System and method for capturing images of a target area on which information is recorded
First Claim
1. A system for capturing an image of a target area on which information is recorded comprising:
- at least one imaging device capturing an image of said target area; and
a processor in communication with said at least one imaging device, said processor receiving image data from said at least one imaging device and processing said image data to detect the presence of obstacles in the captured image, wherein during said processing said processor;
compares the captured image with a reference image and computes a negative difference image by calculating, for corresponding pixels in said reference and captured images the pixel value;
(255−
|Rij−
Cij|)where;
Rij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the reference image; and
Cij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the captured image; and
counts the number of pixels of the difference image having values suggestive of an obstacle and compares the number with a threshold value to detect the presence of an obstacle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for capturing images of a target area on which information is recorded includes a boom assembly adapted to extend outwardly from a generally vertical surface. At least one digital camera is mounted on the boom assembly at a location spaced from the surface. The at least one digital camera is oriented so that the field of view thereof encompasses a target area on the surface. A controller is in communication with the at least one digital camera. The controller conditions the at least one digital camera to acquire an image of the target area. The image acquired by the at least one digital camera is conveyed to the controller and is processed to determine if an obstacle blocking the target area is in the captured image. If so, the captured image is not further processed and additional images are acquired until an image of the target area is captured without the obstacle therein.
27 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A system for capturing an image of a target area on which information is recorded comprising:
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at least one imaging device capturing an image of said target area; and a processor in communication with said at least one imaging device, said processor receiving image data from said at least one imaging device and processing said image data to detect the presence of obstacles in the captured image, wherein during said processing said processor; compares the captured image with a reference image and computes a negative difference image by calculating, for corresponding pixels in said reference and captured images the pixel value;
(255−
|Rij−
Cij|)where; Rij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the reference image; and Cij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the captured image; and counts the number of pixels of the difference image having values suggestive of an obstacle and compares the number with a threshold value to detect the presence of an obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A camera-based system for capturing an image of a target area comprising:
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a generally horizontally extending boom assembly, said boom assembly being positioned above a target area on which information is recorded; at least one digital camera mounted on said boom assembly at a location spaced from the plane of said target area, said at least one digital camera being oriented so that the field of view thereof encompasses said target area; and a processor in communication with said at least one digital camera, said processor receiving image data from said at least one digital camera and processing said image data to detect the presence of an obstacle in the captured image, said processor conditioning said at least one digital camera to acquire another image of said target area if the presence of an obstacle in said captured image is detected, wherein during said processing, said processor; compares the captured image with a reference image and computes a negative difference image by calculating, for corresponding pixels in said reference and captured images the pixel value;
(255−
|Rij−
Cij|)where; Rij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the reference image; and Cij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the captured image; and counts the number of pixels of the difference image having values suggestive of an obstacle and compares the number with a threshold value to detect the presence of an obstacle in the captured image. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of detecting the presence of an obstacle in front of a background surface on which information is to be recorded, in an image of said background surface captured by at least one imaging device, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving by a processor image data from the at least one imaging device; comparing the image data with a reference image and computing a negative difference image by calculating, for corresponding pixels in said reference image and image data the pixel value;
(255−
|Rij−
Cij|)where; Rij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the reference image; and Cij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the image data; and examining the negative difference image to determine if the negative difference image has pixels with values suggestive of an obstacle; and conditioning said at least one digital camera to acquire another image if the presence of an obstacle in said captured image is detected. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A system for capturing an image of a target area on which information is recorded comprising:
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at least one imaging device capturing an image of said target area; and a processor in communication with said at least one imaging device, said processor receiving image data from said at least one imaging device and processing said image data to detect the existence of an obstacle in the captured image, wherein during said processing said processor compares the captured image with a reference image to compute a negative difference image and examines the negative difference image to determine if pixels values thereof are suggestive of the existence of an obstacle, and wherein said negative difference image is computed by calculating, for corresponding pixels in said reference and captured images the pixel value;
(255−
|Rij−
Cij|)where; Rij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the reference image; and Cij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the captured image. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A camera-based system for capturing an image of a target area comprising:
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a generally horizontally extending boom assembly, said boom assembly being positioned above a target area on which information is recorded; at least one digital camera mounted on said boom assembly at a location spaced from the plane of said target area, said at least one digital camera being oriented so that the field of view thereof encompasses said target area; and a processor in communication with said at least one digital camera, said processor receiving image data from said at least one digital camera and processing said image data to detect the existence of an obstacle in the captured image, said processor conditioning said at least one digital camera to acquire another image of said target area if the existence of an obstacle in said captured image is detected, wherein during said processing, said processor compares the captured image with a reference image to compute a negative difference image and examines the negative difference image to determine if pixel values thereof are suggestive of the existence of an obstacle, and wherein said negative difference image is computed by calculating, for corresponding pixels in said reference and captured images the pixel value;
(255−
|Rij−
Cij|)where; Rij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the reference image; and Cij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the captured image. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of detecting the presence of an obstacle in front of a background surface on which information is to be recorded, in an image of said background surface captured by at least one imaging device, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving by a processor image data from the at least one imaging device; comparing the image data with a reference image and computing a negative difference image by calculating, for corresponding pixels in said reference image and image data the pixel value;
(255−
|Rij−
Cij|)where; Rij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the reference image; and Cij is the binary form of the pixel at the ith row and jth column in the image data; and examining the negative difference image to determine if the negative difference image has pixels with values suggestive of an obstacle; and conditioning said at least one imaging device to acquire another image if the presence of an obstacle in said captured image is detected. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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Specification