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US 2003/0193570 A1Published application
System for, and method of, processing an image
AssigneeIQinVision, Inc.
InventorsGregory A. Bone, Jonathan M. Walton
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AssigneeIQinVision, Inc.
InventorsGregory A. Bone, Jonathan M. Walton
Estimating the term…
A software development kit prioritizes certain aspects of an acquired image and introduces the prioritized aspects to a main processor. Alternatively, a coprocessor, or the coprocessor and the development kit, manipulate(s) the acquired image and introduce(s) the manipulated image to the processor. The reprogramming of either one of the development kit and the coprocessor may be initiated by either one of them or by the processor and the programming may be provided by the main processor. A central station and a gate array may also be individually reprogrammable by the main processor which sets up, programs and controls an intelligent imaging platform in accordance with the individual reprogrammings. A reprogramming of an audio acquisition stage may also be initiated by that stage and any of the other stages and the processor and may be provided by the processor. The audio information may be related to the acquired image.
In a method of providing an image, the steps of:
In a method of processing an image, the steps of:
In a method of processing an image, the steps of:
In a method of processing an image, the steps of:
In a method of processing an image, the steps of:
In a method of processing an image, the steps of:
In a method of processing an image, the steps of:
In a method as set forth in 49, the steps of:
In a method of processing an image, the steps of:
In a method as set forth in claim 58, the steps of:
In combination for processing an image to obtain desired results,
In combination for processing an image,
In a combination for processing an image to provide a desired result,
In a combination as set forth in claim 79,
In a combination for processing an image,
In combination in a system for processing an image,
In combination in a system for processing an image,
In a combination for processing an image,
In combination for processing an image,
In combination for processing an image,
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Backward citations are indexed for grants only.
General purpose image data processing: image acquisition
General purpose image data processing
General purpose image data processing: processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
Control of cameras or camera modules: computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality,…
Term end not estimated
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This invention relates to a system for and method of processing an acquired image. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for, and method of, processing an image in a wide variety of ways, not previously capable of being accomplished in the prior art, to provide results which are enhanced compared to what has been able to be achieved in the prior art.
Systems are now in use for processing an acquired image. For example, systems are now in use for processing an acquired image to determine the entrance into, and the departure of individuals from, a defined area such as an enclosure. Systems are also in use for determining the identity of individuals and objects in an enclosure. Systems are further in use for tracking the movement and variations in the positioning of individuals in an enclosure. These are only a few examples of different types of processing and uses of acquired images.
As of now, different processing and uses of acquired images require different types of systems to be constructed. For example, the same system cannot be used to identify an individual in a crowd and to track the movement of the identified individual in the crowd and particularly the movement of the individual in a defined area such as an enclosure or from one defined area to another defined area. The same system cannot also be used to magnify a particular portion of an acquired image and process that magnified portion. Since different systems are required to perform different functions, costs to individuals or organizations have increased, available space has become limited and complexities in operation have become magnified.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a diagram, primarily in block form, of a system (hardware and software) constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention for processing acquired images on a global basis where the system can be used to process the images in a wide variety of different ways;
FIG. 2 is an expanded diagram, primarily in block form, of the software portion of the system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram, primarily in block form, of a system generally indicated at 10 and constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention. The system 10 is shown as being divided by broken lines 12 into a central station generally indicated at 14 and by broken lines 16 into an intelligent imaging platform generally indicated at 18. A communications arrangement formed by one or more communications channels and generally indicated at 20 is disposed in the intelligent imaging platform 18. The intelligent imaging platform 18 is in turn indicated by broken lines 22 as including a software section generally indicated at 24. Substantially everything within the broken lines 16 (except for the communications arrangement 20 and the software section 24) constitutes hardware generally indicated at 28a, 28b and 28c. The hardware section 28a may be considered to include software which interfaces with the hardware in the section.
The hardware section in FIG. 1 also includes an image acquirer 30 for receiving an image and converting the image to signals, preferably electrical, in a conventional manner. The hardware section also includes an audio codec or audio acquirer 32 for receiving audio information which may be related to the video information. The audio codec or acquirer 32 may include an audio coder decoder designated as a “codec”. Signals pass through a bus 31 between the image acquirer 30 and a field programmable gate array 34 which may be constructed in a conventional manner. Signals also pass through a bus 33 between the gate array 34 and a coprocessor 36. The gate array 34 and the coprocessor 36 are disposed in the hardware section 28a.
The audio signals preferably pass through a bus 35 between the audio codec or acquirer 32 and the field reprogrammable gate array 34. However, the audio signals could pass through a bus between the audio codes or acquirer 32 and the coprocessor 36. The system is more flexible when the audio signals pass between the audio codec or acquirer 32 and the field reprogrammable gate array 34 than when the audio signals pass between the audio codec or acquirer 32 and the coprocessor 36. The ability of the signals from the audio acquirer 32 to pass to either the gate array 34 or the coprocessor 36 may be seen by the extension of the bus 35 to the audio/video interface for the hardware section 28a.