EP0084374A2
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EP
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Digital image processing and display techniques utilizing differential image intensity determinations
Assignee: UTI Instruments Co
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Filing: 1983-01-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-01-17
Abstract
Abstract Techniques of image processing and display particularly adapted for use in thermography. A first heat image is digitized and stored. A second heat image is acquired, digitized and then compared point-by-point with that of the first image. Any differences in intensity between the two , images are also stored. The difference data is used to display on a CRT an optical image of the thermal differences between the two images, thus allowing comparison of the heat radiant characteristics of one object with a standard, or such characteristics of an object at different times.
Inventors
- 👤 James C. Beck
- 👤 David J. Reinagel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 10:35
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N25/00; G01N25/72; G06; G06T; G06T5/00; G06T5/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
A method of acquiring, processing and displaying digital data representative of the intensity of individual points of electromagnetic radiation images of one or more objects, comprising the steps of: storing such digital data for a first image, comparing such digital data for a second image on a point-by-point basis with the first image data in a manner to generate digital data of the amplitude of any differences between the first and second images, storing the difference digital data, and displaying from the difference digital data an image that represents the amplitude differences between said first and second images.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
98 words
A method of acquiring, processing and displaying digital data representative of the intensity of individual points of electromagnetic radiation images of one or more objects, comprising the steps of: storing such digital data for a first image, comparing such digital data for a second image on a point-by-point basis with the first image data in a manner to generate digital data of the amplitude of any differences between the first and second images, storing the difference digital data, and displaying from the difference digital data an image that represents the amplitude differences between said first and second images.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the second image data is not stored, but only the difference with the first image data is stored, and wherein the step of displaying the amplitude difference image is accomplished by reference to only the difference data.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of acquiring, processing and displaying digital data representative of the intensity of individual points of electromagnetic radiation images of one or more objects, comprising the steps of: storing such digital data for a first image, comparing such digital data for a second image on a point-by-point basis with the first image data in a manner to generate digital data of the amplitude of any differences between the first and second images, storing the difference digital data, recombining the difference digital data with that of the first image in a manner to generate the second image data, and displaying the recombined digital data, thereby to display the second image from digital data that can alternatively be used to display the difference image only.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of acquiring, processing and displaying digital data representative of the intensity of individual points of electromagnetic radiation images of one or more objects, comprising the steps of: storing such digital data for a first image, comparing such digital data for a second image on a point-by-point basis with the first image data in a manner to generate digital data of the amplitude of any differences between the first and second images, storing the difference digital data, recombining the difference digital data with that of the first image in a manner to generate the second image data, and displaying the recombined digital data, thereby to display the second image from digital data that can alternatively be used to display the difference image only.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
53 words
The method according to either of claims 1 or 3 wherein the steps of storing data comprise the formation of a single digital word for each image point, one part of said digital word being the first image digital data and a second portion of said digital word being said difference digital data.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
39 words
The method according to either of claims 1 or 3, comprising the additional step of updating the difference digital data as said second image changes, said updating being accomplished without affecting the stored digital data of the first image.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
23 words
The method according to either of claims 1 or 3 wherein said electromagnetic radiation is substantially within the infra-red portion of the spectrum.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
36 words
A method according to either of claims 1 or 3 wherein said first and second image digital data are acquired of a single object at different instances of time, whereby changes in the object are detected.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
35 words
The method according to either of claims 1 or 3 wherein said first and second image digital data are acquired of different but substantially identical objects, whereby the radiation characteristics of two objects are compared.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
139 words
A thermograph, comprising: means scanning an infra-red image of an object for generating a plurality of digital words representative of the intensity of the image at defined image points, a digital memory with one digital word location for each of said defined image points, means receiving digital words from said scanning means for writing standard image data into a first portion of each memory word location, and means receiving digital data words from said scanning means for writing data into a second portion of each memory word location that is the difference between the intensity of the given point from a current image and the intensity of that point of the standard image as stored in said first memory word location portion, whereby said data words can be used to create a CRT optical display of a heat image.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
139 words
A thermograph, comprising: means scanning an infra-red image of an object for generating a plurality of digital words representative of the intensity of the image at defined image points, a digital memory with one digital word location for each of said defined image points, means receiving digital words from said scanning means for writing standard image data into a first portion of each memory word location, and means receiving digital data words from said scanning means for writing data into a second portion of each memory word location that is the difference between the intensity of the given point from a current image and the intensity of that point of the standard image as stored in said first memory word location portion, whereby said data words can be used to create a CRT optical display of a heat image.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
92 words
A thermograph according to claim 9 that additionally comprises display means receiving digital data words from said memory means for displaying an image whose intensity is determined from the data stored in only the first part of each memory word location, the data stored in only the second part of each memory word location or a sum of the data stored in the first and second portions of each memory word location, thereby making it possible to selectively display, respectively, the standard image, a difference image or the most recently acquired image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
123 words
A thermograph, comprising: means scanning an infra-red image of an object for generating a plurality of digital words representative of the intensity of the image at defined image points, means receiving said digital data for storing such data of a first infra-red image, means receiving digital data of a second infra-red image from said scanning means for comparing that data image point by image point with that of said first image and for generating digital data of any intensity differences between the first and second images, and means receiving said image difference digital data for displaying therefrom an image that represents the amplitude differences between the first and second images, whereby differences in infra-red profiles of the first and second images are displayed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
123 words
A thermograph, comprising: means scanning an infra-red image of an object for generating a plurality of digital words representative of the intensity of the image at defined image points, means receiving said digital data for storing such data of a first infra-red image, means receiving digital data of a second infra-red image from said scanning means for comparing that data image point by image point with that of said first image and for generating digital data of any intensity differences between the first and second images, and means receiving said image difference digital data for displaying therefrom an image that represents the amplitude differences between the first and second images, whereby differences in infra-red profiles of the first and second images are displayed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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