Multiple camera systems and methods

• US 7,381,952 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hodge, John E., Teich, Andrew C., Frank, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baker; David S
• Application Number:
  US11/222,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20070235648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 250/330, 250/331, 250/332, 250/333, 250/334
• US Class Current: 250/330
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19641 Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide improved cameras and camera systems. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a networkable camera system is disclosed that is able to provide up to a 360° field of view and is operable during day and night conditions by utilizing thermal imagers.

Claims

1. A camera system comprising:

a first infrared camera having a first field of view and adapted to provide thermal image data;

a second infrared camera having a second field of view and adapted to provide thermal image data, wherein the first and second fields of view provide a wide field of view and wherein centerlines of the first and the second infrared cameras form an angle greater than zero;

an interface circuit adapted to receive and transfer the thermal image data from the first and second infrared cameras;

at least one display adapted to receive the thermal image data from the interface circuit and display a visual image; and

a power supply within the camera system adapted to provide power for the camera system, wherein the camera system forms a portable binocular system.

2. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the thermal image data from the first and second infrared cameras comprise uncompressed digital thermal image data and wherein the first and second fields of view are adapted to provide a combined field of view greater than 160°

.

3. The camera system of claim 2, wherein the first and second infrared cameras comprise focal plane arrays having a horizontal field of view at least twice that of its vertical field of view.

4. The camera system of claim 3, wherein the focal plane array format comprises a 320 by 124 format.

5. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the interface circuit transfers the thermal image data to an external device and wherein the interface circuit further comprises an Ethernet driver circuit adapted to receive and transfer the thermal image data from the first and second infrared cameras to the external device via an Ethernet switch.

6. The camera system of claim 5, wherein the interface circuit transfers the thermal image data from the first and second infrared cameras to an external device via a wireless interface.

7. The camera system of claim 1, further comprising an external device adapted to receive the thermal image data from the interface circuit and record and/or display the thermal image data, wherein the external device is further adapted to display the thermal image data from the first and second infrared cameras as a panoramic image.

8. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the camera system is one of a number of camera systems on a network and the camera system further comprises a third infrared camera having a third field of view and adapted to provide thermal image data, wherein the third fields of view is less than the first and second fields of view, wherein the third infrared camera is adapted to be mechanically-driven to point at an area of interest within the first and/or second field of view.

9. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the portable binocular system comprises a goggle or a helmet-mounted system.

10. The camera system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless interface adapted to transmit the thermal image data from the camera system.

11. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the first infrared camera comprises a first infrared detector having a different number of pixels in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical direction to provide the thermal image data for the desired first field of view, wherein the second infrared camera comprises a second infrared detector having a different number of pixels in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical direction to provide the thermal image data for the desired second field of view, and wherein the first and second field of views provide the wide field of view based on substantially all of the thermal image data from the pixels of the first and second infrared detectors.

12. A method of viewing an area of interest, the method comprising:

providing a first thermal image data from a first infrared detector covering a first wide field of view;

providing a second thermal image data from a second infrared detector covering a second wide field of view, wherein the second wide field of view overlaps a portion of the first wide field of view and wherein a boresight for the first and second infrared detectors forms an angle greater than zero; and

displaying the first thermal image data and the second thermal image data, wherein the first and second infrared detectors and the displaying of the first and second thermal image data is performed within a portable binocular system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying is adapted to provide a panoramic view of the first and second thermal image data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second wide field of view each comprises a horizontal field of view that is at least twice as large as its vertical field of view.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a third thermal image data from a third infrared detector covering a third narrow field of view, wherein the third narrow field of view may be directed to a portion of the first or second wide field of view.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the first and second thermal image data to a remote location.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first infrared detector has a different number of pixels in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical direction to provide the first thermal image data for the desired first wide field of view, wherein the second infrared detector has a different number of pixels in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical direction to provide the second thermal image data for the desired second wide field of view, and wherein the first and second wide field of views provide a wide field of view based on substantially all of the thermal image data from the pixels of the first and second infrared detectors.

18. A portable camera system comprising:

a first infrared camera having a first field of view and adapted to provide a first thermal image data;

a second infrared camera having a second field of view and adapted to provide a second thermal image data, wherein the first and second field of view provide a wide field of view and wherein a boresight of the first and second infrared cameras forms an angle greater than zero;

at least one display screen adapted to display the first and second thermal image data; and

a system circuit, coupled to the first and second infrared cameras and the at least one display screen, adapted to receive the first and second thermal image data and provide at least a portion of the first and second thermal image data to the at least one display screen, wherein the portable camera system forms a binocular system.

19. The portable camera system of claim 18, further comprising a power supply, within the portable camera system, adapted to provide power for the portable camera system.

20. The portable camera system of claim 18, further comprising a wireless interface adapted to at least one of a transmit of at least a portion of the first and second thermal image data from the portable camera system and a receive of at least a portion of thermal image data from another portable camera system.

21. The portable camera system of claim 18, wherein the binocular system comprises a goggle or helmet-mounted panoramic night vision goggle system.

22. The portable camera system of claim 18, wherein the system circuit merges the first and second thermal image data to provide a panoramic wide field of view to be viewed on the at least one display screen.

23. The portable camera system of claim 18, wherein the first infrared camera comprises a first infrared detector having a different number of pixels in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical direction to provide the first thermal image data for the desired first field of view, wherein the second infrared camera comprises a second infrared detector having a different number of pixels in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical direction to provide the second thermal image data for the desired second field of view, and wherein the first and second field of views provide the wide field of view based on substantially all of the thermal image data from the pixels of the first and second infrared detectors.