 204 may synthesize other data in addition to synthesizing a mark. For example, the image synthesis unit 204 may superimpose at least one of a character string representing a measurement value and a character string representing a determination result as to whether or not gas has leaked, in addition to synthesizing a mark.

[0057] The report generating unit 205 generates report data by writing the composite image and the detection result into the corresponding items of the template data (step S255). The report generating unit 205 reads the template data from the storage unit 210, and generates report data including the composite image, the inspection object, the lot number, the inspector, the inspection date and time, the measurement value, the inspection position, and the judgment result based on the template data.

[0058] Next, the writing unit 206 stores the detection result and the position data in the storage unit 210 in association with the name of the inspection object W, the lot number, and the inspector identification information (step S256).

[0059] Here, the inspection position can be identified by analyzing the posture data detected by the posture detection unit 106, and the inspection position and the detection result are stored, so that the relationship between the inspection position and the inspection result at that position can be easily stored.

[0060] Next, the control unit 207 determines whether or not the examination has ended (step S257), and if the examination has ended (step S257-YES), ends the process, and if the examination has not ended (step S257-NO), transitions to step S251.

[0061] On the other hand, in step S253, if the measurement value included in the detection result does not exceed the inspection range (step S253-NO), writing unit 206 stores the detection result and the position data in storage unit 210 (step S256). Then, control unit 207 transitions the process to step S257.

[0062] According to the second embodiment described above, an inspector moves gas detector 10A randomly while imagining placing it on an inspection location, and by synthesizing the history of the position and attitude of gas detector 10A at that time, it is possible to obtain position data that specifies which location on inspection object W was being inspected. Then, the position data and the detection results can be stored in association with each other. This makes it possible to easily store the position data and the detection results even when it is difficult to directly visually confirm the inspection location or when it is difficult to mark inspection object W with a mark indicating the inspection location.

[0063] In the first and second embodiments described above, depending on the shape of the inspection object, there are some inspection points that must be inspected by wrapping the gas detector 10 (10A) around from the bottom of the inspection object and then inserting the nozzle 10a of the gas detector 10 (10A) from above. When inspecting such complicated points, it may not be possible to directly visually confirm the inspection point, and it may be difficult to apply the gas detector to the inspection point. When inspecting such inspection points that are difficult for inspectors to inspect, the burden on the inspectors is large. In this case, during the inspection, an image captured by the gas detector 10 (10A) may be displayed in real time on the display screen of the terminal device 20 (20A).

[0064] Here, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 20 (20A). As shown in this figure, the display screen displays the state in which the nozzle 10a of the gas detector 10 (10A) is brought close to the inspection target W. In addition, here, the inspection point Te and the judgment result Ja judged based on the measurement value measured by the measurement unit 103 may be displayed superimposed on the captured image. This allows the gas detector 10 (10A) to be moved while watching the display screen of the terminal device 20 (20A) so that the tip of the nozzle 10a of the gas detector 10 (10A) reaches the inspection point. Therefore, even when inspecting a complicated area where the inspection point cannot be directly seen, the position of the gas detector 10 (10A) can be changed so that the nozzle is applied to the inspection point while checking the relationship between the inspection point and the position of the nozzle on the display screen, so that it is possible to grasp which position is being inspected. In addition, since the inspection location and the nozzle position can be confirmed by the captured image, it is possible to easily grasp whether the target inspection location has been inspected or not, and the position and attitude of the gas detector 10 (10A) can be changed so that the tip of the nozzle reaches the target inspection location. Therefore, even if the inspection location cannot be directly seen, the inspection can be easily performed, and the burden on the inspector can be reduced.

[0065] In the above-described second embodiment, the gas detector 10A includes the imaging unit 104, but the imaging unit 104 may not be provided. In this case, the terminal device 20A cannot obtain an image from the gas detector 10A, and therefore cannot generate a composite image using the image. In this case, the storage unit 210 may store model data indicating a three-dimensional model of the inspection object W, and the image synthesis unit 204 may generate a composite image using this model data. For example, the image synthesis unit 204 sets the position of the viewpoint with respect to the model data to a position including the position indicated by the position data specified by the generation unit 203A, and generates a two-dimensional image when the inspection position of the inspection object W is viewed. Then, the image synthesis unit 204 may generate a composite image by superimposing a mark indicating a position corresponding to the inspection position and the detection result on the generated two-dimensional image. This allows a composite image to be generated even when there is no image.

[0066] In the first and second embodiments described above, the case has been described in which the generation unit 203 (203A), the image synthesis unit 204, the report generation unit 205, the writing unit 206, and the storage unit 210 are provided in the terminal device 20 (20A). However, the generation unit 203 or 203A may be provided in the gas detector 10. Also, either one of the generation unit 203 and the generation unit 203A, the image synthesis unit 204, and the report generation unit 205 may be provided in the gas detector 10. Also, either one of the generation unit 203 and the generation unit 203A, the image synthesis unit 204, the report generation unit 205, the writing unit 206, and the storage unit 210 may be provided in the gas detector 10. Also, either one of the generation unit 203 and the generation unit 203A, the writing unit 206, and the storage unit 210 may be provided in the gas detector 10. When the generating unit 203 or 203A is provided in the gas detector 10, the communication unit 101 may transmit the position data and the detection result generated by the generating unit 203 or 203A to an external device. The external device to which the communication unit 101 transmits may be, for example, either the terminal device 20 or the terminal device 20A.

[0067] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the position data is generated based on the captured image or posture data. However, the inspection position may be identified based on the elapsed time from the start of the inspection or the characteristics of the captured image of the inspection target W, and the position data may be generated. Generating position data based on the elapsed time from the start of testing is effective for a testing method in which gas detector 10 is moved along a predetermined testing path at a predetermined speed from the start of testing to the end of testing along one line, and detection results are obtained for each elapsed time from the start of testing. When testing along such a line, the position of gas detector 10 according to the elapsed time can be identified, and therefore the testing position can be found based on the elapsed time.

[0068] In addition, when the inspection position is specified from the characteristics of the captured image of the inspection object W and the position data is generated, the external image of the inspection object W obtained when the inspection object W is inspected by the gas detector 10 and the data associated with the position data obtained at that time are used as teacher data, and the learning device is made to learn the relationship between the external image (captured image) and the position data, thereby generating a trained model. This trained model learns the relationship between the captured image and the position data so that the captured image can be input and the position data corresponding to the captured image can be output. The trained model may be stored in either the gas detector 10 or the terminal device 20, but is stored in the terminal device 20, for example. Then, when a new inspection object W is to be inspected, the captured image captured by the gas detector 10 is input to the trained model of the terminal device 20. The generation unit of the terminal device 20 obtains the position data by inputting the captured image to the trained model. When generating position data using a trained model, it is effective when a gas detector 10 of the same model as the gas detector 10 used to generate the training data is used to inspect another inspection object W having the same shape as the inspection object W imaged to generate the training data.

[0069] Furthermore, the communication unit 101, measurement unit 103, imaging unit 104, control unit 105, control unit 105A, attitude detection unit 106 of the above-mentioned gas detector 10 (10A), and the data acquisition unit 202, generation unit 203, image synthesis unit 204, report generation unit 205, writing unit 206, control unit 207, input unit 208, and output unit 209 of the terminal device 20 may be composed of a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a dedicated electronic circuit.

[0070] The gas detector 10 (10A) and the terminal device 20 (20A) in the above-mentioned embodiment may be realized by a computer. In that case, a program for realizing the function may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded in the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to realize the function. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. The term "computer-readable recording medium" may also include a medium that dynamically holds a program for a short period of time, such as a communication line when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, and a medium that holds a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory inside a computer system that is a server or client in that case. The above-mentioned program may be a program for realizing a part of the above-mentioned function, or may be a program that can realize the above-mentioned function in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or may be a program that is realized using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0071] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and designs that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10, 10A... gas detector, 10a... nozzle, 20, 20A... terminal device, 101... communication unit, 102... suction unit, 103... measurement unit, 104... imaging unit, 105, 105A... control unit, 106... attitude detection unit, 201... communication unit, 202, 202A... data acquisition unit, 203, 203A... generation unit, 204... image synthesis unit, 205... report generation unit, 206... writing unit, 207... control unit, 208... input unit, 209... output unit, 210... memory unit, 2021... detection result acquisition unit, 2022... image acquisition unit, 2023... attitude acquisition unit, W... inspection object, S, SA... inspection system

Claims

1. A generation unit generates position data representing a position of an object to be inspected for an inspection object; A detection result acquisition unit acquires a detection result which is a result of an inspection for detecting gas flowing out from the inspection object, A storage unit stores the position data and the detection result. Testing method.

2. an image acquisition unit acquires an image from an imaging unit that images the inspection object; The generating unit generates the position data by identifying a position of the object to be inspected based on the acquired image. The inspection method according to claim 1 .

3. an attitude acquisition unit acquires a detection result of detecting an attitude of the detector that detects the gas; The generating unit generates the position data by identifying a position of the object to be inspected based on the acquired posture detection result. The inspection method according to claim 1 .

4. An image synthesis unit generates a detection result image by synthesizing an image representing the appearance of the inspection object with an image representing the position according to the position data and the detection result. The inspection method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A report generating unit generates report data by writing the detection result image and the conditions under which the inspection was performed into corresponding items of template data for a report. The inspection method according to claim 4.

6. a generating unit for generating position data representing a position of an object to be inspected on an inspection object; a detection result acquisition unit that acquires a detection result obtained by performing an inspection to detect gas flowing out from the inspection object; a storage unit that stores the position data and the detection result; An inspection system having

7. A measurement unit that obtains a detection result that is a result of performing an inspection to detect gas flowing out from an inspection object; a generating unit for generating position data representing a position of an object to be inspected for the inspection object; a communication unit that transmits the detection result and the position data to an external device; A gas detector having the following:

8. a generating unit for generating position data representing a position of an object to be inspected on an inspection object; a detection result acquisition unit that acquires a detection result obtained by performing an inspection to detect gas flowing out from the inspection object; a storage unit that stores the position data and the detection result; A terminal device having the above configuration.

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