Infrared processing system, infrared sensor system, infrared processing method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12284452-B2
Application number	US-202017777484-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2020
Priority date	Nov 27, 2019
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

An infrared processing system includes a first thermal image generating unit, an object extracting unit, a second thermal image generating unit, and an object temperature calculating unit. The first thermal image generating unit generates, using a first temperature correction value, a first thermal image based on the output signal of the image sensor. The object extracting unit extracts the object from the first thermal image. The second thermal image generating unit generates, using a second temperature correction value corresponding to the object that has been extracted by the object extracting unit, a second thermal image based on the output signal of the image sensor. The object temperature calculating unit calculates, based on the second thermal image that has been generated by the second thermal image generating unit, a temperature of the object that has been extracted by the object extracting unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An infrared processing system comprising
a processing unit configured to process an output signal of an image sensor that is configured to receive an infrared ray coming from an object,
the processing unit including:
a first thermal image generating unit configured to generate, using a first temperature correction value, a first thermal image based on an output signal of the image sensor;
an object extracting unit configured to extract the object from the first thermal image that has been generated by the first thermal image generating unit;
a second thermal image generating unit configured to generate, using a second temperature correction value corresponding to the object that has been extracted by the object extracting unit, a second thermal image from an output signal which is same as the output signal from which the first thermal image is generated; and
an object temperature calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the second thermal image that has been generated by the second thermal image generating unit, a temperature of the object that has been that has been extracted by the object extracting unit.

2. The infrared processing system of claim 1 , further comprising a first storage unit configured to store the output signal of the image sensor, wherein
the second thermal image generating unit is configured to generate, using the second temperature correction value, the second thermal image based on the output signal stored in the first storage unit.

3. The infrared processing system of claim 1 , further comprising a second storage unit configured to store a plurality of second temperature correction values corresponding to the object that has been extracted by the object extracting unit, the second temperature correction value being one of the plurality of second temperature correction values.

4. The infrared processing system of claim 1 , wherein
the second thermal image generating unit is configured to correct, using the second temperature correction value, only a part, corresponding to the object extracted by the object extracting unit, of the output signal of the image sensor.

5. The infrared processing system of claim 1 , wherein
the second thermal image generating unit is configured to change the second temperature correction value to use, depending on whether or not the temperature of the object that has been extracted by the object extracting unit is equal to or higher than a threshold value.

6. An infrared processing system comprising
a processing unit configured to process an output signal of an image sensor configured to receive an infrared ray coming from an object,
the processing unit including:
a first thermal image generating unit configured to generate, using a first temperature correction value, a first thermal image based on an output signal of the image sensor;
an object extracting unit configured to extract the object from the first thermal image that has been generated by the first thermal image generating unit;
a second thermal image generating unit configured to generate, using a second temperature correction value corresponding to the object that has been extracted by the object extracting unit, a second thermal image based on the output signal of the image sensor; and
an object temperature calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the second thermal image that has been generated by the second thermal image generating unit, a temperature of the object that has been that has been extracted by the object extracting unit,

wherein the second thermal image generating unit is configured to adjust, when generating the second thermal image, gain of the output signal of the image sensor in accordance with the object that has been extracted by the object extracting unit.

7. An infrared processing system comprising
a processing unit configured to process an output signal of an image sensor configured to receive an infrared ray coming from an object,
the processing unit including:
a first thermal image generating unit configured to generate, using a first temperature correction value, a first thermal image based on an output signal of the image sensor;
an object extracting unit configured to extract the object from the first thermal image that has been generated by the first thermal image generating unit;
a second thermal image generating unit configured to generate, using a second temperature correction value corresponding to the object that has been extracted by the object extracting unit, a second thermal image based on the output signal of the image sensor; and
an object temperature calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the second thermal image that has been generated by the second thermal image generating unit, a temperature of the object that has been that has been extracted by the object extracting unit,

wherein the second thermal image generating unit is configured to change, when generating the second thermal image, a voltage range of the output signal of the image sensor into a voltage range corresponding to the object that has been extracted.

8. The infrared processing system of claim 1 , further comprising a visible camera configured to capture an image of an object, wherein
the object extracting unit is configured to extract the object from a captured image of the visible camera, instead of the first thermal image.

9. The infrared processing system of claim 1 , wherein
at least one of the first temperature correction value or the second temperature correction value is stored in a storage unit so as to be rewritable.

10. An infrared sensor system comprising:
the infrared processing system of claim 1 ; and
the image sensor.

11. An infrared processing method comprising
a processing step including processing an output signal of an image sensor having a plurality of photosensors, each of the plurality of photosensors being configured to receive an infrared ray coming from an object,
the processing step including:
a first thermal image generating step including generating, using a first temperature correction value, a first thermal image based on the output signal of the image sensor;
an object extracting step including extracting the object from the first thermal image that has been generated in the first thermal image generating step;
a second thermal image generating step including generating, using a second temperature correction value corresponding to the object that has been extracted in the object extracting step, a second thermal image from an output signal which is same as the output signal from which the first thermal image is generated; and
an object temperature calculating step including calculating, based on the second thermal image that has been generated in the second thermal image generating step, a temperature of the object that has been extracted in the object extracting step.

12. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program which is designed to cause a computer system to perform the infrared processing method of claim 11 .

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sudo Ryota
• Minami Nayuta
• Shimamoto Nobuaki
• Kobayashi Naoki
• Kida Shoya

Classifications

• H04N23/11

  for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N25/21

  for transforming thermal infrared radiation into image signals · CPC title

• G01J2005/0077

  Imaging · CPC title

• G01J5/0025

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

• G06V40/10

  Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands · CPC title