IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,600,075
Granted Patent B2
US 11,600,075 · App. 17/201,316 · Granted Mar 7, 2023

Nighttime sensing

Inventors: Lucian Ion (Mountain View, CA); Daniel E. Potter (San Jose, CA); Evan C. Cull (Sunnyvale, CA); Xiaofeng Tang (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
G06V20/56G05D1/0214G05D1/0246G06K9/6267G06V10/141G06V10/143G06V10/255G06V20/58H04N5/2258H04N5/2354H04N5/23218H04N5/332G05D2201/0213
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,600,075
App. No.
17/201,316
Granted
Mar 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for night vision combining sensor image types. Some implementations may include obtaining a long wave infrared image from a long wave infrared sensor; detecting an object in the long wave infrared image; identifying a region of interest associated with the object; adjusting a control parameter of a near infrared sensor based on data associated with the region of interest; obtaining a near infrared image captured using the adjusted control parameter of the near infrared sensor; and determining a classification of the object based on data of the near infrared image associated with the region of interest.

Claims (72)

1. A system, comprising:

a long wave infrared sensor;

a near infrared sensor;

a visible spectrum sensor; and

one or more processors coupled to the long wave infrared sensor, the near infrared sensor, and the visible spectrum sensor, configured to:

obtain a long wave infrared image using the long wave infrared sensor,

identify a region of interest associated with an object in the long wave infrared image,

obtain a near infrared image captured using the near infrared sensor,

obtain a visible spectrum image captured using the visible spectrum sensor,

extract features for the region of interest using the near infrared image and the visible spectrum image,

fuse the features for the region of interest from the near infrared sensor and the visible spectrum sensor, and

determine a classification of the object using the fused features for the region of interest.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

resample channels of data from the visible spectrum image and the near infrared image at a common resolution.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the classification of the object comprises applying the fused features for the region of interest to a convolutional neural network.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising:

a near infrared illuminator;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust a near infrared illuminator control parameter based on data associated with the region of interest; and

wherein the near infrared image is captured using the adjusted near infrared illuminator control parameter.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the near infrared illuminator control parameter is a brightness.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the near infrared illuminator control parameter is field of illumination.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising:

a visible spectrum illuminator;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust a visible spectrum illuminator control parameter based on data associated with the region of interest; and

wherein the visible spectrum image is captured using the adjusted visible spectrum illuminator control parameter.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

adjust a computational control parameter based on data associated with the region of interest; and

wherein the classification of the object is determined using the computational control parameter.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining a long wave infrared image using a long wave infrared sensor;

identifying a region of interest associated with an object in the long wave infrared image;

obtaining a near infrared image captured using a near infrared sensor;

obtaining a visible spectrum image captured using a visible spectrum sensor;

extracting features for the region of interest using the near infrared image and the visible spectrum image;

fusing the features for the region of interest from the near infrared sensor and the visible spectrum sensor; and

determining a classification of the object using the fused features for the region of interest.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

resampling channels of data from the visible spectrum image and the near infrared image at a common resolution.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the classification of the object comprises applying the fused features for the region of interest to a convolutional neural network.

12. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

adjusting a visible spectrum illuminator control parameter based on data associated with the region of interest; and

wherein the visible spectrum image is captured using the adjusted visible spectrum illuminator control parameter.

13. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

adjusting a near infrared illuminator control parameter based on data associated with the region of interest; and

wherein the near infrared image is captured using the adjusted near infrared illuminator control parameter.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the near infrared image has a higher resolution than the long wave infrared image.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

actuators operable to cause motion of the vehicle body;

a long wave infrared sensor;

a near infrared sensor;

a visible spectrum sensor; and

an automated controller configured to:

obtain a long wave infrared image using the long wave infrared sensor,

identify a region of interest associated with an object in the long wave infrared image,

obtain a near infrared image captured using the near infrared sensor,

obtain a visible spectrum image captured using the visible spectrum sensor,

extract features for the region of interest using the near infrared image and the visible spectrum image,

fuse the features for the region of interest from the near infrared sensor and the visible spectrum sensor, and

determine a classification of the object using the fused features for the region of interest.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the automated controller is configured to:

resample channels of data from the visible spectrum image and the near infrared image at a common resolution.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein determining the classification of the object comprises applying the fused features for the region of interest to a convolutional neural network.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 , comprising:

a visible spectrum illuminator;

wherein the automated controller is configured to adjust a visible spectrum illuminator control parameter based on data associated with the region of interest; and

wherein the visible spectrum image is captured using the adjusted visible spectrum illuminator control parameter.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 , comprising:

a near infrared illuminator;

wherein the automated controller is configured to adjust a near infrared illuminator control parameter based on data associated with the region of interest; and

wherein the near infrared image is captured using the adjusted near infrared illuminator control parameter.

20. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the near infrared image has a higher resolution than the long wave infrared image.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2023
From: ION, LUCIAN; POTTER, DANIEL E.; CULL, EVAN C.; TANG, XIAOFENG
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 062579/0876 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16126509 · Sep 10, 2018
Provisional Application 62564654 · Sep 28, 2017
Related Publication 20210201048A1 · Jul 1, 2021