Active calibration device and method for obtaining parameters used to calibrate information contained in images captured by an infrared camera device

1. An active calibration device for obtaining parameters that are used to calibrate information contained in images captured by an infrared camera device, said active calibration device comprising:

a base having at least one mounting surface;

a plurality of infrared (IR) light emitting components disposed on said mounting surface of said base, said IR light emitting components arranged to form a predetermined pattern, and configured to emit infrared light for receipt by a lens of the infrared camera device; and

at least one filter that is disposed between said IR light emitting components and the IR camera device, and that is configured to weaken light emitted toward the IR camera device and falling outside of a target frequency band that corresponds to IR light emitted by said IR light emitting components.

2. The active calibration device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of circuit modules, each including:

a circuit board mounted to said mounting surface; and

at least one of said IR light emitting components mounted to said circuit board.

3. The active calibration device of claim 2 , wherein said circuit boards of said circuit modules are arranged in a two-dimensional array on said mounting surface;

wherein in each row of said circuit boards, said circuit boards are equidistantly arranged; and

wherein in each column of said circuit boards, said circuit boards are equidistantly arranged.

4. The active calibration device of claim 1 , wherein said IR light emitting components are directional IR lighting components that are arranged to emit parallel IR light beams.

5. The active calibration device of claim 1 , wherein said IR light emitting components are arranged in a two-dimensional array on said mounting surface;

wherein in each row of said IR light emitting components, said IR light emitting components are equidistantly arranged; and

wherein in each column of said IR light emitting components, said IR light emitting components are equidistantly arranged.

6. The active calibration device of claim 5 , wherein said IR light emitting components are so arranged that, with respect to any one of said IR light emitting components, an adjacent one of those of said IR light emitting components in a same row and an adjacent one of those of said IR light emitting components in a same column are equidistant from said one of said IR light emitting components.

7. The active calibration device of claim 1 , wherein a number of said IR light emitting components is greater than twelve.

8. A method for obtaining parameters that are used to calibrate information contained in images captured by an infrared camera device, said method comprising:

providing an active calibration device, and storing two-dimensional pattern data and three-dimensional pattern data that correspond to the predetermined pattern in a storage component that is accessible to a processor, the active calibration device including a base that has at least one mounting surface, and a plurality of infrared (IR) light emitting components that are disposed on the mounting surface of the base, the IR light emitting components being arranged to form a predetermined pattern, and being configured to emit infrared light for receipt by a lens of the infrared camera device;

by the infrared camera device, capturing a first reference image of the active calibration device that is put in a first placement condition where the mounting surface is perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens of the infrared camera device and where the IR light emitting components face the infrared camera device;

by the processor, obtaining the first reference image of the active calibration device, and obtaining image calibration parameters by correcting the first reference image based on the two-dimensional pattern data in such a way that the IR light emitting components in the first reference image thus corrected form the predetermined pattern;

by the infrared camera device, capturing a second reference image of the active calibration device put in a second placement condition different from the first placement condition, the active calibration device being changed from the first placement condition to the second placement condition by one or more of i) rotating the base of the active calibration device that is in the first placement condition relative to an axis perpendicular to the mounting surface; ii) moving the base of the active calibration device that is in the first placement condition; and iii) tilting the base of the active calibration device that is in the first placement condition; and

by the processor, obtaining estimated three-dimensional coordinates of the IR light emitting components based on the second reference image of the active calibration device and the image calibration parameters, and obtaining coordinate calibration parameters by correcting the estimated three-dimensional coordinates of the IR light emitting components based on the three-dimensional pattern data in such a way that the three-dimensional coordinates of the IR light emitting components thus corrected match spatial positions of the IR light emitting components of the active calibration device arranged in the second placement condition.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

by the infrared camera device, capturing multiple first images of the active calibration device that is put in the first placement condition; and

by the infrared camera device, capturing multiple second images of the active calibration device that is put in the second placement condition;

wherein the obtaining the first reference image includes: selecting, from among the first images, the first reference image that includes a plurality of light points, a number of which is equal to that of the IR light emitting components disposed on the mounting surface; and

wherein the obtaining the second reference image includes: selecting, from among the second images, the second reference image that includes a plurality of light points, a number of which is equal to that of the IR light emitting components disposed on the mounting surface.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the IR light emitting components are arranged in a two-dimensional array on the mounting surface;

wherein in each row of the IR light emitting components, the IR light emitting components are equidistantly arranged;

wherein in each column of the IR light emitting components, the IR light emitting components are equidistantly arranged; and

wherein the IR light emitting components are so arranged that, with respect to any one of the IR light emitting components, an adjacent one of those of the IR light emitting components in a same row and an adjacent one of those of the IR light emitting components in a same column are equidistant from said one of the IR light emitting components.