Leak Source Specification via Pixel Movement Tracing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for detecting leak sources of fluids, such as gases, are not efficient in specifying the exact location of leaks within images, leading to difficulties in repair.
Innovation Solution
A leak source specification assistance device and method that uses image processing to determine movement source pixels within an image of a leaking fluid region, tracing these pixels to identify the final movement source pixel, which indicates the leak location, by analyzing movement vectors and excluding improper candidates outside the fluid region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If image processing is performed to detect leaking fluid regions, then the detection capability of leak sources is improved, but the precision in specifying the exact leak location deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the leaking fluid region into multiple pixels and traces the movement source of each pixel independently. By dividing the detection task into pixel-level segments and tracing each pixel's movement source back to the leak origin, the system achieves both comprehensive detection coverage and precise leak location specification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension by analyzing pixel movement across multiple time points. Instead of only spatial analysis, the system traces pixel movement sources through time, adding a temporal dimension to the detection process. This enables precise localization by tracking how fluid pixels move from the leak source outward over time.
2Measurement precision
If pixel movement tracing is performed for all pixels in the image, then the accuracy of leak source specification is improved, but the processing time and computational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by focusing computational resources on pixels within the detected leaking fluid region rather than all pixels in the entire image. The movement source tracing is selectively performed only on fluid pixels, concentrating processing power where it is most needed while ignoring background and non-fluid areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary detection of the leaking fluid region before performing movement source tracing. By first identifying which pixels constitute the leaking fluid region, the system prepares the data structure and selects only relevant pixels for the computationally intensive tracing operation, reducing overall processing time.
Data Source
AI summary
A leak source specification assistance device includes a processing unit that performs processing, based on a movement of a first pixel that is one of pixels constituting an image including a leaking fluid region (gas region), to determine a second pixel that is one of the pixels constituting the image and is a movement source pixel of the first pixel, and repeats the processing with the second pixel newly set as the first pixel to determine a final movement source pixel. The processing unit repeats the processing on each of a plurality of the pixels constituting the image to determine the final movement source pixel for each of the plurality of pixels.