Infrared camera systems and methods

• US 20060188246A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Sweden AB (SSW Partners LP)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated), FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kostrzewa, Joseph, Kallhammer, Jan-Erik, Hoglund, Tobias, Terre, Bill
• Granted Patent: US 7,340,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/40 using histogram techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods provide infrared camera techniques that may improve image quality or infrared camera performance over a range of varying conditions. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a system is disclosed that transforms data provided by an infrared camera based upon environmental conditions at the time the data was obtained. As an example, the image quality provided by the infrared camera may be improved over a range of environmental conditions by the proper transformation of the data based upon the sensor'"'"'s information.

Claims

1. An infrared camera system comprising:

an infrared camera adapted to provide infrared image data;

at least one sensor adapted to provide environmental information; and

a controller adapted to receive the environmental information from the at least one sensor and, based on the environmental information, select a transformation from a plurality of transformations to apply to the infrared image data.

2. The infrared camera system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transformations comprise at least one of a linear, a Rayleigh, a Sigmoid, a piece-wise linear, a Gaussian, and an inverse Sigmoid.

3. The infrared camera system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transformations comprise at least one of a histogram specification, a histogram projection, a histogram regression, and a histogram equalization.

4. The infrared camera system of claim 1, further comprising a display adapted to show images based on the infrared image data.

5. The infrared camera system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further adapted to adjust at least one of a brightness, a contrast, and a gamma setting of the display based on at least one of the transformation selected and the environmental information.

6. The infrared camera system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to select a different transformation from the plurality of transformations based on changes to the environmental information provided by the at least one sensor.

7. The infrared camera system of claim 1, wherein the transformation selected converts the infrared image data to a lower resolution image.

8. The infrared camera system of claim 1, wherein interpolation is performed when switching from a first transformation to a second transformation from the plurality of transformations.

9. The infrared camera system of claim 1, wherein the infrared camera system is incorporated into a vehicle.

10. The infrared camera system of claim 1, wherein the environmental information comprises at least one of a temperature, a light level, a humidity level, and a specific weather indication.

11. The infrared camera system of claim 1, wherein the infrared camera comprises a far infrared camera.

12. The infrared camera system of claim 1, wherein the environmental information is provided to at least one of the at least one sensor via a wireless interface.

13. An infrared camera system comprising:

an infrared camera adapted to provide infrared image data;

means for receiving information based on environmental conditions associated with the image data; and

means for applying a first transformation to the image data based on the information on the environmental conditions.

14. The infrared camera system of claim 13, wherein the infrared camera comprises a far infrared camera.

15. The infrared camera system of claim 13, wherein the applying of the first transformation converts the image data to a lower resolution image.

16. The infrared camera system of claim 13, wherein the receiving means comprises a wireless interface for receiving the information from at least one of a satellite, a radio broadcast, a cellular transmission, and a road side beacon.

17. The infrared camera of claim 13, wherein the means for applying the first transformation further comprises selecting from among a number of possible transformations to provide as the first transformation based on the information on the environmental conditions.

18. The infrared camera of claim 13, wherein the first transformation comprises at least one of a histogram specification, a histogram projection, a histogram regression, and a histogram equalization.

19. The infrared camera of claim 13, further comprising means for displaying the image data.

20. The infrared camera of claim 19, further comprising means for adjusting at least one of a brightness, a contrast, and a gamma setting of the displaying means based on the environmental conditions.

21. The infrared camera of claim 13, wherein the environmental conditions comprises at least one of a temperature, a light level, a humidity level, and a specific weather condition, and wherein the infrared camera system is incorporated into a vehicle.

22. The infrared camera of claim 13, further comprising means for interpolating between the first transformation and a second transformation applied to the image data.

23. The infrared camera of claim 13, wherein the applying means further comprises means for applying a different transformation based on changes in the environmental conditions.

24. A method of transforming infrared camera data based on environmental conditions, the method comprising:

receiving information based on the environmental conditions;

determining a first transformation to apply to the infrared camera data based on the environmental conditions; and

applying the first transformation to the infrared camera data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the determining of the first transformation includes selecting the first transformation based on the environmental conditions from among a number of available transformations.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the applying of the first transformation improves an image appearance of the infrared camera data.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the first transformation comprises at least one of a histogram specification, a histogram projection, a histogram regression, and a histogram equalization.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising displaying the infrared camera data after the applying of the first transformation.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising adjusting at least one of a brightness setting, a contrast setting, and a gamma setting for the infrared camera data being displayed based on the environmental conditions.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining a second transformation to apply to the infrared camera data when the environmental conditions change;

applying the second transformation to the infrared camera data; and

interpolating from the first to the second transformation when the applying of the second transformation is performed.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the applying of the first transformation converts the infrared camera data to a lower resolution image.