Tracking people and objects using multiple live and recorded surveillance camera video feeds

• US 20080292140A1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascvid IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: VidSys Incorporated
• Inventors: Morris, Stephen Jeffrey, Clarkson, Richard Casey
• Granted Patent: US 8,350,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• 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: G06V 40/173 face re-identification, e.g. recognising unknown faces across different face tracks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Tracking a target across a region is disclosed. A graphical user interface is provided that displays, in a first region, video from a field of view of a main video device, and, in a plurality of second regions, video from a field of view of each of a plurality of perimeter video devices (PVDs). The field of view of each PVD is proximate to the main video device'"'"'s field of view. A selection of one of the plurality of PVDs is received. In response, video from a field of view of the selected PVD is displayed in the first region, and a plurality of candidate PVDs is identified. Each candidate PVD has a field of view proximate to the field of view of the selected PVD. The plurality of second regions is then repopulated with video from a field of view of each of the plurality of identified candidate PVDs.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a target across a region using a plurality of video devices, comprising:

providing a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface displays, in a first region, video from a field of view of a main video device, and, in a plurality of second regions, video from a field of view of each of a plurality of perimeter video devices, the field of view of each perimeter video device being proximate to the field of view of the main video device;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of perimeter video devices; and

in response;

displaying video from a field of view of the selected perimeter video device in the first region;

identifying a plurality of candidate perimeter video devices, each candidate perimeter video device having a field of view that is proximate to the field of view of the selected perimeter video device; and

repopulating the plurality of second regions with video from a field of view of each of the plurality of identified candidate perimeter video devices.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

recording video from a subset of the plurality of video devices; and

playing a subset of the recorded video backwards in the graphical user interface to track a target back through a period of time by repeating the steps of receiving, displaying, identifying, and repopulating, the subset of the recorded video used throughout the repeated steps.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising:

ceasing backwards playback of the subset of the recorded video at a point; and

playing a subset of the recorded video forward from the point to track a second target, the second target tracked by repeating the steps of receiving, displaying, identifying, and repopulating, the subset of the recorded video used throughout the repeated steps.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:

prior to displaying video from a field of view of a video device, identifying a plurality of fields of view associated with that video device, each field of view associated with a position of the video device;

selecting a field of view of the video device that is optimally proximate to the field of view of the main video device; and

directing the video device to move to the position associated with the selected field of view.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising:

recording an initial position of the video device; and

upon video from the video device no longer being displayed in the graphical user interface, directing the video device to return to the initial position.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprises:

identifying a plurality of candidate perimeter video devices, each candidate perimeter video device having a location in a coordinate space indicating its distance from the selected perimeter video device; and

using the locations to discard one or more candidate perimeter video devices from the plurality of candidate perimeter video devices.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprises:

identifying a plurality of candidate perimeter video devices, wherein at least one candidate perimeter video device has an include list, the include list comprising one or more video devices associated with the candidate perimeter video device, any video device on the include list automatically added to the plurality of candidate perimeter video devices.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprises:

identifying a plurality of candidate perimeter video devices, wherein at least one candidate perimeter video device has an exclude list, the exclude list comprising one or more video devices associated with the candidate perimeter video device, any video device on the exclude list automatically disqualified from being part of the plurality of candidate perimeter video devices.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising:

displaying a map of the region on the graphical user interface, wherein a location of each of the plurality of video devices is identified on the map;

placing a line on the map, the line connecting video devices according to a sequence, the sequence corresponding to selection of video devices, the line identifying a path of the target being tracked.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving comprises:

selecting one of the plurality of perimeter video devices automatically through use of analytics.

11. A computer program product, stored on computer readable medium, for tracking a target across a region using a plurality of video devices, comprising:

computer program code for providing a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface displays, in a first region, video from a field of view of a main video device, and, in a plurality of second regions, video from a field of view of each of a plurality of perimeter video devices, the field of view of each perimeter video device being proximate to the field of view of the main video device;

computer program code for receiving a selection of one of the plurality of perimeter video devices;

and in response;

computer program code for displaying video from a field of view of the selected perimeter video device in the first region;

computer program code for identifying a plurality of candidate perimeter video devices, each candidate perimeter video device having a field of view that is proximate to the field of view of the selected perimeter video device; and

computer program code for repopulating the plurality of second regions with video from a field of view of each of the plurality of identified candidate perimeter video devices.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 comprising:

computer program code for recording video from a subset of the plurality of video devices; and

computer program code for playing a subset of the recorded video backwards in the graphical user interface to track a target back through a period of time by repeating the steps of receiving, displaying, identifying, and repopulating, the subset of the recorded video used throughout the repeated steps.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 comprising:

computer program code for ceasing backwards playback of the subset of the recorded video at a point; and

computer program code for playing a subset of the recorded video forward from the point to track a second target, the second target tracked by repeating the steps of receiving, displaying, identifying, and repopulating, the subset of the recorded video used throughout the repeated steps.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 comprising:

prior to displaying video from a field of view of a video device, computer program code for identifying a plurality of fields of view associated with that video device, each field of view associated with a position of the video device;

computer program code for selecting a field of view of the video device that is optimally proximate to the field of view of the main video device; and

computer program code for directing the video device to move to the position associated with the selected field of view.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein computer program code for identifying comprises:

computer program code for identifying a plurality of candidate perimeter video devices, each candidate perimeter video device having a location in a coordinate space indicating its distance from the selected perimeter video device; and

computer program code for using the locations to discard one or more candidate perimeter video devices from the plurality of candidate perimeter video devices.

16. A computer system comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a display;

a network interface; and

an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor, the display, and the network interface, allowing communication there between;

wherein the memory of the computer system is encoded with a virtual tracking application, that when executed in the processor, provides a virtual tracking process that tracks a target across a region using a plurality of video devices, by causing the computer system to perform operations of;

providing a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface displays, in a first region, video from a field of view of a main video device, and, in a plurality of second regions, video from a field of view of each of a plurality of perimeter video devices, the field of view of each perimeter video device being proximate to the field of view of the main video device;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of perimeter video devices; and

in response;

displaying video from a field of view of the selected perimeter video device in the first region;

identifying a plurality of candidate perimeter video devices, each candidate perimeter video device having a field of view that is proximate to the field of view of the selected perimeter video device; and

repopulating the plurality of second regions with video from a field of view of each of the plurality of identified candidate perimeter video devices.

17. The computer system of claim 16 comprising:

recording video from a subset of the plurality of video devices; and

playing a subset of the recorded video backwards in the graphical user interface to track a target back through a period of time by repeating the steps of receiving, displaying, identifying, and repopulating, the subset of the recorded video used throughout the repeated steps.

18. The computer system of claim 17 comprising:

ceasing backwards playback of the subset of the recorded video at a point; and

playing a subset of the recorded video forward from the point to track a second target, the second target tracked by repeating the steps of receiving, displaying, identifying, and repopulating, the subset of the recorded video used throughout the repeated steps.

19. The computer system of claim 16 comprising:

prior to displaying video from a field of view of a video device, identifying a plurality of fields of view associated with that video device, each field of view associated with a position of the video device;

selecting a field of view of the video device that is optimally proximate to the field of view of the main video device; and

directing the video device to move to the position associated with the selected field of view.

20. The computer system of claim 16 wherein identifying comprises:

identifying a plurality of candidate perimeter video devices, each candidate perimeter video device having a location in a coordinate space indicating its distance from the selected perimeter video device; and

using the locations to discard one or more candidate perimeter video devices from the plurality of candidate perimeter video devices.