Directed attention digital video recordation

• US 20070035623A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cernium Corporation (Kastle Systems International LLC)
• Original Assignee: Cernium Corporation (Kastle Systems International LLC)
• Inventors: Wang, Fengtang, Fitzgerald, Michael, Garoutte, Maurice
• Granted Patent: US 8,026,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• 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 13/19643 wherein the cameras play different roles, e.g. different resolution, different camera type, master-slave camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• 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 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• 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

Abstract

The present invention describes systems and methods of incorporating detailed snapshots of targeted areas of interest into a video or digitized recording of the overall scene including metadata to link the snapshots to the time and location in the overall scene from which the snapshot was acquired. A single fixed high-resolution scene camera or a fixed standard resolution scene camera of analog or IP connected type is used, co-located with at least one pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera or by using the same scene camera in a mode where less than full resolution of the scene camera is used for video but snapshots of areas are captured by the same camera where higher resolution thereof is used for snapshots than for video. The area of interest is selected by the object-tracking feature of an intelligent video system, operated without human intervention, by electronically-implemented identification of the existence of area-specific subjects or targets of interest in the scene image field.

Claims

1. A system providing incorporation of detailed snapshots of areas of interest into a video recording, comprising:

a scene camera provision to capture a video of a scene;

intelligent video analysis means to select areas of interest within the scene video;

snapshot capturing means for capturing snapshots of the areas of interest selected by the intelligent video analysis means of the scene at a higher resolution than the scene video;

image data receiving means to receive scene video data and snapshots data suitable for digital recording; and

storage means for digital storage of both the scene data and the snapshots data within a common context.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the intelligent video analysis means is operative to select areas of interest without human intervention during selection.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the image data receiving means is a digitizer, wherein the scene camera and the snapshot capturing means provide image data in analog form to the digitizer to provide both scene-capturing and directed-attention snapshot operation; and

the intelligent video analysis means provides snapshot image commands to the digitizer to cause the digitizer to provide snapshot image data of at least one area of interest within the scene.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the scene camera is a first analog camera and the snapshot capturing means is a second analog camera, to provide respective scene data and snapshot data in analog form to the digitizer.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 including provision to include metadata to link the scene data and snapshot image data and to store the metadata within said common context.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the scene camera comprises a fixed scene-viewing camera and the snapshot capturing means is a directed-attention PTZ camera; and

said intelligent video analysis means operates to select an area of interest within the scene to cause the PTZ camera to provide only image data of at least one area of interest.

7. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the image data receiving means is a digitizer;

the scene camera and the snapshot capturing means provide image data in analog form to the digitizer to provide both scene-capturing and directed-attention snapshot operation;

both the scene camera and comprise a fixed scene-viewing camera and a directed-attention PTZ camera are of analog type and provide respective analog output image data to the digitizer for digitizing of the image data; and

scene data and zoomed image data are stored in digital format together with metadata providing date, time and location data regarding providing the scene data and zoomed image data.

8. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the scene camera and the snapshot capturing means each provide image data in analog form to an IP frame assembler;

the IP frame assembler being responsive to the intelligent video analysis means so as to provide both scene-capturing and directed-attention operation,

wherein the frame assembler receives digital zoom commands to provide said directed-attention operation.

9. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein:

the scene camera is a fixed high resolution IP camera;

the snapshot capturing means is a PTZ IP camera; and

the fixed IP camera and the PTZ each provide image data in analog form to an IP frame assembler.

10. A system providing incorporation of detailed snapshots of areas of interest into a video recording of an overall scene, the system comprising:

a scene camera provision to capture a video of a scene;

intelligent video analysis means to select areas of interest without human intervention during selection in accordance with preset criteria based on predetermined interest in areas of interest;

snapshot capturing means for capturing snapshots of areas selected by the intelligent video analysis means of the scene at a higher resolution than the scene video;

image data receiving means to receive the scene video and the snapshots to scene data and snapshot data suitable for digital recording; and

provision for digital storage of both the video and snapshot data within a common context together with metadata to link the snapshots to the time and location relative to scene from which the snapshot was acquired.

11. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the intelligent video analysis means is operative to select areas of interest without human intervention during selection in accordance with preset criteria based on predetermined interest in objects or object behavior in areas of interest.

12. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein:

image data receiving means is a digitizer and the scene camera provides data in analog form to the digitizer to provide both scene-capturing and directed-attention operation; and

said means for capturing snapshots of the areas selected by the intelligent video analysis means causing images from the scene camera provided to the digitizer be provided from the digitizer for storage in the form of said snapshot data.

13. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein:

image data receiving means is a digitizer and the scene camera means provides data in analog form to the digitizer to provide both scene-capturing and directed-attention operation; and

said means for capturing snapshots of the areas selected by the intelligent video analysis means being a PTZ camera for providing to the digitizer snapshot image data.

14. A system as set forth in claim 13 wherein both the scene camera and the PTZ camera are of analog type and provide respective output image data to the digitizer for digitizing of the image data, and wherein scene data and zoomed image data are stored in digital format together with said metadata.

25. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the scene camera is a fixed analog camera where less than full resolution thereof is used for video and the means for capturing snapshots of areas is the same camera where higher resolution thereof is used for snapshots than for video.

26. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the scene camera is a fixed camera connected to IP, where less than full resolution of the camera is used for video and the means for capturing snapshots of areas is the same camera where higher resolution thereof is used for snapshots than for video.

15. A method of incorporating detailed snapshots of areas of interest into an image recording of an overall scene, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) using a scene camera to obtain a scene image of a scene in which there could be a area of interest;

(b) using an intelligent video system that employs a primary image analysis technique based on an analysis of a terrain map generated from at least a single pass of a video frame, resulting in characteristic information regarding the content of the video, to identify by object tracking in the scene image an area of interest;

(c) directing camera attention by operation of the intelligent video system to the area of interest to obtain snapshot data of the area of interest;

(d) providing metadata to link the snapshot data to the time and location in the scene from which the snapshot was acquired; and

(e) storing the scene and snapshot image in a file format that includes the snapshot and the metadata.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein, in step (b), the intelligent video system carries out analysis to select areas of interest without human intervention during selection in accordance with preset criteria based on predetermined interest in objects or object behavior in areas of interest.

17. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein step (c) comprises directing a PTZ camera'"'"'s attention to an area in response to step (b).

18. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein step (a) comprises using a single fixed high-resolution camera or a fixed standard resolution camera to provide scene data which can be stored during step (e) in digital format.

19. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein:

step (a) further comprises using as a scene camera a fixed high resolution IP-connected scene camera;

step (c) further comprises using a directed attention IP-connected camera to take snapshots of areas of interest to obtain snapshot data; and

said method further comprising the step of providing the scene and snapshot data to an IP frame assembler so as to provide digital scene and snapshot data for storage in step (e).

20. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein:

step (a) further comprises using a single fixed analog camera; and

step (c) further comprises directing attention of one or more co-located analog PTZ cameras.

21. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein:

step (a) further comprises using a single fixed IP connected camera; and

step (c) further comprises directing attention of one or more co-located IP connected PTZ cameras.

22. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein:

step (a) further comprises using a single fixed IP connected camera; and

step (c) further comprises directing attention of one or more co-located IO connected PTZ cameras.

23. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

step (a) further comprises using a fixed analog camera where less than full resolution thereof is used for video; and

step (c) further comprises using the same camera where higher resolution thereof is used for snapshots than for video.

24. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

step (a) further comprises using a fixed camera connected to IP, where less than full resolution of the camera is used for video; and

step (c) further comprises using the same camera where higher resolution thereof is used for snapshots than for video.