VISIBLE LIGHT AND IR COMBINED IMAGE CAMERA

• US 20170195548A1
• Filed: 03/23/2017
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: McManus, Thomas J., Heinke, Thomas, Johnson, Kirk R., Rekow, Mathew N.
• Application Number:
  US15/466,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20170195548A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/671 in combination with active ranging signals, e.g. using light or sound signals emitted toward objects
• 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 producing visible light images with thermal data. The camera may include visible light lens and sensor, an infrared light lens and sensor, and a display. The display displays some of the visible light image and thermal data from the respective sensors. The visible light image is divided into an array of zones where each zone may provide thermal data associated with the corresponding portion of the target shown in the zone. The camera may sense infrared images also provide audible alarms where the alarm is emitted with a tone of variable output to indicate the relative level of the alarm.

Claims

1. A camera producing visible light images with thermal data, the camera comprising:

a visible light (VL) lens;

a VL sensor associated with the VL lens and having an array of VL sensor elements that produce a VL image of a target scene;

an IR lens;

an IR sensor associated with the IR lens and having an array of IR sensor elements for detecting thermal data in the target scene, the array of IR sensor elements having substantially fewer sensor elements than the array of VL sensor elements; and

a display for displaying at least some of the VL image and the thermal data in register, the displayed VL image being divided into an array of zones where each zone corresponds to one of the IR sensor elements, the display displaying the outline of each zone in the array of zones, the thermal data being selectively displayed within the corresponding zones over portions of the VL image.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein the array of IR sensor elements is an 8 by 8 array.

3. The camera of claim 1, wherein the thermal data from the array of IR sensor elements is scaled to fit the entire display.

4. The camera of claim 3, wherein the array of VL sensor elements is windowed and scaled to fit the entire display.

5. The camera of claim 1, wherein the display displays the thermal data of the array of IR sensor elements that meet certain user-defined criteria.

6. The camera of claim 1, wherein the user-defined criteria is an absolute temperature threshold.

7. The camera of claim 1, wherein the display displays the thermal data of the centrally located sensor elements in the array of IR sensor elements.