Multi-video navigation system

• US 10,326,940 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Proximex Corporation (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chin, Hu, Cheng, Ken Prayoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ndiaye, Cheikh T
• Application Number:
  US15/366,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20170085805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

A video tracking system includes a user interface configured to facilitate tracking of a target between video cameras. The user interface includes user controls configured to assist a user in selecting video cameras as the target moves between fields of view of the video cameras. These user controls are automatically associated with specific cameras based on a camera topology relative to a point of view of a camera whose video data is currently being viewed. The video tracking system further includes systems and methods of synchronizing video data generated using the video cameras and of automatically generating a stitched video sequence based on the user selection of video cameras. The target may be tracked in real-time or in previously recorded video and may be track forward or backwards in time.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a video input interface to receive first and second video data from first and second cameras, respectively, distributed over a monitored area;

memory storing computing instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computing instructions to provide;

a video tracking interface that includes first and second user controls corresponding to the first and second cameras,

the video tracking interface including a main video display to present the first video data from the first camera in response to selection of the first user control, the first and second user controls positioned around the video display, and

in response to a cursor being moved over the second user control, the video tracking interface to present the second video data from the second camera in addition to the first video data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the video tracking interface displays the second video data as a preview thumbnail or in a region of the video tracking interface other than the main video display.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data storage configured to store a video sequence that includes at least one of the first and second video data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the video tracking interface to present a timeline that corresponds to the video sequence.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the video tracking interface presents a set of sequence thumbnails that are indexed to points along the video sequence.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sequence thumbnails correspond to points in time at which video data from the first and second cameras is presented.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the video tracking interface presents an interactive map of the monitored area, the interactive map illustrating at least one of objects or walls within the monitored area and the first and second cameras relative to the at least one of objects or walls, the interactive map indicating one of the first and second cameras that is currently active in the video display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive map indicates one of the first and second cameras that is active by at least one of a circle, color or flash.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors is configured to associate a group of cameras with the second user control, when the user selects the second user control, the one or more processors configured to present a list of the group of cameras from which to choose.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the video tracking interface includes an alert activation control to at least one of trigger alarms, log events or performs actions according to pre-established procedures, the procedures are defined by a set of rules that define a workflow to be performed in response to an alert.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the video tracking interface maintains the first video data in the main video display when presenting the second video data in addition to the first video data while i) the second user control is not selected and ii) the cursor is held over the second user control.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the video tracking interface presents the second video data in addition to the first video data in response to the cursor being moved over the second user control without clicking on the second user control.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the video tracking interface presents the second video data in addition to the first video data when the cursor is hovered over the second user control without clicking on the second user control.

14. A system comprising:

a video input interface to receive first and second video data from first and second cameras distributed over a monitored area;

a data storage configured to store a video sequence that includes at least one of the first and second video data;

memory storing computing instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computing instructions to provide;

a video tracking interface that includes first and second user controls corresponding to the first and second cameras,

the video tracking interface including a main video display to present the first video data from the first camera in response to selection of the first user control, the first and second user controls positioned around the main video display,

the video tracking interface presenting a timeline that corresponds to the video sequence, and

the video tracking interface presenting a set of sequence thumbnails that are indexed to points along the timeline.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors is configured to automatically index the first and second video data, automatically generate a report, and enable a user to enter notes into the report regarding an event.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors is configured to associate a group of cameras with the second user control, when the user selects the second user control, the one or more processors configured to present a list of the group of cameras from which to choose, the list of the group of cameras ordered based on a prediction of which member of the cameras is preferred.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors is configured for tracking a target from recorded video data to real-time video data.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors is configured for tracking a target back in time through the video sequence.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors is configured to store an estimated travel time between the first and second cameras, wherein the one or more processors is configured to use a time offset based on the estimated travel time.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors is configured to automatically stitch portions of the first and second video data into the video sequence based on navigation between the first and second cameras as performed using the first and second user controls.