Security camera system for tracking moving objects in both forward and reverse directions

• US 20020196330A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersive Licensing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: iMove Inc. (Digital Domain Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Michael C., Ripley, G. David, Hunt, Gwendolyn
• Granted Patent: US 6,690,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/49
• 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 13/19626 optical details, e.g. lenses, mirrors or multiple lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19628 of wide angled cameras and camera groups, e.g. omni-directional cameras, fish eye, single units having multiple cameras achieving a wide angle view
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19641 Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/806 with processing of the sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8211 the additional signal being a sound signal H04N9/835 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

A surveillance system that includes a number of camera subsystems. Each camera subsystem includes a number of single lens cameras pointing in different directions which simultaneously capture images. Each camera subsystem covers a particular theater of interest. Each single lens camera captures an image of a particular region in a particular theater. When an object of interest is identified, the system can follow the object as it moves between regions and theaters in a facility. When an object is being followed, the system can provide a view of the object as it transitions between regions covered different single lens cameras in a particular camera subsystem and as it transitions between theaters covered by different camera subsystems.

Claims

1. ) a surveillance system for a facility, said system including a plurality of camera subsystems, each camera subsystem capturing images of a particular theater in said facility, some of said theaters having overlapping areas, each camera subsystem including a plurality of single view cameras, each single view camera covering a particular region in a theater, said regions having overlapping areas, a computer system for storing images captured by said single view cameras, a program for tracking an object as it moves across region boundaries in a camera subsystem and for tracking an object as it moves across theater boundaries:

2. ) The system recited in claim 1 including a computer program for identifying characteristics of an object and for using those characteristics as the object moves across region or theater boundaries.

3. ) The system recited in claim 1 including a computer program for calculating the position of an object in one image and using said position to identify the same object in another image.

4. ) The system recited in claim 1 wherein each of said single view cameras capture images in synchronization so that objects can be more easily tracked across region or theater boundaries.

5. ) The system recited in claim 1 wherein said system maintains a table indicating which theaters will have a view of an object when the object moves out of a particular theater in a particular direction.

6. ) The system recited in claim 1 wherein said system maintains a table indicating which regions will have a view of an object when the object moves out of a particular region in a particular direction.

15. ) The system recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said camera subsystems include a high resolution camera which can be pointed at a particular area to give a high resolution image of said particular area.

7. ) A system including a plurality of camera subsystems each covering a particular theater, each theater having boundaries, each of said camera subsystems capturing a series of images as an object moves in said particular theater, said system including means for identifying an object of interest and for identifying characteristics of said object, and a computer program which utilizes said characteristics to tracks objects as they move between theaters.

8. ) The system recited in claim 7 including a computer program for identifying the location of an object and for using said location to track an object as the object moves across theater boundaries.

9. ) The system recited in claim 7 including a computer program for calculating the position of an object in one image and using said position to identify the same object in another image.

10. ) The system recited in claim 7 wherein each of said cameras capture images in synchronization so that objects can be more easily tracked across region or theater boundaries.

11. ) The system recited in claim 7 wherein said system maintains a table indicating which theaters will have a view of an object when the object moves out of a particular theater in a particular direction.

13. ) The method recited in claim 12 including a computer program for calculating the position of an object in one image and using said position to identify the same object in another image.

14. ) The method recited in claim 13 wherein each of said camera subsystems includes a plurality of single view lenses.

12. ) A method providing surveillance for a facility with a surveillance system which includes a plurality of camera subsystems each of which captures images of a particular theater, at least some of said theaters having overlapping areas, comprising the steps of,

capturing a time sequence of images utilizing each of said camera subsystem,

identifying a moving object in an image captured by one of said camera subsystems and identifying attributes of said object,

determining when said object moves to a region covered by an adjacent camera subsystems,

utilizing said attributes to find said object in images captured by said adjacent camera subsystem.