Thermal wake/vessel detection technique
| DWPI Title: Computer-implemented method for detecting vessel and ship in water based on image of portion of Earth involves visually representing any possible vessel detection event determined from shape of each pixel clusters within image |
| Abstract: A computer-automated method for detecting a vessel in water based on an image of a portion of Earth includes generating a thermal anomaly mask. The thermal anomaly mask flags each pixel of the image initially deemed to be a wake pixel based on a comparison of a thermal value of each pixel against other thermal values of other pixels localized about each pixel. Contiguous pixels flagged by the thermal anomaly mask are grouped into pixel clusters. A shape of each of the pixel clusters is analyzed to determine whether each of the pixel clusters represents a possible vessel detection event. The possible vessel detection events are represented visually within the image. |
| Use: Computer-implemented method for detecting vessel and ship in water, e.g. open-ocean, lakes, rivers, bays and seas, based on image of a portion of Earth. |
| Advantage: Provides thermal wake and ship detection technique to detect vessel operating in water either directly, e.g., hot ship thermal signatures, or indirectly via detection of its wake, e.g., cool or warm wake thermal signatures. Accurately detects vessels using aerial perspective images, while limiting the number of false positives. Enables full automation by not requiring live human input to operate. Analyzes hundreds of images and point out possible ship detection events while reducing time and cost when compared to human inspections. Enables thermal wake/ship detection technique to run effectively with one or more spectral bands that are accurately co-registered to the ground. |
| Novelty: The computer-implemented detection method involves generating a thermal anomaly mask flagging each pixel of the image initially deemed to be a wake pixel based on a comparison of a thermal value of each pixel against other thermal values of other pixels localized about each pixel. Contiguous pixels flagged by the thermal anomaly mask are grouped into pixel clusters. A shape of each of the pixel clusters is analyzed to determine whether each of the pixel clusters represents a possible vessel detection event. Any possible vessel detection event within the image is visually represented. |
| Filed: 10/7/2009 |
| Application Number: US2009574741A |
| Tech ID: SD 10637.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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