Entity detection

• US 10,061,990 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nye, James Ellis
• Primary Examiner(s): Azarian, Seyed
• Application Number:
  US15/589,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 382100, 382103-107, 382155, 382162, 382168, 382173, 382181, 382189, 382199, 382209, 382219, 382224, 382232, 382254, 382274, 382276, 382286-291, 382305, 382312, 340 101, 348148, 348143
• 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: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for entity detection is described. In one embodiment, an entity passing through a perimeter of a predefined area is detected via a camera. Upon detecting the entity passing through the perimeter of the predefined area, a type of the entity is classified from an image of the entity captured by the camera. Upon classifying the type of the entity, a feature of the entity is detected from the image of the entity. An identifier is assigned to the entity based on the type and the detected feature of the entity. The identifier distinguishes the entity from another entity of a same type.

Claims

1. A method for entity detection, comprising:

detecting, using a camera and a controller, that a vehicle is positioned in a first predefined area of a parking lot based at least in part on camera data;

determining, using the controller, that a human is associated with the vehicle based at least in part on detecting the vehicle;

determining, using the camera and the controller, whether the human associated with the vehicle enters a second predefined area different from the first predefined area while the vehicle is positioned in the first predefined area;

tracking, using the camera and the controller, a location of the human relative to the first predefined area for a predetermined length of time since an arrival of the vehicle in the first predefined area; and

transmitting, using the controller, a first notification to a device associated with the second predefined area based at least in part on the location of the human relative to the second predefined area while the vehicle is positioned in the first predefined area, a time since the arrival of the vehicle exceeding the predetermined length of time, and the tracking.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying that the human exits the vehicle after the vehicle enters the first predefined area based at least in part on the camera data, wherein identifying that the human is associated with the vehicle is based at least in part on identifying that the human exits the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the human does not enter the second predefined area, wherein transmitting the first notification is based at least in part on determining that the human does not enter the second predefined area while the vehicle is positioned in the first predefined area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing the human as it passes through a perimeter of the first predefined area based at least in part on one or more features of the human; and

transmitting a second notification to the device based at least in part on recognizing the human.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second notification includes information related to the human and is transmitted before the human enters the second predefined area.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting the one or more features of the human based at least in part on the camera data, wherein recognizing the human is based at least in part on the detecting.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining an average length of stay of the human at the second predefined area based at least in part on at least one length of stay of a previous visit of the human at the second predefined area, wherein the second notification includes an indication of the average length of stay of the human.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a number of previous visits made by the human to the second predefined area, wherein the second notification includes an indication of the number of previous visits.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the camera data from the camera positioned to observe the first predefined area and the second predefined area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first predefined area of the parking lot is reserved for use by humans that enter the second predefined area.

11. An apparatus for entity detection, comprising:

a camera; and

a controller comprising a processor and memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to;

detect, using the camera and the controller, that a vehicle is positioned in a first predefined area of a parking lot based at least in part on camera data;

determine, using the controller, that a human is associated with the vehicle based at least in part on detecting the vehicle;

determine, using the camera and the controller, whether the human associated with the vehicle enters a second predefined area different from the first predefined area while the vehicle is positioned in the first predefined area;

track, using the camera and the controller, a location of the human relative to the first predefined area for a predetermined length of time since an arrival of the vehicle in the first predefined area; and

transmit, using the controller, a first notification to a device associated with the second predefined area based at least in part on the location of the human relative to the second predefined area while the vehicle is positioned in the first predefined area, a time since the arrival of the vehicle exceeding the predetermined length of time, and the tracking.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

identify that the human exits the vehicle after the vehicle enters the first predefined area based at least in part on the camera data, wherein identifying that the human is associated with the vehicle is based at least in part on identifying that the human exits the vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

determine that the human does not enter the second predefined area, wherein transmitting the first notification is based at least in part on determining that the human does not enter the second predefined area while the vehicle is positioned in the first predefined area.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

recognize the human as it passes through a perimeter of the first predefined area based at least in part on a one or more features of the human; and

transmit a second notification to the device based at least in part on recognizing the human.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second notification includes information related to the human and is transmitted before the human enters the second predefined area.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing code for entity detection, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

detect, using a camera and a controller, that a vehicle is positioned in a first predefined area of a parking lot based at least in part on camera data;

determine, using the controller, that a human is associated with the vehicle based at least in part on detecting the vehicle;

determine, using the camera and the controller, whether the human associated with the vehicle enters a second predefined area different from the first predefined area while the vehicle is positioned in the first predefined area;

track, using the camera and the controller, a location of the human relative to the first predefined area for a predetermined length of time since an arrival of the vehicle in the first predefined area; and

transmit, using the controller, a first notification to a device associated with the second predefined area based at least in part on the location of the human relative to the second predefined area while the vehicle is positioned in the first predefined area, a time since the arrival of the vehicle exceeding the predetermined length of time, and the tracking.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

identify that the human exits the vehicle after the vehicle enters the first predefined area based at least in part on the camera data, wherein identifying that the human is associated with the vehicle is based at least in part on identifying that the human exits the vehicle.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

determine that the human does not enter the second predefined area, wherein transmitting the first notification is based at least in part on determining that the human does not enter the second predefined area while the vehicle is positioned in the first predefined area.