Acoustic video camera and systems incorporating acoustic video cameras

• US 8,638,362 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Reson A/S (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Teledyne BlueView, Inc.
• Inventors: Thompson, R. Lee, Seawall, Jason L., Bachelor, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US12/125,025
• Time in Patent Office: 2,078 Days
• Field of Search: 348/81
• US Class Current: 348/81
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An acoustic video camera system uses acoustic data acquisition systems to produce digital video imagery capable of interfacing with host equipment that operates using standard video formats compatible with video images obtained using optical systems. The acoustic video camera comprises an Acoustic Imager, a Digital Image Compression Component, an I/O and Processing component, and, optionally, an Image Analytics Component. System analytics may provide automated target identification and tracking. All of these components may be incorporated in a submersible acoustic imaging unit having communications capability for interfacing with a host display and control system.

Claims

1. An acoustic camera system comprising;

a sonar system that collects acoustic image data in an underwater environment;

a digital image compression component that compresses and formats the acoustic image data to provide digital image output that is compatible with digital image display and processing systems suitable for displaying images obtained using optical technologies; and

an industry-standard video camera interface, wherein the acoustic camera system provides direct plug and play compatibility between the sonar system that collects acoustic image data in an underwater environment and digital video display and surveillance systems that are compatible with digital image display and processing systems designed for displaying and processing images obtained using optical technologies; and

the digital image compression component is capable of producing at least one of the following types of images;

2D, 2D surfaces in 3D space, and 3D volumetric images.

2. A distributed monitoring system comprising a plurality of acoustic camera systems of claim 1, each of the acoustic camera systems being in communication with a centralized host system having image display capabilities.

3. A distributed monitoring system of claim 2, additionally comprising at least one optical video camera in communication with the host system.

4. The distributed monitoring system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the acoustic camera systems incorporates a self-geo-referencing capability that can be monitored by the host system.

5. The acoustic camera system of claim 1, additionally comprising an image analytics component that applies image processing to the digital image output to detect changes in the images over time.

6. The acoustic camera system of claim 1, additionally comprising an image analytics component that applies image processing to the digital image output for mining information from the images.

7. An acoustic camera system comprising a sonar system having at least one transmit and/or receive acoustic array configured for collecting underwater acoustic image data;

a digital image processing component configured for processing the underwater acoustic image data to produce images in a digital image format that is compatible with optical digital image processing and analytics components, wherein the sonar system and the digital image processing component are mounted in an integrated, submersible sonar system housing; and

the digital image processing component is capable of producing at least one of the following types of images;

2D, 2D surfaces in 3D space, and 3D volumetric images.

8. An acoustic camera system of claim 7, wherein the digital image processing component provides digital image compression.

9. An acoustic camera system of claim 7, wherein the digital image processing component is provided as a beam forming, compression and video conversion card.

10. An acoustic camera system of claim 7, additionally comprising a digital image analytics component.

11. An acoustic camera system of claim 10, wherein the digital image analytics component integrates analytics capable of detecting moving objects.

12. An acoustic camera system of claim 7, wherein the acoustic transmit and receive array(s) provide a wide field of view greater than 45°

.

13. An acoustic camera system of claim 7, additionally comprising output capability for high speed transmission of digital images.

14. An acoustic camera system of claim 7, additionally comprising ethernet-based control and data transmission capability.

15. An acoustic camera system of claim 7 that is capable of interfacing with a monitor displaying digital images output from the acoustic camera system intermittently or on a substantially continuous basis.

16. An acoustic camera system of claim 15, additionally comprising a digital image analytics component incorporating analytics capable of detecting moving objects, and wherein the monitor is capable of displaying digital images output from the acoustic video camera that identify moving objects within an image.

17. An acoustic camera system of claim 15, wherein the analytics component is additionally capable of tracking moving objects, and wherein the monitor is capable of displaying digital images output from the acoustic camera that track moving objects within an image.

18. An acoustic camera system of claim 7, additionally comprising navigational components capable of providing self-geo-referencing data and communications components capable of communicating the self-geo-referencing data to a host system.

19. The acoustic camera system of claim 7, wherein the acoustic data acquisition system comprises a frequency steered underwater imager.

20. The acoustic camera system of claim 7, wherein the acoustic data acquisition system is beam formed using at least one of the following techniques:

time frequency beam forming, conventional time and/or phase-delay-based beam forming, and lens-based beam forming.

21. The acoustic camera system of claim 7, wherein the data acquisition system is capable of movement resulting from at least one of the following scanning techniques:

rotational scanning motor, translational scanning motor, and vehicle motion.