Method and apparatus for detecting suspicious activity using video analysis
First Claim
1. A method of detecting suspicious activity, the method comprising:
- obtaining video data originating from at least one video camera that monitors a transaction area;
analyzing the video data to track items involved in a transaction in the transaction area;
comparing the video analysis of the tracked items to transaction data produced from a transaction terminal to identify suspicious activity.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system detects a transaction outcome by obtaining video data associated with a transaction area and analyzing the video data to obtain at least one video transaction parameter concerning transactions associated with the transaction area. The transaction area can be a video count of items indicated in the video data as detected by an automated item detection algorithm applied to the video data. The system obtains at least one expected transaction parameter concerning an expected transaction that occurs in the transaction area, such as a scan count of items scanned at a point of sale terminal. The system automatically compares the video transaction parameter(s) to the expected transaction parameter(s) to identify a transaction outcome that may indicate fraudulent activity such as sweethearting in a retail environment.
92 Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A method of detecting suspicious activity, the method comprising:
-
obtaining video data originating from at least one video camera that monitors a transaction area;
analyzing the video data to track items involved in a transaction in the transaction area;
comparing the video analysis of the tracked items to transaction data produced from a transaction terminal to identify suspicious activity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method for detecting a transaction outcome, the method comprising:
-
obtaining video data associated with a transaction area;
analyzing at least a portion of the video data to obtain at least one video parameter concerning at least a portion of a transaction associated with the transaction area;
obtaining at least one transaction parameter originated from a transaction terminal associated with the transaction area; and
automatically comparing the at least one video parameter to the at least one transaction parameter to identify a transaction outcome. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A method for identifying suspicious retail transaction activity, the method comprising:
-
collecting elevated video data from a transaction area including a transaction terminal in which customers transact items during a transaction;
applying automated video analysis to at least a portion of the elevated video data to detect the presence of at least one item associated with the transaction;
comparing the presence of at least one item associated with the transaction from the video data to transaction data indicating items actually transacted by the customer at the transaction terminal to identify items in possession of the customer that were not transacted at the transaction terminal.
-
-
34. A system for identifying suspicious retail transaction activity, the system comprising:
-
at least one elevated video source operable to capture video data of a transaction area;
at least one transaction terminal operable to obtain transaction data from items when those items are placed within a proximity to the transaction terminal during a transaction; and
a transaction monitor operable to obtain the video data originating from at least one elevated video camera and to automatically analyzing the video data to track items involved in a transaction in the transaction area and to comparing the video analysis of the tracked items to transaction data produced from a transaction terminal to identify suspicious activity related to items.
-
Specification