Surveilled subject imaging with object identification

• US 7,265,709 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2004
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Safeview Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grudkowski, Thomas W., Rowe, Richard L., Fleisher, Michael, Nikulin, Serge L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barker; Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US10/824,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20050231415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 342/22
• US Class Current: 342/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/887 for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition

Abstract

An imaging system can include an antenna apparatus configured to transmit toward and receive from a subject in a subject position, millimeter-wave electromagnetic radiation. A subject may include a person and any object or objects with the person. A controller can include a transceiver configured to operate the antenna apparatus and produce an output representative of the received radiation, and a processor adapted to produce from the transceiver output, image data representative of an image of the subject. At least a first portion of an image signal representative of radiation received by an antenna apparatus may be used to produce first image data representative of a first image of at least a portion of the subject. Second image data representative of a second image having resolution that is different than that of the first image may be produced from at least a second portion of the image signal.

Claims

1. A method of surveilling a subject, the subject including a person and any discernible objects with the person, the method comprising:

transmitting toward the subject in a subject position, electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range of about 100 MHz to about 2 THz, from positions spaced from the subject position;

receiving from the subject electromagnetic radiation emitted from the subject in response to the transmitted electromagnetic radiation;

producing an image signal representative of the received radiation;

producing from the image signal, image data corresponding to a first image of at least a portion of the subject having picture elements with different levels of intensity;

determining whether the image data corresponding to the first image includes characteristics corresponding to an obiect on the person, including determining a correlation of the levels of intensity of at least one group of picture elements with the levels of intensity of a corresponding reference group of picture elements, including identifying at least a portion of the image data corresponding to which there is at least a threshold correlation of the levels of intensity of the picture elements in the at least one group of picture elements with the levels of intensity of the picture elements in the reference group of picture elements, including determining a correlation value of a given picture element that is derived from the intensity levels of a group of associated picture elements arranged relative to the given picture element, including modifying the original intensity level each picture element of the group of associated picture elements, by an amount related to the position of the picture element in the group relative to the given element, and combining the modified intensity levels; and

when the image data corresponding to the first image is determined to include characteristics corresponding to an obiect, determining the location in the first image corresponding to image data including characteristics corresponding to an obiect.

2. The method of claim 1, in which modifying the original intensity level includes associating a factor with each picture-element in the group of picture-elements, with at least two of the factors being different, and multiplying the original intensity level of each picture element in the group by the factor associated with the picture element.

3. The method of claim 2, in which associating a factor includes associating a factor with each picture element in a group of adjacent picture-element positions including a center picture-element position, with the factor associated with the center picture-element position having a value greater than the value of the other factors.

4. The method of claim 3, in which associating a factor includes associating a factor with each picture element in a group of adjacent picture-element positions forming at least one row of picture-element positions, with the factors of the picture-element positions in the at least one row including at least one positive value and at least one negative value.

5. The method of claim 4, in which associating a factor includes associating a factor with each picture element in a group of adjacent picture-element positions forming a grid of columns and rows of picture-element positions, with the factors of the picture-element positions in each row and column alternating between positive and negative values.

6. A method of surveilling a subject, the subject including a person and any discernible objects with the person, the method comprising:

transmitting toward the subject in a subject position, electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range of about 100 MHz to about 2 THz, from positions spaced from the subject position;

receiving from the subject electromagnetic radiation emitted from the subject in response to the transmitted electromagnetic radiation;

producing an image signal representative of the received radiation;

producing, from the image signal, image data corresponding to a first image of at least a portion of the subject;

determining whether the image data corresponding to the first image includes characteristics corresponding to an object on the person; and

when the image data corresponding to the first image is determined to include characteristics corresponding to an object, determining the location in the first image corresponding to image data including characteristics corresponding to an object;

producing, from the image signal, image data corresponding to a second image of at least a portion of the first image including the location corresponding to image data including characteristics corresponding to the object, and displaying a third image representative of at least a portion of the subject corresponding to the location of the object, the third image including at least a portion of the second image and a fourth image, the fourth image including at least a portion of the subject adjacent to the portion of the subject corresponding to the location of the object and having a lower resolution than the first image.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying third images for different orientations of the subject.

8. The method of claim 7, in which displaying the third images includes displaying the third images in time sequence.

9. The method of claim 8, in which displaying the third images includes displaying the third images in a manner visually perceived as a rotating image.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting the number of third images to be displayed.

11. A method comprising:

interrogating a subject, including a person and any objects carried by the person, with electromagnetic radiation in a range of about 100 MHz to about 2 THz;

generating, from the interrogating, first image data having picture elements with different levels of intensity and representative of a first image of at least a portion of the subject;

identifying at least a first portion of the first image data having characteristics corresponding to characteristics of an obiect carried by the person, including determining a correlation of the levels of intensity of at least one group of picture elements with the levels of intensity of a corresponding reference group of picture elements, including identifying at least a portion of the first image data corresponding to which there is at least a threshold correlation of the levels of intensity of the picture elements in the at least one group of picture elements with the levels of intensity of the reference group of picture elements, including determining a correlation value for a given picture element that is derived from the intensity levels of a group of associated picture elements arranged relative to the given picture element, including modifying the original intensity level of each picture element of the one group of associated picture elements, by an amount related to the position of the picture element in the first group relative to the given element, and combining the modified intensity levels; and

displaying a second image representative of the first portion of the first image data.

12. The method of claim 11, in which modifying the original intensity level includes associating a factor with each picture-element in the one group of picture-elements, with at least two of the factors being different, and multiplying the original intensity level of each picture element in the one group by the factor associated with the picture element.

13. The method of claim 12, in which associating a factor includes associating a factor with each picture element in a group of adjacent picture-element positions including a center picture-element position, with the factor associated with the center picture-element position having a value greater than the value of the other factors.

14. The method of claim 12, in which associating a factor includes associating a factor with each picture element in a group of adjacent picture-element positions forming at least one row of picture-element positions, with the factors of the picture-element position in the at least one row including at least one positive value and at least one negative value.

15. The method of claim 12, in which associating a factor includes associating a factor with each picture element in the one group of adjacent picture-element positions forming a grid of columns and rows of picture-element positions, with the factors of the picture-element positions in each row and column alternating between positive and negative values.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein associating a factor with each picture element includes associating a factor with each picture element in a group of adjacent picture elements forming a grid of at least five adjacent columns and five adjacent rows of picture elements containing the given picture element.

17. A method comprising:

interrogating a subject, including a person and any objects carried by the person, with electromagnetic radiation in a range of about 100 MHz to about 2 THz;

generating, from the interrogating, first image data representative of a first image of at least a portion of the subject;

identifying at least a first portion of the first image data having characteristics corresponding to characteristics of an obiect carried by the person;

displaying a second image representative of the first portion of the first image data, including displaying a third image including the second image and a fourth image, the fourth image including at least a portion of the subject adjacent to the portion of the subject corresponding to the location of the object and having a lower resolution than the first image.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying third images for different orientations of the subject.

19. The method of claim 17, in which displaying the third images includes displaying the third images in time sequence.

20. The method of claim 19, in which displaying the third images includes displaying the third images in a manner visually perceived as a rotating image.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting the number of third images to be displayed.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the third image includes displaying one or more second images and the fourth image, with the fourth image including the entire portion of the subject not included in the one or more second images.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying at least a first portion of the first image data having characteristics corresponding to characteristics of an object includes modifying the first image data to produce fourth image data representative of the fourth image, and identifying from the fourth image data one or more portions having characteristics corresponding to characteristics of an object.

24. An imaging system comprising:

an antenna assembly including at least a first antenna apparatus, each antenna apparatus configured to transmit toward and receive from a subject, including a person and any discernible objects with the person, in a subject position, electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range of about 100 MHz to about 2 THz, from positions spaced from the subject position, the antenna assembly producing an image signal representative of the received radiation;

a controller adapted to produce from at least a first portion of the image signal first image data corresponding to a first image of at least a portion of the subject, and to identify at least a first portion of the first image data having characteristics corresponding to characteristics of an object carried by the person; and

a display device coupled to the controller, the controller being further adapted to display, on the display, a second image including at least the portion of the first image and a third image, the third image including at least a portion of the subject adjacent to the portion of the first image and having a lower resolution than the first image.

25. The system of claim 24, in which the controller is further adapted to generate first image data having picture elements with different levels of intensity, and to determine a correlation of the levels of intensity of at least one group of picture elements with the levels of intensity of a corresponding reference group of picture elements.

26. The system of claim 25, in which the controller is further adapted to identify at least a portion of the first image data corresponding to which there is at least a threshold correlation of the levels of intensity of the picture elements in the at least one group of picture elements with the levels of intensity of the reference group of picture elements.

27. The system of claim 24 in which the controller is further adapted to display a third image for each of a plurality of different orientations of the subject.

28. The system of claim 27, in which the controller is further adapted to display the third images in time sequence.

29. The system of claim 28, in which the controller is further adapted to display the third images in a manner visually perceived as a rotating image.

30. The system of claim 27, in which the controller is further adapted allow a user to select the number of third images to be displayed.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the controller is adapted to identify at least a first portion of the first image data having characteristics corresponding to characteristics of an object by modifying the entire portion of the first image data corresponding to the person in a manner reducing the resolution of the first image data, and displaying the modified image data as the third image.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the controller is adapted to identify at least a first portion of the first image data having characteristics corresponding to characteristics of an object by identifying characteristics corresponding to characteristics of an object in at least the first portion of the modified image data.

33. The system of claim 24 wherein the controller is adapted to display the third image of the entire portion of the first image data corresponding to the person, with the portion of the third image corresponding to the first portion of the first image data displayed as the portion of the first image.