Generating and reviewing motion metadata

• US 10,515,117 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2017
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Storer, Nathaniel, Scoles, Jonathan, Rhea, Sean Christopher, Atkins, Ethan
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Debbie M
• Application Number:
  US15/432,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20180232889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/783 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/786 using motion, e.g. object motion or camera motion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/50 by performing operations within image blocks; by using histograms, e.g. histogram of oriented gradients [HoG]; by summing image-intensity values; Projection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/44 Event detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/46 Extracting features or characteristics from the video content, e.g. video fingerprints, representative shots or key frames
• 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 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

Aspects of the instant disclosure relate to methods for generating motion metadata for a newly captured video feed. In some aspects, methods of the subject technology can include steps for recording a video feed using the video capture system, partitioning the image frames into a plurality of pixel blocks, and processing the image frames to detect one or more motion events. In some aspects, the method may further include steps for generating motion metadata describing each of the one or more motion events. Systems and computer-readable media are also provided.

Claims

1. A video capture system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory memory coupled to the processors, the memory storing instructions configured to cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

recording a video feed using the video capture system, the video feed comprising a plurality of image frames of a predefined pixel area;

partitioning the image frames into a plurality of pixel blocks, wherein each of the pixel blocks comprises a subset of the predefined pixel area of the corresponding image frame;

processing each of the plurality blocks of the image frames to detect one or more motion events that occurred across one or more image fames in the corresponding pixel block; and

generating motion metadata describing each of the one or more motion events;

wherein the processing detects motion events within the image frames without being previously directed to specific areas of the image frame.

2. The video capture system of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the motion metadata with one or more pixel blocks, wherein the motion metadata associated with each of the pixel blocks corresponds with motion events that occurred across one or more image fames in the corresponding pixel block.

3. The video capture system of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a motion event search query, wherein the search query specifies at least a portion of the predefined pixel area for which a search is to be performed for motion events in the recorded video feed; and

searching the motion metadata to identify one or more image frame and pixel block pairs that include motion events corresponding with the search query.

4. The video capture system of claim 3, wherein the search query specifies a start time and an end time for which motion metadata of the recorded video feed is to be searched.

5. The video capture system of claim 1, wherein processing the image frames to detect one or more motion events further comprises:

quantifying motion events for one or more of the pixel blocks; and

determining if the quantity of motion in each of the one or more pixel blocks exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. The video capture system of claim 5, wherein the motion events are quantified based on an absolute difference of pixels between two or more image frames of the video feed.

7. The video capture system of claim 1, wherein the motion metadata comprises one or more of:

duration information, time stamp information, or spatial data.

8. A method of generating motion metadata, the method comprising:

recording a video feed using the video capture system, the video feed comprising a plurality of image frames of a predefined pixel area;

partitioning the image frames into a plurality of pixel blocks, wherein each of the pixel blocks comprises a subset of the predefined pixel area of the corresponding image frame;

processing each of the plurality blocks of the image frames to detect one or more motion events that occurred across one or more image fames in the corresponding pixel block; and

generating motion metadata describing each of the one or more motion events;

wherein the processing detects motion events within the image frames without being previously directed to specific areas of the image frame.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating the motion metadata with one or more pixel blocks, wherein the motion metadata associated with each of the pixel blocks corresponds with motion events that occurred across one or more image fames in the corresponding pixel block.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a motion event search query, wherein the search query specifies at least a portion of the predefined pixel area for which a search is to be performed for motion events in the recorded video feed; and

searching the motion metadata to identify one or more image frame and pixel block pairs that include motion events corresponding with the search query.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the search query specifies a start time and an end time for which motion metadata of the recorded video feed is to be searched.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein processing the image frames to detect one or more motion events further comprises:

quantifying motion events for one or more of the pixel blocks; and

determining if the quantity of motion in each of the one or more pixel blocks exceeds a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the motion events are quantified based on an absolute difference of pixels between two or more image frames of the video feed.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the motion metadata comprises one or more of:

duration information, time stamp information, or spatial data.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

recording a video feed using the video capture system, the video feed comprising a plurality of image frames of a predefined pixel area;

partitioning the image frames into a plurality of pixel blocks, wherein each of the pixel blocks comprises a subset of the predefined pixel area of the corresponding image frame;

processing each of the plurality blocks of the image frames to detect one or more motion events that occurred across one or more image fames in the corresponding pixel block; and

generating motion metadata describing each of the one or more motion events;

wherein the processing detects motion events within the image frames without being previously directed to specific areas of the image frame.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

associating the motion metadata with one or more pixel blocks, wherein the motion metadata associated with each of the pixel blocks corresponds with motion events that occurred across one or more image fames in the corresponding pixel block.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a motion event search query, wherein the search query specifies at least a portion of the predefined pixel area for which a search is to be performed for motion events in the recorded video feed; and

searching the motion metadata to identify one or more image frame and pixel block pairs that include motion events corresponding with the search query.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the search query specifies a start time and an end time for which motion metadata of the recorded video feed is to be searched.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

quantifying motion events for one or more of the pixel blocks; and

determining if the quantity of motion in each of the one or more pixel blocks exceeds a predetermined threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the motion events are quantified based on an absolute difference of pixels between two or more image frames of the video feed.