Remote surveillance sensor apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for collecting data from a surrounding environment into which it is introduced, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing configured to be introduced into an environment, the housing being shaped so as to provide for continued traversal of the environment subsequent to contacting a surface or object in the environment;
a plurality of image sensors positioned relative to one another about the housing and configured to collectively and simultaneously capture image data of the surrounding environment in substantially all directions about the housing during and after traversal of the environment;
an inertial measurement unit configured to provide information about at least one of an orientation, an acceleration, and a direction of travel of the apparatus;
a processing unit in electrical connection with each of the plurality of image sensors and the inertial measurement unit, the processing unit configured to;
simultaneously receive the image data collected by the plurality of image sensors,receive the information from the inertial measurement unit, andprocess the simultaneously received image data and the information from the inertial measurement unit to;
determine a position of each of the plurality of image sensors relative to the environment at a time when each of the plurality of image sensors generates the received image data based on the information about the at least one of the orientation, the acceleration, and the direction of travel of the apparatus,according to the determined positions of each of the plurality of image sensors, arrange the received image data from each one of the plurality of image sensors so that the received image data is consistently aligned relative to the environment regardless of movement of the housing due to the continued traversal, andgenerate pre-processed image data that collectively provides an image of substantially all directions about the housing according to the arranging; and
a transceiver configured to transmit the pre-processed image data to a remote location.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a surveillance system including a remote sensor apparatus and a portable receiver, a method is provided for collecting and processing data related to a surrounding environment of the remote sensor apparatus including image data for a scene external to the housing of the apparatus. The method includes receiving, at the processing unit, raw image data simultaneously from a plurality of image sensors as the raw image data is being captured by the plurality of image sensors. One or more light sources are placed around a wide-angle lens fitted to each of the image sensor. Infrared or near-infrared light emanating from the plurality of light sources is used in a dark environment. The method also includes processing, at the processing unit, the simultaneously received raw image data to generate pre-processed image data. The method further includes transmitting the pre-processed image data to the portable receiver using the wireless transceiver.
19 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for collecting data from a surrounding environment into which it is introduced, the apparatus comprising:
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a housing configured to be introduced into an environment, the housing being shaped so as to provide for continued traversal of the environment subsequent to contacting a surface or object in the environment; a plurality of image sensors positioned relative to one another about the housing and configured to collectively and simultaneously capture image data of the surrounding environment in substantially all directions about the housing during and after traversal of the environment; an inertial measurement unit configured to provide information about at least one of an orientation, an acceleration, and a direction of travel of the apparatus; a processing unit in electrical connection with each of the plurality of image sensors and the inertial measurement unit, the processing unit configured to; simultaneously receive the image data collected by the plurality of image sensors, receive the information from the inertial measurement unit, and process the simultaneously received image data and the information from the inertial measurement unit to; determine a position of each of the plurality of image sensors relative to the environment at a time when each of the plurality of image sensors generates the received image data based on the information about the at least one of the orientation, the acceleration, and the direction of travel of the apparatus, according to the determined positions of each of the plurality of image sensors, arrange the received image data from each one of the plurality of image sensors so that the received image data is consistently aligned relative to the environment regardless of movement of the housing due to the continued traversal, and generate pre-processed image data that collectively provides an image of substantially all directions about the housing according to the arranging; and a transceiver configured to transmit the pre-processed image data to a remote location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification