Object counting device, object counting method, object counting program, and object counting system

• US 10,559,091 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeda, Hiroo
• Primary Examiner(s): Osinski, Michael S
• Application Number:
  US15/758,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20180286077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 3/00 Counters with additional facilities generating electric pulses at random intervals H03K3/84
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30242 Counting objects in image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/77 using statistical methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• 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: G06V 40/162 using pixel segmentation or colour matching

Abstract

An object counting system includes an acquisition means for acquiring information of an estimation area which is a partial area of an image with which partial area a predetermined condition related to objects to be counted shown in the image are associated, the estimation area being a unit of area for estimating the number of the objects to be counted, a setting means for setting the estimation area in the image in such a manner that the estimation area indicated by the acquired information of the estimation area includes the objects to be counted which are not included in the objects to be counted in a different estimation area, and which satisfy the predetermined condition, an estimation means for estimating, in each estimation area, the number of the objects to be counted shown in the estimation area set in the image, and a computation means for computing a density of the objects to be counted in an area where predetermined areas in the estimation area are overlapped using the number of the objects to be counted that has been estimated in each estimation area.

Claims

1. An object counting device comprising:

a memory having stored therein computer readable instructions;

a processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions, that when executed comprise;

an estimation unit which estimates, in each respective estimation area, a number of objects to be counted that are contained within an estimation area set within an image which is a partial area of the image, and is a unit of area in which the number of the objects to be counted is estimated; and

a computation unit which computes a density of the objects to be counted in an area where predetermined areas in the estimation area are overlapped using the number of the objects to be counted that has been estimated in each respective estimation area.

2. The object counting device according to claim 1, wherein

the computation unit computes the density of the objects to be counted in an area satisfying a predetermined condition in each respective estimation area using the number of the objects to be counted that has been estimated in each respective estimation area, and computes an average value of the computed densities as the density of the objects to be counted in the area where predetermined areas in the estimation area are overlapped.

5. The object counting device according to claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing the instructions, further comprises:

an acquisition unit which acquires information of an estimation area which is a partial area of an image with which partial area a predetermined condition related to objects to be counted shown in the image are associated, the estimation area being a unit of area for estimating the number of the objects to be counted; and

a setting unit which sets the estimation area in the image in such a manner that the estimation area indicated by the acquired information of the estimation area includes the objects to be counted which are not included in the objects to be counted in a different estimation area, and which satisfy the predetermined condition.

6. The object counting device according to claim 2, wherein the processor, when executing the instructions, further comprises:

an acquisition unit which acquires information of an estimation area which is a partial area of an image with which partial area a predetermined condition related to objects to be counted shown in the image are associated, the estimation area being a unit of area for estimating the number of the objects to be counted; and

a setting unit which sets the estimation area in the image in such a manner that the estimation area indicated by the acquired information of the estimation area includes the objects to be counted which are not included in the objects to be counted in a different estimation area, and which satisfy the predetermined condition.

7. The object counting device according to claim 5, wherein the processor, when executing the instructions, further comprises:

an area acquisition unit which acquires an area showing the objects to be counted satisfying the predetermined condition associated with the estimation area in the image, wherein

the setting unit sets the estimation area in an area in which an area in which the number of the objects to be counted shown in the other estimation area set in the area is estimatable is removed from the acquired area.

8. The object counting device according to claim 6, wherein the processor, when executing the instructions, further comprises:

an area acquisition unit which acquires an area showing the objects to be counted satisfying the predetermined condition associated with the estimation area in the image, wherein

the setting unit sets the estimation area in an area in which an area in which the number of the objects to be counted shown in the other estimation area set in the area is estimatable is removed from the acquired area.

3. An object counting method comprising:

estimating, in each respective estimation area, a number of objects to be counted that are contained within an estimation area set within an image which is a partial area of the image and is a unit of area in which the number of the objects to be counted is estimated; and

computing a density of the objects to be counted in an area where predetermined areas in the estimation area are overlapped using the number of the objects to be counted that has been estimated in each respective estimation area.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein an object counting program that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform:

estimation processing for estimating, in each respective estimation area, a number of objects to be counted that are contained within an estimation area set within an image which is a partial area of the image and is a unit of area in which the number of the objects to be counted is estimated; and

computation processing for computing a density of the objects to be counted in an area where predetermined areas in the estimation area are overlapped using the number of the objects to be counted that has been estimated in each respective estimation area.