PROCESSING AN INFRARED (IR) IMAGE BASED ON SWIPE GESTURES

• US 20150169169A1
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Andersson, Mattias
• Granted Patent: US 9,436,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20092 Interactive image processing based on input by user
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/187 involving region growing; involving region merging; involving connected component labelling
• 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 computer-implemented method and a computer system for processing an infrared (IR) image based on a swipe gesture are provided. For example, the method may comprise: displaying an IR image within one or more graphical objects displayed on a touch screen; receiving a user indication of a swipe gesture via said touch screen, wherein receiving a user indication further comprises generating first data representing a first swipe gesture starting location and second data representing a first swipe gesture direction; processing the one or more graphical objects, wherein the processing comprises modifying various parameters or attributes associated with the IR image and/or image processing the IR image based on the first and the second data; and displaying the one or more processed graphical objects including the IR image processed according to the modified parameters or attributes.

Claims

1. A method of processing an infrared(IR) image based on a swipe gesture, the method comprising:

displaying an IR image on a touch screen, wherein the IR image is displayed within a first graphical object of one or more graphical objects displayed within said touch screen;

receiving, by a processor communicatively coupled to said touch screen, a user indication of a swipe gesture via said touch screen, wherein said receiving the user indication comprises generating first data representing a first swipe gesture starting location and second data to representing a first swipe gesture direction;

processing the one or more graphical objects based on the first and the second data, wherein the processing comprises at least one of;

(i) splitting said IR image within the first graphical object into a first and second parts to process the first or the second part,

(ii) modifying a size of a second graphical object to a predefined expanded size or a predefined minimized size,

(iii) modifying a temperature range for processing the IR image, or

(iv) modifying one or more parameter ranges for processing the IR image; and

displaying said processed one or more graphical objects within said touch screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

The first swipe gesture location corresponds to a first swipe gesture starting location coordinate within said first graphical object;

the processing of said one or more graphical objects comprises;

splitting said IR image into the first and the second parts based on said first data,

selecting said first part or said second part based on said second data, and image processing said selected first part or second part based on said second data; and

the displaying of said processed one or more graphical objects comprises displaying said image processed first part or second part by overlaying onto said displayed IR image within said touch screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the IR image is displayed according to a first palette;

said splitting said IR image into the first and the second parts comprises splitting the first part as a left hand part and splitting the second part as a right hand part;

said selecting said first part or said second part comprises determining the direction of the swipe gesture as a selection of a rightward swipe gesture or a leftward swipe gesture based on said second data;

the first part is selected if a rightward swipe gesture is determined or the second part is selected if a leftward swipe gesture is determined; and

said image processing said selected first part or said selected second part based on said second data comprises applying a second palette to said selected first part or said selected second part.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the IR image is displayed according to a first image mode;

said splitting said IR image into the first and the second parts comprises splitting the first parts as a top part and splitting the second part as a bottom part;

said selecting said first part or said second part comprises determining the direction of the swipe gesture as a selection of an upward swipe gesture or a downward swipe gesture based on said second data;

the first part is selected if a downward swipe gesture is determined or the second part is selected if an upward swipe gesture is determined;

said image processing said selected first part or said selected second part based on said second data comprises applying a second image mode to said selected first part or said selected second part; and

said second image mode is a selection of fusion, contrast enhancing fusion, or visible light (VL) only mode.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said receiving the user indication of a swipe gesture via said touch screen further comprises periodically generating third data representing a swipe gesture current location, the method further comprising:

splitting said IR image based on said third data; and

displaying said image processed first part or said image processed second part by overlaying onto said displayed IR image within said touch screen until it is detected that fourth data representing a first swipe gesture ending location is generated.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein:

the second graphical object represents the temperature range for processing the IR image;

the second graphical object comprises one or more portions each associated with a temperature value from the temperature range;

the swipe gesture starting location corresponds to one of the portions of the second graphical object;

the processing of the one or more graphical objects comprises;

modifying the temperature range based on said first data and said second data, said modifying of the temperature range comprises modifying one or more of a minimum temperature value, a middle temperature value, and a maximum temperature value of the temperature range, and

processing said IR image based on said modified temperature range; and

the displaying of said processed one or more graphical objects comprises displaying said processed IR image within said touch screen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said second graphical object is overlaid onto the first graphical object;

the swipe gesture starting location corresponds to a coordinate associated with said second graphical object; and

the processing of the one or more graphical objects comprises modifying the size of the second graphical object to a predefined expanded size or a predefined minimized size based on the first and the second data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the second graphical object and a third graphical object within said touch screen, wherein:

said second graphical object represents the first parameter range and comprises one or more portions each associated with a parameter value from the first parameter range;

said third graphical object represents the second parameter range and comprises one or more portions each associated with a parameter value from the second parameter range;

the IR image is displayed according to the first parameter range and the second parameter range;

the swipe gesture starting location corresponds to one of the portions of the second or the third graphical object;

the processing of the one or more graphical objects comprises;

modifying one or more of a minimum parameter value, a middle parameter value, and a parameter temperature value of said first or said second parameter range based on the first data and the second data, and

processing said IR image based on said modified first or said modified second parameter range; and

the displaying of said processed one or more graphical objects comprises displaying said processed IR image within said touch screen.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A computer system for processing an infrared (IR) image based on a swipe gesture, the system comprising:

a memory;

a touch screen; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the touch screen, wherein said processor is configured to;

display an IR image on said touch screen, wherein the IR image is displayed within a first graphical object of one or more graphical objects displayed within said touch screen,

receive a user indication of a swipe gesture via said touch screen, wherein said receiving the user indication comprises generating first data representing a first swipe gesture starting location and second data representing a first swipe gesture direction,

process the one or more graphical objects based on the first and the second data by performing one or more operations comprising at least one of;

(i) splitting said IR image within the first graphical object into a first and second parts to process the first or the second part,

(ii) modifying a size of a second graphical object to a predefined expanded size or a predefined minimized size,

(iii) modifying a temperature range for processing the IR image, or

(iv) modifying one or more parameter ranges for processing the IR image; and

display said processed one or more graphical objects within said touch screen.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein:

the first swipe gesture location corresponds to a first swipe gesture starting location coordinate within said first graphical object; and

the processor is configured to;

split said IR image into the first and the second parts based on said first data,

select said first part or said second part based on said second data,

image process said selected first part or second part based on said second data, and

display said image processed first part or said image processed second part by overlaying onto said displayed IR image within said touch screen.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the IR image is displayed according to a first palette; and

said processor is further configured to;

split said IR image into the first and the second parts by splitting the first part as a left hand part and splitting the second part as a right hand part,

select said first part or said second part by determining the direction of the swipe gesture as a selection of a rightward swipe gesture or a leftward swipe gesture based on said second data,

the first part is selected if a rightward swipe gesture is determined or the second part is selected if a leftward swipe gesture is determined, and

image process said selected first part or said selected second part based on said second data by applying a second palette to said selected first part or said selected second part.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the IR image is displayed according to a first image mode; and

said processor is further configured to;

split said IR image into the first and the second parts by splitting the first part as a top part and splitting the second part as a bottom part,

select said first part or said second part by determining the direction of the swipe gesture as a selection of an upward swipe gesture or a downward swipe gesture based on said second data,

the first part is selected if a downward swipe gesture is determined or the second part is selected if a upward swipe gesture is determined,

image process said selected first part or said selected second part based on said second data by applying a second image mode to said selected first part or said selected second part, and

said second image mode is a selection of fusion, contrast enhancing fusion, or visible light (VL) only mode.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor is further configured to:

periodically generate third data representing a swipe gesture current location;

split said IR image based on said third data; and

display said image processed first part or said image processed second part by overlaying onto said displayed IR image within said touch screen until it is detected that fourth data representing a first swipe gesture ending location is generated.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising an infrared (IR) imaging system configured to capture IR image data of a scene, wherein the IR image is based on the captured IR image data.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a visual light (VL) imaging system configured to capture VL image data of the scene.

17. A method of processing an infrared (IR) image based on a swipe gesture, the method comprising:

displaying an IR image on a touch screen, wherein the IR image is displayed within a first graphical object displayed within the touch screen;

receiving, by a processor communicatively coupled to said touch screen, a user indication of a swipe gesture via said touch screen, wherein said receiving the user indication comprises generating first data representing a swipe gesture starting location and second data representing a swipe gesture direction, and wherein said second data indicates that the user indication corresponds to a stationary swipe;

determining, based at least in part on the first data representing the swipe gesture starting location, a spot marker location for selecting a pixel or group of pixels of the IR image displayed within the first graphical object;

displaying a second graphical object representing a spot marker by overlaying the second graphical object onto the IR image at the spot marker location; and

processing said IR image based on the spot marker location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining the spot marker location comprises:

selecting a set of pixels of the IR image that are within a rectangular or circular area positioned relative to the swipe gesture staring location;

determining a location within the IR image by applying a predefined spot marker function over the set of pixels within the rectangular or circular area; and

selecting the obtained location as the spot marker location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said predefined spot marker function is configured to determine the location based on image data values of the set of pixels, said predefine spot marker function being selected from a group consisting of a minimum image data value function and a maximum image data value function.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the processing said IR image comprises obtaining a temperature value associated with the pixel or group of pixels selected for the spot marker location, and wherein the method further comprises displaying on the touch screen a third graphical object comprising a numerical representation of the obtained temperature value.