Enhanced Infrared Imaging System

• US 20080166061A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications SPD Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications SPD Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Braica, Philip R., Hohenberger, Roger T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20192 Edge enhancement; Edge preservation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening
• 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 vision system has an infrared detector that adjusts the amount of filtering based on the thermal content of a scene being imaged.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information representative of a scene, comprising the steps of:

acquiring information representative of the scene from a detector configured to process information in a first range of wavelengths;

filtering the acquired information more when a thermal content is large than when the thermal content is small; and

displaying an output for viewing by an operator.

2. The method of displaying information of claim 1, wherein the first range of wavelengths is approximately 750 nm-14,000 nm.

3. The method of displaying information of claim 2, wherein the first range of wavelengths is approximately 7,000 nm-14,000 nm.

4. The method of displaying information of claim 1, wherein the acquiring information step comprises generating a two-dimensional intensity mapping of the scene.

5. The method of displaying information of claim 4, wherein the intensity mapping comprises a plurality of individual pixels arranged in rows and columns.

6. The method of displaying information of claim 5, wherein the intensity mapping has a received target pixel surrounded by a plurality of surrounding received pixels.

7. The method of displaying information of claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating a display value for a display target pixel based on received values of surrounding pixels.

8. The method of displaying information of claim 7, wherein the display value is displayed in the display for viewing by an operator.

9. The method of displaying information of claim 7, wherein the display value equals approximately

10. The method of displaying information of claim 7, wherein the thermal content is calculated by determining the difference between the lowest received pixel value of interest and the highest received pixel value of interest.

11. A vision system for viewing a scene, comprising:

a housing;

an infrared detector at least partially disposed within the housing;

a filter coupled to the detector for filtering an output of the detector and generating a new output, the filter configured to set the amount of filtering based on a thermal content of received information; and

a display for displaying the new output for an operator.

12. The vision system of claim 11, wherein a greater amount of thermal content results in a greater amount of filtering.

13. The vision system of claim 11, wherein the thermal content is calculated by determining the difference between the lowest received pixel value of interest and the highest received pixel value of interest.

14. The vision system of claim 11, wherein the detector detects in a range of wavelengths from approximately 750 nm to approximately 14,000 nm.

15. The vision system of claim 14, wherein the range of wavelengths is from approximately 7,000 nm to approximately 14,000 nm.

16. The vision system of claim 11, wherein the display has a plurality of individual pixels arranged in rows and columns.

17. The vision system of claim 11, wherein the filter calculates a display value for a display target pixel based on a received value of pixels.

18. The vision system of claim 17, wherein the display value is displayed in the display for viewing by an operator.

19. The vision system of claim 17, wherein the display value equals approximately

20. The vision system of claim 11, wherein the filter comprises a multi-row, multi-column buffer and a multi-row, multi-column convolver.

21. A vision system for viewing a scene, comprising:

a housing;

an infrared detector at least partially disposed within the housing;

a filter coupled to the detector for filtering the output of the detector and generating a new output, the filter using a center kernel value which is a function of a thermal content of received information; and

a display for displaying the new output for an operator.

22. The vision system of claim 21, wherein the center kernel value increases as the thermal content of the scene increases.