Far-infrared radiation image processing apparatus, far-infrared radiation imaging apparatus, far-infrared radiation image processing method, and far-infrared radiation image processing program

A far-infrared radiation imaging apparatus configured to take an image by detecting far-infrared rays radiated from an object, said far-infrared radiation imaging apparatus comprising:

• far-infrared radiation imaging means configured to take a far-infrared radiation image so as to output an image signal indicative of said far-infrared radiation image;
• an image signal reception section configured to receive said image signal output by said far-infrared radiation imaging means;
• area designation reception means configured to receive area designation information input to designate a specific area of said far-infrared radiation image;
• and
• a resolution conversion section configured to convert the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information in said far-infrared radiation image, thereby creating resolution-converted image information,
• wherein for respective pixels of the far-infrared radiation image, said image signal includes a corresponding binary bit sequence of a common predetermined length representing the amount of the far-infrared rays detected at that pixel, and
• said resolution conversion section converts, to a desired resolution, the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the specific area by extracting, for respective pixels within the specific area, a continuous bit string within the corresponding binary bit sequence for that pixel such that a position of the continuous bit string within the binary bit sequence represents the desired resolution, the continuous bit string having a length smaller than the predetermined length, the continuous bit string being associated with a lower range of temperatures in response to a particular bit of the corresponding binary bit sequence being a first value and being associated with a higher range of temperatures in response to the particular bit being a second value.

A far-infrared radiation image processing method of processing an image taken by detecting far-infrared rays radiated from an object, said far-infrared radiation image processing method comprising:

• receiving an image signal indicative of a far-infrared radiation image taken by a far-infrared radiation camera;
• receiving area designation information input to designate a specific area of said far-infrared radiation image;
• and
• converting the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information in said far-infrared radiation image, so as to create resolution-converted image information,
• wherein for respective pixels of the far-infrared radiation image, said image signal includes a corresponding binary bit sequence of a common predetermined length representing the amount of the far-infrared rays detected at that pixel, and
• said converting step converts, to a desired resolution, the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the specific area by extracting, for respective pixels within the specific area, a continuous bit string within the corresponding binary bit sequence for that pixel such that a position of the continuous bit string within the binary bit sequence represents the desired resolution, the continuous bit string having a length smaller than the predetermined length, the continuous bit string being associated with a lower range of temperatures in response to a particular bit of the corresponding binary bit sequence being a first value and being associated with a higher range of temperatures in response to the particular bit being a second value.

A processor encoded with a far-infrared radiation image processing program having instructions for carrying out a far-infrared radiation image processing method of processing an image taken by detecting far-infrared rays radiated from an object, said far-infrared radiation image processing method comprising:

• receiving an image signal indicative of a far-infrared radiation image taken by a far-infrared radiation camera;
• receiving area designation information input to designate a specific area of said far-infrared radiation image;
• and
• converting the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to said specific area designated by said area designation information in said far-infrared radiation image, so as to create resolution-converted image information,
• wherein for respective pixels of the far-infrared radiation image, said image signal includes a corresponding binary bit sequence of a common predetermined length representing the amount of the far-infrared rays detected at that pixel, and
• said converting step converts, to a desired resolution, the resolution for the amount of the far-infrared rays applicable to the specific area by extracting, for respective pixels within the specific area, a continuous bit string within the corresponding binary bit sequence for that pixel such that a position of the continuous bit string within the binary bit sequence represents the desired resolution, the continuous bit string having a length smaller than the predetermined length, the continuous bit string being associated with a lower range of temperatures in response to a particular bit of the corresponding binary bit sequence being a first value and being associated with a higher range of temperatures in response to the particular bit being a second value.