INFANT MONITORING SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING THERMAL IMAGING

• US 20130342691A1
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Teich, Andrew C., Frank, Jeffrey D., Stout, Arthur, Hgasten, Nicholas, Hoelter, Theodore R., Strandemar, Katrin, Lewis, Earl R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,843,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Various techniques are disclosed for systems and methods using thermal imaging to monitor an infant or other persons that may need observation. For example, an infant monitoring system may include an infrared imaging module, a visible light camera, a processor, a display, a communication module, and a memory. The monitoring system may capture thermal images of a scene including at least a partial view of an infant, using the infrared imaging module enclosed in a portable or mountable housing configured to be positioned for remote monitoring of the infant. Various thermal image processing and analysis operations may be performed on the thermal images to generate monitoring information relating to the infant. The monitoring information may include various alarms that actively provide warnings to caregivers, and user-viewable images of the scene. The monitoring information may be presented at external devices or the display located remotely for convenient viewing by caregivers.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

an infrared imaging module comprising a focal plane array (FPA) configured to capture thermal images of a scene within a field of view (FOV) of the infrared imaging module;

a housing substantially enclosing the infrared imaging module and configured to be positioned to place at least a portion of an infant within the FOV; and

a processor in communication with the infrared imaging module, the processor configured to analyze the thermal images to generate monitoring information relating to the infant.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the housing also substantially encloses the processor, the monitoring system further comprising:

a communication module configured to transmit the monitoring information over a network to an external device.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processor is positioned remotely from the infrared imaging module and the housing.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to;

analyze the thermal images to detect the infant from the scene,

determine whether the infant is breathing normally, and

generate an alarm upon the determination that the infant is breathing abnormally; and

the monitoring information comprises the alarm.

5. The monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:

analyze the thermal images to detect exhaled breaths of the infant; and

analyze intervals between the detected exhalations to determine whether the infant is breathing normally.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to;

analyze the thermal images to determine a body temperature of the infant,

determine whether the body temperature of the infant is normal, and

generate an alarm upon the determination that the body temperature of the infant is abnormal; and

the monitoring information comprises the body temperature of the infant and/or the alarm.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to;

analyze the thermal images to determine a posture of the infant,

determine whether the posture of the infant is one of postures selected by a user, and

generate an alarm upon the determination that the posture matches one of the postures selected by the user; and

the monitoring information comprises the posture of the infant and/or the alarm.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to;

analyze the thermal images to detect the infant from the scene, and

generate an alarm if the infant is undetected in the thermal images or if the infant is undetected in an area defined by a user; and

the monitoring information comprises the alarm.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to;

analyze the thermal images to detect a presence of a foreign substance in an oronasal region of the infant, and

generate an alarm if a foreign substance is detected in the oronasal region; and

the monitoring information comprises the alarm.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to generate user-viewable images of the scene using the thermal images; and

the monitoring information comprises the user-viewable images.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10, further comprising a visible light camera having an FOV at least partially overlapping the FOV of the infrared imaging module, the visible light camera configured to capture visible light images of at least a portion of the scene, wherein the processor is configured to:

derive high spatial frequency content from at least one of the visible light images; and

generate the user-viewable images by adding the high spatial frequency content to the thermal images to improve contrast and edge detail in the user-viewable images.

12. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the thermal images are unblurred thermal images of the scene;

the infrared imaging module is configured to capture intentionally blurred thermal images of the scene; and

the processor is configured to determine a plurality of non-uniform correction (NUC) terms based on the intentionally blurred thermal images and apply the NUC terms to the unblurred thermal images to remove noise form the unblurred thermal images.

13. A method comprising:

capturing, at a focal plane array (FPA) of an infrared imaging module, thermal images of a scene within a field of view (FOV) of the infrared imaging module, wherein the infrared imaging module is positioned so that at least a portion of an infant is placed within the FOV of the infrared imaging module; and

analyzing the thermal images to generate monitoring information relating to the infant.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting the monitoring information over a network to an external device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the analyzing the thermal images is performed by a processor positioned remotely from the infrared imaging module.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the analyzing the thermal images further comprises:

detecting the infant from the scene;

determining whether the infant is breathing normally; and

generating an alarm upon the determination that the infant is breathing abnormally.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the analyzing the thermal images further comprises detecting exhaled breaths of the infant; and

the determining whether the infant is breathing normally further comprises analyzing intervals between the detected exhalations.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the analyzing the thermal images further comprises:

determining a body temperature of the infant;

determining whether the body temperature of the infant is normal; and

generate an alarm upon the determination that the body temperature of the infant is abnormal.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the analyzing the thermal images further comprises:

determining a posture of the infant;

determining whether the posture of the infant is one of postures selected by a user; and

generating an alarm upon the determination that the posture matches one of the postures selected by the user.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the analyzing the thermal images further comprises:

detecting the infant from the scene; and

generating an alarm if the infant is undetected in the scene or if the infant is undetected in an area defined by a user.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the analyzing the thermal images further comprises:

detecting a presence of a foreign substance in an oronasal region of the infant; and

generating an alarm if a foreign substance is detected in the oronasal region.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating user-viewable images of the scene using the thermal images, wherein the monitoring information comprises the user-viewable images.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising capturing, using a visible light camera having an FOV at least partially overlapping the FOV of the infrared imaging module, visible light images of at least a portion of the scene, wherein the generating the user-viewable images comprises:

deriving high spatial frequency content from at least one of the visible light images; and

adding the high spatial frequency content to the thermal images to improve contrast and edge detail in the user-viewable images.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the thermal images are unblurred thermal images, the method further comprising:

capturing intentionally blurred thermal images of the scene;

determining a plurality of non-uniform correction (NUC) terms based on the intentionally blurred thermal images; and

applying the NUC terms to the unblurred thermal images to remove noise from the unblurred thermal images.