Melexis Technologies Nv

Wouter Reusen

Luc Buydens

Adrian Hill

Jos Rennies

A thermal imaging apparatus comprising: a thermal detector device () comprising an array of thermal sensing pixels () and signal processing circuitry () coupled to the detector device (). The circuitry () supports a background identifier () and a pixel classifier (), the background identifier () comprising a common intensity identifier () and an expected background intensity calculator (). The background identifier () receives pixel measurement data captured by the detector device () in respect of pixels of the array () and the common intensity identifier () identifies a largest number of substantially the same pixel intensity values from the pixel measurement data. The expected background intensity calculator () uses the largest number of substantially the same pixel intensity values to generate a model of expected background intensity levels. The pixel classifier () uses the model to determine whether an intensity measurement by a pixel () of the array () corresponds to a background or an object in an image.

Thermal imaging apparatus and method of thermal imaging

A method of digitally processing an image comprises: generating an intensity distribution model () in respect of at least a portion of the array of sensing pixels () of a detector device (). The array of sensing pixels comprises clusters of pixels. A pixel () from the array of sensing pixels is then selected () and a first distance and a second distance from the selected pixel to a first neighbouring pixel () and a second neighbouring pixel (), respectively, are determined () and the intensity distribution model () referenced () by the first distance is used to calculate a first weight and a second weight to apply to the first and second neighbouring pixels, respectively. The first distance comprises an intra-cluster distance and the second distance comprises an inter-cluster distance, the intra-cluster distance being different from the inter-cluster distance. The first weight is applied () to the first neighbouring pixel () and the second weight is applied () to the second neighbouring pixel ().

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Wouter Reusen