METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING ADAPTIVE IMAGE ACQUISITION

• US 20120092503A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheng, Hui
• Granted Patent: US 9,854,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/32 involving image mosaicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20228 Disparity calculation for image-based rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30181 Earth observation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/16 using multiple overlapping images; Image stitching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19643 wherein the cameras play different roles, e.g. different resolution, different camera type, master-slave camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1965 the vehicle being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2224 related to virtual studio applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

An adaptive image acquisition system and method that generates virtual view of a surveillance scene to a user (operator), in which, the user operates the system. Through viewing the virtual view, the user controls sensors that create the virtual view. The sensors comprise at least one first sensor having a higher resolution than at least one second sensor. Images from the second sensor are processed to create an image mosaic that is overlaid with images from the higher resolution first sensor. In one embodiment of the invention, the first sensor is moved using Saccade motion. In another embodiment of the invention, a user'"'"'s intent is used to control the Saccade motion.

Claims

1. An adaptive image acquisition system comprising:

a registration module for registering an at least one first image and an at least one second image, wherein the at least one first image has a higher resolution than the at least one second image;

a virtual view generation module for creating a virtual view of a scene corresponding to the first and second image using the registered images; and

an interface, coupled to the virtual view generation module, for enabling a user to control at least one imaging sensor while viewing the virtual view.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the registered images is produced by the at least one imaging sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second image is formed by sub-sampling the at least one first image.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one first sensor is a narrow field of view camera and the at least one second sensor is a wide field of view camera.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one first sensor is moved using Saccade motion.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the virtual view comprises an image mosaic of images captured by the second sensor that is overlaid with images from the first sensor.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising an intent estimation module for deriving a user'"'"'s intent from a user'"'"'s control of the interface and using the user'"'"'s intent to control motion of the at least one image sensor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the intent estimation module comprises an exploration task estimation module and a user intent estimation module.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the exploration task estimation module uses a hidden Markov model.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the user intent estimation module creates an interest map of a user'"'"'s interest in specific regions and/or objects that have been imaged.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein a user indirectly controls the at least one sensor through the interface.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising an alert generation module coupled to the virtual view generation module for identifying possibly targets and changes in behavior in the first and second image and notifying the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the alert generation module analyzes behavior of possible targets and compares the behavior to an ontology of target behavior.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the alert generation module is coupled with an object and event detection module.

15. A method of performing adaptive image acquisition comprising:

creating a virtual view of a scene corresponding to captured images;

enabling a user to control at least one imaging sensors while viewing the virtual view;

processing a user'"'"'s historical control of the at least one imaging sensor to estimate the user'"'"'s intent with respect to controlling the at least one sensor; and

controlling the at least one sensor in response to the user'"'"'s estimated intent.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the images comprise at least one first image and one second image, where the at least one first image is produced by a first sensor and the at least one second image is produced by a second sensor.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the second image is formed by sub-sampling the at least one first image.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one first sensor is a narrow field of view camera and the at least one second sensor is a wide field of view camera.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one first sensor is moved using Saccade motion.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the virtual view comprises an image mosaic of images captured by the second sensor that is overlaid with images from the higher resolution first sensor.