SYSTEM FOR EXTENDING A FIELD-OF-VIEW OF AN IMAGE ACQUISITION DEVICE

• US 20140320595A1
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• 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., Becker, Michael F., Bailey, Weldon T., Dean, Jordan S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,413,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• 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; and

a synchronizer that synchronizes the timing between the scan mirror and 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 controller further comprises:

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

4. The controller of claim 3, 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the synchronizer is configured to synchronize the scan mirror and the image acquisition device such that a series of image data such that image smear and ghosting is limited.

21. The controller of claim 4, 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.

22. The controller of claim 4, wherein the look-up-table is manually re-configurable based on a set of user-entered parameters.

5. (canceled)

9. A method of detecting change in a scene, the method comprising:

registering a series of images taken by an image acquisition device;

assigning each image with an image indicator, wherein the image indicator indicates a position of the image with respect to the rest of the series of images;

comparing a first image to a second image to detect a change in the scene, wherein the first image was captured prior to the second image; and

providing an indication of a detected change within the series of images.

10. The method of claim 9, and further wherein comparing the first image to the second image comprises conducting linear independence tests on the first and second images.

11. The method of claim 9, and further wherein comparing the first image to the second image comprises conducting an edge motion test on the first and second images.

12. The method of claim 9, and further wherein comparing the first image to the second image comprises conducting a vectorized test on the first and second images.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vectorized test comprises comparing the first and second images using a vector change detection algorithm.

14. The method of claim 9 and further providing:

providing an indication that an item of interest has been detected.

15. The method of claim 9, and further wherein registering the series of images further comprises:

assigning each images in the series of images with at least one of the following;

a time stamp indicative of the time the images was captured, a spatial identifier indicating where the image is located within the scene, and a step counter indicative of a scan position within a series of scan positions the image was captured within a scan range.

16. A method of controlling an image directing device, wherein the method comprises:

positioning a scan mirror and an image acquisition component in a first position to acquire an image;

selectively stepping the scan mirror through a series of scan positions from a first end of a scan range to a second end of the scan range, wherein the image acquisition component captures an image at each of the series of scan positions; and

assigning each captured image with at least one of a time stamp, a spatial identifier, and a step counter.

17. The method of claim 16, and further wherein selectively stepping the scan mirror through a series of scan positions comprises moving the scan mirror through scan positions from the first end of the scan range to the second end of the scan range, and back through the scan positions back to the first end of the scan range.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein selectively stepping the scan mirror through the series of scan positions comprises continuously moving the scan mirror throughout the scan positions such that the scan mirror does not pause at any specific scan position within the scan range.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein selectively stepping the scan mirror through the series of scan positions comprises stepping the scan mirror through a series of discrete scan positions through the scan range.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

calibrating the position of the scan mirror with respect to the image acquisition device, wherein calibrating comprises referencing and repositioning the scan mirror in accordance with 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.