Method and system for surveillance of vessels

• US 20060244826A1
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratech Systems Limited (In Liquidation) (The Stratech Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Stratech Systems Limited (In Liquidation) (The Stratech Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chew, Khien Meow David
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7865 using correlation of the live video image with a stored image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/269 using gradient-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• 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 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A surveillance system and method for vessels. The system comprises surveillance means for surveying a waterway; vessel detection means for determining the presence and location of a vessel in the waterway based on information from the surveillance means; camera means for capturing one or more images of the vessel; image processing means for processing the images captured by the camera means for deriving surveillance data; wherein the camera means captures the vessel images based on information from the vessel detection means, the surveillance data from the image processing means, or both. The images can be used to classify and identify the vessel by name and category, possibly also to compare the category with that previously registered for a vessel of this name. The vessel can be tracked, including by speed and direction until it leaves the surveyed waterway.

Claims

1. A surveillance system for vessels, the system comprising:

surveillance means for surveying a waterway;

vessel detection means for determining the presence and location of a vessel in the waterway based on information from the surveillance means;

camera means for capturing one or more images of the vessel;

image processing means for processing the images captured by the camera means for deriving surveillance data;

wherein the camera means captures the vessel images based on information from the vessel detection means, the surveillance data from the image processing means, or both.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising tracking means for tracking a vessel'"'"'s movement through the waterways based on the surveillance data derived by the image processing means.

3. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surveillance data comprises a vessel name extracted from the images of the vessel captured by the camera means.

4. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surveillance data comprises a vessel shape/size and/or other vessel characteristics extracted from the images of the vessel captured by the camera means.

6. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surveillance data comprises one or more of a group consisting of a speed, a course, and a trajectory of the vessel extracted from the images of the vessel captured by the camera means.

7. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surveillance data comprises behaviour data indicative of a behaviour of a vessel.including abnormal behaviour

8. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising checking means for checking the surveillance data derived by the image processing means against reference data in a database of the system.

9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surveillance means comprises one or more normal or wide angle scanning cameras and the vessel detection means is operable to determine the presence and location of the vessel based on image processing of images captured by the normal or wide angle scanning cameras.

10. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the camera means comprises one or more zoom cameras.

5. A system according to claim 5, wherein the surveillance data comprises a vessel category/type determined from said vessel shape, height, length and/or other vessel characteristics extracted from the images of the vessel captured by the camera means.

11. A surveillance system for vessels, the system comprising:

a surveillance device for surveying a waterway;

a detector for determining the presence and location of a vessel in the waterway based on information from the surveillance means;

a camera for capturing one or more images of the vessel;

an image processor for processing the images captured by the camera means for deriving surveillance data;

wherein the camera captures the vessel images based on information from the detector, the surveillance data from the image processor, or both.

12. A method of surveillance vessels, the method comprising:

surveying a waterway;

determining the presence and location of a vessel in the waterway based on information from the surveillance of the waterway;

capturing one or more images of the vessel;

processing the images captured for deriving surveillance data;

wherein the vessel images are captured based on the determined presence and location, the surveillance data, or both.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising tracking a vessel'"'"'s movement through the waterways based on the derived surveillance data.

14. A method according to claims 12 to 13, wherein the surveillance data comprises a vessel name extracted from the images of the vessel.

15. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the surveillance data comprises a vessel shape/size and/or other vessel characteristics extracted from the images of the vessel.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the surveillance data comprises a vessel category/type determined from said vessel shape and/or other vessel characteristics extracted from the images of the vessel.

17. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the surveillance data comprises one or more of a group consisting of a speed, a course, and a trajectory of the vessel extracted from the images of the vessel.

18. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the surveillance data comprises behaviour data indicative of a behaviour of a vessel including abnormal behaviour.

19. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, further comprising checking the surveillance data derived against reference data.

20. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, wherein the surveying comprises utilising one or more normal or wide angle scanning cameras and determining the presence and location of the vessel based on image processing of images captured by the normal or wide angle scanning cameras.

21. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 20, wherein the capturing of the images of the vessel comprises utilising one or more zoom cameras.

22. A data storage medium having stored thereon computer readable code means for instructing a computer to execute a method of surveillance vessels, the method comprising:

surveying a waterway;

determining the presence and location of a vessel in the waterway based on information from the surveillance of the waterway;

capturing one or more images of the vessel;

processing the images captured for deriving surveillance data;

wherein the vessel images are captured based on the determined presence and location, the surveillance data, or both.