Infant monitoring systems and methods using thermal imaging

• US 9,843,743 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lewis, Earl R., Teich, Andrew C., Frank, Jeffrey D., Stout, Arthur, Hgasten, Nicholas, Hoelter, Theodore R., Strandemar, Katrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Leron
• Application Number:
  US13/940,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 348143
• 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 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/21 for transforming thermal infrared radiation into image signals
• 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 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Various techniques are disclosed for systems and methods using thermal imaging to monitor an infant or other persons that may need observation. For example, an infant monitoring system may include an infrared imaging module, a visible light camera, a processor, a display, a communication module, and a memory. The monitoring system may capture thermal images of a scene including at least a partial view of an infant, using the infrared imaging module enclosed in a portable or mountable housing configured to be positioned for remote monitoring of the infant. Various thermal image processing and analysis operations may be performed on the thermal images to generate monitoring information relating to the infant. The monitoring information may include various alarms that actively provide warnings to caregivers, and user-viewable images of the scene. The monitoring information may be presented at external devices or the display located remotely for convenient viewing by caregivers.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

an infrared imaging module comprising a focal plane array (FPA) configured to capture thermal images of a scene within a field of view (FOV) of the infrared imaging module;

a housing at least partially enclosing the infrared imaging module and configured to be positioned to place at least a portion of an infant within the FOV; and

a processor in communication with the infrared imaging module and the visible light camera, the processor configured to;

track an oronasal region of the infant in the thermal images;

analyze thermal data in pixels of the thermal images corresponding to the tracked oronasal region to detect a periodic presence of CO₂ gas imaged in the tracked oronasal region represented by a periodic variation in the thermal data;

determine whether the infant is breathing normally based on the analysis of the thermal data in the pixels corresponding to the tracked oronasal region to detect the periodic presence of the imaged CO₂ gas; and

generate monitoring information relating to the infant, the monitoring information comprising an alarm generated in response to determining that the infant is not breathing normally.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the housing also substantially encloses the processor, the monitoring system further comprising:

a visible light camera having a FOV at least partially overlapping the FOV of the infrared imaging module, the visible light camera configured to capture visible light images of at least a portion of the scene; and

a communication module configured to transmit at least one user-viewable image over a network to an external device,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

track the oronasal region of the infant in the thermal images by analyzing the visible light images, the thermal images, or both;

derive high spatial frequency content from at least one of the visible light images; and

generate the at least one user-viewable image of the scene using at least one of the thermal images by adding the high spatial frequency content to the at least one thermal image to improve contrast and edge detail in the at least one user-viewable image.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processor is positioned remotely from the infrared imaging module and the housing.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

analyze the thermal images to determine a body temperature of the infant;

determine whether the body temperature of the infant is normal; and

generate an alarm upon a determination that the body temperature of the infant is abnormal.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

analyze the thermal images to determine a posture of the infant;

determine whether the posture of the infant is a posture selected by a user; and

generate an alarm upon a determination that the posture matches the posture selected by the user.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

analyze the thermal images to detect the infant from the scene; and

generate an alarm if the infant is undetected in the thermal images or if the infant is undetected in an area defined by a user.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to;

track a facial area of the infant in the thermal images;

analyze thermal data in pixels of the thermal images corresponding to the tracked facial area to detect a presence of pixels representing radiometric properties distinct from those of the infant'"'"'s skin or exhaled breaths; and

determine whether a foreign substance is present in the facial area of the infant based on the analysis of the thermal data to detect the presence of the pixel representing radiometric properties distinct from those of the infant'"'"'s skin or exhaled breaths; and

the monitoring information further comprises an alarm generated in response to determining that the foreign substance is present in the facial area of the infant.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the thermal images are unblurred thermal images of the scene;

the infrared imaging module is configured to capture intentionally blurred thermal images of the scene; and

the processor is configured to determine a plurality of non-uniform correction (NUC) terms based on the intentionally blurred thermal images and apply the NUC terms to the unblurred thermal images to remove noise from the unblurred thermal images.

17. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

detect the periodic presence of CO₂ gas by detecting a periodic variation in the temperature and/or shape of the tracked oronasal region represented by the periodic variation in the thermal data; and

determine whether the infant is breathing normally based on the analysis of the thermal data in the pixels corresponding to the tracked oronasal region to detect the periodic variation in the temperature and/or shape of the tracked oronasal region.

9. A method comprising:

capturing, at a focal plane array (FPA) of an infrared imaging module, thermal images of a scene within a field of view (FOV) of the infrared imaging module, wherein the infrared imaging module is positioned so that at least a portion of an infant is placed within the FOV of the infrared imaging module;

tracking an oronasal region of the infant in the thermal images;

analyzing thermal data in pixels of the thermal images corresponding to the tracked oronasal region to detect a periodic presence of CO₂ as imaged in the tracked oronasal region represented by a periodic variation in the thermal data;

determining whether the infant is breathing normally based on the analysis of the thermal data in the pixels corresponding to the tracked oronasal region to detect the periodic presence of the imaged;

CO₂ gas; and

generating monitoring information relating to the infant, the monitoring information comprising an alarm generated in response to determining that the infant is not breathing normally.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

capturing, using a visible light camera having an FOV at least partially overlapping the FOV of the infrared imaging module, visible light images of at least a portion of the scene;

deriving high spatial frequency content from at least one of the visible light images;

generating at least one user-viewable image of the scene using at least one of the thermal images by adding the high spatial frequency content to the at least one thermal image to improve contrast and edge detail in the at least one user-viewable image; and

transmitting the at least one user-viewable image over a network to an external device,

wherein the tracking of the oronasal region of the infant in the thermal images is by analyzing the visible light images, the thermal images, or both.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating is performed by a processor positioned remotely from the infrared imaging module.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

analyzing the thermal images to determine a body temperature of the infant;

determining whether the body temperature of the infant is normal; and

generating an alarm upon a determination that the body temperature of the infant is abnormal.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

analyzing the thermal images to determine a posture of the infant;

determining whether the posture of the infant is one of postures selected by a user; and

generating an alarm upon a determination that the posture matches one of the postures selected by the user.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

analyzing the thermal images to detect the infant from the scene; and

generating an alarm if the infant is undetected in the scene or if the infant is undetected in an area defined by a user.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

tracking a facial area of the infant in the thermal images;

analyzing thermal data in pixels of the thermal images corresponding to the tracked facial area to detect a presence of pixels representing radiometric properties distinct from those of the infant'"'"'s skin or exhaled breaths; and

determining whether a foreign substance is present in the facial area of the infant based on the analysis of the thermal data to detect the presence of the pixel representing radiometric properties distinct from those of the infant'"'"'s skin or exhaled breaths;

wherein the monitoring information further comprises an alarm generated in response to determining that the foreign substance is present in the facial area of the infant.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the thermal images are unblurred thermal images, the method further comprising:

capturing intentionally blurred thermal images of the scene;

determining a plurality of non-uniform correction (NUC) terms based on the intentionally blurred thermal images; and

applying the NUC terms to the unblurred thermal images to remove noise from the unblurred thermal images.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the analyzing of the thermal data in the pixels corresponding to the tracked oronasal region to detect the periodic presence of CO₂ comprises detecting a periodic variation the temperature and/or shape of the tracked oronasal region represented by the periodic variation in the thermal data; and

determining of whether the infant is breathing normally is based on the analyzing of the thermal data in the pixels corresponding to the tracked oronasal region to detect the periodic variation in the temperature and/or shape of the tracked oronasal region.