Method and apparatus for video surveillance with defined zones

• US 20020008758A1
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Scott, Mark A., Broemmelsiek, Raymond M.
• Application Number:
  US09/801,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20020008758A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates
• 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

In the field of motion video object tracking, environmental noise and other such sources of movement can lead to false tracking and tracking of unimportant objects. The present invention uses user-defined exclusion regions within a motion video camera'"'"'s field of view to ignore the origination of object track data. Therefore, the user defines in advance, those regions that may generate false alarms within a motion video camera'"'"'s field of view. The use of user-defined zones in conjunction with object detection and tracking techniques provides a video surveillance system that has greater object tracking accuracy than existing systems.

Claims

1. A method for defining a control zone in a field of view of a motion video camera, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying motion video data representative of the field of view of the motion video camera;

receiving indication of a control zone type; and

receiving indication of a control zone size within the field of view of the motion video camera.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of displaying graphics representative of the control zone size in association with the field of view and the motion video data.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the control zone type is selected from the group consisting of tracking, black-out, exclusion, entry and privacy.

4. A video surveillance method executed according to the control zone defined in claim 1, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting movement in a field of view of the motion video camera;

(b) determining if a moving object is in a tracking origination zone;

(c) defining the moving object if the moving object is in a tracking origination zone; and

(d) tracking the defined moving object.

5. The video surveillance method according to claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

(e) determining if the defined moving object has entered a new control zone type;

(f) determining if the new control zone type is a tracking continuation zone; and

(g) repeating step (d) to (f) if the new control zone type is a tracking continuation zone.

6. The video surveillance method according to claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

(e) determining if the defined moving object has entered a new control zone type;

(f) determining if the new control zone type is a tracking continuation zone; and

(g) ceasing tracking of the defined moving object if the new control zone type is not a tracking continuation zone.

7. The video surveillance method according to claim 4 wherein the control zone type is selected from the group consisting of tracking, black-out, exclusion, entry and privacy.

8. The video surveillance method according to claim 7 wherein a tracking zone is a tracking origination zone and a tracking continuation zone and defines a region in which motion is monitored in the field of view of the motion video camera.

9. The video surveillance method according to claim 7 wherein a privacy zone only monitors movement.

10. The video surveillance method according to claim 7 wherein an exclusion zone is a tracking continuation zone.

11. The video surveillance method according to claim 7 wherein an entry zone is a tracking origination zone and a tracking continuation zone.

12. The video surveillance method according to claim 7 wherein a black-out zone is not monitored for movement.

13. A system for defining control zones of different types in a field of view of a motion video camera, said system comprising:

a database containing a description for each of a plurality of control zone types;

means for defining a control zone in a selected area of the field of view of the motion video camera, said control zone being of a type selected from one of said plurality of control zone types in said database; and

means for displaying a received motion video signal from the motion video camera including an indication of said defined control zone.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein said means for displaying includes means for providing a graphical representation of a size of said selected area of the field of view with the received motion video signal.

15. A video surveillance system using a motion video camera having control zones in the field of view thereof as defined in claim 13, said system comprising:

means for detecting movement in the field of view of the motion video camera;

means for determining a current control zone of the moving object;

means for defining the moving object dependent on the current control zone of the moving object; and

means for performing a tracking operation the defined moving object dependent on a control zone type of the current control zone.

16. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for defining a control zone in a field of view of a motion video camera performing the steps comprising:

displaying motion video data representative of the field of view of the motion video camera;

receiving indication of a control zone type; and

receiving indication of a control zone size within the field of view of the motion video camera.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16 further including the step of displaying graphics representative of the control zone size in association with the motion video data.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 16 wherein the control zone type is selected from the group consisting of tracking, black-out, exclusion, entry and privacy.

19. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for executing motion video camera surveillance according to the control zone defined in claim 16 performing the steps comprising:

(a) detecting movement in a field of view of a motion video camera;

(b) determining if a moving object is in a tracking origination zone;

(c) defining the moving object if the moving object is in a tracking origination zone; and

(d) tracking the defined moving object.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

(e) determining if the defined moving object has entered a new control zone type;

(f) determining if the new control zone type is a tracking continuation zone; and

(g) repeating step (d) to (f) if the new control zone type is a tracking continuation zone.

21. The computer readable medium according to claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

(e) determining if the defined moving object has entered a new control zone type;

(f) determining if the new control zone type is a tracking continuation zone; and

(g) ceasing tracking of the defined moving object if the new control zone type is not a tracking continuation zone.

22. The computer readable medium according to claim 19 wherein the control zone type is selected from the group consisting of tracking, black-out, exclusion, entry and privacy.

23. The computer readable medium according to claim 22 wherein a tracking zone is a tracking origination zone and a tracking continuation zone and defines a region in which motion is monitored in the field of view of the motion video camera.

24. The computer readable medium according to claim 22 wherein a privacy zone only monitors movement.

25. The computer readable medium according to claim 22 wherein an exclusion zone is a tracking continuation zone.

26. The computer readable medium according to claim 22 wherein an entry zone is a tracking origination zone and a tracking continuation zone.

27. The computer readable medium according to claim 22 wherein a black-out zone is not monitored for movement.