Synchronous sampling methods for infrared cameras
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRalf Lenigk, Mark Marshall Meyers, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov, Timothy Toepfer, Keith Michael Looney
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Abstract
The present approach relates to the synchronization of frame acquisition by a camera with an external event or trigger despite the camera lacking external control or synchronization capabilities. For example, inexpensive and/or consumer grade camera typically lack a control interface to explicitly synchronize with an external trigger event or external device. The present approach allows synchronization of such a camera lacking external synchronization capabilities with an external event or device.
Claims20
A method of synchronizing image frame acquisition with an external event, comprising:
- acquiring image frames of one or more samples at a constant frame rate using an infrared (IR) camera, wherein the IR camera is not configured to acquire frames in response to activation of an external device;
- using a clock external to the IR camera, determining the constant frame rate and an acquisition time of each frame;
- based on the constant frame rate and the acquisition times, determining timing of future frame acquisitions;
- and
- activating the external device based at least in part on the determined timing of future frame acquisitions.
An image acquisition system, comprising:
- an infrared (IR) camera, wherein the IR camera is configured to acquire image frames of one or more samples at a constant frame rate;
- a frame reader configured to acquire the image frames from the IR camera and to use a clock external to the IR camera to determine the constant frame rate and the acquisition time of each frame;
- and
- an external device configured to be activated based at least in part on timing of future frame acquisitions as determined from the constant frame rate and the acquisition time of each frame.
A method of performing a photothermal spectroscopy assay, comprising:
- acquiring image frames of one or more samples at a constant frame rate using an infrared (IR) camera, wherein the IR camera is not configured to acquire frames in response to activation of a laser used to illuminate the samples;
- using a clock external to the IR camera, determining the constant frame rate and an acquisition time of each frame;
- based on the constant frame rate and the acquisition times, determining timing of future frame acquisitions;
- and
- activating the laser based at least in part on the determined timing of future frame acquisitions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.