Fire Detection Apparatus Utilizing A Camera

• US 20160247375A1
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smoke Detective LLC
• Original Assignee: Stephen C. Davis Jr
• Inventors: Mills, Russell P., Lanni, Frederick, Davis, Stephen C. Jr., Rohde, Gustavo K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,395,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/125 by using a video camera to detect fire or smoke
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A fire detection device is provided that has a camera that captures a reference image and a measured image. A processor compares intensity of the measured image to intensity of the reference image and uses this comparison to determine if an alarm is generated to indicate the presence of fire. The intensity of the measured image may be the total number of photons of the measured image, and the intensity of the reference image may be the total number of photons of the reference image. In other arrangements, the intensity may be measured between individual corresponding pixels of the reference and measured images.

Claims

1. A fire detection device, comprising:

a camera that captures a reference image and a measured image; and

a processor that compares intensity of the measured image to intensity of the reference image and uses this comparison to determine if an alarm is generated to indicate the presence of fire;

wherein the intensity of the measured image is the total number of photons of the measured image, and wherein the intensity of the reference image is the total number of photons of the reference image.

2. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the camera captures a first reference threshold image and a second reference threshold image, wherein the processor establishes a threshold based upon a comparison of an intensity that is a total number of photons of the second reference threshold image to an intensity that is a total number of photons of the first reference threshold image, wherein the processor determines if a difference between the intensity of the measured image and the intensity of the reference image is greater than the threshold.

3. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the measured image and the second reference threshold image are the same image.

4. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor compares a photon count of each individual pixel of the measured image to a photon count of each corresponding individual pixel of the reference image and determines how many of the pixels have a higher photon count in the measured image, wherein the processor compares the number of pixels that have the higher photon count to a predetermined number and uses this comparison to determine if the alarm is to be generated.

5. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the processor determines whether the pixels that have the higher photon count in the measured image are contiguous with one another such that at least fifty percent are immediately adjacent another one of the pixels that have the higher photon count, wherein the processor uses this determination to determine if the alarm is to be generated.

6. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the processor determines whether the pixels that have the higher photon count in the measured image are located in an outer area of the measured image that is an area of the measured image that includes half of the pixels of the measured image that are furthest from a center of the measured image, wherein the processor uses this determination to determine if the alarm is to be generated.

7. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the measured image and the reference image are black and white images, wherein the processor does not use any color images to determine if the alarm is generated.

8. A fire detection device, comprising:

a camera that captures a reference image and a measured image; and

a processor that compares intensity of each pixel of the measured image to intensity of each corresponding pixel of the reference image and determines if an intensity difference for each pixel exists that exceeds a threshold established for each particular pixel;

wherein the processor determines whether the number of pixels that exceed their established threshold is greater than a predetermined number of pixels, wherein the processor uses this determination to determine if an alarm is generated to indicate the presence of fire.

9. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the intensity of each pixel of the measured image is the number of photons sensed by that particular pixel of the measured image, and wherein the intensity of each pixel of the reference image is the number of photons sensed by that particular pixel of the reference image.

10. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the processor determines whether the pixels that have exceeded their established threshold in the measured image are contiguous with one another such that at least fifty percent are immediately adjacent another one of the pixels that have exceeded their established threshold, wherein the processor uses this determination to determine if the alarm is to be generated.

11. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the processor determines whether the pixels that have exceeded their established threshold in the measured image are located in an outer area of the measured image that is an area of the measured image that includes half of the pixels of the measured image that are furthest from a center of the measured image, wherein the processor uses this determination to determine if the alarm is to be generated.

12. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the threshold established for each individual pixel has an upper level that represents a higher number of photons, and wherein the threshold established for each individual pixel has a lower level that represents a lower number of photons, wherein the intensity difference for each pixel that exceeds the threshold established for each particular pixel is either above the upper level established or below the lower level established.

13. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 8, wherein a detection statistic is determined by the processor from an analysis from the group consisting of:

(a) a spatial pattern of the pixels that exceed the threshold established for each particular pixel;

(b) a temporal pattern of pixels that exceed the threshold established for each particular pixel in a series of measured images; and

(c) both a spatial pattern of the pixels that exceed the threshold established for each particular pixel, and a temporal pattern of pixels that exceed the threshold established for each particular pixel in the series of measured images.

14. A fire detection device, comprising:

a camera that captures a reference image and a measured image; and

a processor that identifies pixels of the measured image that are a minority of the pixels of the measured image and that have the highest intensity of the pixels of the measured image;

wherein the processor compares intensity of each of the identified pixels of the measured image to intensity of each corresponding pixel of the reference image and determines if an intensity difference for each of the identified pixels exists that exceeds a threshold established for each particular pixel, wherein the processor uses this determination to determine if an alarm is generated to indicate the presence of fire.

15. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the processor determines whether the number of identified pixels that exceed their established threshold is greater than a predetermined number of pixels, wherein the processor uses this determination to determine if an alarm is generated to indicate the presence of fire.

16. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the minority of pixels do not exceed 10% of the total pixels of the measured image.

17. A fire detection device, comprising:

a camera that captures a reference image and a measured image;

a light source that emits light that is directed into a field of view of the camera; and

a processor that compares intensity of the the measured image to intensity of the reference image and uses an increase in intensity of the measured image from that of the reference image in order to determine if an alarm is generated to indicate the presence of fire, wherein the processor does not use a decrease in intensity of the measured image from that of the reference image in order to determine if the alarm is generated to indicate the presence of the fire.

18. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the processor compares intensity of the the measured image to intensity of the reference image by comparing intensity of each pixel of the measured image to intensity of each corresponding pixel of the reference image for those pixels in which the intensity of the measured image is higher than the intensity of each corresponding pixel of the reference image;

wherein the intensity of each pixel of the measured image is the number of photons sensed by that particular pixel of the measured image, and wherein the intensity of each pixel of the reference image is the number of photons sensed by that particular pixel of the reference image.

19. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the camera, the light source, and the processor are all components of a smart phone.

20. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the processor compares the intensity of the measured image to the intensity of the reference image and determines if an intensity difference exists that exceeds an established threshold;

wherein once the established threshold is exceeded the camera captures additional reference images at a rate faster than before the threshold was exceeded, wherein the additional reference images are used by the processor in order to determine if the alarm is generated to indicate the presence of fire.

21. The fire detection device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the measured image and the reference image are black and white images, wherein the processor does not use any color images to determine if the alarm is generated;

and

further comprising a screen that displays information about the fire detection device and obtains instructions from a user of the fire detection device that are communicated to the processor.