Analysing image data

• US 20050163345A1
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LightHaus Logic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Safehouse International Ltd.
• Inventors: van den Bergen, Mark Adrian, Henson, Michael Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/002,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20050163345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• 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 13/19682 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: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Image data is processed to track moving foreground objects thereby identifying tracked objects, and the movement of said foreground objects is tracked. A timeline is displayed, along with an indication of said tracked objects with reference to said timeline.

Claims

1. A method of analysing image data, comprising the steps of

processing image data to track moving foreground objects thereby identifying tracked objects;

monitoring movement of said foreground objects;

displaying a timeline; and

displaying an indication of a said tracked objects with reference to said timeline.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said indication is displayed as a horizontal line for each tracked event.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of said horizontal lines occupy different vertical positions.

4. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said processing step includes establishing a background model and analysing incoming frames with respect to said background model to identify foreground objects.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said analysing step includes comparing difference values against a dynamically varying threshold value.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said threshold value is varied in response to a count of isolated foreground pixels.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said processing step includes representing a foreground object as a binary object and applying processes of erosion and dilation upon said binary object.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein foreground objects are tracked by identifying a centroid for each object on a frame-by-frame basis.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein a velocity for a moving object is calculated.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein differently coloured displayed indications identify different object velocities.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions executable by a computer or by a network of computers such that when executing said instructions said computer(s) will perform a method as defined by claim 1.

12. Image processing apparatus, comprising a data store, a processor, a display monitor and an input, wherein said processing means is configured to:

receive first image data via said input;

track moving foreground objects;

monitor movement of said foreground objects; and

output, to said display monitor, second image data representing a timeline and an indication of said tracked foreground objects with reference to said timeline.

13. A method of observing monitored image data generated by a plurality of cameras, wherein

camera images are selected by a monitoring process and displayed to an operator;

said operator observes said displayed images in combination with a displayed time line; and

upon observation by said operator of an action considered of interest, said monitoring system;

(a) responds to manual input from said operator; and

(b) provides a visual indication on said timeline to show when manual input was made.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said manual input includes text.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein said visual indication is shown on a time line that also includes an indication of detected activity and/or exemplar images.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein said manual input involves selecting a displayed icon.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said displayed icon is displayed over a displayed image and not at the position of said displayed time line.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein said visual indication and said displayed icon have a substantially similar configuration.

19. Apparatus configured to carry out a method according to claim 13.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions executable by a computer or by a network of computers such that when executing said instructions said computer(s) will perform a method as defined by claim 13.