Camera, computer program and method for measuring thermal radiation and thermal rates of change

• US 9,684,978 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Abreo, Gabriel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US15/186,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20160300364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/202 Arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/068 by controlling parameters other than temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0805 Means for chopping radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/20 using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/485 Temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 from thermal infrared radiation
• 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, computer program, and method for determining and displaying temperature rates of change for regions within the camera'"'"'s field of view. More specifically, the embodiments provide for the continuous, real-time temperature measurement and display of a plurality of objects within the camera'"'"'s field of view, and further for the real-time processing and display of the temperature rates of change for the region.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, is operable to measure temperature rates of change of a first region within a field of view of a thermal imaging camera according to the following:

detect, via at least one infrared radiation sensor associated with the thermal imaging camera, an intensity of thermal radiation incident upon said sensor during one or more thermal scenes;

store, in a memory element associated with the thermal imaging camera, data comprising the intensity level of thermal radiation incident upon the sensor during the one or more thermal scenes;

automatically manipulate the data to determine continuously updated temperature rates of change of said first region within the camera'"'"'s field of view and generate continuously updated video representations of the temperature rates of change of said first region,

wherein the rates of change are determined by comparing the data detected by the sensor between at least two of the one or more thermal scenes;

present, in real time and on a display associated with the thermal imaging camera, the continuously updated video representations of the temperature rates of change of said first region; and

present, on the display, a magnitude of the temperature rate of change as a graphic color display, with negative temperature rates of change displayed in shades of a first color and positive temperature rates of change displayed in shades of a second color.

2. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first region corresponds to a single object present in the field of view.

3. The computer-readable media of claim 2, further operable to track motion of the object within the field of view.

4. The computer-readable media of claim 1, further operable to perform one or more of the following:

temperature drift correction, pattern recognition, spatial noise filtering, and temporal noise filtering.

5. The computer-readable media of claim 1, further operable to present, on the display, at least one of the following:

minimum, maximum, and average temperatures of the first region.

6. The computer-readable media of claim 1, further operable to:

automatically manipulate the data to determine continuously updated temperature rates of change of a second region within the camera'"'"'s field of view and generate continuously updated video representations of the temperature rates of change of said second region; and

present, in real time and on the display, the continuously updated video representations of the temperature rates of change of said second region.

7. The computer-readable media of claim 1, further operable to:

determine a temperature rate of change and a direction of the temperature rate of change between the first region and a second region of the one or more thermal scenes; and

present, on the display, a magnitude and the direction of the temperature rate of change between the first region and the second region.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein presenting the direction of the temperature rate of change between the first region and the second region includes presenting an arrow from the first region to the second region, or from the second region to the first region.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the magnitude of the temperature rate of change between the first region and the second region corresponds to a size of the arrow, a larger size of the arrow indicating a larger rate of temperature rate of change between the first region and the second region than a smaller size of the arrow.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the magnitude of the temperature rate of change between the first region and the second region corresponds to a color of the arrow, a darker shade of the color indicating a larger temperature rate of change between the first region and the second region than a lighter shade of the color.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 7, further operable to receive a selection, from a user, of the first region and the second region before determining the temperature rate of change between the first region and the second region.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 1, further operable to:

detect a pattern in a first thermal scene of the one or more thermal scenes;

store the detected pattern from the first thermal scene in the memory element;

detect one or more patterns in a subsequent thermal scene of the one or more thermal scenes; and

compare the detected one or more patterns from the subsequent thermal scene to the detected pattern from the first thermal scene.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 12, further operable to:

determine, based on the comparison, whether the detected pattern from the first thermal scene is present in the subsequent thermal scene; and

present, in real time and on the display, continuously updated video representations of temperature rates of change of the detected pattern from the first thermal scene in the subsequent thermal scene, if the detected pattern from the first thermal scene is present in the subsequent thermal scene.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the detected pattern from the first thermal scene is located in a first position in the first thermal scene, and in a second position different than the first position in the subsequent thermal scene, and the continuously updated video representations of temperature rates of change of the detected pattern from the first thermal scene are presented in the second position in the subsequent thermal scene.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the continuously updated video representations of temperature rates of change of the detected pattern from the first thermal scene presented in the second position in the subsequent thermal scene are based on differences in temperatures of the detected pattern from the first scene at the first position during the first scene, and the temperatures of the detected pattern from the first scene at the second position during the subsequent scene.

16. A computer-implemented method operable to measure temperature rates of change of a first region within a field of view of a thermal imaging camera according to the following:

detecting, via at least one infrared radiation sensor associated with the thermal imaging camera, an intensity of thermal radiation incident upon said sensor during one or more thermal scenes;

storing, in a memory element associated with the thermal imaging camera, data comprising the intensity level of thermal radiation incident upon the sensor during the one or more thermal scenes;

detecting, from the data, a pattern in a first thermal scene of the one or more thermal scenes;

storing the detected pattern from the first thermal scene in the memory element;

detecting one or more patterns in a subsequent thermal scene of the one or more thermal scenes;

comparing the detected one or more patterns from the subsequent thermal scene to the detected pattern from the first thermal scene;

determining, based on the comparison whether the detected pattern from the first thermal scene is present in the subsequent thermal scene; and

presenting, in real time and on a display associated with the thermal imaging camera, continuously updated video representations of temperature rates of change of the detected pattern from the first thermal scene in the subsequent thermal scene, if the detected pattern from the first thermal scene is present in the subsequent thermal scene, wherein;

the detected pattern from the first thermal scene is located in a first position in the first thermal scene, and in a second position different than the first position in the subsequent thermal scene;

the continuously updated video representations of temperature rates of change of the detected pattern from the first thermal scene are presented in the second position in the subsequent thermal scene; and

the continuously updated video representations of temperature rates of change of the detected pattern from the first thermal scene presented in the second position in the subsequent thermal scene are based on differences in temperatures of the detected pattern from the first scene at the first position during the first scene, and the temperatures of the detected pattern from the first scene at the second position during the subsequent scene.

17. A computer-implemented method operable to measure temperature rates of change of a first region within a field of view of a thermal imaging camera according to the following:

detecting, via at least one infrared radiation sensor associated with the thermal imaging camera, an intensity of thermal radiation incident upon said sensor during one or more thermal scenes;

storing, in a memory element associated with the thermal imaging camera, data comprising the intensity level of thermal radiation incident upon the sensor during the one or more thermal scenes;

receiving a selection, from a user, of the first region and a second region;

after the selection, automatically manipulating the data to determine continuously updated temperature rates of change between the first region and the second region; and

presenting, in real time and on a display associated with the thermal imaging camera, a magnitude of the temperature rates of change between the first region and the second region, and a direction of the temperature rates of change between the first region and the second region, wherein presenting the direction of the temperature rates of change between the first region and the second region includes presenting an arrow from the first region to the second region, or from the second region to the first region.