Patent ID: 7680297
Filing Date: 2010-03-16
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. A method of fire detection in a monitored area comprising the steps of: detecting and capturing, at a prescribed frequency, video images of said area using a video imaging and capture device, converting said captured images into two-dimensional brightness value bitmaps of temporally varying brightness values observed in said images using a computer system, wherein spatial resolution of said bitmaps being determined by a number of pixels comprising said bitmaps, converting said brightness value bitmaps into a two-dimensional matrix of temporal similarities between variations of the brightness values captured at each of said pixels and variations of the brightness values captured at a pixel that is adjacent to said pixel for each pixel in said brightness value bitmaps and over a prescribed time period using said computer system, and analyzing said matrix to identify clusters of pixels that have temporal similarities whose values are above a prescribed threshold value using said computer system, sending a signal to an alarm means to trigger said alarm means when clusters having temporal similarities whose values are above the prescribed threshold value are identified by said computer system, wherein said prescribed threshold value is set so as to identify those clusters of pixels that correspond to regions of said monitored area whose temporal variations in adjoining pixel brightness values indicate that the source of said temporal brightness variations is a fire in said monitored area.