Patent ID: 6606115
Filing Date: 2003-08-12
Classification: G01J,H04N

Abstract:
A method for monitoring thermal characteristics of a scene captured using an infrared camera system, comprising the steps of:capturing a frame of thermal data; deriving a temperature value corresponding with each spot in the frame of thermal data; automatically detecting a spot having a selected temperature characteristic with respect to other spots in the frame of thermal data; displaying the frame of thermal data on a display device; displaying a visual indicator on the display device positioned over the spot having the selected temperature characteristic; automatically tracking the spot having the selected temperature characteristic over a plurality of successive frames of the thermal data by performing the above steps for each of the successive frames of the thermal data; displaying another visual indicator on the display device positioned over another spot on the display device and wherein the position of the another visual indicator on the display device is controllable by an operator of the infrared camera system; and displaying thermal information relating to the captured thermal data over the frame of thermal data being displayed on the display device and wherein the thermal information includes a temperature difference between the spot having the selected temperature characteristic and the another spot.