IR Camera and Method for Presenting IR Information

• US 20090294666A1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hargel, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,212,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/330
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0014 for sensing the radiation from gases, flames
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0846 having multiple detectors for performing different types of detection, e.g. using radiometry and reflectometry channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20
• 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 camera (1) arranged to generate an IR image (21) and a visible light image (23) is proposed, said camera comprising a thermal imaging part (3) for registering IR radiation from a first field of view, a visible light imaging part (9) for registering visible light from a second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view, and a processing device (15) for processing the information related to the registered IR radiation and the registered visible light information. The processing device (15) is arranged to identify any moving objects that are detectable by the thermal imaging part (3) and not by the visible light imaging part (9), and presenting said moving objects, if any, in such a way that they will be easily recognizable by an operator.

Claims

1. A camera (1) arranged to generate an IR image (21) and a visible light image (23), said camera comprising a thermal imaging part (3) for registering IR radiation from a first field of view, a visible light imaging part (9) for registering visible light from a second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view, and a processing device (15) for processing the information related to the registered IR radiation and the registered visible light information, said camera (1) being characterized in that the processing device (15) is arranged to identify any moving objects that are detectable by the thermal imaging part (3) and not by the visible light imaging part (9), and presenting said moving objects, if any, in such a way that they will be easily recognizable by an operator.

2. A camera according to claim 1, comprising wherein the processing device (15) is arranged to compare a moving object identified in the visible light image (23) to a moving object identified in the thermal image (21) and determine if they represent the same object.

3. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the processing device (15) is arranged to determine the presence of a moving object in the visible light image (23) and/or the thermal image (21), respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time, comparing the first and the second image and determining the presence of a moving object based on the difference between the first and the second image.

4. A camera according to claim 3, wherein the processing device (15) is arranged to determine the presence of a moving object in the visible light image (23) and/or thermal image (21), respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time and detect areas having a large intensity difference in the first image and the second image.

5. A camera according to claim 4, wherein the processing device (15) is arranged to filter out small changes in intensity in the images.

6. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the processing device (15) is arranged to determine the presence of a moving object in the visible light image (23) and/or thermal image (21), respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time and determining the presence of a moving object based on a difference image between the first and the second image.

7. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the processing device (15) is arranged to determine the presence of a moving object in the visible light image (23) and/or thermal image (21), respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time and determining the presence of a moving object based on the “

optical flow”

method.

8. A camera according claim 1, wherein the processing device (15) is arranged to align and stabilize the visible light image (23) and the thermal image (21) before identifying any moving objects in the images.

9. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the processing device (15) is arranged to compare the moving object in the visible light image and the thermal image on the basis of their position in the respective image, their size and/or their shape.

10. A method of presenting information related to IR radiation, comprising the following steps:

Registering IR radiation from a first field of view,

registering visible light from a second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view,

processing the information related to the registered IR radiation and the registered visible light information, characterized in that it comprises the steps of

identifying any moving objects that are detectable by the thermal imaging part and not by the visible light imaging part, and

presenting said moving objects, if any, in such a way that they will be easily recognizable by an operator.

11. A method according to claim 10, comprising the step of comparing a moving object identified in the visible light image to a moving object identified in the thermal image and determining if they represent the same object.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of determining the presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or the thermal image, respectively, comprises the steps of obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time and detect areas having a large intensity difference in the first image and the second image.

13. A method according to claim 12, comprising the step of filtering out small changes in intensity in the images.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of determining the presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or the thermal image, respectively, comprises the steps of obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time determining a difference image between the first and the second image and determining the presence of a moving object based on the difference image.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of determining the presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or thermal image, respectively, comprises the steps of obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time and determining the presence of a moving object based on the “

optical flow”

method.

16. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps, performed in arbitrary order, of aligning and stabilizing the visible light image and the thermal image before identifying any moving objects in the images.

17. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of comparing the moving object in the visible light image and the thermal image is performed on the basis of their position in the respective image, their size and/or their shape.

18. A computer program product for use in a processing device (15) arranged to control a camera arranged to generate IR images and visible light images, the camera comprising a thermal imaging part (3) for registering IR radiation from a first field of view, a visible light imaging part for registering visible light from a second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view, said computer program product comprising computer readable code means which, when run in the processing device, will cause the processing device to identify any moving objects that are detectable by the thermal imaging part and not by the visible light imaging part, and presenting said moving objects, if any, in such a way that they will be easily recognizable by an operator.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18, comprising computer-readable code means which will cause the processing device to compare a moving object identified in the visible light image to a moving object identified in the thermal image and determine if they represent the same object.

20. A computer program product according to claim 18, comprising computer-readable code means which will cause the processing device to determine the presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or the thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time and detect areas having a large intensity difference in the first image and the second image.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20, comprising computer-readable code means which will cause the processing device to filter out small changes in intensity in the images.

22. A computer program product according to claim 18, comprising computer-readable code means which will cause the processing device to determine the presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or the thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time, comparing the first and the second image and determining the presence of a moving object based on the difference image.

23. A computer program product according to claim 18, comprising computer-readable code means which will cause the processing device to determine the presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time, determining a difference image between the first and the second image and determining the presence of a moving object based on the difference image.

24. A computer program product according to claim 18, comprising computer-readable code means which will cause the processing device to determine the presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time and determining the presence of a moving object based on “

optical flow”

method.

25. A computer program product according claim 18, comprising computer-readable code means which will cause the processing device to align and stabilize the visible light image and the thermal image before identifying any moving objects in the images.

26. A computer program product according to claim 18, comprising computer-readable code means which will cause the processing device to compare the moving object in the visible light image and the thermal image on the basis of their position in the respective image, their size and/or their shape.