Using infrared images of a monitored scene to identify windows

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016366346-A1
Application number	US-201514738806-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2015
Priority date	Jun 12, 2015
Publication date	Dec 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process classifies objects in a scene. The process receives a captured IR image of a scene taken by a 2-dimensional image sensor array of a camera system while one or more IR illuminators of the camera system are emitting IR light, thereby forming an IR intensity map of the scene with a respective intensity value determined for each pixel of the IR image. The process uses the IR intensity map to identify a plurality of pixels whose corresponding intensity values are within a predefined intensity range, and clusters the identified plurality of pixels into one or more regions that are substantially contiguous. The process determines that a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to a specific material based, at least in part, on the intensity values of the pixels in the first region. The process then stores information in the memory that identifies the first region.

First claim

1 . A method of classifying objects in a scene, comprising:
at a computing device having one or more processors, and memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors:
receiving a captured IR image of a scene taken by a 2-dimensional image sensor array of a camera system while one or more IR illuminators of the camera system are emitting IR light, thereby forming an IR intensity map of the scene with a respective intensity value determined for each pixel of the IR image;
using the IR intensity map to identify a plurality of pixels whose corresponding intensity values are below a threshold value corresponding to glass;
clustering the identified plurality of pixels into one or more regions that are substantially contiguous;
determining that a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to a glass surface based, at least in part, on a difference in area between the first region and a geometrical shape containing the first region being less than a threshold percentage of the geometrical shape's area;
storing information in the memory that identifies the first region;
receiving a video stream of the scene from the camera system;
reviewing the video stream to detect movement in the scene, wherein the first region is excluded from movement detection; and
generating a motion alert when there is motion detected at the scene outside of the first region.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each pixel of the IR image corresponds to a unique respective image sensor in the image sensor array.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixels of the IR image form a partition of the image sensors in the image sensor array and wherein at least one pixel corresponds to a plurality of image sensors in the image sensor array.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a server distinct from the camera system.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is included in the camera system.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the camera system has a plurality of IR illuminators, and forming an IR intensity map of the scene comprises:
for each of a plurality of distinct subsets of IR illuminators of the camera system, receiving a respective IR sub-image of the scene while the respective subset of IR illuminators are emitting IR light and the IR illuminators not in the respective subset are not emitting IR light; wherein determining the respective intensity value for a respective pixel comprises computing an average of intensity values at the pixel in each of the sub-images.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein clustering the identified plurality of pixels into one or more regions further comprises using an RGB image of the scene captured using the image sensor array.

9 . (canceled)

10 . (canceled)

11 . (canceled)

12 . (canceled)

13 . A computing device, comprising:
one or more processors; memory; and one or more programs stored in the memory configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for: receiving a captured IR image of a scene taken by a 2-dimensional image sensor array of a camera system while one or more IR illuminators of the camera system are emitting IR light, thereby forming an IR intensity map of the scene with a respective intensity value determined for each pixel of the IR image; using the IR intensity map to identify a plurality of pixels whose corresponding intensity values are below a threshold value corresponding to glass; clustering the identified plurality of pixels into one or more regions that are substantially contiguous; determining that a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to a glass surface based, at least in part, on a difference in area between the first region and a geometrical shape containing the first region being less than a threshold percentage of the geometrical shape's area; storing information in the memory that identifies the first region; receiving a video stream of the scene from the camera system; reviewing the video stream to detect movement in the scene, wherein the first region is excluded from movement detection; and generating a motion alert when there is motion detected at the scene outside of the first region.

14 . The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the computing device is a server distinct from the camera system.

15 . The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the camera system has a plurality of IR illuminators, and forming an IR intensity map of the scene comprises:
for each of a plurality of distinct subsets of IR illuminators of the camera system, receiving a respective IR sub-image of the scene while the respective subset of IR illuminators are emitting IR light and the IR illuminators not in the respective subset are not emitting IR light; wherein determining the respective intensity value for a respective pixel comprises computing an average of intensity values at the pixel in each of the sub-images.

16 . The computing device of claim 13 , wherein clustering the identified plurality of pixels into one or more regions further comprises using a depth map that was constructed using the image sensor array.

17 . (canceled)

18 . (canceled)

19 . (canceled)

20 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computing device having one or more processors and memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
receiving a captured IR image of a scene taken by a 2-dimensional image sensor array of a camera system while one or more IR illuminators of the camera system are emitting IR light, thereby forming an IR intensity map of the scene with a respective intensity value determined for each pixel of the IR image; using the IR intensity map to identify a plurality of pixels whose corresponding intensity values are below a threshold value corresponding to glass; clustering the identified plurality of pixels into one or more regions that are substantially contiguous; determining that a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to a glass surface based, at least in part, on a difference in area between the first region and a geometrical shape containing the first region being less than a threshold percentage of the geometrical shape's area; storing information in the memory that identifies the first region; receiving a video stream of the scene from the camera system; reviewing the video stream to detect movement in the scene, wherein the first region is excluded from movement detection; and generating a motion alert when there is motion detected at the scene outside of the first region.

21 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the camera system has a plurality of IR illuminators, and forming an IR intensity map of the scene comprises:
for each of a plurality of distinct subsets of IR illuminators of the camera system, receiving a respective IR sub-image of the scene while the respective subset of IR illuminators are emitting IR light and the IR illuminators not in the respective subset are not emitting IR light; wherein determining the respective intensity value for a respective pixel comprises computing an average of intensity values at the pixel in each of the sub-images.

22 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein clustering the identified plurality of pixels into one or more regions further compri

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Shin Dongeek
• Dixon Michael

Classifications

• G08B13/19602 Primary

  Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction · CPC title

• H04N23/11

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

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title