Method and system for identifying light source and application thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11218628-B2
Application number	US-202016931522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2020
Priority date	Jan 17, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for identifying light source. The method includes receiving an infrared image of an environment captured by an imaging apparatus in a first configuration. The method also includes identifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image. The method further includes generating an order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to a second configuration.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations including:
receiving an infrared image of an environment captured by an imaging apparatus in a first configuration;
identifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image, wherein the light source is identified based on grayscale levels of pixels of an object in the infrared image and a shape of the object matching a preset shape; and
generating an order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to a second configuration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the identifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image comprises:
determining a grayscale level of each of a plurality of pixels in the infrared image;
determining, based on the grayscale levels of the plurality of pixels, a set of target pixels from the plurality of pixels, wherein the grayscale of each of the set of target pixels satisfies a grayscale level condition;
determining, based on a shape detection algorithm, that the set of target pixels forms a target shape of the light source in the infrared image; and
in response to the determination that the set of target pixels forms the target shape of the light source in the infrared image, identifying that the light source exists in the environment.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the identifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image comprises:
determining a grayscale level of each of a plurality of pixels in the infrared image;
determining, based on a shape detection algorithm, that the plurality of pixels form at least one target shape of the light source in the infrared image; and
for each of the at least one target shape, determining a ratio of a count of pixels in the target shape that have grayscale levels satisfying a grayscale level condition to a total count of pixels in the target shape;
determining that the ratio corresponding to one of the at least one target shape exceeds a ratio threshold; and
in response to the determination that the ratio corresponding to one of the at least one target shape exceeds the ratio threshold, identifying that the light source exists in the environment.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the apparatus to perform additional operations including:
before generating the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration, determining whether the identification of existence of the light source in the environment is a correct identification; and
in response to the determination that the identification of existence of the light source in the environment is a correct identification, generating the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the determining whether the identification of existence of the light source in the environment is a correct identification comprises:
receiving at least one reference infrared image captured by the imaging apparatus in the first configuration, wherein the at least one reference infrared image is captured later than a time when the infrared image is captured by a time interval;
identifying that the light source exists in the environment captured in the reference infrared image; and
in response to the identification that the light source exists in the environment captured in the reference infrared image, confirming that the identification of existence of the light source in the environment captured in the infrared image is a correct identification.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the determining whether the identification of existence of the light source in the environment is a correct identification comprises:
determining at least one environment parameter associated with the light source at a time when the infrared image is captured;
determining that the at least one environment parameter satisfies at least one environment condition, and
in response to the determination that the at least one environment parameter satisfies the at least one environment condition, determining that the identification of existence of the light source in the environment captured in the infrared image is a correct identification.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the infrared image is captured by a thermal imaging device in the imaging apparatus when a shutter of the thermal imaging device is open, and the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration includes changing status of the shutter of the thermal imaging device from open to closed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration includes temporarily removing an optical filter of an imaging device in the imaging apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus includes at least one imaging device installed on a pan-tilt head, and
the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration includes rotating the pan-tilt head to change an orientation of the at least one imaging device in the imaging apparatus from a first orientation to a second orientation.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one imaging device includes a visible light imaging device and a thermal imaging device, and
when the visible light imaging device and the thermal imaging device are configured along an axis, the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration includes rotating the pan-tilt head in a plane that is oblique or perpendicular to the axis.

11. A method implemented on a computing device having at least one processor and at least one storage medium, the method comprising:
receiving an infrared image of an environment captured by an imaging apparatus in a first configuration;
identifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image, wherein the light source is identified based on grayscale levels of pixels of an object in the infrared image and a shape of the object matching a preset shape; and
generating an order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to a second configuration.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the identifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image comprises:
determining a grayscale level of each of a plurality of pixels in the infrared image;
determining, based on the grayscale levels of the plurality of pixels, a set of target pixels from the plurality of pixels, wherein the grayscale of each of the set of target pixels satisfies a grayscale level condition;
determining, based on a shape detection algorithm, that the set of target pixels forms a target shape of the light source in the infrared image; and
in response to the determination that the set of target pixels forms the target shape of the light source in the infrared image, identifying that the light source exists in the environment.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the identifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image comprises:
determining a grayscale

Assignees

• Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co

Inventors

• Lu Wuping
• Yang Zhiqiang
• Yuan Zhigang
• Xu Lanye
• Wang Mingyan

Classifications

• H04N23/61 Primary

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• H04N23/661

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• H04N23/60 Primary

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N23/695 Primary

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title