RFID directed video snapshots capturing targets of interest

• US 10,460,585 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Chabra, Jimmy, Jaffri, Rehan K., Lauria, Charles G., Wulff, Thomas E., Connolly, Sean, Calvarese, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jonathan S
• Application Number:
  US15/613,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20180350221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 382296
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/381 using identifiers, e.g. barcodes, RFIDs for URLs G06F16/9554
• 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: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking

Abstract

A method and apparatus for locating a moving target in a venue and for capturing a sequenced timeline of target directed images is described. Target sensing stations having a wide-angle video camera, such as a 180° video camera, are positioned within the venue. Each sensing station includes a sensing unit, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver unit, that determines a location and/or direction of travel of the target. The sensing station correlates the RFID transceiver information with the wide-angle video camera to specifically filter and process a video stream from the camera, producing target directed image snapshots from the stream that are assembled at a centralized controller into the sequenced timeline images that may be used in monitoring target movement and to establish location chain for prevention of unauthorized movement.

Claims

1. A target sensing station for locating and tracking a target in a venue, and for communicating with an external host, comprising:

a controller;

a video system operatively connected to the controller, the video system including a camera configured to capture a first video stream in a first field of view (FOV); and

a plurality of sensing units operatively connected to the controller, each of the plurality of sensing units configured to sense a transmitter associated with the target and to provide sensed data associated with the sensed transmitter,

wherein, based at least in part on the sensed data, the controller is configured to filter the first video stream to output a second video stream that is different from the first video stream,

wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the second video stream to the external host,

wherein each of the plurality of sensing units is a radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) transceiver including an antenna characterized by a beamwidth, and wherein the controller is further configured to filter the first video stream to output the second video stream based at least in part on the respective beamwidth of the antenna of at least one of the RFID transceivers that senses the transmitter associated with the target, and

wherein the second video stream has a second FOV that is different from the first FOV, and wherein the second FOV correlates with the respective beamwidth of the antenna of the at least one of the RFID transceivers that senses the transmitter associated with the target.

2. The target sensing station of claim 1, wherein the second FOV is narrower than the first FOV.

3. The target sensing station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to filter the first video stream to output the second video stream in response to a first triggering event occurring within the venue.

4. The target sensing station of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the second video stream to the external host in response to the first triggering event occurring within the venue.

5. The target sensing station of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to track the target via the second video stream from an initial position to a final position, the initial position being associated with the first triggering event and the final position being associated with a second triggering event.

6. The target sensing station of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to generate an alert signal and communicate the alert signal to a security system communicatively coupled to the controller in response to the second triggering event being an alert even.

7. The target sensing station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to filter the first video stream to output the second video stream by performing at least one of a zoom in procedure, a zoom out procedure, a focusing procedure, an image tilting procedure, and an image panning procedure.

8. A system for locating and tracking a target in a venue, comprising:

a host computer; and

a plurality of target sensing stations, each of the plurality of target sensing stations including;

a controller;

a video system operatively connected to the controller, the video system including a camera configured to capture a first video stream in a first field of view (FOV); and

a plurality of sensing units operatively connected to the controller, each of the plurality of sensing units configured to sense a transmitter associated with the target and to provide sensed data associated with the sensed transmitter,

wherein, based at least in part on the sensed data, the controller is configured to filter the first video stream to output a second video stream that is different from the first video stream,

wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the second video stream to the host computer

wherein each of the plurality of sensing units is a radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) transceiver including an antenna characterized by a beamwidth, and wherein the controller is further configured to filter the first video stream to output the second video stream based at least in part on the respective beamwidth of the antenna of at least one of the RFID transceivers that senses the transmitter associated with the target, and

wherein the second video stream has a second FOV that is different from the first FOV, and wherein the second FOV correlates with the respective beamwidth of the antenna of the at least one of the RFID transceivers that senses the transmitter associated with the target.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the host computer is configured to sequence the respective second video stream from each of the plurality of target sensing stations to produce a third video stream.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a security system, wherein the host computer is configured to transmit the third video stream to the security system.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the second FOV is narrower than the first FOV.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to filter the first video stream to output the second video stream in response to a first triggering event occurring within the venue.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the second video stream to the host computer in response to the first triggering event occurring within the venue.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to track the target via the second video stream from an initial position to a final position,

the initial position being associated with at least one of the first triggering event, a target position tracked by the controller of at least one target sensing station of the plurality of target sensing stations, and the target coming into the first FOV,

the final position being associated with at least one of a second triggering event, a target position tracked by the controller of at least one target sensing station of the plurality of target sensing stations, and the target leaving the first FOV.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the host computer is configured to sequence the respective second video stream from each of the plurality of target sensing stations to produce a third video stream, the third video stream tracking the target.

16. A method of locating and tracking a target in a venue, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a host computer;

providing a plurality of target sensing stations, each of the plurality of target sensing stations being communicatively coupled to the host computer; and

for each of the plurality of target sensing stations,

capturing, by a video system operatively connected to a controller, a first video stream in a first field of view (FOV);

sensing, by a plurality of sensing units operatively connected to the controller, a transmitter associated with the target and providing sensed data associated with the sensed transmitter;

filtering, by the controller, the first video stream to output a second video stream that is different from the first video stream, the filtering being based at least in part on the sensed data; and

transmitting, by the controller, the second video stream to the host computer,

wherein the sensing includes emitting, by each of the plurality of sensing units having a respective antenna characterized by a beamwidth, radio frequency energy,

wherein the filtering includes basing the second video stream at least in part on the respective beamwidth of the antenna of at least one of the plurality of sensing units that senses the transmitter associated with the target, and

wherein the second video stream has a second FOV that is different from the first FOV, and wherein the filtering includes correlating the second FOV with the respective beamwidth of the antenna of the at least one of the plurality of sensing units that senses the transmitter associated with the target.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of sequencing, by the host computer, the respective second video stream from each of the plurality of target sensing stations to produce a third video stream.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

providing a security system; and

transmitting, by the host computer, the third video stream to the security system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the second FOV is narrower than the first FOV.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the filtering is performed in response to a first triggering event occurring within the venue.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the transmitting is performed in response to the first triggering event occurring within the venue.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein for each of the plurality of target sensing stations the steps further include:

tracking, by the controller, the target via the second video stream from an initial position to a final position

the initial position being associated with at least one of the first triggering event, a target position tracked by the controller of at least one target sensing station of the plurality of target sensing stations, and the target coming into the first FOV,

the final position being associated with at least one of a second triggering event, a target position tracked by the controller of at least one target sensing station of the plurality of target sensing stations, and the target leaving the first FOV.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of sequencing, by the host computer, the respective second video stream from each of the plurality of target sensing stations to produce a third video stream, the third video stream tracking the target.