Method and imager for detecting the location of objects

Abstract

A device determines the location of objects in an environment by receiving an optical image of an environment and converting the optical image of the environment into a live color digital image. The device employs software to perform an analysis of the live color digital image to determine the location of the environment having one or more lost object by using color and shape characteristics of the one or more objects. The software uses a range of the visible portion of the color space uniquely identified for the type of object in that environment and identifies those pixels in the color digital image that may be possible targets. Intensity of background and object size are used to exclude pixels as possible target objects.

1 . A method of determining the location of at least a portion of a stationary object in an environment, the method comprising: 
 defining a target color space for the object type of the stationary object, wherein the target color space is defined by reflected light and emmited light observed in a series of reference live digital color images of the object type;    detecting the presence of an object having a color space in the target color space; and    reporting the determination that there are a set of pixels within the target color space defined for the type of object that is stationary.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the color digital image is generated by one of: a digital camera and a digital video camera.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising providing a light source for illuminating the environment.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the object is white or any acceptable color for which RGB components may be determined.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the stationary object is a golf ball.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the environment includes at least one of: grass, bushes, trees, and sand.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the set of pixels determined are within the target color space defined for the type of the stationary object satisfy a characteristic of the object.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the characteristic is one of: a size, color intensity and a shape.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein defining the target color space includes generating the series of reference digital color images of the object type.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising storing the target color space.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live digital color image of the environment is one digital color image in a series of digital color images of the environment.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination that there are a set of pixels within the target color space defined for the object type is reported by one of: a visual display, a tactile alert, a sound alert, and an odorous alert.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a live color digital image of the environment; 
 determining whether there are a set of pixels in the live digital color image of the environment that are within the target color space defined for the type of object that is stationary.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising reporting the location of the set of pixels in the live digital color image, wherein the set of pixels corresponds to the location of the at least a portion of the stationary of object in the environment.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus for determining the location of at least a portion of a stationary object in an environment comprising: 
 a processor operable to execute computer program instructions; and    a memory operable to store computer program instructions executable by the processor, for performing the steps of: 
 defining a target color space for the object type of the stationary object, wherein the target color space is defined by reflected light and emmited light observed in a series of reference live digital color images of the object type;  
 detecting the presence of an object having a color space in the target color space; and  
 reporting the determination that there are a set of pixels within the target color space defined for the type of object that is stationary.  
   
   
   
       16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the color digital image is generated by one of: a digital camera and a digital video camera.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising means for providing a light source for illuminating the environment.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the object is white or any acceptable color for which RGB components may be determined.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the stationary object is a golf ball.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the environment includes at least one of: grass, bushes, trees, and sand.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , further comprising determining whether the set of pixels determined are within the target color space defined for the object type.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the characteristic is one of: a size, color intensity and a shape.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein defining the target color space includes generating the series of reference digital color images of the type of object.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , further comprising means for storing the target color space.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the digital color image is one digital color image in a series of digital color images.  
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the determination that there are a set of pixels within the target color space defined for the type of object is reported by one of: a visual display, a tactile alert, a sound alert, and an odorous alert.  
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising means for generating a live color digital image of the environment; 
 means for determining whether there are a set of pixels in the live digital color image of the environment that are within the target color space defined for the type of object that is stationary.    
   
   
       28 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , further comprising means for reporting the location of the set of pixels in the live digital color image, wherein the set of pixels corresponds to the location of the at least a portion of the stationary of object in the environment.