Infrared Visible Light Camera Blending for Focus and Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Infrared cameras struggle to accurately identify and correlate temperature spots of interest due to low contrast and lack of sharp resolution, making it difficult for users to relate infrared images with visible-light scenes, especially for novice users.
Innovation Solution
Combining a video-rate or still infrared camera with a video-rate or still visible-light camera to register and overlay both images, allowing users to view either image or an alpha-blended combination, which corrects parallax errors and enhances image focus and analysis modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If infrared-only imaging is used, then thermal temperature detection capability is provided, but image sharpness and scene correlation accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines infrared and visible light imaging systems into a single device with co-registered optical paths. The infrared camera and visible light camera are integrated with their optical axes aligned, allowing simultaneous capture of thermal and visual information from the same scene perspective. This merging resolves the sharpness issue by providing visible light reference imagery that is spatially correlated with the infrared data.
Solution Approach 2:
The visible light camera acts as an intermediary that provides sharp reference imagery to help users correlate infrared thermal features with visible scene elements. The system overlays or juxtaposes visible light images with infrared images, using the sharp visible reference to identify and locate thermal features in the scene accurately.
2Measurement precision
If infrared and visible light cameras are integrated, then image correlation accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated system serves multiple functions: thermal detection, visual reference, and automated correlation. By combining these functions into a single device with co-registered optical paths, the system achieves accurate image correlation without requiring separate handheld devices or manual alignment procedures, thereby managing complexity through functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-alignment and self-correlation of infrared and visible light images through integrated optical paths. The co-registered design automatically ensures that thermal and visual features are spatially correlated without requiring manual intervention or complex post-processing alignment procedures.
3Ease of operation
If manual correlation of images is required, then ease of operation deteriorates, but device complexity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the infrared and visible light imaging systems into a single integrated device with aligned optical paths, the system eliminates the need for manual correlation operations. Users simply operate one device that automatically provides co-registered thermal and visual imagery, greatly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system automatically maintains spatial correlation between infrared and visible light images through its co-registered optical design. This self-aligning capability removes the burden of manual correlation from the user, making the device easier to operate despite the added complexity of integration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables users to easily correlate features in infrared and visible-light images, improves image sharpness, and reduces subjective focusing, allowing for more accurate temperature measurements and detailed visualization of infrared scenes.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared camera module having an infrared sensor and infrared optics and adapted for capturing an infrared image of the target scene
Implementation Method 2
a visible light camera module having a visible light sensor and visible light optics and displaced from the infrared camera module
Implementation Method 3
a display area for displaying a composite image including at least a portion of the visible light image and the infrared image superimposed and alpha-blended
Data Source
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AI summary
A camera that can capture a visible light image and an infrared image of a target scene. The camera includes a focusable infrared lens and a display. The display provides the visible light and infrared images in a focus mode or an analysis mode. In the focus mode, the percentage of infrared imagery of the target scene is relatively higher to assist the user in focusing the infrared image. In analysis mode, the percentage of infrared imagery is relatively lower to assist the user in analyzing and visualizing the target scene. The modes may be switched manually or automatically.