IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,254,632
Granted Patent B2
US 12,254,632 · App. 17/780,803 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Thermal image processing device, thermal image processing module, thermal image processing method, and recording medium

Inventors: Kenichiro Nosaka (Osaka, JP); Aki Yoneda (Hyogo, JP); Shinichi Shikii (Nara, JP); Mototaka Yoshioka (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
G06T7/11G01J5/485H04N5/33G01J2005/0077G06T2207/10048
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,254,632
App. No.
17/780,803
Granted
Mar 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A thermal image processing device includes: an acquirer that acquires a thermal image from a thermal image sensor; a first processor that performs, on a high temperature pixel indicating a temperature higher than a first temperature among a plurality of pixels included in the thermal image acquired, image processing for decreasing the temperature indicated by the high temperature pixel; and a second processor that performs high frequency enhancement processing for enhancing a high frequency component included in a converted image serving as the thermal image on which the image processing has been performed.

Claims (46)

1. A thermal image processing device comprising:

an acquirer that acquires a thermal image from a thermal image sensor;

a first processor that performs, on a high temperature pixel indicating a temperature higher than a first temperature among a plurality of pixels included in the thermal image acquired, image processing for decreasing the temperature indicated by the high temperature pixel; and

a second processor that performs high frequency enhancement processing for enhancing a high frequency component included in a converted image, the converted image being the thermal image on which the image processing has been performed.

2. The thermal image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the image processing, the first processor further increases, on a low temperature pixel indicating a temperature lower than a second temperature among the plurality of pixels included in the thermal image acquired, the temperature indicated by the low temperature pixel, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature.

3. The thermal image processing device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

an inputter through which at least one of the first temperature and the second temperature is set.

4. The thermal image processing device according to claim 3 ,

wherein in setting the at least one of the first temperature and the second temperature, the first temperature and the second temperature are set according to one combination selected from a plurality of combinations of the first temperature and the second temperature.

5. The thermal image processing device according to claim 2 ,

wherein in the image processing:

a low temperature difference value is calculated by subtracting the second temperature from the temperature indicated by the low temperature pixel among the plurality of pixels included in the thermal image; and

using a low temperature conversion algorithm that outputs a value higher than a value which is input, the temperature indicated by the low temperature pixel is converted using a value which is output as a result of the low temperature difference value being input to the low temperature conversion algorithm.

6. The thermal image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the image processing:

a high temperature difference value is calculated by subtracting the first temperature from the temperature indicated by the high temperature pixel among the plurality of pixels included in the thermal image; and

using a high temperature conversion algorithm that outputs a value lower than a value which is input, the temperature indicated by the high temperature pixel is converted using a value which is output as a result of the high temperature difference value being input to the high temperature conversion algorithm.

7. The thermal image processing device according to claim 5 ,

wherein in the image processing:

a high temperature difference value is calculated by subtracting the first temperature from the temperature indicated by the high temperature pixel among the plurality of pixels included in the thermal image; and

using a high temperature conversion algorithm that outputs a value lower than a value which is input, the temperature indicated by the high temperature pixel is converted using a value which is output as a result of the high temperature difference value being input to the high temperature conversion algorithm, and

each of the low temperature conversion algorithm and the high temperature conversion algorithm is a conversion function to which continuous values can be input.

8. The thermal image processing device according to claim 5 ,

wherein in the image processing:

a high temperature difference value is calculated by subtracting the first temperature from the temperature indicated by the high temperature pixel among the plurality of pixels included in the thermal image; and

using a high temperature conversion algorithm that outputs a value lower than a value which is input, the temperature indicated by the high temperature pixel is converted using a value which is output as a result of the high temperature difference value being input to the high temperature conversion algorithm, and

each of the low temperature conversion algorithm and the high temperature conversion algorithm is a conversion table in which input values are associated with output values.

9. The thermal image processing device according to claim 7 ,

wherein in the conversion function, when the value input is 0, the value output is 0, and when the value input is 0, a derivative value of the value output is 1.

10. The thermal image processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a third processor that performs compensation processing including:

calculating a difference image by calculating a difference between corresponding pixels of the acquired thermal image and the converted image; and

adding corresponding pixels of the converted image on which the high frequency enhancement processing has been performed and the calculated difference image together.

11. The thermal image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second processor further performs super-resolution processing for expanding a spatial resolution of the converted image.

12. A thermal image processing module comprising:

the thermal image sensor; and

the thermal image processing device according to claim 1 .

13. The thermal image processing module according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a display device that displays the converted image on which the high frequency enhancement processing has been performed as at least one of an image and temperature data.

14. A thermal image processing method comprising:

acquiring a thermal image from a thermal image sensor;

performing, on a high temperature pixel indicating a temperature higher than a first temperature among a plurality of pixels included in the thermal image acquired, image processing for decreasing the temperature indicated by the high temperature pixel; and

performing high frequency enhancement processing for enhancing a high frequency component included in a converted image, the converted image being the thermal image on which the image processing has been performed.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for causing a computer to execute the thermal image processing method according to claim 14 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: NOSAKA, KENICHIRO; YONEDA, AKI; SHIKII, SHINICHI; YOSHIOKA, MOTOTAKA
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061418/0481 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-224490 · Dec 12, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220414888A1 · Dec 29, 2022
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