BREATHING DETECTION APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING BREATHING

1 . A breathing detection apparatus comprising:

a first camera;

a second camera; and

a processing device configured to perform breathing detection analysis using data relating to respective images captured by said first and second cameras to detect breathing characteristics of a person shown in said images.

2 . The breathing detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second cameras is a video camera.

3 . The breathing detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said processing device is configured to set the aperture setting of at least one of said first and second cameras.

4 . The breathing detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said processing device is configured to set the image capturing rate of at least one of said first and second cameras.

5 . The breathing detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first camera to configured to have a first viewing angle and said second camera is configured to have a second viewing angle and said second viewing angle is greater than said first viewing angle.

6 . The breathing detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said processing device is configured to perform said breathing detection analysis at least in part based on at least one of:

i) the aperture settings of said first and second cameras;

ii) the frame rate of said first and second cameras; and

iii) the respective viewing angles of said first and second cameras.

7 . An infant monitoring apparatus comprising a breathing detection apparatus, comprising:

a first camera;

a second camera; and

a processing device configured to perform breathing detection analysis using data relating to respective images captured by said first and second cameras to detect breathing characteristics of a person shown in said images.

8 . A method of detecting breathing comprising:

receiving first image data from a first camera arranged to capture images of a person;

receiving second image data from a second camera arranged to capture images of said person; and

performing breathing detection analysis using said first image data and said second image data to detect at least one breathing characteristic of said person.

9 . The method of detecting breathing as claimed in claim 8 , wherein performing said breathing detection analysis uses at least one of:

i) the aperture settings of said first and second cameras;

ii) the frame rate of said first and second cameras; and

iii) the respective viewing angles of said first and second cameras.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:

said first and second cameras are video cameras;

said first and second image data comprises respective periodic characteristics of the respective images captured by said first and second cameras; and

performing said breathing detection analysis comprises determining breathing rate using the said respective periodic characteristics.

11 . The infant monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one of said first and second cameras is a video camera.

12 . The infant monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said processing device is configured to set the aperture setting of at least one of said first and second cameras.

13 . The infant monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said processing device is configured to set the image capturing rate of at least one of said first and second cameras.

14 . The infant monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said first camera to configured to have a first viewing angle and said second camera is configured to have a second viewing angle and said second viewing angle is greater than said first viewing angle.

15 . The infant monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said processing device is configured to perform said breathing detection analysis at least in part based on at least one of:

i) the aperture settings of said first and second cameras;

ii) the frame rate of said first and second cameras; and

iii) the respective viewing angles of said first and second cameras.