Monitoring apparatus
First Claim
1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
- imaging means for photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area;
panorama-image generating means for generating a panorama image by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the imaging means, the panorama-image generating means generating the panorama image by spatially combining the plurality of unit images such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images;
panorama-image storage/management means for storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means;
thermography imaging means for photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image;
direction control means for sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging means within the area being photographed;
thermal-image generating means for combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging means, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area, the thermal-image generating means generating the panorama thermal image by spatially combining the plurality of thermal images such that the panorama thermal image is larger than any of the thermal images;
image-synthesizing means for synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating means to create a synthesized image; and
image-displaying means for displaying the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An imaging apparatus includes a camera unit, a panorama-image generating section generating a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the camera unit, a panorama-image storage/management section storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, a thermal camera photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image, a direction controller sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermal camera within the area being photographed, a thermal-image generating section combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermal camera, an image-synthesizing section synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating section, and a display displaying the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing section.
35 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
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imaging means for photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area; panorama-image generating means for generating a panorama image by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the imaging means, the panorama-image generating means generating the panorama image by spatially combining the plurality of unit images such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images; panorama-image storage/management means for storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means; thermography imaging means for photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image; direction control means for sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging means within the area being photographed; thermal-image generating means for combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging means, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area, the thermal-image generating means generating the panorama thermal image by spatially combining the plurality of thermal images such that the panorama thermal image is larger than any of the thermal images; image-synthesizing means for synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating means to create a synthesized image; and image-displaying means for displaying the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An imaging method comprising:
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photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area; generating a panorama image by spatially combining a plurality of unit images obtained in the photographing such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images; storing and managing the panorama image generated in the generating a panorama image; controlling a thermography imaging unit for photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image, while sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging unit within the area being photographed; generating a panorama thermal image of the entire area by spatially combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging unit such that the panorama thermal image is larger than any of the thermal images; synthesizing the panorama image generated in the generating a panorama image with the panorama thermal image generated in the generating a panorama thermal image to create a single synthesized image including both image and thermal data; and displaying the synthesized image generated in the synthesizing. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
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photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area; generating a panorama image by spatially combining a plurality of unit images obtained in the photographing such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images; storing and managing the panorama image generated in the generating a panorama image; controlling a thermal camera in a thermography imaging unit that photographs an object having a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image, while sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging unit within the area being photographed; generating a panorama thermal image of the entire area by spatially combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging unit such that the panorama thermal image is larger than any of the thermal images; synthesizing the panorama image generated in the generating a panorama image with the panorama thermal image generated in the generating a panorama thermal image to create a single synthesized image including both image and thermal data; and displaying the synthesized image generated in the synthesizing.
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10. An imaging system comprising:
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imaging means; thermography imaging means for photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image; a control apparatus including; panorama-image generating means for generating a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the imaging means, the panorama-image generating means generating the panorama image by spatially combining the plurality of unit images such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images; panorama-image storage/management means for storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means; direction control means for sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging means within the area being photographed; thermal-image generating means for combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging means, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area, the thermal-image generating means generating the panorama thermal image by spatially combining the plurality of thermal images such that the panorama thermal image is larger than any of the thermal images; and image-synthesizing means for synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating means; and at least one terminal device that is configured to access the control apparatus through a network, to acquire the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing means, by accessing the control apparatus, and to display the synthesized image acquired.
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11. An imaging apparatus comprising:
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a camera unit; a panorama-image generating section configured to generate a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the camera unit, the panorama-image generating section configured to generate the panorama image by spatially combining the plurality of unit images such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images; a panorama-image storage/management section configured to store and manage the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section; a thermal camera configured to photograph an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image; a direction controller configured to sequentially shift the photographing direction of the thermal camera within the area being photographed; a thermal-image generating section configured to combine a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermal camera, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area, the thermal-image generating section configured to generate the panorama thermal image by spatially combining the plurality of thermal images such that the panorama thermal image is larger than any of the thermal images; an image-synthesizing section configured to synthesize the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating section; a display configured to display the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing section.
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12. An imaging system comprising:
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a camera unit; a thermal camera configured to photograph an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image; a control apparatus including; a panorama-image generating section configured to generate a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the camera unit, the panorama-image generating section configured to generate the panorama image by spatially combining the plurality of unit images such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images; a panorama-image storage/management section configured to store and manage the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section; a direction controller configured to sequentially shift the photographing direction of the thermal camera within the area being photographed; a thermal-image generating section configured to combine a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermal camera, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area, the thermal-image generating section configured to generate the panorama thermal image by spatially combining the plurality of thermal images such that the panorama thermal image is larger than any of the thermal images; and an image-synthesizing section configured to synthesize the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating section; and at least one terminal device that is configured to access the control apparatus through a network, to acquire the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing section, by accessing the control apparatus, and to display the synthesized image acquired.
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Specification