Stereo Fire Detection Using Overlapping Camera Fields

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current fire surveillance systems often fail to accurately detect and locate fires within overlapping fields of view, leading to incomplete evaluation and potential false alarms due to masked viewing angles and interference from moving objects.

Innovation Solution

A fire monitoring system employing at least two surveillance cameras with overlapping fields of view, arranged at an angle, and an evaluation device capable of stereo analysis to output three-dimensional position information of fire characteristics, along with a masking module to exclude interfering objects from evaluation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a single surveillance camera is used to monitor a wide area, then the coverage area is increased, but the measurement precision of fire position is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurveillance area coverageVSAvoidfire position accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The surveillance area is divided into multiple overlapping fields of view from different cameras. Each camera captures a portion of the total area, and the evaluation device processes images from multiple cameras to achieve both wide coverage and precise fire localization through stereo analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from two-dimensional image analysis to three-dimensional spatial localization by using multiple cameras at different positions. The evaluation device calculates the three-dimensional position of fire characteristics by analyzing the spatial relationships between images from multiple cameras, adding a depth dimension to fire detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Measurement precision

If multiple surveillance cameras are used to improve fire position accuracy, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire position accuracyVSAvoidsystem configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The evaluation device performs multiple functions: it processes images from multiple cameras, detects fire characteristics, calculates three-dimensional positions, and generates alarm signals. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated device, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system combines multiple surveillance cameras and their image processing functions into a unified evaluation device. The evaluation device integrates image reception, fire detection, position calculation, and alarm generation in one unit, simplifying the system architecture despite using multiple cameras.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If the fields of view of surveillance cameras are adjusted to cover overlapping areas, then the measurement precision of fire position is improved, but the loss of information from masked areas increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire position accuracyVSAvoidmasked surveillance area
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The total surveillance area is segmented into multiple overlapping fields of view, where each camera covers a specific portion. The overlapping regions ensure continuous coverage without information loss, while the evaluation device processes only the relevant portions of each camera's field of view to determine fire position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2690611B1Fire monitoring system
Publication Date: 2021.02.24 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2690611B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2690611B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The fire monitoring system (1) has two monitoring cameras (4,5) which are provided to output monitoring images (4.1,5.1). View fields (6,7) of the monitoring cameras are overlapped with a common monitored region (8). An evaluating device (9) is provided for recognition of fire (2,3) in the monitoring images. The positional information of the fire is provided by the evaluating device by the evaluation of the monitoring images.