Passing vehicle filters for audio/video recording and communication devices

• US 10,553,092 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jeong, Changsoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bernardi, Brenda C
• Application Number:
  US15/831,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20180158298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• 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 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19652 Systems using zones in a single scene defined for different treatment, e.g. outer zone gives pre-alarm, inner zone gives alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

Passing vehicle filters for audio/video (A/V) recording and communication devices in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure are provided. In one embodiment, an A/V recording and communication device is provided, the device comprising a camera configured to capture image data of an object within a field of view of the camera, wherein the field of view comprises at least one active motion zone; a communication module; and a processing module comprising: a processor; and a motion detection application that configures the processor to: detect motion of the object within the field of view; capture image data; assign an object ID; determine a speed and a direction of movement; determine an aspect ratio; create an object boundary and determine a distance between a center of the object boundary and the at least one active motion zone; and determine whether the object is a passing vehicle.

Claims

1. An audio/video recording and communication device (A/V device), comprising:

a camera configured to capture image data of an object within a field of view of the camera, wherein the field of view comprises at least one active motion zone;

a communication module;

a processor operatively connected to the camera and to the communication module; and

a memory storing a motion detection application comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the A/V device to;

detect motion of the object within the field of view of the camera;

capture image data of the object using the camera;

assign an object ID to the object within the field of view of the camera;

determine a speed and a direction of movement of the object using the image data captured using the camera;

determine an aspect ratio of the object using the image data captured using the camera, wherein the aspect ratio is a numeric data value corresponding to a width measurement of the object in relationship to a height measurement of the object;

create an object boundary about the object and determine a distance between a center of the object boundary and the at least one active motion zone; and

determine whether the object is a passing vehicle.

2. The A/V device of claim 1, wherein the motion detection application comprises further instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the A/V device to determine that the object is the passing vehicle using the object ID when the object ID remains consistent during a duration between when the object enters the field of view of the camera and when the object enters the at least one active motion zone.

3. The A/V device of claim 2, wherein the object ID is assigned using at least one physical characteristic of the object.

4. The A/V device of claim 2, wherein the motion detection application comprises further instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the A/V device to determine that the object is the passing vehicle using the speed of the object when the speed of the object remains above a predetermined speed threshold during the duration between when the object enters the field of view of the camera and when the object enters the at least one active motion zone.

5. The A/V device of claim 4, wherein the determination of the speed of the object is based on changes in pixel values for the camera.

6. The A/V device of claim 4, wherein the motion detection application comprises further instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the A/V device to determine that the object is the passing vehicle using the direction of movement of the object when the direction of movement is consistent during the duration between when the object enters the field of view of the camera and when the object enters the at least one active motion zone.

7. The A/V device of claim 6, wherein the motion detection application comprises further instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the A/V device to determine that the object is the passing vehicle using the aspect ratio when the aspect ratio is greater than or equal to a predetermined aspect ratio threshold.

8. The A/V device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined aspect ratio threshold is X:

1.0, wherein X is any quantity greater than or equal to 1.0, and wherein the quantity X corresponds to the width measurement of the object and the quantity 1.0 corresponds to the height measurement of the object.

9. The A/V device of claim 8, wherein X equals 1.1, or 1.2, or 1.3, or 1.4.

10. The A/V device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined aspect ratio threshold depends on a level of ambient light.

11. The A/V device of claim 10, wherein the predetermined aspect ratio threshold is larger under nighttime conditions and smaller under daytime conditions.

12. The A/V device of claim 7, wherein the motion detection application comprises further instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the A/V device to determine that the object is the passing vehicle using the distance between the center of the object boundary and the at least one active motion zone when the distance between the center of the object boundary and the at least one active motion zone remains greater than zero.

13. The A/V device of claim 1, wherein the motion detection application comprises further instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the A/V device to generate a user alert only when it is determined that the object is not the passing vehicle and the object enters the at least one active motion zone.

14. The A/V device of claim 13, wherein the motion detection application comprises further instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the A/V device to transmit the captured image data to a server using the communication module when it is determined that the object is the passing vehicle and when it is determined that the object is not the passing vehicle.

15. A method for an audio/video recording and communication device (A/V device) comprising a camera, a communication module, and a processor operatively connected to the camera and to the communication module, the method comprising:

detecting motion of an object within the field of view of the camera, wherein the field of view comprises at least one active motion zone;

capturing image data of the object using the camera;

assigning an object ID to the object within the field of view of the camera;

determining a speed and a direction of movement of the object using the image data captured using the camera;

determining an aspect ratio of the object using the image data captured using the camera, wherein the aspect ratio is a numeric data value corresponding to a width measurement of the object in relationship to a height measurement of the object;

creating an object boundary about the object and determining a distance between a center of the object boundary and the at least one active motion zone; and

determining whether the object is a passing vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining that the object is the passing vehicle using the object ID when the object ID remains consistent during a duration between when the object enters the field of view of the camera and when the object enters the at least one active motion zone.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the object ID is assigned using at least one physical characteristic of the object.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining that the object is the passing vehicle using the speed of the object when the speed of the object remains above a predetermined speed threshold during the duration between when the object enters the field of view of the camera and when the object enters the at least one active motion zone.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determination of the speed of the object is based on changes in pixel values for the camera.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining that the object is the passing vehicle using the direction of movement of the object when the direction of movement is consistent during the duration between when the object enters the field of view of the camera and when the object enters the at least one active motion zone.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining that the object is the passing vehicle using the aspect ratio when the aspect ratio is greater than or equal to a predetermined aspect ratio threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the predetermined aspect ratio threshold is X:

1.0, wherein X is any quantity greater than or equal to 1.0, and wherein the quantity X corresponds to the width measurement of the object and the quantity 1.0 corresponds to the height measurement of the object.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein X equals 1.1, or 1.2, or 1.3, or 1.4.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the predetermined aspect ratio threshold depends on a level of ambient light.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the predetermined aspect ratio threshold is larger under nighttime conditions and smaller under daytime conditions.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining that the object is the passing vehicle using the distance between the center of the object boundary and the at least one active motion zone when the distance between the center of the object boundary and the at least one active motion zone remains greater than zero.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating a user alert only when it is determined that the object is not the passing vehicle and the object enters the at least one active motion zone.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising transmitting the captured image data to a server using the communication module when it is determined that the object is the passing vehicle and when it is determined that the object is not the passing vehicle.