Threat Detection Based on Radiation Contrast

• US 20080144885A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Don Rafel, Mark Zucherman, Sarath Gunapala, Sumith Bandara
• Original Assignee: Don Rafel, Mark Zucherman, Sarath Gunapala, Sumith Bandara
• Inventors: Rafel, Don, Bandara, Sumith, Zucherman, Mark, Gunapala, Sarath
• Application Number:
  US11/873,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144885A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for threat detection based on radiation contrast. In general, an image from a device having a sensitivity to infrared radiation having a wavelength between three and fifteen micrometers may be received, images features from the image may be extracted, a classification may be generated of the image features from multiple classifications where the classifications include threats, and data characterizing the classification of the image features may be displayed. The device may operate at a standoff distance of five to one hundred meters. Displaying data characterizing the classification of the image features may include displaying an identification of a person carrying a threat.

Claims

1. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable media, the computer program product being operable to cause data processing apparatus to detect concealed objects of interest in a zone of interest in which human traffic is present by performing operations comprising:

receiving an image from a device comprising a focal plane array having a sensitivity to radiation having a wavelength from 3 to 15 micrometers, the image of the zone of interest in which the human traffic is present, and the human traffic being at a distance of 5 to 100 meters from the device;

processing the image by applying one or more image processing techniques comprising gradient image processing to enhance edges based on discontinuities in thermal gradients;

extracting features of the image in which the human traffic is present based on infrared radiation contrast associated with a human in the human traffic, the extracting comprising;

detecting a plurality of edges, each of the edges being a result of thermal gradient discontinuities; and

decomposing at least some of the edges into image features representing spatial objects in an image processing environment, the spatial objects comprising line segments and shapes, the image features represented by one or more data structures;

generating a classification of the image features from a knowledge base populated with classifications of objects of interest being observed, concealed objects on a human;

the classification generated by a rule processing engine to process the image features;

the classifications comprising threats;

the classifications generated by extracting features of images from the observed, concealed objects on the human to generate rules for the classifications; and

displaying data characterizing the classification of the image features being associated with the human, the data characterizing a threat if the classification is one of the threats.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the extracting features further comprises generating metadata of the image features and the generating the classification further comprises the rule processing engine to process the metadata of the image features.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein the device is one of a quantum well infrared photodetector or an indium antimonide (InSb) detector.

4. The product of claim 1, wherein the device is a long wavelength digital camera having a sensitivity to radiation emitted between 8 and 15 micrometers.

5. The product of claim 1, wherein the receiving, the extracting, the generating, and the displaying the data are performed in approximately real time, including near-real time image processing, threat detection, and classification.

6. A method of detecting concealed objects of interest in a zone of interest in which human traffic is present, the method comprising:

receiving an image from a device comprising a focal plane array having a sensitivity to radiation having a wavelength from 3 to 15 micrometers, the image of the zone of interest in which the human traffic is present, and the human traffic being at a distance of 5 to 100 meters from the device;

processing the image by applying one or more image processing techniques comprising gradient image processing to enhance edges based on discontinuities in thermal gradients;

extracting features of the image in which the human traffic is present based on infrared radiation contrast associated with a human in the human traffic, the extracting comprising;

detecting a plurality of edges, each of the edges being a result of thermal gradient discontinuities; and

decomposing at least some of the edges into image features representing spatial objects in an image processing environment, the spatial objects comprising line segments and shapes, the image features represented by one or more data structures;

generating a classification of the image features from a knowledge base populated with classifications of objects of interest being observed, concealed objects on a human;

the classification generated by a rule processing engine to process the image features;

the classifications comprising threats;

the classifications generated by extracting features of images from the observed, concealed objects on the human to generate rules for the classifications; and

displaying data characterizing the classification of the image features being associated with the human, the data characterizing a threat if the classification is one of the threats.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the extracting features further comprises generating metadata of the image features and the generating the classification further comprises the rule processing engine to process the metadata of the image features.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the device is one of a quantum well infrared photodetector or an indium antimonide (InSb) detector.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the device is a long wavelength digital camera having a sensitivity to radiation emitted between 8 and 15 micrometers.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving, the extracting, the generating, and the displaying the data are performed in approximately real time, including near-real time image processing, threat detection, and classification.

11. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable media, the computer program product being operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving an image from a device comprising a focal plane array having a sensitivity to radiation having a wavelength from 3 to 15 micrometers;

extracting features of the image, the extracting comprising;

detecting a plurality of edges, each of the edges being a result of infrared radiation contrast; and

decomposing at least some of the edges into image features representing spatial objects in an image processing environment;

generating a classification of the image features from a knowledge base populated with classifications of objects of interest being observed, concealed objects on a human;

the classification generated by a rule processing engine to process the image features;

the classifications comprising threats; and

displaying data characterizing the classification of the image features, the data characterizing a threat if the classification is one of the threats.

12. The product of claim 11, wherein the extracting features further comprises generating metadata of the image features and the generating the classification further comprises the rule processing engine to process the metadata of the image features.

13. The product of claim 11, wherein the device is one of a quantum well infrared photodetector or an indium antimonide (InSb) detector.

14. The product of claim 11, wherein the device is a long wavelength digital camera having a sensitivity to radiation emitted between 8 and 15 micrometers.

15. The product of claim 11, wherein the receiving, the extracting, the generating, and the displaying the data are performed in approximately real time.

16. The product of claim 11, wherein the features of the image are at a distance of 5 to 100 meters from the device.