Infrared camera systems and methods for maritime applications

• US 8,384,780 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frank, Jeffrey D., Richardson, Patrick B., Woolaway, James T., Richards, Austin A., Hgasten, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US11/946,801
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/148, 348/159, 348/164, 701/21
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20061 Hough transform
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/90 Dynamic range modification of images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/00 Image analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/08 responsive to the presence of persons in a body of water, e.g. a swimming pool; responsive to an abnormal condition of a body of water
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for some embodiments infrared camera systems for maritime applications. For example in one embodiment, a watercraft includes a plurality of image capture components coupled to the watercraft to capture infrared images around at least a substantial portion of a perimeter of the watercraft; a memory component adapted to store the captured infrared images; a processing component adapted to process the captured infrared images according to a man overboard mode of operation to provide processed infrared images and determine if a person falls from the watercraft; and a display component adapted to display the processed infrared images.

Claims

1. A watercraft comprising:

a plurality of image capture components coupled to the watercraft to capture infrared images around at least a substantial portion of a perimeter of the watercraft;

a memory component adapted to store the captured infrared images;

a processing component adapted to process the captured infrared images according to a man overboard mode of operation to provide processed infrared images and to determine if a person falls from the watercraft, wherein the man overboard mode of operation causes the processing component to apply a high pass filter to the captured infrared images to generate the processed infrared images; and

a display component adapted to display the processed infrared images.

2. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a control component adapted to provide a plurality of selectable processing modes to a user, receive a user input corresponding to a user selected processing mode, and generate a control signal indicative of the user selected processing mode, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes includes a night cruising mode, a day cruising mode, and the man overboard mode, and wherein the processing component is further adapted to receive the control signal and process the captured infrared images according to the user selected processing mode.

3. The watercraft of claim 2, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes further includes a night docking mode, a hazy conditions mode, and a shoreline mode.

4. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the processing component is adapted to generate an alert if the processing component determines that a person fell from the watercraft, and wherein the processing component is further adapted to provide a location and/or a time if the processing component determines that a person fell from the watercraft.

5. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a searchlight component adapted to project a beam of light towards a position of the person based on information from the processing component.

6. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the display component is adapted to display the processed infrared image in a red color palette or a green color palette.

7. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the processing component is further adapted to colorize the image.

8. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a sensing component adapted to provide environmental information to the processing component.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of infrared images around at least a substantial portion of a perimeter of a watercraft;

storing the infrared images;

processing the infrared images according to a man overboard mode of operation to provide a plurality of processed infrared images;

determining if a man overboard condition exists based on the processed infrared images;

generating an alert signal if a man overboard condition exists based on the determining; and

providing a plurality of selectable processing modes, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes includes a night docking mode, the man overboard mode, and a night cruising mode, and wherein the processing of the infrared images is further performed according to the selected processing mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes further includes a day cruising mode, a hazy conditions mode, and a shoreline mode.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying the processed infrared images; and

recording a time and a location corresponding to the obtained infrared images.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising projecting a beam of light onto an area of interest based on the determining.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the alert signal comprises at least one of an audio signal and a visual signal.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the processed infrared images in a red color palette or a green color palette.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising colorizing the processed infrared images and displaying the processed infrared images.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising sensing environmental conditions proximate to the watercraft, wherein the environmental condition includes temperature.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored executable instructions that upon execution cause a processor to:

obtain a plurality of infrared images around at least a substantial portion of a perimeter of a watercraft;

process the infrared images according to a man overboard mode of operation to provide a plurality of processed infrared images;

determine if a man overboard condition exists based on the processed infrared images; and

generate an alert signal if a man overboard condition exists based on the determination, wherein the instructions further includes instructions for a plurality of selectable processing modes, and wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes includes a night docking mode, the man overboard mode, and a night cruising mode, and wherein the processing of the infrared images is further performed according to the selected processing mode.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes further includes a day cruising mode, a hazy conditions mode, and a shoreline mode.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for projecting a beam of light onto an area of interest based on the determining.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for displaying the processed infrared images.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for colorizing the processed infrared images and for displaying the processed infrared images.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for receiving environmental conditions proximate to the watercraft, wherein the environmental condition includes temperature.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for obtaining time and location information corresponding to the obtaining of the plurality of infrared images.