Object monitoring system

• US 20030163289A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Envysion Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LightHaus Logic, Inc.
• Inventors: Toth, Zoltan, Whelan, Michael, Rowsell, Andrew, Koger, Robert, MCardell, Mathew
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19641 Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An object monitoring system, including a slave system having slave processors (14, 16) and a plurality of cameras (10) for monitoring one or more objects, images of thc cameras (10) being processed by respective ones of the slave processor (14, 16), and the slave processors including sensors (30) assigned to respective cameras (10) and at least parts of the fields of view of the cameras (10) to detect predetermined characteristics of the at least parts and generate a trigger in response thereto. A master system has to master processor (20) including agents (34) assigned to at least one of the objects and having one or more of the sensors (30) allocated thereto, the agents (34) each generating an event on receiving triggers from the one or more allocated sensors (30). An event system (6) receives the events and determines whether an alarm condition exists. A user interface system (8) can configure the sensors (30) and agents (34) and respond to events. The monitoring can be used to protect a number of objects, such as paintings and artworks held in a number of locations, from human theft.

Claims

1. An object monitoring system, including,

a slave system having slave processors and a plurality of cameras for monitoring one or more objects, images of said cameras being processed by respective ones of said slave processors, and said slave processors including sensors assigned to respective cameras and at least parts of the fields of view of said cameras to detect predetermined characteristics of said at least parts and generate a trigger in response thereto;

and

a master system having a master processor including agents assigned to at least one of said objects and having one or more of said sensors allocated thereto, said agents each generating an event on receiving said trigger from the one or more allocated sensors.

2. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least parts represent monitored zones and said predetermined characteristics include changes in said zones.

3. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said agents are assigned to protect respective objects.

4. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said agents are allocated said sensors of one of said slave processors.

5. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said agents are allocated said sensors of a number of said slave processors.

6. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said event is an alarm.

7. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, including an event system for receiving events from said agents and determining whether the received events represent as alarm condition

8. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 2, including a user interface for selectively displaying said zones in response to said events

9. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 2, including a user interface for selecting said zones assigned to said sensors and allocating said sensors to said agents.

10. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, including a user interface for generating alarm signals in response to said events.

11. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 7, including a user interface for generating displays in response to determination of said alarm condition.

12. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sensors include motion detection sensors that compare pixel values of the zone with a statistical model of normality for pixels of the zone to detect movement in said zone.

13. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said motion detection sensors operate on the hue, saturation and brightness levels of said zones.

14. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined characteristics include a cluster of pixels having a predetermined hue and saturation range representing human skin.

15. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sensors include a tracking sensor to track a cluster of pixels representing at least part of a human.

16. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said tracking sensor generates control messages to control a moveable camera.

17. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said cluster of pixels has a predetermined hue and saturation range corresponding to human skin.

18. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said tracking system tracks a human face.

21. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, including a control platform connected to the network and a display device, said control platform being adapted to receive and control the direction of a plurality of digital data feeds, such as video signals from said cameras and video signals from different services, and having a user interface to control display of any of the data feeds on the display device.

19. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim I8, wherein said sensor generates a 3D pose of a tracked face.

20. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said system is adapted to execute recognition on the basis of said pose.

22. An object monitoring system, including:

a plurality of sensors assigned to respective zones in a monitored area and which process pixels representing a zone to detect predetermined characteristics in said zone and generate a trigger in response thereto; and

a plurality of agents respectively assigned to at least one object and having one or more of the sensors allocated thereto, said agents generating respective events on receiving triggers from the one or more allocated sensors.

23. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the sensors and agents are software objects and the triggers and events are messages generated. by the objects.

24. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 22, including an event processor for receiving the events and generating an alarm signal when said events represent an alarm condition.

25. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 22, wherein said sensors include motion detection sensors that compare pixel values of the zone with a statistical model of normality for pixels of the zone to detect movement in said zone.

26. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 25, wherein said motion detection sensors operate on the hue, saturation and brightness levels of said zones.

27. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 22, wherein said predetermined characteristics include a cluster of pixels having a predetermined hue and saturation range representing human skin.

28. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 22, wherein said sensors include a tracking sensor to track a cluster of pixels representing at least part of a human.

29. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 28, wherein said tracking sensor generates control messages to control a moveable camera.

30. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 28, wherein said cluster of pixels has a predetermined hue and saturation range corresponding to human skin.

31. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 28, wherein said tracking system tracks a human face.

32. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 31, wherein said sensor generates a 3D pose of a tracked face.

33. An object monitoring system as claimed in claim 32, wherein said system is adapted to execute recognition on the basis of said pose.

34. A method of monitoring an object including:

monitoring a zone in an area using a sensor which processes pixels representing said zone;

detecting predetermined characteristics in said zone using said sensor and generating a trigger in response thereto;

receiving said trigger at an agent assigned to said object and to which said sensor is assigned; and

generating an event using said agent in response to receiving triggers from sensors assigned to the agent

35. A method as claimed in claim 34, including detecting said event and determining whether an alarm condition exists.

36. Computer software stored on computer readable storage media having code for executing the steps of the method of claim 34 or 35.