ANALYZING A SEGMENT OF VIDEO

• US 20090136141A1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelliview Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cetech Solutions Inc.
• Inventors: Gomaa, Hazem, Badawy, Wael
• Granted Patent: US 8,630,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/40 in video content extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44
• 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: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence

Abstract

There is disclosed a quick and efficient method for analyzing a segment of video, the segment of video having a plurality of frames. A reference portion is acquired from a reference frame of the plurality of frames. Plural subsequent portions are then acquired from a corresponding subsequent frame of the plurality of frames. Each subsequent portion is then compared with the reference portion, and an event is detected based upon each comparison. There is also disclosed a method of optimizing video including selectively storing, labeling, or viewing video based on the occurrence of events in the video. Furthermore, there is disclosed a method for creating a video summary of video which allows a used to scroll through and access selected parts of a video. The methods disclosed also provide advancements in the field of video surveillance analysis.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a segment of video comprising a plurality of frames, the method comprising:

acquiring a reference portion from a reference frame of the plurality of frames;

acquiring plural subsequent portions, each subsequent portion being acquired from a corresponding subsequent frame of the plurality of frames;

comparing each subsequent portion with the reference portion; and

detecting an event based upon the comparison of the subsequent portions with the reference portion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of acquiring the reference portion and the subsequent portions comprise acquiring multiple portions of each respective frame.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference portion is acquired from a location on the reference frame, and each subsequent portion is acquired from the same location on the corresponding subsequent frame.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting an event comprises detecting a plurality of events based on the comparison of the subsequent portions with the reference portion.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing each subsequent portion with each respective reference portion comprises computing respective pixel differences between the reference portion and the respective subsequent portions.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising characterizing the event according to the computed pixel differences between the reference portion and the subsequent portions.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the plurality of subsequent portions are portions taken from subsequent frames from which no event is detected.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the event corresponds to detection of at least a characteristic of a vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting plural events based on a comparison between the reference portion and subsequent portions.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plural events are characterized according to relative pixel differences between the reference portion and subsequent portions.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing, labeling, or both storing and labelling a video scene corresponding to a detected event.

12. The method of claim 1 used as part of a method for video surveillance.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein characteristics of the vehicle comprise one or more of the existence, speed, color, direction of travel, or license plate number of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating the steps upon the detection of an event lasting longer than a period of time.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating a visual summary comprising an arrangement of the subsequent portions.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

retrieving a video scene corresponding to a selected portion displayed on the visual summary.

17. A method of summarizing a segment of video, the method comprising:

extracting a corresponding portion of each frame of a plurality of frames from the segment of video; and

creating a visual summary comprising an arrangement of the corresponding portions of the plurality of frames.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the corresponding portions correspond by virtue of being taken from the same x-y pixel locations on each frame.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

retrieving a video scene corresponding to a selected portion displayed on the visual summary.

20. The method of claim 17 used as part of a method for video surveillance.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

manipulating a pointer to a desired portion displayed in the visual summary;

retrieving a desired frame corresponding to the desired portion from a memory unit; and

displaying the desired frame.

22. The method of claim 21 used as part of a method for video surveillance.

23. The method of claim 22 used as part of a method for monitoring a road or parking lot.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

displaying at least a part of the segment of video from a location denoted by the desired frame.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of selecting a video scene to be stored or labeled on the memory unit, the video scene corresponding to the desired portion.