This paper proposes a novel method to detect flames in video by processing the data generated by an ordinary camera monitoring a scene. In addition to ordinary motion and color clues, flame flicker process is also detected by using a hidden Markov model. Markov models representing the flame and flame colored ordinary moving objects are used to distinguish flame flicker process from motion of flame colored moving objects. Spatial color variations in flame are also evaluated by the same Markov models, as well. These clues are combined to reach a final decision. False alarms due to ordinary motion of flame colored moving objects are greatly reduced when compared to the existing video based fire detection systems.

In this paper, an entropy-functional-based online adaptive decision fusion (EADF) framework is developed for image analysis and computer vision applications. In this framework, it is assumed that the compound algorithm consists of several subalgorithms, each of which yields its own decision as a real number centered around zero, representing the confidence level of that particular subalgorithm. Decision values are linearly combined with weights that are updated online according to an active fusion method based on performing entropic projections onto convex sets describing subalgorithms. It is assumed that there is an oracle, who is usually a human operator, providing feedback to the decision fusion method. A video-based wildfire detection system was developed to evaluate the performance of the decision fusion algorithm. In this case, image data arrive sequentially, and the oracle is the security guard of the forest lookout tower, verifying the decision of the combined algorithm. The simulation results are presented.

A novel method to detect flames in infrared (IR) video is proposed. Image regions containing flames appear as bright regions in IR video. In addition to ordinary motion and brightness clues, the flame flicker process is also detected by using a hidden Markov model (HMM) describing the temporal behavior. IR image frames are also analyzed spatially. Boundaries of flames are represented in wavelet domain and the high frequency nature of the boundaries of fire regions is also used as a clue to model the flame flicker. All of the temporal and spatial clues extracted from the IR video are combined to reach a final decision. False alarms due to ordinary bright moving objects are greatly reduced because of the HMM-based flicker modeling and wavelet domain boundary modeling.