INFRARED RESOLUTION AND CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT WITH FUSION

• US 20110262053A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Strandemar, Katrin
• Granted Patent: US 8,520,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/263
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/251 of input or preprocessed data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• 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

The present disclosure relates to a method of improving an IR image comprising capturing a visual image and an IR image of an object, altering a resolution of at least one of said visual image and IR image, high pass filtering said visual image to generate a processed visual image, low pass filtering said IR image to generate a processed IR image, and combining information from said processed visual image and said processed IR image to generate a combined image.

Claims

1. A method of improving an IR image comprising:

a) capturing a visual image and an IR image of an object;

b) altering at least one of a resolution of said visual image and a resolution of said IR image;

c) high pass filtering said visual image to generate a processed visual image;

d) low pass filtering said IR image to generate a processed IR image; and

e) combining information from said processed visual image and information from said processed IR image to generate a combined image.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein b) comprises up-sampling the resolution of said IR image to the resolution of said visual image.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein b) comprises down-sampling the resolution of said visual image to the resolution of said IR image.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein b) comprises altering the resolution of said visual image and the resolution of said IR image to a third resolution.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said high pass filtering of c) and said low pass filtering of d) are performed by use of at least one spatial filter.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said combining information of e) is performed by adding a luminance component of said processed visual image to said processed IR image.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said combining information of e) is performed by adding a luminance component of said processed visual image multiplied by a factor to said processed IR image.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said factor can be varied by input from a user.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises

f) adding a high resolution noise to said combined image.

10. A computer readable storage medium storing executable program code for:

a) capturing a visual image and an IR image of an object;

b) altering at least one of a resolution of said visual image and a resolution of said IR image;

c) high pass filtering said visual image to generate a processed visual image;

d) low pass filtering said IR image to generate a processed IR image; and

e) combining information from said processed visual image and information from said processed IR image to generate a combined image.

11. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein b) comprises up-sampling the resolution of said IR image to the resolution of said visual image.

12. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein b) comprises down-sampling the resolution of said visual image to the resolution of said IR image.

13. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein b) comprises altering the resolution of said visual image and the resolution of said IR image to a third resolution.

14. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said high pass filtering of c) and said low pass filtering of d) are performed by use of at least one spatial filter.

15. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said combining information of e) is performed by adding a luminance component of said processed visual image to said processed IR image.

16. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said combining information of e) is performed by adding a luminance component of said processed visual image multiplied by a factor to said processed IR image.

17. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein said factor can be varied by input from a user.

18. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said method further comprises

f) adding a high resolution noise to said combined image.

19. A camera for thermal imaging comprising:

a visual image sensor for generating a visual image;

an IR image sensor for generating an IR image;

processing logic for altering at least one of a resolution of said visual image and a resolution of said IR image;

processing logic for low pass filtering said IR image to generate a processed IR image;

processing logic for high pass filtering said visual image to generate a processed visual image; and

processing logic for combining information from the processed visual image and information from the processed IR image.

20. A camera according to claim 19, wherein said low pass filtering and said high pass filtering are performed by use of at least one spatial filter.

21. A camera according to claim 19, wherein said processing logic for combining information is further operable to add the information from said visual image to a luminance component of said IR image.

22. A camera according to claim 19, wherein said processing logic for combining information is further operable to add the information from said processed visual image multiplied by a factor to said IR image.

23. A camera according to claim 22, wherein said factor is given by external input into the camera from a user.

24. A camera according to claim 22, wherein the camera further comprises processing logic for determining said factor.

25. A camera according to claim 19, wherein said processing logic for low pass filtering, processing logic for high pass filtering, and processing logic for combining information are operable to maintain an IR palette for said IR image.

26. An image processing system comprising:

a computer readable storage medium storing executable program code for;

a) capturing a visual image and an IR image of an object;

b) altering at least one of a resolution of said visual image and a resolution of said IR image;

c) high pass filtering said visual image to generate a processed visual image;

d) low pass filtering said IR image to generate a processed IR image; and

e) combining information from said processed visual image and information from said processed IR image to generate a combined image; and

a processor for executing the executable program code.