Automatic detection by a wearable camera

• US 10,306,135 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syracuse University
• Original Assignee: Syracuse University
• Inventors: Velipasalar, Senem, Casares, Mauricio, Almagambetov, Akhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pasiewicz, Daniel M
• Application Number:
  US15/431,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20180007257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00029 Diagnosis, i.e. identifying a problem by comparison with a normal state
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00042 Monitoring, i.e. observation H04N1/00029 - H04N1/00039 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

There is set forth herein a system including a camera device. In one embodiment the system is operative to perform image processing for detection of an event involving a human subject. There is set forth herein in one embodiment, a camera equipped system employed for fall detection.

Claims

1. A camera device comprising:

an image sensor;

a memory;

a processor;

wherein the camera device is adapted to be wearable by a human subject in a manner that image data captured using the image sensor of the camera device represents surroundings of the human subject;

wherein the camera device is configured so that while the camera device is worn by the human subject the camera device is operative to process images which are absent of a representation of the human subject and which are captured using the image sensor of the camera device for detection of an action of the human subject, the action being detected by performance of an image processing method that includes a comparison of a subsequently captured image which is absent of a representation of the human subject to an earlier captured image which is absent of a representation of the human subject; and

wherein the camera device is operative to wirelessly transmit a message to an external destination responsively to the detection by the camera device of the action.

2. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the action is a fall.

3. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera device is configured so that when the camera device is worn by the human subject, the camera device is operative to discriminate, by the performance of the image processing method, between a fall by the human subject and a sitting down by the human subject.

4. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera device is configured so that when the camera device is worn by the human subject, the camera device is operative to discriminate, by the performance of the image processing method, between a fall by the human subject and a laying down by the human subject.

5. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the message includes one or image representing surroundings of the human subject.

6. The camera device of claim 1, wherein an image processing rate of the processor during performance of the image processing method is restricted from being slower than a frame rate of the camera device.

7. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera device for performing the comparison determines a Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) for extraction of edge orientation features of the subsequently captured image and the earlier captured image.

8. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera device for performing the comparison determines a dissimilarity distance between the subsequently captured image and the earlier captured image.

9. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the comparison of the subsequently captured image to the earlier captured image includes a comparison between a current image and a key image.

10. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera device provides a count of actions of a common action type of the human subject.

11. A camera device comprising:

an image sensor;

a memory;

a processor;

wherein the camera device comprising the image sensor, the memory, and the processor is a wearable camera device adapted to be worn by a human subject;

wherein the camera device is configured so that while the camera device is worn by the human subject, the camera device is operative to detect an action by the human subject by processing images which are absent a representation of the human subject and which are captured using the image sensor of the camera device; and

wherein the camera device is operative to provide one or more output in dependence on the processing.

12. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device includes a display and wherein the one or more output includes an indicator displayed on the display.

13. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device includes a display and wherein the one or more output includes one or more human observable output.

14. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device includes a tactile output device and wherein the one or more output includes an output provided by the tactile output device.

15. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device includes an audio output device and wherein the one or more output includes an output provided by the audio output device.

16. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device is adapted so that the one or more output is observable by the human subject for which the camera device is adapted to be worn.

17. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device includes an output device and wherein the one or more output includes a first output for output by the output device and a second output that includes a message transmitted to an external destination.

18. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device includes a display, wherein the camera device is operative to provide a count of actions by the human subject, wherein the one or more output includes an indicator displayed on the display, wherein the indicator is based on the count.

19. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device is adapted to be worn at a waist of the human subject.

20. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the one or more output includes a prompt to prompt the human subject to increase activity level of the human subject.

21. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the one or more output includes a prompt to prompt the human subject to decrease activity level of the human subject.

22. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device is operative to provide a count of actions of a common action type of the human subject.

23. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device captures certain images which are absent a representation of the human subject and detects a certain action by the human subject by processing the certain images which are absent a representation of the human subject, wherein the camera device provides one or more certain output in dependence on the processing, wherein the camera device is configured so that the one or more certain output is observable by the human subject, and wherein the one or more certain output is in dependence on a count of actions of the human subject exceeding a threshold, the actions defining the count of actions including the certain action detected by the camera device.

24. The camera device of claim 11, wherein the camera device is configured so that the one or more output is observable by the human subject, and wherein the one or more output is in dependence on a count of actions of the human subject, the actions defining the count of actions including the action detected by the camera device.