System for extending a field-of-view of an image acquisition device

• US 9,413,956 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Signal Analysis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovative Signal Analysis, Inc.
• Inventors: Gibbs, Daniel P., Kniffen, Stacy K., Bailey, Weldon T., Dean, Jordan S., Becker, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US14/314,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 348/37
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/12 Picture reproducers H04N9/11 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting moving objects are provided. Systems illustratively include an image acquisition component, an image processing component, and a display component. Image acquisition components capture image data over a wide spatial area. Image processing components have dedicated algorithms for change detection and receive captured image data from image acquisition components. Image processing components utilize the captured data and the dedicated algorithms to perform image change detection. Display components receive processed image data from image processing components and provide visual indications that items of interest have been detected. Methods illustratively include obtaining first and second images covering a wide field-of-view. The second image is registered to and compared to the first image. Based at least in part on the comparison, a moving object within the wide field-of-view is detected. An indication of the moving object is provided.

Claims

1. A controller configured to control operation of an image acquisition component, the controller comprising:

a control signal receiver configured to receive a control signal, wherein the control signal comprises at least information regarding operation of a scan mirror and at least one image acquisition device;

an actuator configured to move the image acquisition device and the scan mirror in accordance with the received control signal;

a synchronizer that synchronizes the timing between the scan mirror and the image acquisition device;

a calibration unit that comprises at least calibration information related to the image acquisition device and the scan mirror;

wherein the calibration information comprises a look-up-table that stores at least one scan angular step size for the scan mirror and wherein the look-up-table maps a field-of-view of the image acquisition device to the scan angular step size for the scan mirror; and

wherein the look-up-table is automatically re-configurable such that it limits overlapping data and gaps in a series of images acquired by the image acquisition device.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the image acquisition device is a camera.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the synchronizer directs the scan mirror to step through a series of discrete scan angles in a scan range.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the synchronizer directs the scan mirror to move continuously through a series of scan angles in a scan range.