Concealed object recognition

• US 7,477,797 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intergraph Software Technologies Company
• Original Assignee: Intergraph Software Technologies Company
• Inventors: Grindstaff, Gene Arthur, McKay, Therman Ward III, Fletcher, Susan Heath Calvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi; Amir
• Application Number:
  US11/441,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20060215926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 382/162, 382/164, 382/168, 382/170, 382260-264, 382/272, 382/276, 382/277, 382/305, 348/207, 358/3.26, 358/515, 358/519, 358/521, 358/522, 358/523, 358/530, 345/589, 345/590, 345/591, 345/619, 345/620, 345/629, 396/567, 396/569, 396/604, 396/612, 378/9
• US Class Current: 382/260
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/20 Image preprocessing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/646 for image enhancement, e.g. vertical detail restoration, cross-colour elimination, contour correction, chrominance trapping filters

Abstract

A method for viewing a first object that is obstructed by a second object. In such a method, the first object has a contrasting color to the second object and the second object is constructed from a material that allows visible light to pass therethrough. The amount of visible light that passes through the second object is not enough such that the first object is visible to the human eye. The method involves taking a digital image of the first and second object using a visible light sensor, such as a CCD camera sensor. The digital image data that is received into a computer system contains both first object data and second object data. It should be understood that the first object data and the second object data include color information. The amount of contrast between the first and the second object should be approximately 10% of the total scale such that on a 256 color scale the difference is approximately 25 levels. The computer system substantially filters out the second object data and then the values associated with the first object data are increased until the data is visibly displayable.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a first object concealed by a second object, the system comprising:

a processor for receiving a digital image from a camera wherein the digital image includes first object data and second object data and processing the digital image to filter out the second object data and increasing the values of the first object data until visibly displayable; and

a display for displaying the first object data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein prior to processing the first object data, the first object would not be visible if displayed on a display.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a camera for taking a digital image using visible light, the digital image containing data representative of the first object and of the second object.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the camera includes a CCD sensor.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second objects are of contrasting colors.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface;

where the processor outputs a histogram of the data representative of the first object and the second object and wherein the user interface receives input for selection of at least a portion of the second object data for filtering based on the histogram.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first and second object data contain color information and the processor filters out the second object data by increasing the gamma level for the second object data.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the processor filters out the second object data by increasing brightness on the display and increasing the gamma level.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein the processor converts the first object data and second object data to greyscale prior to filtering the second object data.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein after the processor converts the first and second object data to greyscale, if the processor determines that the second object has a substantially lower average greyscale value than the first object, the processor inverts the greyscale values for the first and second objects.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the processor receives a user activated signal and the processor increases a gamma correction value.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the gamma correction value is increased at or above 5.