Imaging device and method, computer program product on computer-readable medium, and imaging system

• US 20060266942A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 7,459,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen

Abstract

A specific object such as a human body can be visualized in a wide range in a relation to its background night and day to definitely identify a location of the object in relation to the background as well in the infrared image captured by the infrared camera. The present invention provides an imaging device including a color camera unit for making color imaging with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic image, an infrared camera for imaging by infrared radiation measurement with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic infrared image, a server for storing/managing a panoramic color image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured in colors by the color camera unit one on the other and a panoramic infrared image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured by infrared radiation measurement by the infrared camera one on the other, an image synthesizer for overlaying, on an image of an object imaged by controlling the direction of imaging by the infrared camera to a desired one in a range of the imaging, a color image corresponding to a location, where the object has been imaged by the infrared camera, in a panoramic color image stored/managed in the server, and an image display for displaying an image produced by the overlaying by the image synthesizer.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a color imaging means for making color imaging with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic image;

an infrared imaging means for imaging by infrared radiation measurement with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic infrared image;

a panoramic image storing/managing means for storing/managing a panoramic color image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured in colors by the color imaging means one on the other and a panoramic infrared image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured by infrared radiation measurement by the infrared imaging means one on the other;

an image synthesizing means for overlaying, on an image of an object imaged by controlling the direction of imaging by the infrared imaging means to a desired one in a range of the imaging, a color image corresponding to a location, where the object has been imaged by the infrared imaging means, in a panoramic color image stored/managed in the panoramic image storing/managing means; and

an image displaying means for displaying an image produced by the overlaying by the image synthesizing means.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the panoramic image storing/managing means positions the panoramic color image produced by overlaying the unit images pre-captured in colors by the color imaging means one on the other in relation to the panoramic infrared image produced by overlaying the unit images captured by infrared radiation measurement by the infrared imaging means one on the other to generate transform information on the position of imaging by the color imaging means and that of imaging by the infrared imaging means, and supplies the image synthesizing means with color images corresponding to the position of imaging by the infrared imaging means on the basis of the transform information.

3. An imaging method comprising the steps of:

making color imaging with the imaging direction being sequentially set for each of unit images forming together a panoramic image;

imaging by infrared radiation measurement with the imaging direction being sequentially set for each of unit images forming together a panoramic infrared image;

storing/managing a panoramic color image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured in colors in the color imaging step one on the other and a panoramic infrared image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured by infrared radiation measurement in the panoramic infrared imaging step one on the other;

imaging an object by infrared radiation measurement with the imaging direction being controlled to a desired one within the range imaging;

overlaying, on an infrared image of an object captured by infrared radiation measurement in the infrared imaging step, a color image corresponding to a location, where the object has been imaged in the infrared imaging step, in a panoramic color image stored/managed in the panoramic image storing/managing step; and

displaying an image produced by the overlaying in the image synthesizing step.

4. The imaging method according to claim 3, wherein:

in the panoramic image storing/managing step, the panoramic color image produced by overlaying the unit images pre-captured in colors in the color imaging step one on the other is positioned in relation to the panoramic infrared image produced by overlaying the unit images captured by infrared radiation measurement in the infrared imaging step one on the other to generate transform information on the position of imaging in the color imaging step and that of imaging in the infrared imaging step; and

in the image synthesizing step, a synthetic image is produced by overlaying, on the infrared image, a color image included in the panoramic color image and corresponding to the position of imaging in the infrared imaging step on the basis of the transform information.

5. A computer program product on a computer-readable medium, the computer program product allowing a computer to execute an imaging controlling process comprising the steps of:

making color imaging with the imaging direction being sequentially set for each of unit images forming together a panoramic image;

imaging by infrared radiation measurement with the imaging direction being sequentially set for each of unit images forming together a panoramic infrared image;

storing/managing a panoramic color image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured in colors in the color imaging step one on the other and a panoramic infrared image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured by infrared radiation measurement in the panoramic infrared imaging step one on the other;

imaging an object by infrared radiation measurement with the imaging direction being controlled to a desired one within the range imaging;

overlaying, on an infrared image of an object captured by infrared radiation measurement in the infrared imaging step, a color image corresponding to a location, where the object has been imaged in the infrared imaging step, in a panoramic color image stored/managed in the panoramic image storing/managing step; and

displaying an image produced by the overlaying in the image synthesizing step.

6. An imaging system comprising:

a color imaging device for making color imaging with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic image;

an infrared imaging device for imaging by infrared radiation measurement with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic infrared image; and

a controller to control the operations of the color imaging device and infrared imaging device via a network,

the controller including;

a panoramic image storing/managing means for storing/managing a panoramic color image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured in colors by the color imaging device one on the other and a panoramic infrared image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured by infrared radiation measurement by the infrared imaging device one on the other;

an image synthesizing means for overlaying, on an image of an object imaged by controlling the direction of imaging by the infrared imaging device to a desired one in a range of the imaging, a color image corresponding to a location, where the object has been imaged by the infrared imaging device, in a panoramic color image stored/managed in the panoramic image storing/managing means; and

an image displaying means for displaying an image produced by the overlaying by the image synthesizing means.

7. An imaging device comprising:

a color camera unit for making color imaging with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic image;

an infrared camera for imaging by infrared radiation measurement with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic infrared image;

a server for storing/managing a panoramic color image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured in colors by the color camera unit one on the other and a panoramic infrared image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured by infrared radiation measurement by the infrared camera one on the other;

an image synthesizer for overlaying, on an image of an object imaged by controlling the direction of imaging by the infrared camera to a desired one in a range of the imaging, a color image corresponding to a location, where the object has been imaged by the infrared camera, in a panoramic color image stored/managed in the server; and

an image display for displaying an image produced by the overlaying by the image synthesizer.

8. An imaging system comprising:

a color camera device for making color imaging with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic image;

an infrared camera for imaging by infrared radiation measurement with the imaging direction being sequentially adjusted for each of unit images forming together a panoramic infrared image; and

a controller to control the operations of the color camera unit and infrared camera via a network,

the controller including;

a server for storing/managing a panoramic color image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured in colors by the color camera device one on the other and a panoramic infrared image produced by overlaying a plurality of unit images captured by infrared radiation measurement by the infrared camera one on the other;

an image synthesizer for overlaying, on an image of an object imaged by controlling the direction of imaging by the infrared camera to a desired one in a range of the imaging, a color image corresponding to a location, where the object has been imaged by the infrared camera, in a panoramic color image stored/managed in the server; and

an image display for displaying an image produced by the overlaying by the image synthesizer.