Method and apparatus for producing optical flow using multi-spectral images

Claim 3

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 1, wherein said processing step comprises the step of producing first order partial derivatives of intensities at one or more points within the first and second images for said first and second spectral regions.

Claim 4

the method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 2, wherein the first order partial derivatives have the following relationships: E.sub.xs1.sup.u +E.sub.ys1.sup.v +E.sub.ts1 =0 E.sub.xs2.sup.u +E.sub.ys2.sup.v +E.sub.ts2 =0 , and wherein E xs1 , E ys1 and E ts1 are the first order partial derivatives of the intensities in said first spectral region with respect to image coordinates (x,y) and time (t) respectively, and wherein E xs2 , E ys2 and E ts2 are the first order partial derivatives of the intensities in said second spectral region with respect to the image coordinates (x,y) and the time (t) respectively and, and wherein (u, v) is an associated optical flow vector.

Claim 5

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 1, wherein said processing step comprises smoothing said first and second images.

Claim 6

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 1, wherein said processing step further comprises the step of smoothing said optical flow.

Claim 7

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 5, wherein said processing step comprises the step of median-filtering said optical flow.

Claim 8

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the step of substantially spatially registering said first and second images of said first and second spectral regions.

Claim 9

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 1, wherein said processing step comprises the step of substantially spatially registering said first and second images.

Claim 10

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 1, wherein said processing step comprises the step of producing second order partial derivatives of the intensities of the first and second images for said first and second spectral regions.

Claim 11

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 9, wherein the method comprises the step of providing the second order partial derivatives with the following relationships: E.sub.xxs1.sup.u +E.sub.xys1.sup.v +E.sub.xts1 =0 E.sub.xys1.sup.u +E.sub.yys1.sup.v +E.sub.yts1 =0 E.sub.xxs2.sup.u +E.sub.xys2.sup.v +E.sub.xts2 =0 E.sub.xys2.sup.u +E.sub.yys2.sup.v +E.sub.yts2 =0 , and wherein E xxa1 , E xys1 and E yys1 are the second order partial derivatives of the intensities of said first spectral region with respect to image coordinates (x,y), and wherein E xxs2 , E xys2 and E yys2 are additional second order partial derivatives of additional intensities of said second spectral region with respect to said image coordinates (x,y), and wherein E xts1 and E yts1 are the second order partial derivatives of said intensities of said first spectral region, and wherein and E xts2 and E yts2 are further second order partial derivatives of further intensities of said second spectral region with respect to said image coordinates (x,y) and time (t), and wherein (u,v) is an associated optical flow vector.

Claim 12

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 9, wherein said processing step further comprises the step of smoothing said first and second images.

Claim 13

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 9, wherein said processing step further comprises the step of smoothing said optical flow.

Claim 14

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 12, wherein said processing step comprises the step of median-filtering said optical flow.

Claim 15

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 9, wherein said method further comprises the step of substantially spatially registering said first and second images of said first and second spectral regions.

Claim 16

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 9, wherein said processing step further comprises the step of substantially spatially registering said images.

Claim 19

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 16, wherein said processing step comprises the step of smoothing said first and second images.

Claim 20

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 16, wherein said processing step comprises the step of smoothing said optical flow.

Claim 21

The method of determining optical flow as defined in claim 18, wherein said processing step further comprises the step of median-filtering said optical flow.

Claim 22

Apparatus for determining optical flow comprising: a first image sensor for obtaining a first image from a first spectral region of a field of view; a second image sensor for obtaining a second image from a second spectral region of the field of view, wherein said first image sensor and said second image sensor are operable to obtain said first and second images at the same instance of time; and a processor for processing said first and second images to obtain the optical flow of the field of view.

Claim 23

Apparatus for determining optical flow comprising: a first image sensor for obtaining a first image from a first spectral region of a field of view; a second image sensor for obtaining a second image from a second spectral region of the field of view, wherein said first image sensor and said second image sensor are operable to obtain said first and second images at the same instance of time; and a processor for processing said first and second images to obtain the optical flow of the field of view.

Claim 24

Apparatus for determining optical flow as defined in claim 20, wherein said processor comprises means for obtaining first order partial derivatives of intensities of the first and second images for said first and second spectral regions.

Claim 25

Apparatus for determining optical flow as defined in claim 20, wherein said processor comprises means for obtaining second order partial derivatives of intensities of the first and second images for said first and second spectral regions.