APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MULTISPECTRAL IMAGING WITH PARALLAX CORRECTION

• US 20140362227A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infrared Integrated Systems, Ltd. (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Infrared Integrated Systems, Ltd. (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Holliday, Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 9,729,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/164
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/10 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for multispectral imaging that may, comprising a cyclopean camera arrangement comprising at least two spaced apart imaging sensors operating at a first waveband, an image combiner arranged to combine images from the at least two spaced apart imaging sensors to provide a first cyclopean image of a scene from a first virtual position, a further imaging sensor operating at a second waveband different from the first and arranged to provide a second image of the scene from a second position, and a second image combiner arranged to combine the first and second images of the scene to provide a multispectral image, wherein the first virtual position of the cyclopean camera arrangement and the second position of the further sensor are arranged to be substantially the same.

Claims

1. An apparatus for multispectral imaging, comprising:

a cyclopean camera arrangement comprising at least two spaced apart imaging sensors operating at a first waveband;

an image combiner arranged to combine images from the at least two spaced apart imaging sensors to provide a first cyclopean image of a scene from a first virtual position;

a further imaging sensor operating at a second waveband different from the first and arranged to provide a second image of the scene from a second position; and

a second image combiner arranged to combine the first and second images of the scene to provide a multispectral image;

wherein the first virtual position of the cyclopean camera arrangement and the second position of the further sensor are arranged to be substantially the same.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second image combiner is the image combiner.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first waveband is visible light and the second waveband is infrared.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first waveband is infrared and the second waveband is visible light.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the further imaging sensor comprises an image sensor element, wherein the first image from the cyclopean camera arrangement appears to be generated on a virtual image sensor element within a virtual camera, wherein the image sensor element of the further imaging sensor is positioned at the spatial position of the virtual image sensor element of the virtual camera.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the further imaging sensor is located between the two spaced apart imaging sensors.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the further imaging sensor is located at an equal distance from each of the two spaced apart imaging sensors.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cyclopean camera arrangement comprises two spaced apart imaging sensors housed within separate housings.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the further imaging sensor is separate from each of the housings for the two spaced apart imaging sensors.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the further imaging sensor and the two spaced apart imaging sensors are all comprised within a common housing.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image and second image are provided to the second image combiner at substantially the same level of magnification.

12. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second waveband is at least one of:

the thermal infrared wavelength range, the mid infrared wavelength range, the near infrared wavelength range, and the long infrared wavelength range.

13. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first waveband is at least one of:

the thermal infrared wavelength range, the mid infrared wavelength range, the near infrared wavelength range, and the long infrared wavelength range.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two spaced apart imaging sensors are cameras and/or the further imaging sensor is a camera.

15. A method for multispectral imaging, comprising:

obtaining a first cyclopean image of a scene from a first virtual position using a cyclopean camera arrangement comprising at least two spaced apart imaging sensors operating at a first waveband by combining images from the at least two spaced apart imaging sensors to provide the first image of the scene;

obtaining a second image of a scene from a second position using a further imaging sensor operating at a second waveband different from the first; and

combining the first and second images of the scene to provide a multispectral image;

wherein the first virtual position of the cyclopean camera arrangement and the second position of the further sensor are arranged to be substantially the same.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first waveband is visible light and the second waveband is infrared.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first waveband is infrared and the second waveband is visible light.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the further imaging sensor comprises an image sensor element, wherein the first image from the cyclopean camera arrangement appears to be generated on a virtual image sensor element within a virtual camera, wherein the image sensor element of the further imaging sensor is positioned at the spatial position of the virtual image sensor element of the virtual camera.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the further imaging sensor is located between the two spaced apart imaging sensors.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the further imaging sensor is located at an equal distance from each of the two spaced apart imaging sensors.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cyclopean camera arrangement comprises two spaced apart imaging sensors housed within separate housings.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the further imaging sensor is separate from each of the housings for the two spaced apart imaging sensors.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the further imaging sensor and the two spaced apart imaging sensors are all comprised within a common housing.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first image and second image are provided to the second image combiner at substantially the same level of magnification.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the second waveband is at least one of:

the thermal infrared wavelength range, the mid infrared wavelength range, the near infrared wavelength range, and the long infrared wavelength range.

26. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first waveband is at least one of:

the thermal infrared wavelength range, the mid infrared wavelength range, the near infrared wavelength range, and the long infrared wavelength range.

27. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least two spaced apart imaging sensors are cameras and/or the further imaging sensor is a camera.