Imaging device and method, computer program product on computer-readable medium, and imaging system

• US 20060268112A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 8,179,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• 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

It is possible to definitely identify a relative position of a moving subject in an infrared image captured by an infrared camera in a relation with the background of the moving subject. The present invention provides an imaging device including an infrared camera for imaging an area under surveillance by infrared radiation measurement, a moving-subject detector for detecting a moving subject in the surveillance area on the basis of an infrared image signal acquired by the infrared camera, an image signal processor for coloring a moving part of the infrared image signal, detected by the moving-subject detector, with a predetermined color, and an image display for displaying an image resulted from the coloring of the moving part of the infrared image signal by the image signal processor.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

an infrared imaging means for imaging an area under surveillance by infrared radiation measurement;

a moving-subject detecting means for detecting a moving subject in the surveillance area on the basis of an infrared image signal acquired by the infrared imaging means;

an image signal processing means for coloring a moving part of the infrared image signal, detected by the moving-subject detecting means, with a predetermined color; and

an image displaying means for displaying an image resulted from the coloring of the moving part of the infrared image signal by the image signal processing means.

2. An imaging method comprising the steps of:

imaging an area under surveillance by infrared radiation measurement;

detecting a moving subject in the surveillance area on the basis of an infrared image signal acquired in the infrared imaging step;

coloring a moving part of the infrared image signal, detected in the moving-subject detecting step, with a predetermined color; and

displaying an image resulted from the coloring of the moving part of the infrared image signal in the image signal processing step.

3. A computer program product on a computer-readable medium, the computer program product allowing a computer to execute an imaging controlling process comprising the steps of:

imaging an area under surveillance by infrared radiation measurement;

detecting a moving subject in the surveillance area on the basis of an infrared image signal acquired in the infrared imaging step;

coloring a moving part of the infrared image signal, detected in the moving-subject detecting step, with a predetermined color; and

displaying an image resulted from the coloring of the moving part of the infrared image signal in the image signal processing step.

4. An imaging system comprising:

an infrared imaging device for imaging an area under surveillance by infrared radiation measurement; and

a controller for controlling the operations of the operations of the infrared imaging device via a network,

the controller including;

a moving-subject detecting means for detecting a moving subject in the surveillance area on the basis of an infrared image signal acquired by the infrared imaging device;

an image signal processing means for coloring a moving part of the infrared image signal, detected by the moving-subject detecting means, with a predetermined color; and

an image displaying means for displaying an image resulted from the coloring of the moving part of the infrared image signal by the image signal processing means.

5. An imaging device comprising:

an infrared camera for imaging an area under surveillance by infrared radiation measurement;

a moving-subject detector for detecting a moving subject in the surveillance area on the basis of an infrared image signal acquired by the infrared camera;

an image signal processor for coloring a moving part of the infrared image signal, detected by the moving-subject detector, with a predetermined color; and

an image display for displaying an image resulted from the coloring of the moving part of the infrared image signal by the image signal processor.

6. An imaging system comprising:

an infrared camera for imaging an area under surveillance by infrared radiation measurement; and

a controller for controlling the operations of the operations of the infrared camera via a network,

the controller including;

a moving-subject detector for detecting a moving subject in the surveillance area on the basis of an infrared image signal acquired by the infrared camera;

an image signal processor for coloring a moving part of the infrared image signal, detected by the moving-subject detector, with a predetermined color; and

an image display for displaying an image resulted from the coloring of the moving part of the infrared image signal by the image signal processor.