Method and system for determining rotational speed by means of video camera

1. A method for determining a rotational speed of a rotatably mounted component of a machine, wherein

image data of a marked region of the machine component are obtained in the form of a plurality of frames by means of a video camera;

the image data are evaluated in order to determine the periodicity of the rotation of the machine component from the change over time of the image data of the marked region in the frames of the machine component, so as to determine the rotational speed of the machine component,

wherein the video camera is configured by selecting from the total number of pixels of the video camera an active region for obtaining the image data, in which an observation area is imaged, which is passed through by the marked region during the rotation of the machine component, wherein the active region comprises only a portion of the total number of pixels of the video camera, in order to increase the frame rate correspondingly, and

wherein the observation area that is imaged by the video camera is shorter than the marked region along the axis of rotation of the machine component.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that the active region comprises between 0.000004% and 18% of the total number of pixels of the camera.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that the active region comprises between 1 and 65,536 pixels, wherein the active region preferably comprises between 1 and 256 rows and between 1 and 256 columns.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that, in the evaluation, a total intensity of the pixels of the active region is determined.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further characterized in that, in the evaluation, the total intensity of the pixels of the active region is compared with a threshold value, in order to detect the entry of the marked region into the observation area.

6. The method according to claim 4 , further characterized in that, in the determination of the rotational speed, the total intensity of the pixels of the active region is evaluated as a function of time.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further characterized in that the total intensity of the pixels of the active region is evaluated in a phase-accurate manner as a function of time, for the purpose of “tracking order”.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that in the evaluation, an autocorrelation of the pixels of the active region is determined.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that, in the evaluation, the position of the same characteristic structure is identified in each frame.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that a portion of the pixels found in the active region is skipped over, in order to increase the covering of the image with the given number of pixels.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that the camera can be configured with respect to the size and/or the position of the active region on the detector surface of the camera during an ongoing rotational speed determination.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that the camera records the machine component from a direction that is essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the machine component, or that is essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of the machine component.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that the camera is used in order to also show regions of the machine component outside the marked region, wherein pixels are also read out outside the active region selected for the rotational speed determination.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an observed area of the machine component that is imaged by the active region is smaller than an area of the marked region of the machine component.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the marked region comprises a reflectance mark.

16. A system for determining a rotational speed of a rotatably mounted component of a machine, comprising

a video camera for obtaining image data of a marked region of the machine component in the form of a plurality of frames,

a data processing unit for evaluating the image data in order to determine the periodicity of the rotation of the machine component from the change over time of the image data of the marked region in the frames of the machine component, so as to determine the rotational speed of the machine component, as well as an output unit for output of the rotational speed of the machine component,

wherein the video camera is configured by selecting an active region for obtaining the image data from the total number of pixels of the video camera, in which an observation area is imaged, which is then passed through by the marked region during the rotation of the machine component, wherein the active region comprises only a portion of the total number of pixels of the video camera, in order to increase the frame rate correspondingly, and

wherein the observation area that is imaged by the video camera is shorter than the marked region in at least one dimension.

17. The system according to claim 16 , further characterized in that, in the evaluation, the position of the same characteristic structure is identified in each frame.

18. The system according to claim 16 , wherein an observed area of the machine component that is imaged by the active region is smaller than an area of the marked region of the machine component.

19. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the marked region comprises a reflectance mark.