Traffic density analysis apparatus based on encoded video

• US 20010017933A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 08/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Toshiaki, Chujoh, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,744,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

A traffic density analysis apparatus comprising a video decoder section configured to decode encoded video data obtained by encoding a video signal corresponding to an analysis region and output a decoded video signal, and an analyzer section configured to set a specific region in a screen using the decoded video signal output from the video decoder section and analyze a traffic density in the analysis region from information related to a moving object which passes through the specific region.

Claims

1. A traffic density analysis apparatus comprising:

a video decoder section which decodes encoded video data obtained by encoding a video signal corresponding to an analysis region and outputs a decoded video signal; and

an analyzer section which sets a specific region in a screen using the decoded video signal output from said video decoder section and analyzes a traffic density in the analysis region from information included in the decoded video signal and related to a moving object which passes through the specific region.

2. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said analyzer section comprises:

a determination section which determines whether each of macro blocks is a moving object, based on encoding information contained in the encoded video data and information of the decoded video signal corresponding to current and previous frames;

an information generator section which performs image analysis for the decoded video signal in a block determined as a moving object and acquires object information related to setting of the specific region and the moving object; and

a traffic density estimator section which estimates the traffic density from the object information.

3. An apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein when a mode of a block of interest is intra encoding or inter encoding on the basis of the encoding information, said determination section temporarily determines that the block is highly probably a moving object, and determines the moving object by comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the block.

4. An apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said determination section determines that a block where large motion vectors concentrate is highly probably a moving object, and determines a moving object by comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the block.

5. An apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said traffic density estimator section estimates the traffic density from an average velocity and the number of moving objects which pass through the specific region.

6. An apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said analyzer section further comprises a specific vehicle estimator section which estimates a specific vehicle from a color of the moving object on the basis of the object information, and said traffic density estimator section measures a velocity of the moving object from a velocity of the estimated specific vehicle.

7. A traffic density analysis apparatus comprising:

a video encoder section which encodes a video signal corresponding to an analysis region and outputs encoded video data; and

an analyzer section which sets a specific region in a screen using a local decoded signal generated by said video encoder section and analyzes a traffic density in the analysis region from information related to a moving object which passes through the specific region.

8. An apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein said analyzer section comprises a determination section which determines whether each of predetermined blocks is a moving object, based on encoding information contained in the encoded video data and information of the local decoded signal corresponding to current and previous frames, an object information acquisition section which performs image analysis for the local decoded signal in a block determined as a moving object to acquire object information related to setting of the specific region and the moving object, and a traffic density estimator section which estimates the traffic density from the object information.

9. A traffic information system comprising:

at least one monitor camera section which encodes a video signal obtained by capturing an image in a monitoring region to be monitored for a traffic density and outputs encoded video data;

at least one terminal section which requests traffic information and receives the traffic information; and

a monitor center comprising a video decoder which decodes the encoded video data corresponding to the image captured by each of said monitor camera sections, an analyzer section which sets a specific region in a scene using the decoded video signal and analyzes a traffic density in the monitoring region, based on information related to a moving object which passes through the specific region, and a transmission section which transmits traffic information including the traffic density and video information in response to a request of said terminal section.

10. A traffic information system according to

claim 9

, wherein said monitor camera section comprises a video camera which captures the monitoring region, a video encoder which compress-encodes a video signal obtained by said video camera, and a transmitter which transmits the encoded vide data.

11. A traffic information system according to

claim 9

, wherein said analyzer section comprises a determination section which determines whether each of predetermined blocks is a moving object, based on encoding information contained in the encoded video data and information of the local decoded signal corresponding to current and previous frames, an object information acquisition section which performs image analysis for the local decoded signal in a block determined as a moving object and acquires object information related to setting of the specific region and the moving object, and a traffic density estimator section which estimates the traffic density from the object information.

12. A traffic information system according to

claim 11

, wherein when a mode of a block of interest is intra encoding or inter encoding on the basis of the encoding information, said determination section temporarily determines that the block is highly probably a moving object, and determines the moving object by comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the block.

13. An apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein said determination section determines that a block where large motion vectors concentrate is highly probably a moving object, and determines a moving object by comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the block.

14. An apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein said traffic density estimator section estimates the traffic density from an average velocity and number of moving objects which pass through the specific region.

15. An apparatus according to

claim 9

, wherein said analyzer section further comprises a specific vehicle estimator section which estimates a specific vehicle from a color of the moving object on the basis of the object information, and said traffic density estimator section measures a velocity of the moving object from a velocity of the estimated specific vehicle.