Methods for Analyzing Thermal Image Data Using a Plurality of Virtual Devices

• US 20170236300A1
• Filed: 12/05/2016
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermal Imaging Radar LLC
• Original Assignee: Thermal Imaging Radar LLC
• Inventors: Dortch, Michael D., Price, Larry J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,886,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 9/14 of optical work, e.g. lenses, prisms control of the position of the tool for bevelling optical work B24B47/225
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/0058 removing material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0055 Shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/0683 UHMWPE, i.e. ultra high molecular weight polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0026 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0029 Translucent
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0097 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/764 Photographic equipment or accessories memory cards B29L2017/006
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 11/041 Lens caps as separate accessory accessories in general G03B17/56
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/02 with scanning movement of lens or cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/55 from multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 : Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 : for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/04 : having a moving aperture also apertures covered by lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 : Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• 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

Thermal imaging camera images are obtained from a thermal imaging camera that rotates through a plurality of stop positions. The camera captures images at a constant frame rate and at least some of the images correspond to stop positions. Thermal imaging camera images that correspond to a stop position are retained, while images that do not correspond to a stop position are discarded. Retained images are sent in a video stream to a video processor. The video stream is separated into individual thermal imaging camera images and stored for corresponding virtual camera devices that correspond to specific stop positions. In addition, the position of the camera and individual pixels of images are both correlated to geographical location data, and depth values for the pixels are determined based on the geographical data.

Claims

1. An on-site system for analyzing and sorting individual image frames of panoramic image data using a plurality of virtual devices, the system comprising:

an indexing mechanism on which a thermal imaging camera is mounted for rotating the thermal imaging camera through a plurality of stop positions;

wherein the thermal imaging camera is configured to take thermal imaging camera images, at least some of the thermal imaging camera images corresponding to stop positions as the thermal imaging camera rotates through the plurality of stop positions;

a multiplexing and analysis module configured to process a video stream of retained thermal imaging camera images by separating the video stream of retained thermal imaging camera images into individual thermal imaging camera images corresponding to specific stop positions and storing the retained thermal imaging camera images for a plurality of corresponding virtual camera devices;

the plurality of virtual camera devices being on-site relative to the thermal imaging camera, each virtual camera device of the plurality of virtual camera devices corresponding to a specific stop position and each of the virtual camera devices having a separate, corresponding video stream, each separate, corresponding video stream comprising a plurality of images corresponding to a specific stop position.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the thermal imaging camera takes the thermal imaging camera images at a constant frame rate.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein power is supplied to the on-site system by batteries which are charged via solar cells, allowing the system to be placed in a location unattended.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the multiplexing and analysis module comprises a first processor configured to manage position and timing of the thermal imaging camera, including tracking an angle offset relative to a home position at which a thermal imaging camera image is captured, and a second processor that is a video processor which is configured to process the video stream from the thermal imaging camera, including separating the video stream into individual thermal imaging camera images to be stored for a corresponding virtual camera device.

5. The system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the on-site multiplexing and analysis module comprises a demultiplexing driver that separates the video stream of retained thermal imaging camera images, sorting the retained images to be stored for the corresponding virtual camera device.

6. The system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the demultiplexing driver utilizes position information provided by the first processor to determine to which stop position a given image corresponds.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the multiplexing and analysis module comprises a digital switch that is configured to discard the thermal imaging camera images that do not correspond to any stop position, and retain the thermal imaging camera images that correspond to any stop position.

8. The system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the multiplexing and analysis module comprises a video processor that is configured to both (i) process the video stream of retained thermal imaging camera images by separating the video stream of retained thermal imaging camera images into individual thermal imaging camera images which are stored for a corresponding virtual camera device and (ii) sleep during discarding of images that do not correspond to any designated stop position by the digital switch, increasing the power efficiency of the on-site system.

9. The system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the retained thermal imaging camera images are sent from the camera to the digital switch of the multiplexing and analysis module through slip rings so that the camera can rotate continuously.

10. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the multiplexing and analysis module is configured to not stitch the retained thermal imaging camera images together into a panorama on-site.

11. A method for analyzing and sorting individual image frames of panoramic image data using a plurality of virtual devices, the method comprising:

obtaining thermal imaging camera images from a thermal imaging camera that rotates through a plurality of stop positions, the thermal imaging camera taking thermal imaging camera images, at least some of the thermal imaging camera images corresponding to stop positions as the thermal imaging camera rotates through the plurality of stop positions;

retaining thermal imaging camera images corresponding to any stop position;

discarding any thermal imaging camera images that do not correspond to any designated stop position; and

sending retained thermal imaging camera images in a video stream to a video processor.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the camera is physically stationary when capturing images corresponding to each stop position.

13. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the camera is not physically stationary when capturing images that do not correspond to any designated stop position.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein a multiplexing and analysis module associated with the thermal imaging camera is configured to not stitch the retained thermal imaging camera images together into a panorama on-site such that the total power requirements for an on-site system performing the method are no more than 10 watts.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the individual thermal imaging camera images from each stop position are analyzed as a video stream to detect a change from a given image to a subsequent image.

16. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the individual thermal imaging camera images from each stop position are stitched together to create up to a 360°

panoramic image, the stitching being performed off-site, at a user interface.

17. The method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising:

correlating a position of the thermal imaging camera with geographical location data;

correlating pixel positions of a given thermal imaging camera image with geographical location data; and

determining depth values for pixel positions of a given thermal imaging camera image based at least in part on the geographical location of the thermal imaging camera.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein a given depth value for a pixel position of a given thermal imaging camera image is compared to a depth value for the pixel position of a previously or subsequently obtained thermal imaging camera image from the same stop position to determine the size or movement speed of an object shown in the thermal imaging camera images.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18, wherein processing that correlates a pixel position of an image with location data and determines a depth value associated with a given pixel position is performed off-site relative to the thermal imaging camera at a remote user interface terminal.

20. The method in accordance with claim 19, wherein depth information is relayed to a site of the thermal imaging camera for storage.