US 12,461,021 B2
Polarized black-body emission for machine vision and object recognition
Nicholas A. Kotov, Ypsilanti, MI (US)
Assigned to The Regents of The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Appl. No. 18/863,742
Filed by The Regents of The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
PCT Filed May 8, 2023, PCT No. PCT/US2023/021319
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 7, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/219931, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 16, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/339,604, filed on May 9, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0116599 A1, Apr. 10, 2025
Int. Cl. G01N 21/00 (2006.01); G01J 4/04 (2006.01); G01J 5/59 (2022.01); G01N 21/21 (2006.01); G06V 10/764 (2022.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01); H04N 23/11 (2023.01)
CPC G01N 21/21 (2013.01) [G01J 4/04 (2013.01); G01J 5/59 (2022.01); G06V 10/764 (2022.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01); H04N 23/11 (2023.01)] 50 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a hyperspectral infrared camera configured to capture a three-dimensional image of an object and black-body emissions data indicating a polarization of black-body radiation emitted from the object;
at least one environmental sensor that includes a temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature of an environment of the system; and
an image processing device in communication with the hyperspectral infrared camera and with the at least one environmental sensor and having a processor and memory configured to:
receive the black-body emissions data indicating the polarization of the black-body radiation emitted from the object;
access a database of expected polarization signatures of black-body emissions from a plurality of materials for different temperatures; and
determine at least one material of the object based on (i) the black-body emissions data indicating the polarization of the black-body radiation emitted from the object, (ii) the ambient temperature of the environment of the system, and (iii) the database of expected polarization signatures of black-body emissions from the plurality of materials for different temperatures.