Detection system and method using thermal image analysis

• US 6,996,256 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc., Mayo Foundation For Medical Education And Research (Mayo Clinic)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Pavlidis, Ioannis
• Primary Examiner(s): Bali, Vikkram
• Application Number:
  US09/776,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20050259849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/117, 382/118, 382/128, 340/575, 340/5.53, 340/5.83
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/164 Lie detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 31/00 Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data

Abstract

Thermal image data of at least a region of a face of a person is provided. The thermal image data is used to determine a physiological state of a person, e.g., anxiety. For example, anxiety may be determined by a comparison of the thermal image data to a baseline, or by comparison of thermal image data for one region of the person'"'"'s face to another.

Claims

1. A method to detect a physiological state of a person, the method comprising:

providing thermal image data of at least a region of a face of a person, wherein providing the thermal image data comprises providing thermal image data of at least a periorbital region of an eye of the person representative of blood flow to at least eye musculature in the periorbital region; and

using the thermal image data to determine a physiological state of the person.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using the thermal image data comprises using the thermal image data to determine anxiety in the person.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein using the thermal image data comprises detecting a change, over a plurality of frames, in the thermal image data when the person is experiencing anxiety.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the thermal image data comprises providing thermal image data of at least the periorbital region of the eye of the person and of another region of the face, and further wherein using the thermal image data to determine the physiological state of the person comprises comparing the thermal image data of the periorbital region of the eye of the person to thermal data of the other region of the face.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the other region of the face comprises a cheek region of the face.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the thermal image data comprises comparing the thermal image data to a baseline reference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the thermal image data comprises providing mid-infrared thermal image data of the at least one region of the face and far-infrared thermal image data of the least one region of the face.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing thermal image data of at least a region of a face of a person comprises:

providing thermal image data of a scene; and

selecting thermal image data of the face of the person from the thermal image of the scene.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing thermal image data of at least a region of a face of a person comprises:

providing thermal image data of a face of the person; and

identifying thermal image data for one or more regions of the face based on at least bilateral symmetry of the thermal image data of the face.

10. A detection system to detect a physiological state of a person, the system comprising:

a thermal infrared image device operable to provide thermal image data of at least a region of a face of a person, wherein the region of the face comprises at least a periorbital region of an eye of the person representative of blood flow to at least eye musculature in the periorbital region; and

circuitry operable upon the thermal image data to determine a physiological state of the person.

11. The system of claim 10, where in the Circuitry is operable upon the thermal image data to determine the presence of anxiety in the person.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is operable to detect a change, over a plurality of frames, in the thermal image data when the person is experiencing anxiety.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the thermal infrared image device is operable to provide thermal image data of at least the periorbital region of the eye of the person and of another region of the face, and further wherein the circuitry is operable to compare the thermal image data of the periorbital region of the eye of the person to the thermal image data of the other region of the face.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the other region of the face comprises a cheek region of the face.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the circuitry is operable to compare the thermal image data to a baseline reference.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the thermal infrared image device is operable to provide mid-infrared thermal image data of the at least one region of the face and far-infrared thermal image data of the least one region of the face.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the thermal infrared image device is operable to provide thermal image data of a scene and to select thermal image data of the face of the person from the thermal image of the scene.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the thermal infrared image device is operable to provide thermal image data of a face of the person and to identify thermal image data for one or more regions of the face based on at least bilateral symmetry of the thermal image data of the face.