US Patent 7714740 Automatic monitoring of analog gauges

A digital monitoring device for monitoring an analog gauge including a pointer, the digital monitoring device comprising: a pixilated optical sensor array for mounting over the analog gauge to generate a digital signal corresponding to movement of the pointer; an image processing means for reading the pointer of the analog gauge from the electrical signals from the pixilated array, and an alert output for outputting an alert corresponding to pointer exceeding acceptable boundaries.