Mobile object combination detection apparatus and method

• US 20010012379A1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hirokazu Amemiya, Shinji Hashimoto, Toshihide Saga, Yasuyuki Ooki
• Original Assignee: Hirokazu Amemiya, Shinji Hashimoto, Toshihide Saga, Yasuyuki Ooki
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Shinji, Ooki, Yasuyuki, Amemiya, Hirokazu, Saga, Toshihide
• Granted Patent: US 6,654,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19604 involving reference image or background adaptation with time to compensate for changing conditions, e.g. reference image update on detection of light level change
• 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 13/19645 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: 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 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

A mobile object combination detection apparatus includes a plurality of moving image input units, a plurality of mobile object detection units each connected to one of the moving image input units, and a combination determination unit. Each of the plurality of mobile object detection unit detects a mobile object at a predetermined position on a moving image inputted thereto from the moving image input unit, and sends detection information to the combination determination unit. The combination determination unit compares the detection information of the mobile object sent thereto from each of the mobile object detection unit with a predetermined condition to determine that a target mobile object is detected when the detection information satisfies the predetermined condition.

Claims

1. A mobile object combination detection apparatus comprising:

a plurality of moving image input means;

a plurality of mobile object detection means each connected to one of said moving image input means; and

combination determination means,

wherein each of said plurality of mobile object detection means detects a mobile object at a predetermined position on a moving image inputted thereto from said moving image input means, and sends detection information to said combination determination means; and

said combination determination means compares the detection information on the mobile object sent thereto from each of said mobile object detection means with a predetermined condition to determine that a target mobile object is detected when said detection information satisfies said predetermined condition.

2. A mobile object combination detection apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein:

said moving image input means are connected to different moving image cameras, respectively, to input different moving images.

3. A mobile object combination detection apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein:

said plurality of moving image input means are all connected to a single moving image camera to input the same moving image; and

each of said mobile object detection means detects a mobile object at a different position on the same moving image inputted thereto from said moving image input means.

4. A mobile object combination detection apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising external detection means,

wherein said external detection means sends detection information to said combination determination means;

and

said combination determination means compares the detection information on the mobile object sent thereto from each of said mobile object detection means and the detection information on a mobile object sent thereto from said external detection means with a predetermined condition to determine that a target mobile object is detected when said detection information satisfies said predetermined condition.

5. A mobile object combination detection apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein:

said detection information sent from said mobile object detection means to said combination determination means includes an identifier of said mobile object detection means and detection time.

6. A mobile object combination detection apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein:

said mobile object detection means calculates a changing amount of pixels within a closed region in a frame constituting the moving image from an initial image, and outputs detection information indicative of “

invasion”

when said changing amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value;

detection information indicative of “

passage”

when said changing amount subsequently decreases below said threshold value; and

detection information indicative of “

background update”

when said changing amount remains exceeding said threshold value for a predetermined time period or more.

7. A mobile object counting apparatus comprising:

a moving image camera;

two moving image input means connected to said moving image camera;

two mobile object detection means each connected to one of said moving image input means; and

combination determination means, wherein said two mobile object detection means each detect a mobile object at corresponding one of positions of two vertical slits, arranged in parallel with each other, on a moving image inputted thereto from said moving image input means, and respectively send a slit identifier, detection time and an image at the slit at the time of detection to said combination determination means; and

said combination determination means recognizes that the same mobile object has passed said two slits, calculates a moving direction and a moving speed of said mobile object, and counts the number of passing mobile objects based on the slit identifiers, detection times of mobile objects, and images at the slits at the time of detection sent thereto from said two mobile object detection means.

8. A tracking apparatus comprising:

a moving image camera;

a plurality of moving image input means connected to said moving image camera;

a plurality of mobile object detection means each connected to one of said plurality of moving image input means; and

combination determination means,

wherein said plurality of mobile object detection means each detect a mobile object at each of a plurality of vertical slit positions and a plurality of horizontal slit positions on a moving image inputted thereto from said moving image input means, said vertical slits and said horizontal slits being arranged in lattice, and said plurality of mobile object detection means each send a slit position identifier and detection time of a mobile object to said combination determination means; and

said combination determination means identifies which of intersections of said lattice-like slits a mobile object has invaded, based on the slit position identifiers and detection times of mobile objects sent thereto from said mobile object detection means, and outputs the position of the mobile object on said moving image, and the size of the mobile object as information for use in tracking.

9. A method of detecting a mobile object comprising the steps of:

determining a plurality of positions on a single moving image or a position on each of a plurality of moving images as mobile object detecting positions;

detecting a mobile object at each of said detecting positions, and storing information for identifying the detecting position and detection time; and

comparing said stored information for identifying the detecting position and detection time with a predetermined condition to determine that a target mobile object is detected when said stored information for identifying the detecting position and detection time satisfies said predetermined condition.

10. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for detecting a mobile object, said method steps comprising the steps of:

determining a plurality of positions on a single moving image or a position on each of a plurality of moving images as mobile object detecting positions;

detecting a mobile object at each of said detecting positions, and storing information for identifying the detecting position and detection time; and

comparing said stored information for identifying the detecting position and detection time with a predetermined condition to determine that a target mobile object is detected when said stored information for identifying the detecting position and detection time satisfies said predetermined condition.