Device attachment with dual band imaging sensor

1. A system comprising:

a device attachment comprising:

a housing;

an infrared sensor assembly within the housing, the infrared sensor assembly configured to capture infrared image data;

a first non-thermal camera module within the housing, the first non-thermal camera module configured to capture non-thermal image data; and

a processing module communicatively coupled to the infrared sensor assembly and the first non-thermal camera module; and

a user device releasably attached to the housing of the device attachment, the user device comprising:

a second non-thermal camera module; and

a light source, wherein the processing module is configured to cooperate with the infrared sensor assembly, the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment and at least one of the second non-thermal camera module in the user device or the light source to capture and process images,

wherein the processing module is configured to determine a parallax correction for the infrared sensor assembly and the first non-thermal camera module based on a first non-thermal image from the first non-thermal camera module and a second non-thermal image from the second non-thermal camera module.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to:

determine a distance to an object using the first non-thermal image from the first non-thermal camera module of the device attachment and the second non-thermal image from the second non-thermal camera module of the user device; and

determine the parallax correction for the infrared sensor assembly and the first non-thermal camera module based on the determined distance.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processing module is configured to determine the distance based on a parallax-induced shift of the object in the first and second non-thermal images and based on a known distance between the first non-thermal camera module of the device attachment and the second non-thermal camera module of the user device.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising the user device attached to the device attachment.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device comprises a processor, and wherein the processing module of the device attachment is further configured to cooperate with the processor of the user device.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the user device comprises a mobile phone, and wherein the light source is a light source of the mobile phone.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to combine a thermal image from the infrared sensor assembly with the first non-thermal image using the determined parallax correction, and wherein the infrared sensor assembly comprises a plurality of microbolometers.

8. A method of operating the system of claim 1 , the method comprising:

capturing the second non-thermal image using the second non-thermal camera module in the user device, wherein the user device is a portable electronic device;

capturing the first non-thermal image using the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment that is attached to the portable electronic device;

determining a distance to an object using the first and second non-thermal images;

capturing a thermal image using the infrared sensor assembly in the device attachment;

performing the parallax correction on at least one of the thermal image or the first non-thermal image based on the determining the distance; and

combining, following the performing, the thermal image and the first non-thermal image to form an enhanced output image.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing power from a battery in the device attachment to the portable electronic device.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

operating the light source of the portable electronic device; and

synchronizing the capturing of the first and second non-thermal images based on the operating the light source.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

monitoring a movement of the portable electronic device and the device attachment; and

capturing the first and second non-thermal images when the movement is below a desired threshold.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

capturing additional images of an additional object using the second non-thermal camera module, the first non-thermal camera module, and the infrared sensor assembly;

detecting edges of the additional object in each of the additional images; and

determining, based at least on the edges in each of the additional images, alignment and distortion corrections between the second non-thermal camera module and the first non-thermal camera module for use in the performing of the parallax correction.

13. A method of operating the system of claim 1 , the method comprising:

performing a calibration operation for the infrared sensor assembly in the device attachment that is attached to the user device;

receiving an image-based temperature determination request of an object from a user;

in response to the image-based temperature determination request, determining whether a time since the performing is less than a maximum allowed time; and

capturing a thermal image using the infrared sensor assembly based on the determining that the time since the performing is less than the maximum allowed time.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the performing comprises capturing one or more images of a closed shutter of the device attachment using the infrared sensor assembly, the method further comprising:

based on the determining that the time since the performing is greater than the maximum allowed time, providing instructions to the user to close the shutter to perform a new calibration of the infrared sensor assembly.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to operate the light source while the infrared image data and non-thermal image data are captured to cooperate with the infrared sensor assembly, the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment, and the light source to capture and process the images.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processing module is configured to combine the infrared image data and the non-thermal image data captured while the light source was operated to form an enhanced output image.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

receive the infrared image data, the non-thermal image data, and additional non-thermal image data from the second non-thermal camera module in the user device; and

combine the infrared image data and the non-thermal image data based on a correction determined using the non-thermal image data and the additional non-thermal image data to cooperate with the infrared sensor assembly, the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment, and the second non-thermal camera module in the user device to capture and process the images.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to cooperate with the infrared sensor assembly, the first non-thermal camera module in the device attachment, the second non-thermal camera module in the user device, and the light source to capture and process the images.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device attachment further comprises a battery configured to selectively provide power to the user device.