Methods and apparatus to monitor environments

• US 10,049,265 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Morris, Terrazas, Alejandro
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, TSUNG YIN
• Application Number:
  US15/355,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/254 Projection of a pattern, viewing through a pattern, e.g. moiré
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/261 with monoscopic-to-stereoscopic image conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to monitor environments are disclosed. An example method includes triggering a two-dimensional recognition analysis, in connection with a first frame of data, on two-dimensional data points representative of an object detected in an environment, the triggering based on satisfying a first trigger event, the first trigger event one of (1) a distance between the object and a sensor of the environment satisfying a threshold distance, or (2) elapsing of a time interval. In response to determining that the object is recognized as a person in the first frame, triggering the two-dimensional recognition analysis in connection with a second frame, the second frame subsequent to the first frame, the two-dimensional recognition analysis of the second frame performed on two-dimensional data points representative of a location in the second frame corresponding to the location of the person in the first frame.

Claims

1. An audience measurement device, comprising:

memory to store a first frame of data and a second frame of data; and

a first data analyzer to;

trigger a two-dimensional recognition analysis, in connection with the first frame of data, on two-dimensional data points representative of an object detected in an environment, the trigger based on satisfying a first trigger event, the first trigger event being one of (1) a distance between the object and a sensor of the environment satisfying a threshold distance, or (2) elapsing of a time interval; and

in response to determining that the object is recognized as a person in the first frame, trigger the two-dimensional recognition analysis in connection with the second frame, the second frame subsequent to the first frame, the two-dimensional recognition analysis of the second frame performed on two-dimensional data points representative of a location in the second frame corresponding to the location of the person in the first frame, the first data analyzer implemented via a logic circuit.

2. The audience measurement device as defined in claim 1, further including:

a depth sensor to capture three-dimensional data points using electromagnetic beams projected in a pattern; and

a camera to capture the two-dimensional data points.

3. The audience measurement device as defined in claim 2, further including a depth filter to analyze a plurality of the three-dimensional data points to determine the distance between the object and the sensor.

4. The audience measurement device as defined in claim 1, further including a body counter to calculate a people count using results of the two-dimensional recognition analyses.

5. The audience measurement device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first data analyzer limits the two-dimensional recognition analysis to a portion of the second frame corresponding to a shape surrounding the location in the second frame.

6. The audience measurement device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first data analyzer is not to trigger the two-dimensional recognition analysis in connection with the second frame in response to determining that the object is not recognized as a person in the first frame.

7. The audience measurement device as defined in claim 1, further including a second data analyzer to, when the first trigger event is not satisfied, execute a three-dimensional recognition analysis on three-dimensional data points representative of the object detected in the environment.

8. A method, comprising:

triggering, by executing an instruction with a processor, a two-dimensional recognition analysis, in connection with a first frame of data, on two-dimensional data points representative of an object detected in an environment, the triggering based on satisfying a first trigger event, the first trigger event being one of (1) a distance between the object and a sensor of the environment satisfying a threshold distance, or (2) elapsing of a time interval; and

in response to determining that the object is recognized as a person in the first frame, triggering, by executing an instruction with the processor, the two-dimensional recognition analysis in connection with a second frame subsequent to the first frame, the two-dimensional recognition analysis of the second frame performed on two-dimensional data points representative of a location in the second frame corresponding to the location of the person in the first frame.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, further including capturing three-dimensional data points using electromagnetic beams projected in a pattern, and capturing the two-dimensional data points with a camera.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, further including analyzing a plurality of the three-dimensional data points to determine the distance between the object and the sensor.

11. The method device as defined in claim 8, further including calculating a people count using results of the two-dimensional recognition analyses.

12. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the two-dimensional recognition analysis of the second frame is limited to a portion of the second frame corresponding to a shape surrounding the location in the second frame.

13. The method as defined in claim 8, further including, in response to determining that the object is not recognized as a person in the first frame, not triggering the two-dimensional recognition analysis in connection with the second frame.

14. The method as defined in claim 8, further including when the first trigger event is not satisfied, executing a three-dimensional recognition analysis on three-dimensional data points representative of the object detected in the environment.

15. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

trigger a two-dimensional recognition analysis, in connection with a first frame of data, on two-dimensional data points representative of an object detected in an environment, the triggering based on satisfying a first trigger event, the first trigger event being one of (1) a distance between the object and a sensor of the environment satisfying a threshold distance, or (2) elapsing of a time interval; and

in response to determining that the object is recognized as a person in the first frame, trigger the two-dimensional recognition analysis in connection with a second frame subsequent to the first frame, the two-dimensional recognition analysis of the second frame performed on two-dimensional data points representative of a location in the second frame corresponding to the location of the person in the first frame.

16. The tangible machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to obtain three-dimensional data points captured using electromagnetic beams projected in a pattern, wherein the two-dimensional data points are captured with a camera.

17. The tangible machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to analyze a plurality of the three-dimensional data points to determine the distance between the object and the sensor.

18. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to limit the two-dimensional recognition analysis to a portion of the second frame corresponding to a shape and surrounding the location in the second frame.

19. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to not trigger the two-dimensional recognition analysis in connection with the second frame in response to determining that the object is not recognized as a person in the first frame.

20. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein when the first trigger event is not satisfied, the instructions further cause the machine to execute a three-dimensional recognition analysis on three-dimensional data points representative of the object detected in the environment.