627 results about "Thermographic camera" patented technology

A thermal imaging interface for control of a computer program may obtain one or more thermal infrared images of one or more objects with one or more thermographic cameras. The images may be analyzed to identify one or more characteristics of the objects. Such characteristics may be used as a control input in the computer program.

The invention provides a human body temperature detecting device. The human body temperature detecting device is applied to a border crossing; the human body temperature detecting device comprises aninfrared thermal imager, a 3D face recognition device, a temperature measuring compensation device and a controller; the infrared thermal imager is used for sensing the body temperature of a person tobe tested in a preset area; the 3D face recognition device is used for obtaining a face image located in the preset area; the temperature measuring compensation device is used for measuring compensation information, and the compensation information includes an ambient temperature of the preset area; the controller is electrically connected to the infrared thermal imager, the 3D face recognition device, and the temperature measuring compensation device separately; the controller determines an initial temperature of a preset position of the face through the face image and the body temperature;the controller determines a compensation temperature according to the compensation information; and the controller determines an actual temperature according to the initial temperature and the compensation temperature. Therefore, the human body temperature detecting device can reduce the influence of the environment on the measuring structure, and the measuring precision is high; and meanwhile, the human body temperature detecting device can prevent the infection of diseases, and can be applied to a place with a large number of people.

A handheld target marker is provided, wherein the target marker includes a housing retaining a gas laser, a collimating or focusing lens, a driver and a power supply. The laser produces a thermal infrared beam which can be selectively directed to impinge upon a target. The impinging beam is viewable by a thermal imager. The handheld target marker operates at ambient temperatures and incorporates the driver and power supply necessary for operation of the laser, wherein the beam can be pulsed for enhancing imaging on the thermal imager.

In a thermal imaging camera for acquisition of thermographic images of a measurement object, an electronic evaluation unit is integrated into the thermal imaging camera; it is designed for recognition of corresponding partial regions of the acquired thermographic images, and with it, the acquired images can be assembled into an overall image by overlapping the corresponding partial regions and displayed. The acquisition of the images preferably takes place during the swiveling of the thermal imaging camera over the solid angle region of the desired overall image.

Thermal images of an object are produced outdoors so as to be significantly differentiated temporally and/or geometrically and be inclusive of natural background such as would be illuminated by sunlight. A calibration of the thermal imager (e.g., radiometer) against theoretical blackbody radiation is effected using measured incident radiation, resulting in a calculated pixel intensity. A system transfer function calculation of the pixel intensity is effected, resulting in a radiance. A matrix inversion calculation of all of the radiances considered together is effected, resulting in a bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). Advantageously, the BRDF is determined from the target in a direct but mathematically-enhanced manner, thereby making economic use of natural illumination and obviating the need for modelling, simulating or reconstructing the target.

In one embodiment, an efficient method is presented for aerial searching for a small thermal target in a search area, such as a single person in open water, using two thermal imagers or “cameras” coupled with a computer which presents data from the system to a human user for inspection. One of the two thermal imagers has a very wide field of view (WFOV) fixed forward of or below the aircraft. The other, narrow field-of-view (NFOV) imager has a high zoom capability but its field of view can be reoriented to geo-point to a location on command. The WFOV thermal imager collects images rapidly so that no individual image is blurred due to changes in the field of view (FOV) on the time-scale of the image capture. The images are geo-registered using information from a global positioning receiver as well as the current altitude, roll, pitch, yaw, and velocity of the aircraft. As the aircraft moves and the FOV in the WFOV thermal imager changes, the computer averages the amplitude of the thermal radiation detected from each geo-registered position on the water below using the captured images continuously and in real time. The signal from a thermal target in the water is integrated while the background is relatively suppressed, enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio for the target as the square root of the number of images collected in which the target appears. A target which is much smaller than the area covered by a single pixel or that even has a thermal contrast below the noise equivalent temperature difference of the WFOV thermal imager can be detected. Thermal anomalies which have a signal commensurate in amplitude and spatial extent to the object of the search are selected by the system and their coordinates are relayed to the NFOV thermal imager. The NFOV thermal imager zooms into these locations sequentially and presents the image information to the human user who can then either reject or verify that the subject being imaged is the object of the search.

Apparatus and method for temperature mapping a rotating component (12) in a high temperature combustion environment. The apparatus includes a thermal imager (14) having a field of view to sense infrared (IR) emissions. Emissivity of a surface of the component is subject to variation in the combustion environment. A radiance emitter (18) defines a spot within the field of view of the thermal imager. The spot indicates a respective emissivity value. A processor (30) is connected to the thermal imager to generate a radiance map of the component based on the IR emissions from the component. The processor includes a thermal calibration module configured to calibrate the radiance map based on the emissivity value of the spot within the field of view of the thermal imager to generate a calibrated thermal map of the component that displays absolute temperature over the surface of the component.

A thermal imaging apparatus comprises a thermal image camera having a lens and a display. The camera further includes a focal plane array located behind the lens for converting imaging radiation to produce an image signal for further processing. A shutter mechanism is operative to selectively inhibit exposure of the focal plane array to the imaging radiation such that the focal plane array produces a reference signal. Processing circuitry is operative to receive the image signal and produce a corresponding thermal image on the display. The processing circuitry is further operative to utilize the image signal and the reference signal to derive temperature information.

Various techniques are disclosed for smart surveillance camera systems and methods using thermal imaging to intelligently control illumination and monitoring of a surveillance scene. For example, a smart camera system may include a thermal imager, an IR illuminator, a visible light illuminator, a visible/near IR (NIR) light camera, and a processor. The camera system may capture thermal images of the scene using the thermal imager, and analyze the thermal images to detect a presence and an attribute of an object in the scene. In response to the detection, various light sources may be selectively operated to illuminate the object only when needed or desired, with a suitable type of light source, with a suitable beam angle and width, or in otherwise desirable manner. The visible/NIR light camera may also be selectively operated based on the detection to capture or record surveillance images containing objects of interest.

A handheld target marker is provided, wherein the target marker includes a housing retaining a quantum cascade laser, a collimating or focusing lens, a driver and a power supply. The quantum cascade laser produces a thermal infrared beam which can be selectively directed to impinge upon a target. The impinging beam is viewable by a thermal imager. The handheld target marker operates at ambient temperatures and incorporates the driver and power supply necessary for operation of the quantum cascade laser.

An apparatus is provided for monitoring a milking animal during milking of the animal. The apparatus includes a number of productivity sensors, each measuring at least one indicator of productivity of the animal. A number of temperature sensors, including at least two thermographic cameras, measure heat output from different processing areas of the milking animal. A processor receives the heat outputs and productivity indicators, and uses a combination of these to determine a condition of the milking animal. The condition is then indicated in real time at the monitoring apparatus.

A thermal imaging apparatus comprises a housing defining an entrance pupil for ingress of imaging radiation. At least one light sensor is positioned forward of the entrance pupil. An electronic imaging device such as a focal plane array is located in the housing rearward of the entrance pupil for converting imaging radiation to electrical signals for further processing. The apparatus further includes a shutter having an open position and a closed position. In the closed position, the shutter is located between the entrance pupil and the electronic imaging device so as to inhibit exposure of the electronic imaging device to incident radiation. Circuitry is provided for selectively operating the shutter to be in the closed position based on signals produced at the light sensor.

The invention discloses a temperature correction method for infrared temperature measurement, and an infrared thermal imager. The method completes the temperature correction through the following steps: obtaining the position vectors between N black bodies at different positions and an infrared thermometer, improving the correction precision through the black bodies at different positions, and providing a data source for the temperature correction; then, respectively measuring the temperatures of the black bodies by using a contact type temperature measuring sensor and the infrared thermometer, calculating the relative temperature differences of the black bodies, and based on the temperature differences and the spatial relationship between the black bodies and the infrared thermometer, incombination with preset parameters of the external environment such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, illumination conditions and the like, using a mathematical analysis technology to obtain correction parameters, and correcting the temperature measurement value of a measured object to complete temperature correction of the infrared thermometer. The high-precision constant-temperature controlof the black bodies is converted into real-time accurate monitoring of the temperature of the black bodies, so that the calibration cost is effectively controlled, and the temperature measurement accuracy is ensured.

A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system has a steerable outlet for directing a stream of treated air into a passenger compartment of a vehicle. A thermographic imager is configured to capture thermographic images covering a fixed region within the passenger compartment in which an occupant is potentially located. The HVAC control circuit is configured to a) compress a thermographic image to a temperature map representing pixels of the thermographic image falling within a predetermined temperature range corresponding to the occupant, b) filter the temperature map according to a sliding window to coalesce continuous regions of pixels on average falling within the predetermined temperature range, c) quantify an area for each continuous region, d) locate a centroid of a continuous region having a largest area, and e) aim the steerable outlet toward the centroid.

An imaging system, particularly a thermal imager, has a detector operating in at least two sensitivity modes. The detector is read on a pixel-by-pixel basis in each of at least two modes and output therefrom is substantially simultaneously displayed so that a wide range of thermal sensitivities are simultaneously displayed.

The detector is, preferably, read out at maximum and minimum sensitivity levels at least half the field rate and, advantageously, at the field rate of a display. In a preferred embodiment, color is added to the normally provided gray scale output from the detector ranging from black for the coolest object through white and yellow to red for the hottest object.

A thermographic route examination system includes a thermographic camera, a computer readable memory device, and an analysis processing unit. The thermographic camera is coupled with a vehicle that travels along a route and senses infrared radiation emitted from the route to generate a thermal signature representative of the route. The computer readable memory device stores healthy thermal signatures representative of temperatures of at least one segment of the route that is not damaged. The analysis processing unit receives the thermal signature from the thermographic camera and to determine if the one or more segments of the route are damaged segments of the route based on the thermal signature by comparing the thermal signature of the one or more segments of the route with the one or more healthy thermal signatures to determine if the one or more segments of the route are the damaged segments of the route.

The invention relates to a single-blackbody temperature-controlled MRTD (Minimum Resolvable Temperature Difference) field online automatic detection device and a method for a thermal imager. The automatic detection device comprises a single-blackbody temperature difference generator, an infrared collimating optical system, an image acquisition system and a microcomputer control and processing system. The detection method comprises the following steps that: the temperature of a surface source blackbody is firstly adjusted, so that the required infrared radiation temperature difference can be generated by a 4-bar target and the environment; the infrared radiation temperature difference is collimated by using a Cassegrain collimator tube and then enters the objective lens of a detected thermal imager; and imaged results are acquired by an image acquisition card and then are inputted to the microcomputer control and processing system, the calculation processing is carried out, and the calculated MRTD result is displayed, so that the automatic detection on the MRTD parameters of the detected thermal imager is achieved. The detection device provided by the invention has the advantages of small volume and little weight, guaranteed accuracy, simplicity and convenience in operation, and high degree of automation, and is applicable to the field online detection on the MRTD of infrared thermal imaging equipment.

An integrated thermal imager for detecting combined passive LWIR or MWIR radiation of a scene and active SWIR radiation of a laser source is described The imager includes a two-dimensional focal plane array (2D-FPA) constituted by an assembly of voltage tunable photodetectors. Each voltage tunable photodetector integrates a quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) together with a heterojunction bipolar phototransistor (HBPT), thereby forming a pixel element in the 2D-FPA.

The invention relates to a full-autonomous firefighting and fire extinguishing detecting robot used in complex environments. The full-autonomous firefighting and fire extinguishing detecting robot comprises a vehicle body, hanging assemblies, a firefighting and fire extinguishing assembly, a detecting assembly, a cooling assembly, a sensing lighting assembly, a control module and a communication module. The vehicle body is used for connecting and supporting the hanging assemblies mounted on the two sides of the vehicle body and all the assemblies mounted on the upper portion of the vehicle body. The hanging assemblies are used for driving the vehicle body to move. The firefighting and fire extinguishing assembly, the detecting assembly, the cooling assembly, the sensing lighting assembly,the control module and the communication module are mounted on the vehicle body. Anti-explosion laser radar and an obstacle avoiding sensor are combined, environment modeling, movement obstacle avoiding and route planning of a site are achieved, in cooperation with a thermal imager, fire sources are automatically tracked, full-autonomous intelligent detecting and fire extinguishing are completed through the firefighting and fire extinguishing assembly, and the treatment efficiency for disasters on site and the intelligence degree are improved. Manual close-range control is not needed, and thesafety of firefighting and fire extinguishing is improved.

The present invention relates to an imaging device with a thermal imaging surveillance capability for safety, security and situational awareness. Closed circuit television systems (CCTV) are usually supported on drive and actuating mechanisms so that their active imaging portions are housed in a protective environment in a transparent dome. Existing thermal imaging devices are used in fixed configurations or on platforms and are bulky and expensive. In addition they are unsuitable for harsh marine environments. The invention is an imaging device and comprises: a thermal imager, which in use is housed within a sealed housing. A pan and tilt mechanism is supported in the housing for displacing the thermal imager. A dome, formed from an infra-red (IR) transmitting material, covers and seals the housing (which is ideally filled with an inert gas) thereby resulting in an arrangement that is resistant to exposure to water and salt and so provides an imager suitable for marine environments, as well resulting in an overall reduction in size of the imager compared with exposed pan and tilt mechanisms.