System and method for generating panoramic acoustic images and virtualizing acoustic imaging devices by segmentation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025035782-A1
Application number	US-202418912006-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 10, 2024
Priority date	Sep 11, 2020
Publication date	Jan 30, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An acoustic analysis system includes an acoustic sensor array that receives acoustic signals from a target scene and outputs acoustic data based on the one or more acoustic signals. A processor receives a first set of acoustic data representing a first portion of the target scene and having a first field of view (FOV), generates a first acoustic image based on the first set of acoustic data, receives a second set of acoustic data representing a second portion of the target scene and having a second FOV, wherein the second FOV is different than the first FOV, generates a second acoustic image based on the second set of acoustic data, registers the first acoustic image and the second acoustic image to form an aligned first acoustic image and second acoustic image, and generate a panorama comprising the aligned first acoustic image and second acoustic image for presentation on a display.

First claim

1 . An acoustic analysis system comprising:
an acoustic sensor array configured to receive acoustic signals from a target scene and output acoustic data based on the acoustic signals; and one or more processors in communication with the acoustic sensor array, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
receive the acoustic data from the acoustic sensor array;
identify a plurality of portions of the target scene based on the acoustic data;
associate respective acoustic profiles with the plurality of portions of the target scene; and
generate a display image having the plurality of portions of the target scene, wherein the acoustic data is visually represented in the plurality of portions of the target scene according to the respective acoustic profiles.

2 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein at least one acoustic profile of the respective acoustic profiles differs from another acoustic profile in one or more acoustic criteria.

3 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein respective boundaries of the plurality of portions of the target scene are represented in the display image.

4 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of portions of the target scene are identified based on one or more of:
locations of the acoustic signals in the target scene, acoustic parameters of the acoustic signals in the target scene, a direction of an object within the target scene relative to the acoustic analysis system, or one or more features or objects identified in the target scene.

5 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to define at least one acoustic profile associated with at least one portion of the target scene based on one or more parameters of the acoustic data received from the acoustic sensor array.

6 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein an alarm profile is associated with a portion of the target scene, the alarm profile comprising acoustic criteria that, when met by an acoustic signal in the portion of the target scene, the acoustic analysis system is configured to notify an alarm condition.

7 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein acoustic data in different portions of the target scene are represented differently in the display image according to different acoustic criteria in the respective acoustic profiles.

8 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein a respective acoustic profile includes periodicity criteria, and in the portion of the target scene associated with the respective acoustic profile, acoustic data representing acoustic signals that do not meet the periodicity criteria are not represented or are visually represented different from acoustic data representing acoustic signals that meet the periodicity criteria.

9 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein a respective acoustic profile has frequency criteria, and in the portion of the target scene associated with the respective acoustic profile, acoustic data representing acoustic signals that do not meet the frequency criteria are not represented or are visually represented different from acoustic data representing acoustic signals that meet the frequency criteria.

10 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein a respective acoustic profile has an intensity criteria, and in the portion of the target scene associated with the respective acoustic profile, acoustic data representing acoustic signals that do not meet the intensity criteria are not represented or are visually represented different from acoustic data representing acoustic signals that meet the intensity criteria.

11 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 1 , wherein a respective acoustic profile comprises an acoustic signature, and in the portion of the target scene associated with the respective acoustic profile, acoustic data representing acoustic signals that do not match the acoustic signature are not represented or are visually represented different from acoustic data representing acoustic signals that match the acoustic signature.

12 . A method of acoustic analysis, comprising:
receiving acoustic data from an acoustic sensor array, wherein the acoustic data represents acoustic signals in a target scene; identifying a plurality of portions of the target scene based on the acoustic data; associating respective acoustic profiles with the plurality of portions of the target scene, wherein at least one acoustic profile differs from another acoustic profile in one or more acoustic criteria; and generating a display image having the plurality of portions of the target scene, wherein the acoustic data is visually represented in the plurality of portions of the target scene according to the respective acoustic profiles.

13 . The method of acoustic analysis of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of portions of the target scene are identified based on one or more of:
locations of the acoustic signals in the target scene, acoustic parameters of the acoustic signals in the target scene, a direction of an object within the target scene relative to the acoustic sensor array, or one or more features or objects identified in the target scene.

14 . The method of acoustic analysis of claim 12 , wherein a respective acoustic profile includes alarm criteria, the method further comprising notifying an alarm condition when an acoustic signal in the portion of the target scene associated with the respective acoustic profile satisfies the alarm criteria.

15 . The method of acoustic analysis of claim 12 , wherein a respective acoustic profile includes acoustic criteria comprising one or more of periodicity criteria, frequency criteria, intensity criteria, or an acoustic signature, and in the portion of the target scene associated with the respective acoustic profile, acoustic data representing acoustic signals that do not meet the acoustic criteria are not represented or are visually represented different than acoustic data representing acoustic signals that meet the acoustic criteria.

16 . An acoustic analysis system comprising:
one or more processors configured to operate according to executable instructions, wherein in response to execution, the instructions cause the one or more processors to:
receive acoustic data representing acoustic signals in a target scene;
identify a plurality of portions of the target scene based on the acoustic data;
associate respective acoustic profiles with the plurality of portions of the target scene; and
generate a display image of the target scene in which the acoustic data is visually represented in the plurality of portions of the target scene according to the respective acoustic profiles.

17 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 16 , wherein at least one acoustic profile of the respective acoustic profiles differs from another acoustic profile in one or more acoustic criteria.

18 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to associate an alarm profile with a portion of the target scene, the alarm profile comprising acoustic criteria that, when met by an acoustic signal in the portion of the target scene, the acoustic analysis system is configured to notify an alarm condition.

19 . The acoustic analysis system of claim 16 , wherein acoustic data in different portions of the target scene are represented differently in the display image according to different acoustic criteria in the respective acoustic profiles.

Assignees

• Fluke Corp

Inventors

• Prabhakar Dileepa
• Stuart Michael D

Classifications

• G01S15/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S15/46) · CPC title

• G06T7/11

  Region-based segmentation · CPC title

• G01S17/08

  for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S15/08

  Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S15/46) · CPC title