Moving object scanning apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus for scanning a moving object, the apparatus having a sensor oriented to collect a series of images of the object as it passes through a sensor field of view and image processing means arranged to input the series of images and to form a composite image therefrom, the image processing means including:
- a) motion estimating means for generating an estimate of object image motion between images in the series of images, including image analysing means for deriving, for pixels within a current image from the series of images, likelihood measures indicating likelihoods of respective pixels corresponding to parts of the object; and
b) display processing means for generating a composite image to which the series of images contributes at positions derived from estimated object image motion;
whereini) the series of images includes a predecessor image obtained prior to the current image, and the motion estimating means is arranged to generate an estimate of object image motion between the current image and the predecessor image from image pixels weighted in accordance with the likelihood measure, andii) the likelihood measure is derived from intensity of the current image pixel, intensity of a second pixel located in the predecessor image equivalently to the current image pixel, and intensity of a third pixel which is in the predecessor image and is estimated to be imaging an object region which is the same as that imaged by the current image pixel, the third pixel having a location derived by compensation for object motion, and estimates of standard deviations of noise in the object image intensity and background image intensity σ
b in accordance with equations as follows;
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for scanning a moving object includes a visible waveband sensor 12 oriented to collect a series of images of the object as it passes through a field of view 16. An image processor 14 uses the series of images to form a composite image. The image processor 14 stores image pixel data for a current image and a predecessor image in the series. It uses information in the current image and its predecessor to analyse images and derive likelihood measures indicating probabilities that current image pixels correspond to parts of the object. The image processor 14 estimates motion between the current image and its predecessor from likelihood weighted pixels. It generates the composite image from frames positioned according to respective estimates of object image motion. Image motion may alternatively be detected by a speed sensor such as a Doppler radar 200 sensing object motion directly and providing image timing signals.
38 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for scanning a moving object, the apparatus having a sensor oriented to collect a series of images of the object as it passes through a sensor field of view and image processing means arranged to input the series of images and to form a composite image therefrom, the image processing means including:
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a) motion estimating means for generating an estimate of object image motion between images in the series of images, including image analysing means for deriving, for pixels within a current image from the series of images, likelihood measures indicating likelihoods of respective pixels corresponding to parts of the object; and b) display processing means for generating a composite image to which the series of images contributes at positions derived from estimated object image motion;
whereini) the series of images includes a predecessor image obtained prior to the current image, and the motion estimating means is arranged to generate an estimate of object image motion between the current image and the predecessor image from image pixels weighted in accordance with the likelihood measure, and ii) the likelihood measure is derived from intensity of the current image pixel, intensity of a second pixel located in the predecessor image equivalently to the current image pixel, and intensity of a third pixel which is in the predecessor image and is estimated to be imaging an object region which is the same as that imaged by the current image pixel, the third pixel having a location derived by compensation for object motion, and estimates of standard deviations of noise in the object image intensity and background image intensity σ
b in accordance with equations as follows;- View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An apparatus for scanning a moving object, the apparatus having a sensor oriented to collect a series of images of the object as it passes through a sensor field of view and image processing means arranged to input the series of images and to form a composite image therefrom, the image processing means including:
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a) motion estimating means for generating an estimate of object image motion between images in the series of images, including image analysing means for deriving, for pixels within a current image from the series of images, likelihood measures indicating likelihoods of respective pixels corresponding to parts of the object; and b) display processing means for generating a composite image to which the series of images contributes at positions derived from estimated object image motion;
whereini) the series of images includes a predecessor image obtained prior to the current image, and the motion estimating means is arranged to generate an estimate of object image motion between the current image and the predecessor image from image pixels weighted in accordance with the likelihood measure, and ii) the likelihood measure is derived from intensity of the current image pixel, intensity of a second pixel equivalently located in its predecessor and intensity of a third pixel which is in the predecessor image and which is estimated to be imaging an object region which is the same as that imaged by the current image pixel, the third pixel having a location derived by compensation for object motion, and the likelihood measure being given by; where wf(x,y) is the likelihood measure, Ipt(x,y), Ipt−
1(x,y) and Ipt−
1(x+Δ
xi,y) are the intensities of the first, second and third pixels respectively, n is a positive number and c is a non-negative constant.- View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of constructing a composite image from a series of images taken at a sensor as an object moves through a field of view of the sensor, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) inputting a current image for processing; b) deriving an estimate of object image motion and associating a respective estimate of object image motion with each image when designated as a current image; c) associating the current image with a respective position in a data accumulator derived from summation of estimates of object image motion for the current image and like estimates obtained for earlier captured images in the series; d) designating successive images in the series of images as the current image and iterating steps a) to c) for each current image so designated; and e) constructing a composite image to which the series of image frames contributes from image central portions located according to respective positions in said data accumulator; wherein step c) also includes the step of incrementing a count accumulator at pixel positions corresponding to those to which data is added to the data accumulator as appropriate to indicate the number of such additions for each pixel, and step e) comprises the step of dividing data accumulator pixel values with respective correspondingly positioned count accumulator pixel values. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification