GB2083324A - Data display system - Google Patents

Abstract

A display system capable of providing a pictorial representation of information derived from nonvideo type sensors. A ring-like array of sensors 10 are arranged internally of e.g. a pipe 11 and can move axially. The readings obtained from the sensors via a selector 18 and multiplexer 12 may be updated as they move along the pipe and those readings are manipulated by controlling the frame store 14 addressing so that each array reading is converted into a format equivalent to lines of video information and on inserting T.V. synchronising information allows the data to be displayed on a monitor 17 as if it were video information. Modification of the addressing by a line modifier 29 causes the information to move down the screen to simulate the movement of the sensors through the pipe, whereby a moving planar image is obtained from the ring like array of sensors. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Data display device The invention relates to a data display system suitable for providing a visual display of data from non-video type sensors such as temperature sensors for example.

In data logging systems it is known to provide a plurality of sensors (e.g. temperature or strain gauges) and provide an indication of the electrical outputs of these sensors by means of a multichannel chart recorder for example, so as to provide a number of traces each for a respective sensor output.

The present invention is concerned with using data from such sensors and providing a visual 'picture' of the data, the intensity for example of various portions of the picture being dependent on the electrical output of the respective sensors.

According to the invention there is provided a data display system comprising an array of sensors each for providing physical parameter data, selector means for selectively obtaining a reading of the parameter data provided by each of said sensors in the array, storage means for storing incoming data and having a storage capacity equivalent to at least one television field; display means for receiving information derived from the output of said storage means, control means for controlling the storage and retrieval of the sensor derived data into and from respective locations within the storage means such that on read out from the store the data is in a format equivalent to lines of video information, and processing means for providing television synchronising signals to accompany said data to allow the data to be displayed on said display means as if it were video information.

Further according to the invention there is provided a data display system for measurements derived from a pipe or other generally cylindrical object comprising an array of sensors adapted to extend radially adjacent the periphery of said object each for providing physical parameter data from said object, selector means for selectively obtaining a reading of the parameter data provided by each of said sensors in the array, storage means for storing incoming data updated as the axial position of the sensors change relative to the object, said storage means having a storage capacity equivalent to at least one television field, display means for receiving information derived from the output of said storage means, control means for controlling the storage and retrieval of the sensor derived data into and from respective locations within the storage means such that on read out from the store the data is in a format equivalent to lines of video information, and processing means for providing television synchronising signals to accompany said data to allow the data to be displayed on said display means as if it were video information, so as to provide a planar image derived from the parameter data measured as the axial position of the sensors change relative to the object.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 shows an alternative system to that of Fig. 1, Figure 3 shows a computer controlled system, Figure 4 shows a visual contouring mechanism, Figure 5 shows a colour generation arrangement, Figure 6 shows a combined display arrangement, and Figure 7 shows dual sensor parameter processing.

The Fig. 1 arrangement shows a plurality of sensors 10 each for providing an electrical output dependent on the physical parameter to be measured. These sensors 10 are shown by way of example mounted within the bore of a pipe 11 and for the reasons discussed below are moveable together axially along the pipe, without rotary movement.

Such sensors could be for example in the form of temperature sensors with a voltage output indicative of the temperature measured at the location of that particular sensor. Alternatively the sensors 10 could be magnetic sensors for detecting the thickness of the pipe at the various locations around the pipe.

The analogue voltages from the sensors 10 are converted by digital converter 1 3 having first been multiplexed by multiplexer 12. The digital data derived from each sensor is stored in the video frame store. The information is written into the store at a rate compatible with the incoming data. The data is made available for read out and is passed via processor 1 5 which converts the data into analogue form and adds syncs as required before receipt by display 1 7. The frame store typically would have the capacity to store 512 X 512 picture points.

It is clear that the information as shown provided on display 1 7 has been manipulated during its passage through the system and this operation will now be explained in more detail. The information required is not capable of being available from normal video sources, so the present system is provided to provide a 'picture' which is a simulation derived from information obtained from the sensors and if the sensors are moved along the inside of the pipe the display device provides an 'unfolded' image of the data measured on the internal face of the pipe 11, as if the pipe had been converted into a flat sheet. The output levels from the sensors are used to provide the picture intensity values.

A clock generator 20 provides clock pulses for controlling the sensor selector 1 8 and analogue to digital converter (ADC) 1 3. The clock generator 20 is in this embodiment synchronised with clock generator 21 dealing with the read side of the system. The sensor selector 1 8 (e.g. a preset counter) controls the multiplexer 1 2 to determine which one of the inputs from the sensors 10 is passed to the ADC 1 3. The generator 20 at the same time is producing pulses for the counters 23 and 24 which define the line and picture point address for writing the data at any particular moment.Dependent on the number of sensors used, the selector 1 8 will cause information from a particular sensor to be passed to the frame store to be stored in one or more locations therein. Thus a hundred sensors could each have their information stored in five sequential locations in the store in this manner. In this manner the ring like configuration of sensors has been transformed into a T.V. line of data which can be displayed on the monitor 1 7. Typically the information is inserted into the frame store during the T.V.

field blanking interval. The incoming data rate from the sensors will be appreciably slower than the output which will be provided at normal video rates. After all the sensor outputs have been stored at the rate determined by the clock generator 20, the sensors will again be multiplexed and the outputs stored in locations associated with the next T.V. line.

In this way, after each frame a further reading from each sensor is stored in the frame sensor until a whole frame of information is available for display. Thus if the sensors are magnetic sensors detecting the thickness of the metal pipe which pipe is heavily pitted then the thickness information provided after manipulation is displayed as a picture somewhat like a 'lunar landscape'. Because of the accommodative powers of the human eye, the separate sensor values will blend together to form the overall picture.

By a further manipulating step now described the information is made to move down the screen so that a constant update of data is available. Instead of the picture point counter 26 and line counter 27 controlled by clock generator 21 being both used directly to define the read address, the output of line counter 27 is received by line modifier 29 (e.g. a digital subtractor) which is itself controlled by the output of frame counter 28.

Thus the modifier subtracts the line number from the frame number line by line and the output is used as the line address for the frame store read cycle. When the first line of information is read out from the store, after the first frame the system operates in the normal way, however after the next frame because of the frame count the address is modified so that the first line read out is in fact the second line. This modification will change each frame so that the data will move down the screen. Thus if the sensor array is moved through the pipe, the display movement will simulate the movement of the sensors through the pipe.

In the situation where one readout is inserted each frame, the picture will scroll at a rate of approximately one picture every ten seconds. Thus as shown on display 17, after 4 frames the first readout from the sensors is located 4 lines down the screen and the further readout from the sensors is provided at the top of the screen.

If two sets of sensors, to increase resolution, were provided adjacent each other, each being written in to the store as respective lines, the system could be modified to cause scrolling to increase to two lines per frame.

Alternatively information from a single set could be extended to be stored in the store as two or more lines of information.

In Fig. 2 a modified configuration is shown.

Data from the sensors are stored on tape recorder 9 prior to receipt by the frame store 1 4. A movement sensor 6 associated with the array of sensors 10 controls the clock generator 7 so that the reading rate of the sensors is determined by the speed of their travel along the pipe. In order to identify which sensor is being read at any one time, an identification code generator 8 is provided to give an identification code to accompany the digital data derived from the sensors 10 via the multiplexer 1 2 and ADC 1 3. Recording of the data on the tape allows processing to be effected at some convenient time in the laboratory for example.On playback the data together with the identification coding specifying which sensor that portion of data is from is output to the frame store 14 and clock generator 20 respectively. In this arrangement the generator 20 is thus synchronised to the output of the tape recorder so that writing in of the data to the store 1 4 can be effected at the appropriate times for the various sensor readings.

The read side of the frame store will operate as in the Fig. 1 arrangement although clock generator 21 can be tied to local syncs in which case this will operate asynchronously to the write side of the store.

As the sensors are arranged to be moved along the object to be measured then the screen will display a moving picture of the sensors travel.

Using a frame store of the type disclosed in U.S. patent 4,183,058 allows asynchronous operation. Thus data is written in at a relatively slow rate from the tape output derived from the sensors and is continuously read out at video rate to allow normal T.V. display whilst preventing clash conditions between the writing and reading operations.

In the expanded system of Fig. 3 an arrangement is shown which includes a com puter 30 (e.g. PDP1 1) for assembling the data and other processing steps. The interfacing of a computer to a frame store is described in U.S. patent 4,148,070.

In the present expanded system previously recorded data is made available from tape replay recorder 25 under the operation of control 26 when instructed by computer 30 and the sensor data together with identifying address data is received by the computer 30 for assembling in a suitable format for receipt by frame store 14. Alternatively the system could be organised so that sensor data was received on a time basis so that during a particular time window a particular sensor is identified. Operator access to the computer is typically by keyboard 31 or magnetic pallet 32. The data previously written into the frame store is continously read out from this store for display one monitor 1 7 via processor 1 5.

A T.V. sync generator 33 is shown for providing the synchronising signals for inclusion with the sensor data. Pictures so generated can be also stored on a large capacity store, e.g. disc or VCR store 35. A hard copy facility is also shown using printer 36. As the system allows the computer to define a location for which data from a particular sensor is to be stored it is possible to arrange the data to be displayed in a different sequence to that received or to choose only a portion of the picture to be displayed at full frame together with picture travel or other facilities examples of which are now discussed.

Instead of the data being used from each sensor to provise visual intensities for the display the data can be manipulated to provide pictorial contours of the data. As shown in Fig. 4 the sensor data is compared with a threshold level in detector 40 and the output is high or low dependent on whether the data threshold is exceeded. Such thresholding can be effected before storage in the frame store and each sensor output can be handled in turn. Although the threshold detector is shown as a separate block, this facility could be provided by computer 30 under suitable software control. An extension to this arrangement is shown in Fig. 5 in which various threshold levels are used for detector 40 and in dependence on the logic outputs received by colour generator 42 one of a plurality of colours is read out.The generator can typically comprise a look up table with outputs indicative of a number of desired colours and dependent on the logic output of the thresholding step will access one of these.

Alternatively the magnetic pallet 32 of Fig.

3 allows this colouring process to be conducted by hand, having first selected picture freeze.

In a further variation shown in Fig. 6, an alpha-numeric generator 50 is provided for providing parameter information for display as alpha numeric data on the monitor screen accompanying the sensor data. Thus time data can be displayed or position data relevant to the sensor data which is displayed on an adjacent portion of the screen. Such a generator can comprise part of the computer system 30 if desired. As the picture data is moving down the screen the alpha numeric data would also be scrolled due to the storage arrangement within frame store 14. With such a system it would be possible, by manipulating the frame store addressing under computer control, to superimpose alpha numeric data on the actual visual feature within the pictorial sensor display. Any data so displayed is available for output from the frame store for retention in store 35.

In the Fig. 7 arrangement, two sets of sensors 1 or, 1 OB are shown which sets would typically be arranged to be very close to one another such that one set would give a temperature read out for example whilst the other gave a thickness or pressure read out for example. Thus after assembling via the processor (typically computer 30) the data is stored in the frame store 1 4 and on display the two sets of data can be provided side by side so that corresponding portions of the sensed item can be 'seen' simultaneously in the context of each parameter. If scrolled, the two parameters are scrolled together. The arrangement need not be limited to two parameters and the computer can vary the frame store addressing as required.

Although the sensors have been discussed generally as comprising a circular array, they can be arranged in other configurations and by manipulating the frame store addressing, the sensor data can be displayed as a linear array. The array can be provided internally or externally of the object measured dependent on requirements.

Although the picture movement described so far has been concerned with readouts updated to cause movement down the screen it would be possible by effecting reversal of the addressing updating to scroll up the screen (or alternatively with other modifications to scroll from left to right or vice versa) or even a combination of both to give the desired movement parameters.

The picture movement can be increased by inserting the equivalent of more than one line at a time but at a rate above one picture per second the eye has difficulty in tracking the image.

The system described allows data within the frame store to be accessed during the blanking interval so that the computer can if required effect mathematical functions on this data. Thus for example if the sensor data was magnetic data representative of magnetic flux for a metal object then the computer with suitable software could convert this into depth or thickness data even if the conversion was of a non-linear relationship.

In general the picture will be continuously updated although picture freeze can be selected if desired.

Whilst the system has generally been discussed as using a frame store, a single field store could be used on the repeat field mode with reduced resolution.

Claims (13)

1. A data display system comprising: an array of sensors each for providing physical parameter data; selector means for selectively obtaining a reading of the parameter data provided by each of said sensors in the array; storage means for storing incoming data and having a storage capacity equivalent to at least one television field; display means for receiving information derived from the output of said storage means; control means for controlling the storage and retrieval of the sensor derived data into and from respective locations within the storage means such that on read out from the store the data is in a format equivalent to lines of video information; and processing means for providing television synchronising signals to accompany said data to allow the data to be displayed on said display means as if it were video information.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means includes an address mechanism for assembling subsequent readings from the same sensors for display as if sequential lines of video information.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the address mechanism includes a modifier adapted to produce a shift in displayed information relative to its earlier displayed position.

4. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the array is movable and a movement detector is provided for controlling the rate of updating the readings of the sensors dependent on the rate of movement of the sensor array.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the array is adapted to be inserted into a pipe, whereby the sensors are axially moveable relative to the pipe adjacent to the linear periphery thereof.

6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control means includes a computer for manipulating the data.

7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein means are provided for assigning specific brightness levels to the parameter data.

8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein means are provided for assigning specific colour levels to the parameter data.

9. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein generator means are provided for generating sensor identification data for accompanying the displayed parameter data.

10. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an intermediate store is provided for receiving the sensor data prior to receipt by the storage means.

11. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein copying means are provided for copying the data received by the display means.

1 2. A data display system for measurements derived from a pipe or other generally cylindrical object comprising: an array of sensors adapted to extend radially, adjacent the periphery of said object, each for providing physical parameter data from said object; selector means for selectively obtaining a reading of the parameter data provided by each of said sensors in the array; storage means for storing incoming data updated as the axial position of the sensors change relative to the object, said storage means having a storage capacity equivalent to at least one television field; display means for receiving information derived from the output of said storage means;; control means for controlling the storage and retrieval of the sensor derived data into and from respective locations within the storage means such that on read out from the store the data is in a format equivalent to lines of video information; and processing means for providing television synchronising signals to accompany said data to allow the data to be displayed on said display means as if it were video information, so as to provide a planar image derived from the parameter data measured as the axial position of the sensors change relative to the object.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control means includes a modifier adapted to cause the whole planar image to move on the screen to simulate the relative axial movement of the sensors.

1 4. A data display system substantially as described herein and as illustrated by any of the examples in the accompanying drawings.