Patents Assigned to Flir Systems AB
  • Publication number: 20110164139
    Abstract: A device for imaging within the IR range. The imaging device includes a cooled unit having a cooled matrix with detectors and a calibrating device for individual calibration of the detectors of the detector matrix with respect to amplification and/or offset. The calibrating device includes at least one radiator, which is housed in or can be introduced into the imaging device, and a signal-processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: FLIR SYSTEMS AB
    Inventor: Bengt Ekdahl
  • Publication number: 20110121178
    Abstract: A camera has an infrared (“IR”) imaging subsystem that includes an IR detector. The camera also has a first and second visual imaging subsystem for generating a first visual image and a second visual image of an object in a scene. The first visual image and the second visual image have a parallax that is dependent on the distance to the object and based on a known parallax function. The camera also has a processor for determining the parallax between the first visual image and second visual images. The IR imaging subsystem may also include an IR optical element for focusing IR radiation on the IR detector. The IR optical element may be operable to focus the IR radiation on the IR detector based on the parallax between the first visual image and the second visual image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventor: Katrin Strandemar
  • Publication number: 20110074959
    Abstract: An IR camera comprises: a thermal radiation capturing arrangement for capturing thermal radiation of an imaged view in response to input control unit(s) receiving user inputs from a user of the IR camera; a processing unit arranged to process the thermal radiation data in order for the thermal radiation data to be displayed by an IR camera display as thermal images; and a IR camera display arranged to display thermal images to a user of the IR camera. The IR camera is characterized in that the processing unit is further arranged to: determine at least one temperature reference value representing the temperature of the surrounding environment of the imaged view; and calculate at least one output power value indicative of an amount of energy dissipated in a part of the imaged view by using the temperature value of the thermal radiation data corresponding to said part of the imaged view and the at least one determined temperature reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventors: Katrin STRANDEMAR, Henrik JÖNSSON, Torbjörn HAMRELIUS, Gunnar PALM
  • Publication number: 20100301214
    Abstract: An IR camera is disclosed, comprising two IR detectors for detecting a first and a second image of the imaged area. A beamsplitter is operable to split the incoming radiation into a first beam comprising a first wavelength spectrum and a second beam comprising a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum. The first beam is received at the first IR detector and the second beam is received at the second IR detector. A processor is operable to calculate properties of the imaged area based on the first and the second image in relationship to each other. The information obtained may be used, for example, to detect the presence or identity of a gas or to determine the material properties of an imaged object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventor: Henrik Jõnsson
  • Patent number: 7826736
    Abstract: A camera comprising a first imaging part for capturing IR image data of a first field of view, said first imaging part comprising IR optics, a second imaging part for capturing visible light data of a second field of view at least partially overlapping the first field of view, said second imaging part comprising visible light optics, a laser pointer for providing a laser dot in the second field of view, and means for adjusting the first and second field of view relative to each other in dependence of the focusing distance of the first or second imaging part. The camera is arranged to determine the distance z between the camera and an object being imaged by means of the distance d, using the stored relationship. The distance z may be used to align the IR image and the visible light image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventors: Katrin Strandemar, Malin Ingerhed
  • Publication number: 20100265332
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to an IR camera for capturing thermal images of an imaged view, the IR camera comprising an IR camera display configured to display the captured thermal images to a user of the IR camera; a display control unit configured to control the IR camera display to further display a current temperature range of the IR camera. The IR camera is characterised in that the display control unit is configured to determine an indication scale comprising the entire current temperature range of the IR camera wherein equally sized temperature intervals have different geometric size in the indication scale based on upon the actual image content of the captured thermal image, and control the IR camera display to display the indication scale to a user of the IR camera. Embodiments of the invention further relate to a method for use in displaying captured thermal images of an IR camera and a computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions for the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventors: Erland GEORGE-SVAHN, Rasmus MATTSSON, Mikael ERLANDSSON, Torsten SANDBÄCK
  • Patent number: 7809258
    Abstract: An infrared (“IR”) camera includes first and second imaging parts for capturing an IR image and a visible light image, respectively. The field of view of the second imaging part at least partially overlaps the field of view of the first imaging part. The first imaging part includes IR optics. The second imaging part includes visible light optics. The IR camera also includes a focus motor for focusing at least one of the IR optics or the visible light optics. A sensor is operable to determine the position of the focus motor. Based on the position of the focus motor, a processor determines actual displacement for aligning the IR and visual light images. The actual displacement includes displacement due to parallax error and error due to the angle between the optical axes of the first and second imaging parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventors: Katrin Strandemar, Malin Ingerhed
  • Publication number: 20100238294
    Abstract: A system and method for processing an infrared image. The infrared image is processed to provide a background portion of the infrared image and a detail portion of the infrared image. The background portion and/or the detail portion is scaled to provide a level of the detail portion relative to a level of the background portion. The background portion and the detail portion are merged after the scaling to provide a processed infrared image. The processed infrared image is stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: FLIR SYSTEMS AB
    Inventors: Nicholas Högasten, Fredrik Andersson
  • Publication number: 20100162206
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing information in images pictured by infrared cameras comprising the steps of receiving radiation from at least one object in an area; extracting radiometric information from the radiation; transforming the radiometric information into at least one digital image file; storing the at least one digital image file and at least one digital function file comprising an executable code characterised by the steps of merging the executable code of the at least one digital function file into or with the at least one digital image file, thereby generating an executable digital image file, wherein the executable code comprises at least one instruction and is written in a programming language independent of system architecture. The invention further relates to a computer program product. By this inventive concept is achieved a cross-platform compatibility of the executable digital images files that makes them independent of computer system architecture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventors: Bjorn ROTH, Magnus BOMAN
  • Publication number: 20100127171
    Abstract: The invention relates to an IR camera for capturing thermal images of an imaged view, the IR camera comprising an IR camera display arranged to display the captured thermal images to a user of the IR camera according to a view parameter setting. The IR camera is characterized in that it further comprises a display control unit arranged to automatically adjust the view parameter setting in the IR camera display based on a temperature reference area in the captured thermal images, wherein the temperature reference area is obtained using an indication means when a manual indication is performed by the user of the IR camera. The invention further relates to a method for adjusting view parameter settings in an IR camera and a computer program product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventors: Henrik Jonsson, Erland George-Svahn
  • Publication number: 20100111412
    Abstract: A method for image processing comprising filtration and conversion to a radiometric color image based on an original image. The method gives the processed image high spatial resolution combined with high dynamic resolution. The original image is made available in digital format. Contrast-increasing filtration is performed on the original digital image. The original digital image is converted into a radiometric pseudocolor image based on a chosen color range in which each color corresponds to an absolute measured, radiated or reflected quantity of energy within a certain wavelength band and where the images are represented in a format containing a luminance component. The filtered contrast-increased original image is scaled in terms of the luminance component in the radiometric color image. The luminance component in the radiometric color image is replaced with the scaled, filtered contrast-increased luminance component of the original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: FLIR SYSTEMS AB
    Inventors: Nicholas Högasten, Graham McCarthy
  • Patent number: 7667198
    Abstract: The invention relates to a camera having optical systems for recording both IR images and visual images and a laser pointer. A method of determining the position of the laser spot in the IR image based on the position of the laser spot in the visual image is proposed. One or more parameters related to the displacement between the visual image and the IR image are used to determine the displacement of the laser spot in the IR image compared to the position detected in the visual image. In cameras providing functions for fusion or blending of IR and visual images, such parameters are determined during calibration to enable alignment of the images captured by the different optical systems. Hence, in such cameras, the displacement parameters are already present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventor: Katrin Strandemar
  • Publication number: 20100034479
    Abstract: A method for signal conditioning of signals from a two-dimensional image by calculating the motion of an image in relation to an image plane. Two-dimensional structures in the image are correlated between images separated in time, using Radon transforms for two or more angles in order to reduce the correlation calculations from two-dimensional correlation to correlation of two or more one-dimensional projections. The one-dimensional projections are differentiated to obtain the gradients of the projections as the basis for the correlation of images separated in time and signal conditioning. The magnitude of the gradients of the projections is ignored and the sign value of the gradients is used for a binary representation as the basis for the correlation of images separated in time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: FLIR SYSTEMS AB
    Inventor: Nicholas Högasten
  • Publication number: 20090294666
    Abstract: A camera (1) arranged to generate an IR image (21) and a visible light image (23) is proposed, said camera comprising a thermal imaging part (3) for registering IR radiation from a first field of view, a visible light imaging part (9) for registering visible light from a second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view, and a processing device (15) for processing the information related to the registered IR radiation and the registered visible light information. The processing device (15) is arranged to identify any moving objects that are detectable by the thermal imaging part (3) and not by the visible light imaging part (9), and presenting said moving objects, if any, in such a way that they will be easily recognizable by an operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: FLIR SYSTEMS AB
    Inventor: Martin Hargel
  • Publication number: 20090273675
    Abstract: An infrared camera is arranged to compensate for temperature variations of the camera by Recording the output signal of each pixel of the detector during a shutter operation Using the recorded signal from each pixel to update a temperature offset map stored in the camera to ensure uniform signal levels at different camera temperatures, Said code means being arranged to perform the following steps during operation of the camera: save at least a first temperature offset map during a first shutter operation at a first temperature and a second temperature offset map during a second shutter operation at a second temperature fit the data from the at least first and second offset maps to a curve using the curve to compensate for variations in signal output caused by temperature variations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: FLIR SYSTEMS AB
    Inventor: Henrik Jonsson
  • Publication number: 20090250611
    Abstract: The invention relates to a camera having optical systems for recording both IR images and visual images and a laser pointer. A method of determining the position of the laser spot in the IR image based on the position of the laser spot in the visual image is proposed. One or more parameters related to the displacement between the visual image and the IR image are used to determine the displacement of the laser spot in the IR image compared to the position detected in the visual image. In cameras providing functions for fusion or blending of IR and visual images, such parameters are determined during calibration to enable alignment of the images captured by the different optical systems. Hence, in such cameras, the displacement parameters are already present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: FLIR SYSTEMS AB
    Inventor: Katrin Strandemar
  • Publication number: 20090230293
    Abstract: A method for correction of non-uniformity in signal level in different image points in an IR-camera, based on a scene being observed during movement in time of detector elements, of a camera in which the detector elements are arranged and/or of the scene, with deviating output signals for the same energy in the scene measured by different detector elements being corrected for image interference so that they provide essentially the same output signal. Micro-mechanical gyros are introduced that measure the angular velocity parallel to and perpendicular to the optical axis of the scene. The measured movement is used as an estimate for calculating the movement with a movement estimation method based on scene data. The estimated movement is coordinated with an associated image. The difference between the most recent image and the immediately preceding image or the average value of a plurality of preceding images is calculated as offset parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: FLIR SYSTEMS AB
    Inventors: Nicholas Hogasten, Peter Uddenfelt
  • Patent number: D599392
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventor: Torbjörn Hamrelius
  • Patent number: D615113
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventor: Tomas Hällgren
  • Patent number: D615116
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventor: Lars Wase