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US 6,232,602 B1Granted
Enhanced vision system sensitive to infrared radiation
AssigneeFLIR Systems, Inc.
InventorJames Richard Kerr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An enhanced vision system and method for use with vision systems with an imager sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal. Another imager sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength may be used to produce a second image signal. Preferably, the first image signal represents sensed electric light sources, and the second image signal represents sensed background such as terrain, runways, structures, and obstacles. A signal processor combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image.
Claims29
A method of processing signals representative of a machine-sensed environment, comprising the steps of:
- sensing infrared radiation having wavelengths in the range of 1-microns to 2-microns to create a sensed electric light-source infrared signal;
- determining a relative location of at least one local maximum within the sensed electric light-source signal;
- sensing infrared radiation having wavelengths of at least 3-microns to produce a sensed background-scene signal;
- and
- producing an image signal by:
- assigning levels of brightness to the sensed background-scene signal, assigning levels of brightness to at least one of the local maximums of the sensed electric light-source infrared signal that are greater than the level of brightness assigned to the sensed background-scene signal within the relative location of the at least one of the local maximums, and
- mapping the assigned levels of brightness to a display.
4 more elements
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a detector at least sensitive to electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths in the range of 1.5-microns to 1.7-microns to create an image signal;
- a signal processor to determine the relative location of a local maximum in the image signal;
- and
- a display on which the relative location of the local maximum is represented graphically as a pre-defined dot.
1 more element
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a first infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal;
- a filter that limits the passage to the first infrared detector of infrared radiation having a wavelength of less than approximately 1-micron;
- a second infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength, to produce a second image signal;
- and
- a signal processor that combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image.
2 more elements
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a first infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal;
- a filter that limits the passage to the first infrared detector of infrared radiation having a wavelength of greater than approximately 1.7-microns;
- a second infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength, to produce a second image signal;
- and
- a signal processor that combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image.
2 more elements
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a first infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal;
- a filter that limits the passage to the first infrared detector of infrared radiation having a wavelength of less than approximately 1-micron and that limits the passage to the first infrared detector of infrared radiation having a wavelength of greater than approximately 1.7-microns,
- a second infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength, to produce a second image signal;
- and
- a signal processor that combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image.
2 more elements
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a first infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal;
- a filter that limits the passage to the first infrared detector of infrared radiation having a wavelength of less than 1.5-microns;
- a second infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength, to produce a second image signal;
- and
- a signal processor that combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image.
2 more elements
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a first infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal;
- a filter that limits the passage to the first infrared detector of infrared radiation having a wavelength of less than 1.5-microns and that limits the passage to the first infrared detector of infrared radiation having a wavelength of greater than 1.7-microns;
- a second infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength, to produce a second image signal;
- and
- a signal processor that combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image.
2 more elements
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a first infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal;
- a second infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength, to produce a second image signal;
- and
- a signal processor that combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image;
- wherein the first infrared detector and the second infrared detector are part of an integrated device.
2 more elements
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a first infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal;
- a second infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength, to produce a second image signal;
- a signal processor that combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image;
- and
- a visible light sensor and processor that determines when adequate visibility is available of a desired object, and that deactivates at least a portion of the displayed image when adequate visibility is available.
2 more elements
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a first infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal;
- a second infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength, to produce a second image signal;
- a signal processor that combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image;
- and
- an object identifier that compares at least one of the image signals to predefined data representative of expected sensed objects, and that modifies the one of the image signals to match the predefined data when sufficient similarity is found between the one of the image signals and the predefined data.
2 more elements
An enhanced vision system comprising:
- a first infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation of less than 2-microns in wavelength, to produce a first image signal;
- a second infrared detector sensitive to infrared radiation at least 3-microns in wavelength, to produce a second image signal;
- a signal processor that combines an image signal representing locally maximum values of the first image signal with the second image signal to create a displayed image;
- and
- a location calculator that determines the difference between the relative location of an identified object within the image signal and a calculated location for the identified object based on predefined data, and that calculates a geographical position of the detector based on the determined difference.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.