Apparatus and Method of Location Determination in a Thermal Imaging System

Abstract

A camera assembly, including: an enclosure having at least two mounting surfaces that are orthogonal to each other for alignment with at least two orthogonal surfaces against which the camera assembly is to be mounted; at least one imaging apparatus disposed within the enclosure and having a predetermined orientation with respect to the enclosure; and a communication device disposed within the enclosure; and a server disposed at a location remote from where the camera is mounted. The camera assembly and the server communicate over a computer communication network to identify at least one mounting measurement of the camera assembly to establish a mapping from an image coordinate system for images generated by the imaging apparatus and a real world coordinate system aligned with an orientation defined by the at least two orthogonal surfaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of installing and calibrating an imaging system, the method comprising:
 attaching a camera assembly to an edge where two or three orthogonal surfaces meet, where the orthogonal surfaces include at least two of: a first wall surface, a second wall surface that is orthogonal to the first wall surface, and a ceiling surface;   activating the camera assembly to establish a communication connection with a remote server; and   providing a height of a user standing on a floor and captured in full in an image generated by the camera assembly, wherein the imaging system computes a mounting height of the camera assembly from the height of the user and a measurement of a height of the user in the image.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 moving an object detectable by the camera assembly to a point of interest in an area monitored by the camera assembly to allow the imaging system to bookmark the point of interest in images generated by the camera assembly using a location of an image of the object positioned at, or in the vicinity of, the point of interest in the area.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the camera assembly images based on sensing infrared radiation; and the point of interest is not visible in the images generated by the camera assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 providing an input to the imaging system while the object is at the point of interest to allow the imaging system to correlate the location of the image of the object in an image coordinate system with the point of interest.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the input includes one of:
 pushing a button in a user interface;   moving the object and then keeping the object standing at the point of interest for at least a predetermined period of time;   providing a voice command to a user interface implemented on a mobile device; and   providing a gesture input using a mobile device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the point of interest is one of:
 a corner of a room in which the camera assembly is installed;   a door of the room;   a window of the room;   a furniture located in the room;   a pathway in the room; and   an activity area in the room.