System and method for surveilling a scene

• US 20070252693A1
• Filed: 05/01/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jocelyn Janson
• Original Assignee: Jocelyn Janson
• Inventors: Janson, Jocelyn
• Application Number:
  US11/414,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252693A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1961 Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image

Abstract

A method for surveilling a scene using a single camera, the scene including a first zone and a second zone, the first zone being associated with a first predetermined alarm action to be performed upon movement being detected within the first zone, the second zone being associated with a second predetermined alarm action to be performed upon movement being detected within the second zone. The method includes: acquiring a first image of the scene using the camera, the first image including first image pixels representing both the first zone and the second zone; after the acquisition of the first image, acquiring a second image of the scene using the camera, the second image including second image pixels representing both the first zone and the second zone; detecting if a movement occurred within the first zone between the acquisition of the first and second images by comparing the first image pixels representing the first zone to the second image pixels representing the first zone; detecting if a movement occurred within the second zone between the acquisition of the first and second images by comparing the first image pixels representing the second zone to the second image pixels representing the second zone; upon the detection of a movement in the first zone, performing the first predetermined alarm action; and upon the detection of a movement in the second zone, performing the second predetermined alarm action.

Claims

1. A method for surveilling a scene using a single camera, the scene including a first zone and a second zone, the first zone being associated with a first predetermined alarm action to be performed upon movement being detected within the first zone, the second zone being associated with a second predetermined alarm action to be performed upon movement being detected within the second zone, said method comprising:

acquiring a first image of the scene using the camera, the first image including first image pixels representing both the first zone and the second zone;

after the acquisition of the first image, acquiring a second image of the scene using the camera, the second image including second image pixels representing both the first zone and the second zone;

detecting if a movement occurred within the first zone between the acquisition of the first and second images by comparing the first image pixels representing the first zone to the second image pixels representing the first zone;

detecting if a movement occurred within the second zone between the acquisition of the first and second images by comparing the first image pixels representing the second zone to the second image pixels representing the second zone;

upon the detection of a movement in the first zone, performing the first predetermined alarm action; and

upon the detection of a movement in the second zone, performing the second predetermined alarm action.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein

said detection of said movement within the first zone includes computing a first motion level indicative of the extent and speed of the movement within the first zone, said movement being detected within the first zone if said first motion level is larger than a first predetermined level;

said detection of said movement within the second zone includes computing a second motion level indicative of the extent and speed of the movement within the second zone, said movement being detected within the second zone if said second motion level is larger than a second predetermined level.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising

setting said first predetermined level to adjust a sensitivity of said detection of said movement in the first zone.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein

the first zone includes a predetermined fixed object in the scene, the predetermined fixed object being located at a location wherein no movement is expected to occur;

and

the first predetermined alarm action includes issuing an alarm indicating that the camera has been moved.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the first zone includes essentially only the predetermined fixed object.

6. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the predetermined fixed object is selected from the set consisting of an object emitting light at a predetermined illumination level, an object emitting light having a predetermined color spectrum and an object emitting light according to a time varying predetermined pattern of illumination level.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising defining a third zone, the third zone being associated with a third predetermined alarm action to be performed when movement is detected within the third zone.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising modifying one of the position, the shape or both the position and the shape of one of the first and second zones.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising changing at least one of the first predetermined alarm action and the second predetermined alarm action.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second predetermined alarm actions are selected from the set consisting of emitting a sound, the sound having the ability to be heard either by a person approaching a restricted area or by someone performing surveillance, storing the second image on a storage medium, storing a video including the zone from the first and second zones in which a movement has been detected on a storage medium, sending the second image over a network to a location wherein surveillance is performed by a human being, sending video including the second image over a network to a location wherein surveillance is performed by a human being, highlighting the zone from the first and second zones in which a movement occurred on an image displayed to an intended user, displaying a text to an intended user through an output device, storing a text or binary string in a file located on a storage medium, execute a computer command, run a process or software on a computer, emulate keyboard and mouse on a computer, increment counter on movement detection, send messages or trigs to a third party software, hide or close confidential or private documents that are being displayed by a computer, mute any sound or music.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein detecting said movement includes detecting if a movement occurred within each of the first and second zones by using a method selected from the set consisting of Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi point tracking method and the Richefeu-Manzanera hybrid differential filter

12. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising displaying said second image on a display device.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein one of the first and second predetermined alarm actions includes highlighting the zone in which a movement has been detected in said second image.

14. A system for surveilling a scene, the scene including a first zone and a second zone, the first zone being associated with a first predetermined alarm action to be performed upon movement being detected within the first zone, the second zone being associated with a second predetermined alarm action to be performed upon movement being detected within the second zone, said system comprising:

a camera for

acquiring a first image of the scene, the first image including first image pixels representing both the first zone and the second zone; and

after the acquisition of the first image, acquiring a second image of the scene, the second image including second image pixels representing both the first zone and the second zone;

a motion detector connected to said camera for

receiving the first and second images from the camera;

detecting if a movement occurred within the first zone between the acquisition of the first and second images by comparing the first image pixels representing the first zone to the second image pixels representing the first zone; and

detecting if a movement occurred within the second zone between the acquisition of the first and second images by comparing the first image pixels representing the second zone to the second image pixels representing the second zone;

an alarm module connected to said motion detector for

upon the detection of a movement in the first zone, performing the first predetermined alarm action; and

upon the detection of a movement in the second zone, performing the second predetermined alarm action.

15. A machine readable storage medium containing a program element for surveilling a scene using a single camera, said program element being executable by a computing device, the scene including a first zone and a second zone, the first zone being associated with a first predetermined alarm action to be performed upon movement being detected within the first zone, the second zone being associated with a second predetermined alarm action to be performed upon movement being detected within the second zone, said program element comprising:

an input module for

receiving a first image of the scene from the camera, the first image including first image pixels representing both the first zone and the second zone; and

after the acquisition of the first image, receiving a second image of the scene, the second image including second image pixels representing both the first zone and the second zone;

a motion detection module for

detecting if a movement occurred within the first zone between the acquisition of the first and second images by comparing the first image pixels representing the first zone to the second image pixels representing the first zone; and

detecting if a movement occurred within the second zone between the acquisition of the first and second images by comparing the first image pixels representing the second zone to the second image pixels representing the second zone;

an alarm module for

upon the detection of a movement in the first zone, performing the first predetermined alarm action; and

upon the detection of a movement in the second zone, performing the second predetermined alarm action.