TIME SPACED INFRARED IMAGE ENHANCEMENT

• US 20170078590A1
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hgasten, Nicholas, Dumpert, Dwight, Hoelter, Theodore R., Scott, Jeffrey S., Strandemar, Katrin, Nussmeier, Mark, Kurth, Eric A., Boulanger, Pierre, Sharp, Barbara
• Granted Patent: US 10,033,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 25/671 for non-uniformity detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• 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

Techniques using small form factor infrared imaging modules are disclosed. An imaging system may include visible spectrum imaging modules, infrared imaging modules, and other modules to interface with a user and/or a monitoring system. Visible spectrum imaging modules and infrared imaging modules may be positioned in proximity to a scene that will be monitored while visible spectrum-only images of the scene are either not available or less desirable than infrared images of the scene. Imaging modules may be configured to capture images of the scene at different times. Image analytics and processing may be used to generate combined images with infrared imaging features and increased detail and contrast. Triple fusion processing, including selectable aspects of non-uniformity correction processing, true color processing, and high contrast processing, may be performed on the captured images. Control signals based on the combined images may be presented to a user and/or a monitoring system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first imaging module comprising a first plurality of sensors configured to capture a first image of a scene;

a second imaging module comprising a second plurality of sensors configured to capture a second image of the scene; and

a processor configured to communicate with the first imaging module and the second imaging module and to process the first image and the second image to generate a combined image comprising first characteristics of the scene derived from the first image and second characteristics of the scene derived from the second image.