Modular camera systems and methods

• US 10,425,595 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2013
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frank, Jeffrey D., Chappaz, Yves, Deal, Mary L., Richardson, Patrick B., Richards, Austin A., Hogasten, Nicholas, Woolaway, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hansell, Jr., Richard A
• Application Number:
  US13/975,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20140313343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 348164
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20061 Hough transform
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/90 Dynamic range modification of images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/00 Image analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/08 responsive to the presence of persons in a body of water, e.g. a swimming pool; responsive to an abnormal condition of a body of water
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Modular infrared imaging systems and methods disclosed herein, in accordance with one or more embodiments, provide for capturing an infrared image, sensing a mode of operation, processing the captured infrared image according to the sensed mode of operation, generating a processed infrared image based on the sensed mode of operation, and displaying the processed infrared image.

Claims

1. A modular camera system comprising:

a plurality of adapters respectively having different mounts each corresponding to a respective specific one of a plurality of modes of operation, wherein each mode of operation is associated with an intended application for the modular camera system; and

a camera having the plurality of modes of operation, wherein the camera is configured to operate in a default mode of operation when the camera is decoupled from any of the plurality of adapters and configured to automatically self-configure to operate in at least one specific mode of operation of the plurality of modes of operation when the camera is coupled to the mount of the respective adapter corresponding to the at least one specific mode of operation, the camera comprising;

a housing configured to encapsulate one or more internal components of the camera;

an image capture component configured to capture an image;

a processing component, within the housing, configured to process the captured image according to at least one of the plurality of modes of operation; and

a mode sensing component configured to sense the mount corresponding to the specific mode of operation for the intended application of the camera based on structural features of the mount of the corresponding adapter when coupled to the camera, and configured to provide, by the mode sensing component to the processing component, a mode sensing signal indicative of the specific mode of operation corresponding to the sensed mount to automatically self-configure the mode of operation of the camera to the specific mode of operation for processing the captured image; and

wherein each of the plurality of adapters is configured to releasably couple to the housing of the camera and trigger the mode sensing component of the camera to provide the mode sensing signal to the processing component based on the associated mount of the adapter if coupled to the housing of the camera.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of adapters comprise an adapter for a land-based vehicle application;

the adapter for the land-based vehicle application is configured to;

mount to a land-based vehicle; and

trigger the mode sensing component to provide the mode sensing signal for the land-based vehicle application, in response to which the processing component processes the captured image according to a land-based vehicle mode of operation that provides at least a basic monochrome display with selected automatic gain control parameters and pedestrian and/or animal detection enabled;

the structural features comprise mechanical connections and/or electrical connections; and

the mode sensing component is configured to sense the mount at least by sensing the mechanical connections and/or electrical connections associated with the mount.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of adapters comprise an adapter for a maritime application;

the adapter for the maritime application is configured to;

mount to a watercraft; and

trigger the mode sensing component to provide the mode sensing signal for the maritime application, in response to which the processing component processes the captured image according to a maritime mode of operation that provides at least a red hue display and with maritime automatic gain control selections;

the different mounts are differently contoured mounts; and

the mode sensing component is configured to sense the mount at least by sensing a contour associated with the mount.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of adapters comprise an adapter for a handheld application;

the adapter for the handheld application comprises a handle configured to be held by a user; and

the adapter for the handheld application is configured to trigger the mode sensing component to provide the mode sensing signal for the handheld application, in response to which the processing component processes the captured image according to a handheld mode of operation that provides at least an absolute temperature readout and/or a low power mode of operation.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory component configured to store the processed image;

a display component configured to display the processed image; and

an environmental sensing component configured to provide environmental information to the processing component.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a control component configured to provide a plurality of selectable processing modes to a user, receive a user input corresponding to a user-selected processing mode, and generate a control signal indicative of the user-selected processing mode,

wherein the processing component is configured to receive the control signal from the control component and process the captured image according to the user-selected processing mode.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes include a night docking mode that causes the processing component to histogram equalize and scale the captured image to process the captured image.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes include a man overboard mode that causes the processing component to apply a high pass filter to the captured image to process the captured image.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes include:

a night cruising mode that causes the processing component to extract a detailed part and a background part from the captured image, separately scale the detailed part, separately histogram equalize and scale the background part, and add the detailed part to the background part to process the captured image; and

a day cruising mode that causes the processing component to extract the detailed part and the background part from the captured image, separately scale the detailed part, separately histogram equalize and scale the background part, and add the detailed part to the background part to process the captured image.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes include a hazy conditions mode that causes the processing component to apply a non-linear low pass filter on the captured image, and then histogram equalize and scale the filtered image to process the captured image.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes include a shoreline mode that causes the processing component to apply a Huff or Hough transform operation to the captured image to process the captured image.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein each adapter is configured to trigger the mode sensing component via a mechanical triggering mechanism, an electronic triggering mechanism, an electro-mechanical triggering mechanism, and/or an electro-magnetic triggering mechanism of the mode sensing component to provide the mode sensing signal.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the image captured by the image capture component comprises an infrared image; and

the image capture component comprises a focal plane array of infrared sensors to capture the infrared image.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store the plurality of modes of operation;

wherein the mode sensing component is configured to;

sense the mount by determining a mount type associated with the mount based on the structural features of the mount; and

sense the specific mode of operation based on the mount type; and

wherein the processing component is configured to receive the mode sensing signal and process the captured image according to the specific mode of operation based on the mode sensing signal.

12. A method of processing an image, the method comprising:

capturing an image by a camera having a plurality of modes of operation;

sensing a mount corresponding to a specific mode of operation that corresponds to an intended application of the camera based on structural features of the mount of an adapter that is releasably coupled to the camera, the specific mode of operation being one of the plurality of modes of operation, the adapter being selected from a plurality of couplable adapters respectively having different mounts each corresponding to a respective specific one of the plurality of modes of operation, wherein each mode of operation is associated with a respective intended application, wherein the camera is configured to operate in a default mode of operation when the camera is decoupled from any of the plurality of couplable adapters and configured to automatically self-configure to operate in at least one specific mode of operation of the plurality of modes of operation when the camera is coupled to the mount of the respective couplable adapter corresponding to the at least one specific mode of operation;

providing, by a mode sensing component of the camera to a processing component of the camera, a mode sensing signal indicative of the specific mode of operation corresponding to the sensed mount to automatically self-configure the mode of operation of the camera to the specific mode of operation for processing the captured image based on the intended application; and

processing the captured image according to the mode sensing signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of couplable adapters comprise an adapter for a land-based vehicle application configured to mount to a land-based vehicle;

the sensing comprises sensing a land-based mode of operation corresponding to the land-based vehicle application if the adapter for the land-based vehicle application is releasably coupled to a housing of the camera;

the processing of the captured image comprises providing a basic monochrome display with selected automatic gain control parameters and pedestrian and/or animal detection enabled if the land-based mode of operation is sensed; and

the structural features comprise mechanical connections and/or electrical connections.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of couplable adapters comprise an adapter for a maritime application configured to mount to a watercraft;

the sensing comprises sensing a maritime mode of operation corresponding to the maritime application if the adapter for the maritime application is releasably coupled to a housing of the camera;

the processing of the captured image comprises providing a red hue display and with maritime automatic gain control selections if the maritime mode of operation is sensed; and

the different mounts are differently contoured mounts.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of couplable adapters comprise an adapter for a handheld application having a handle configured to be held by a user;

the sensing comprises sensing a handheld mode of operation corresponding to the handheld application or a default application; and

the processing the captured image comprises providing an absolute temperature readout and a low power mode of operation if the handheld mode of operation is sensed.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising displaying the captured image, and wherein the displaying the captured image comprises displaying the captured image in at least one of a black hot palette, a white hot palette, a red color palette, or a green color palette.

17. The method of claim 12, comprising:

storing at least one of the captured image or the processed image; and

sensing environmental conditions for processing the captured image according to the sensed environmental conditions.

18. The method of claim 12, comprising:

providing a plurality of selectable processing modes to a user;

processing the captured image according to the user selected processing mode;

generating the processed image according to the user selected processing mode; and

displaying the processed image according to the user selected processing mode.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes includes at least one of:

a night docking mode, wherein processing the captured image includes histogram equalizing and scaling the captured image to generate the processed image;

a man overboard mode, wherein processing the captured image includes applying a high pass filter to the captured image to generate the processed image;

a night cruising mode, wherein processing the captured image includes extracting a detailed part and a background part from the captured image, separately scaling the detailed part, separately histogram equalizing and scaling the background part, and adding the detailed part to the background part to generate the processed image;

a day cruising mode, wherein processing the captured image includes extracting the detailed part and the background part from the captured image, separately scaling the detailed part, separately histogram equalizing and scaling the background part, and adding the detailed part to the background part to generate the processed image;

a hazy conditions mode, wherein processing the captured image includes applying a non-linear low pass filter on the captured image, and then histogram equalizing and scaling the filtered image to generate the processed image;

or

a shoreline mode, wherein processing the captured image includes applying at least a Huff or Hough transform operation on the captured image to generate the processed image.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored information for performing the method of claim 12.