IR camera and method for presenting IR information

• US 8,212,210 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hargel, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, SHUN K
• Application Number:
  US12/025,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20090294666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 250/330
• US Class Current: 250/330
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0014 for sensing the radiation from gases, flames
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0846 having multiple detectors for performing different types of detection, e.g. using radiometry and reflectometry channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 from thermal infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20
• 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

Abstract

A camera arranged to generate an IR image and a visible light image is proposed, said camera comprising a thermal imaging part for registering IR radiation from a first field of view, a visible light imaging part for registering visible light from a second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view, and a processing device for processing the information related to the registered IR radiation and the registered visible light information. The processing device is arranged to identify any moving objects that are detectable by the thermal imaging part and not by the visible light imaging part, and presenting said moving objects, if any, in such a way that they will be easily recognizable by an operator.

Claims

1. A camera configured to generate an infrared (IR) image and a visible light image, said camera comprising:

a thermal imaging part configured to register IR radiation from a first field of view,

a visible light imaging part configured to register visible light from a second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view, and

a processing device configured to process information related to the registered IR radiation and the registered visible light,

wherein the processing device is configured to compare a moving object identified in the visible light image to a moving object identified in the thermal image and to determine if they represent that same moving object,

wherein the processing device is configured to further eliminate the same moving object that is detectable by the thermal imaging part and by the visible light imaging part to identify thermal-image-only moving objects; and

wherein the processing device is further configured to distinguish moving gas from other types of thermal-image-only moving objects by rejecting thermal-image-only moving objects that have edges above an edge threshold.

2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to determine a presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or the thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time, comparing the first and the second image, and determining the presence of a moving object based on the difference between the first and the second image.

3. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to filter out changes in intensity in the images that is below a preset threshold.

4. A camera according to claim 3, wherein the processing device is configured to determine a presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time, and determining the presence of a moving object based on a difference image between the first and the second image.

5. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to determine a presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time, and determining the presence of a moving object based on an “

optical flow”

method.

6. A camera according claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to align and stabilize the visible light image and the thermal image before identifying any moving objects in the images.

7. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to compare the moving objects in the visible light image and the thermal image on the basis of their position in the respective image, their size, and/or their shape.

8. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to mark any remaining moving objects detectable by the thermal imaging part and not by the visible light imaging part in the processed IR image by applying a suitable color.

9. A non-transitory computer program product stored on a processing device adapted to control a camera configured to generate IR images and visible light images, the camera comprising:

a thermal imaging part configured to register IR radiation from a first field of view,

a visible light imaging part configured to register visible light from a second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view,

said computer program product comprising computer readable code which, when run in the processing device, causes the processing device to;

compare a moving object identified in the visible light image to a moving object identified in the thermal image and to determine if they represent that same moving object;

eliminate the same moving object that is detectable by the thermal imaging part and by the visible light imaging part to identify thermal-image-only moving objects; and

distinguish moving gas from other types of thermal-image-only moving objects by rejecting those thermal-image-only moving objects that have edges above an edge threshold.

10. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein said computer-readable code is further configured to cause the processing device to filter out changes in intensity in the images that are below a preset threshold.

11. A computer program product according to claim 10, wherein said computer-readable code is further configured to cause the processing device to determine a presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or the thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time, comparing the first and the second image, and determining the presence of a moving object based on the difference image.

12. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein said computer-readable code is further configured to cause the processing device to determine a presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time, determining a difference image between the first and the second image, and determining the presence of a moving object based on the difference image.

13. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein said computer-readable code is further configured to cause the processing device to determine a presence of a moving object in the visible light image and/or thermal image, respectively, by obtaining a first image at a first point in time, obtaining a second image at a second point in time, and determining the presence of a moving object based on an “

optical flow”

method.

14. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein said computer-readable code is further configured to cause the processing device to align and stabilize the visible light image and the thermal image before identifying any moving objects in the images.

15. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein said computer-readable code is further configured to cause the processing device to compare the moving object in the visible light image and the thermal image on the basis of their position in the respective image, their size, and/or their shape.

16. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein said computer-readable code is further configured to cause the processing device to mark any remaining moving objects detectable by the thermal imaging part and not by the visible light imaging part in the processed IR image by applying a suitable color.