Methods and system for producing a temperature map of a scene

• US 10,104,314 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Southerland, Richard L., Blettner, Douglas A., Hutchison, David C., Neal, Henry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Aaron W
• Application Number:
  US15/382,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20170302864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 382274, 382254, 2502081, 250221, 106271, 106274, 340 561, 340 564, 340 1225, 348164, 701 50
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0806 Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/10 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/48 Thermography; Techniques using wholly visual means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/90 Dynamic range modification of images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23605 Creation or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A method for generating a temperature map of a scene may include receiving thermal data of the scene, wherein the thermal data includes a plurality of frames of thermal infrared data. A mapping may be created for each frame of the plurality of frames based on the digital thermal infrared data. The method further comprises generating the temperature map using the mapping, wherein the temperature map is generated prior to a contrast enhancement process and separately transmitting the temperature map and the digital thermal infrared data in a data channel.

Claims

1. A method of generating a temperature map of a scene, the method comprising:

receiving, at a detector, light data of the scene, wherein the light data includes a plurality of frames of analog infrared light data;

converting each of the plurality of frames of analog infrared light data from analog to digital format to create digital infrared light data including a plurality of digital frames corresponding to the plurality of frames of analog infrared light data;

creating a lookup table for each frame of the plurality of digital frames based on the digital infrared light data;

generating the temperature map using the lookup table;

separately transmitting the temperature map and the digital infrared light data in a data channel;

integrating the plurality of digital frames in the digital infrared light data at a frame rate, thereby creating integrated digital video data;

adjusting a gain of the integrated digital video data at the frame rate using an automatic gain control to generate an adjusted digital video data;

selecting a video output from at least two of the adjusted digital video data, the digital infrared light data, or the integrated digital video data to create a multiplexed video output; and

separately transmitting the temperature map and the multiplexed video output in the data channel.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of frames of non-thermal light data;

converting the plurality of frames of non-thermal light data from analog to digital format to create a plurality of frames of digital non-thermal light data; and

transmitting the plurality of frames of digital non-thermal light data in the data channel.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein non-thermal light data includes visible light data.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising calibrating the lookup table using non-uniformity correction on the digital infrared light data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting light data of the scene at a first frame rate, wherein a second frame rate of the integrated digital video data is lower than the first frame rate; and

transmitting the temperature map at a third frame rate, wherein the third frame rate is lower than the second frame rate, wherein the temperature map is transmitted at the third frame rate separately from the digital infrared light data in the data channel.

6. An apparatus for generating a temperature map of a scene, the apparatus comprising:

a detector configured to receive light data of the scene, wherein the light data includes analog infrared light data, and includes a plurality of frames;

an analog to digital converter configured to convert the light data to digital light data, the digital light data including digital infrared light data;

a lookup table generator configured to create and calibrate a lookup table for each frame of the plurality of frames based on the digital infrared light data;

a temperature map generator configured to generate the temperature map using the lookup table;

a data channel interface configured to transmit the temperature map separately from the digital infrared light data;

a frame integrator configured to integrate the plurality of frames in the digital infrared light data to a frame rate, thereby creating an integrated digital video data;

an automatic gain control unit configured to adjust a gain of the integrated digital video data at the frame rate to generate an adjusted digital video data; and

a controller configured to select at least two of the adjusted digital video data, the digital infrared light data, or the integrated digital video data to create a multiplexed video output, wherein the data channel interface is configured to transmit the temperature map separately from the multiplexed video output.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the detector detects the light data of the scene at a first frame rate and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a throttle configured to regulate a second frame rate of the integrated digital video data, wherein the second frame rate is lower than the first frame rate, wherein the data channel interface is configured to transmit the temperature map at a third frame rate, wherein the third frame rate is lower than the second frame rate of the multiplexed video output, wherein the temperature map is transmitted separately from the multiplexed video output in the data channel interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a calibrator configured to calibrate the lookup table using non-uniformity correction on the digital light data.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a calibrator configured to calibrate the lookup table using bad pixel replacement on the digital light data.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the data channel interface is further configured to:

encode the temperature map and the digital infrared light data in a data stream; and

communicate with a wireless communication network to receive and transmit the data stream to one or more external devices.