Device attachment with dual band imaging sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11297264-B2
Application number	US-201615199867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

Various techniques are disclosed for providing a device attachment configured to releasably attach to and provide infrared imaging functionality to mobile phones or other portable electronic devices. The device attachment may include an infrared imagining module and a non-thermal imaging module that cooperate with one or more of a non-thermal imaging module in an attached device and a light source in the attached device for capturing and processing images.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a device attachment comprising:
a housing;
an infrared sensor assembly within the housing, the infrared sensor assembly configured to capture infrared image data;
a first non-thermal camera module within the housing, the first non-thermal camera module configured to capture non-thermal image data; and
a processing module communicatively coupled to the infrared sensor assembly and the first non-thermal camera module; and

a user device releasably attached to the housing of the device attachment, the user device comprising:
a second non-thermal camera module; and
a light source, wherein the processing module is configured to cooperate with the infrared sensor assembly, the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment and at least one of the second non-thermal camera module in the user device or the light source to capture and process images,

wherein the processing module is configured to determine a parallax correction for the infrared sensor assembly and the first non-thermal camera module based on a first non-thermal image from the first non-thermal camera module and a second non-thermal image from the second non-thermal camera module.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to:
determine a distance to an object using the first non-thermal image from the first non-thermal camera module of the device attachment and the second non-thermal image from the second non-thermal camera module of the user device; and
determine the parallax correction for the infrared sensor assembly and the first non-thermal camera module based on the determined distance.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processing module is configured to determine the distance based on a parallax-induced shift of the object in the first and second non-thermal images and based on a known distance between the first non-thermal camera module of the device attachment and the second non-thermal camera module of the user device.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising the user device attached to the device attachment.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device comprises a processor, and wherein the processing module of the device attachment is further configured to cooperate with the processor of the user device.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the user device comprises a mobile phone, and wherein the light source is a light source of the mobile phone.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to combine a thermal image from the infrared sensor assembly with the first non-thermal image using the determined parallax correction, and wherein the infrared sensor assembly comprises a plurality of microbolometers.

8. A method of operating the system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
capturing the second non-thermal image using the second non-thermal camera module in the user device, wherein the user device is a portable electronic device;
capturing the first non-thermal image using the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment that is attached to the portable electronic device;
determining a distance to an object using the first and second non-thermal images;
capturing a thermal image using the infrared sensor assembly in the device attachment;
performing the parallax correction on at least one of the thermal image or the first non-thermal image based on the determining the distance; and
combining, following the performing, the thermal image and the first non-thermal image to form an enhanced output image.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing power from a battery in the device attachment to the portable electronic device.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
operating the light source of the portable electronic device; and
synchronizing the capturing of the first and second non-thermal images based on the operating the light source.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
monitoring a movement of the portable electronic device and the device attachment; and
capturing the first and second non-thermal images when the movement is below a desired threshold.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
capturing additional images of an additional object using the second non-thermal camera module, the first non-thermal camera module, and the infrared sensor assembly;
detecting edges of the additional object in each of the additional images; and
determining, based at least on the edges in each of the additional images, alignment and distortion corrections between the second non-thermal camera module and the first non-thermal camera module for use in the performing of the parallax correction.

13. A method of operating the system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
performing a calibration operation for the infrared sensor assembly in the device attachment that is attached to the user device;
receiving an image-based temperature determination request of an object from a user;
in response to the image-based temperature determination request, determining whether a time since the performing is less than a maximum allowed time; and
capturing a thermal image using the infrared sensor assembly based on the determining that the time since the performing is less than the maximum allowed time.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the performing comprises capturing one or more images of a closed shutter of the device attachment using the infrared sensor assembly, the method further comprising:
based on the determining that the time since the performing is greater than the maximum allowed time, providing instructions to the user to close the shutter to perform a new calibration of the infrared sensor assembly.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to operate the light source while the infrared image data and non-thermal image data are captured to cooperate with the infrared sensor assembly, the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment, and the light source to capture and process the images.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processing module is configured to combine the infrared image data and the non-thermal image data captured while the light source was operated to form an enhanced output image.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:
receive the infrared image data, the non-thermal image data, and additional non-thermal image data from the second non-thermal camera module in the user device; and
combine the infrared image data and the non-thermal image data based on a correction determined using the non-thermal image data and the additional non-thermal image data to cooperate with the infrared sensor assembly, the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment, and the second non-thermal camera module in the user device to capture and process the images.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to cooperate with the infrared sensor assembly, the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment, the second non-thermal camera module in the user device, and the light source to capture and process the images.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device attachment further comprises a battery configured to selectively provide power to the user device.

Assignees

• Flir Systems
• Teledyne Fur Llc

Inventors

• Elmfors Per
• Kent Michael

Classifications

• G01J5/53 Primary

  Reference sources, e.g. standard lamps; Black bodies · CPC title

• G01J5/0025 Primary

  Living bodies (ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00) · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• G01J5/0804

  Shutters · CPC title