Camera tracing and surveillance system and method for security using thermal image coordinate

• US 9,274,204 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
• Original Assignee: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
• Inventors: Kim, Su Un, Choi, Man Yong, Park, Jeong Hak, Ahn, Bong Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Jr., Howard D
• Application Number:
  US13/637,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20130135468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• 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 tracing and surveillance system and method for security using a thermal image coordinate, whereby an image having high resolution for identification in which a person can be accurately identified within a surveillance area and identity of the person can be accurately checked, can be obtained using a simple algorithm.

To this end, the person within the surveillance area is identified and a position coordinate of the person is extracted from a thermal image captured by a thermal image camera, and a tracing and surveillance camera traces the person, enlarges an image of the person, and captures the enlarged image based on the extracted position coordinate so that an image having high resolution for identification can be obtained.

Claims

1. A camera tracing and surveillance system for security using a thermal image coordinate, the system comprising:

an infrared thermal image camera for capturing a thermal image of a predetermined surveillance area and providing the captured image as a thermal image to extract a position coordinate of a target;

a tracing and surveillance camera for tracing the target within the predetermined surveillance area, enlarging an image of the target and capturing the enlarged image;

a position control device for performing position control of the tracing and surveillance camera based on the position coordinate of the target extracted from the thermal image of the surveillance area to allow the tracing and surveillance camera to trace the target within the surveillance area; and

a control system for identifying the target in the surveillance area and extracting the position coordinate of the target by performing image processing of binarizing the thermal image of the surveillance area captured by the infrared thermal image camera based on a threshold, for controlling driving of the position control device based on the position coordinate of the target extracted from the thermal image of the surveillance area, and for receiving and storing an image for identification of the target captured by the tracing and surveillance camera.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a whole area surveillance camera for capturing an image of the same surveillance area and transmitting the captured image to the control system so as to record a visible image for checking a whole situation.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising first and second infrared lighting devices for providing infrared lighting so that each of the infrared thermal image camera, the tracing and surveillance camera, and the whole area surveillance camera performs photographing at night.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first infrared lighting device for the tracing and surveillance camera is installed at the tracing and surveillance camera and moves with the tracing and surveillance camera as a one body.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tracing and surveillance cameras for simultaneously or sequentially capturing an image for identification of multiple targets within the surveillance area, and a plurality of individual position control devices for controlling a position of each of the plurality of tracing and surveillance cameras.

11. The system of claim 2, further comprising first and second infrared lighting devices for providing infrared lighting so that each of the infrared thermal image camera, the tracing and surveillance camera, and the whole area surveillance camera performs photographing at night.

6. A camera tracing and surveillance method for security using a thermal image coordinate, the method comprising:

capturing a thermal image of a predetermined surveillance area and providing the captured image as a thermal image to a control system using an infrared thermal image camera;

identifying a target in the surveillance area and extracting a position coordinate of the target by performing image processing of binarizing the thermal image of the surveillance area captured by the infrared thermal image camera based on a threshold using the control system;

controlling driving of a position control device based on the position coordinate of the target extracted from the thermal image of the surveillance area by the control system;

when the position control device is driven, tracing the target within the predetermined surveillance area, enlarging an image of the target and capturing the enlarged image using a tracing and surveillance camera; and

receiving and storing an image for identification of the target captured by the tracing and surveillance camera using the control system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising capturing an image of the same surveillance area and transmitting the captured image to the control system so as to record a visible image for checking a whole situation using a whole area surveillance camera.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying a plurality of targets within the surveillance area and extracting a position coordinate of each of the plurality of targets from the thermal image using the control system and sequentially capturing an image for identification of multiple targets when driving of the position control device and an operation of the tracing and surveillance camera are sequentially performed on each target based on the extracted position coordinate.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein a plurality of tracing and surveillance cameras and a plurality of individual position control devices for controlling a position of each of the plurality of tracing and surveillance cameras are disposed to simultaneously or sequentially capture an image for identification of multiple targets within the surveillance area.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein, in order to perform enlargement and image-capturing of a face of the target that can be identified, the control system controls the position of the tracing and surveillance camera using the position control device so that the tracing and surveillance camera enlarges a predetermined ratio of an upper portion of the whole area corresponding to the identified target and captures the enlarged image.