FLOW LINE RECOGNITION SYSTEM

• US 20090195388A1
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Koiso, Takashi, Ikumi, Tomonori, Takahata, Masami, Narahashi, Masaki
• Application Number:
  US12/366,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20090195388A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

A flow line recognition system comprises a first information recording unit which records a position of a mobile object in a monitoring area together with a time, a second information recording unit which records a position of the mobile object in a specified area together with a time, and a flow line information generation unit which generates flow line information of the mobile object on the basis of the monitoring area mobile object information and the specified area mobile object information.

Claims

1. A flow line recognition system comprising:

a first position detection device which detects a position of a mobile object in a monitoring area;

a first information recording unit which records position information showing the position of the mobile object detected by the first position detection device as monitoring area mobile object information together with time information showing a time at which the mobile object has been in the position;

a second position detection device which detects a position of the mobile object in a specified area that is a part of the monitoring area in a system differing from that of the first position detection device;

a second information recording unit which records position information showing the position of the mobile object detected by the second position detection device as specified area mobile object information together with time information showing a time at which the mobile object has been in the position; and

a flow line information generation unit which generates flow line information showing a movement path of a mobile object moving in the monitoring area on the basis of the monitoring area mobile object information recorded in the first information recording unit and the specified area mobile object information recorded in the second information recording unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the second position detection device detects the position of the mobile object in the specified area that is a part of the monitoring area with a resolution higher than that of the position detection by the first position detection device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the first position detection device is provided with a radio tag which moves integrated with the mobile object;

and a plurality of radio tag reading units which are arranged in each place in the monitoring area to read, in a non-contact manner, tag identification information transmitted by radio from the radio tag.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the second position detection device is provided with a camera which photographs inside the specified area;

and an image processing unit which recognizes a mobile object from an image photographed with the camera to calculate a position of the mobile object.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the first position detection device is provided with a radio tag which moves integrated with the mobile object;

and a plurality of radio tag reading units which are arranged in each place in the monitoring area to read, in a non-contact manner, tag identification information transmitted by radio from the radio tag, and

the second position detection device is provided with a camera which photographs inside the specified area; and

an image processing unit which recognizes a mobile object from an image photographed with the camera to calculate a position of the mobile object.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the flow line information generation unit comprises a comparison unit which compares each item of position information and time information of the monitoring area mobile object information and the specified area mobile object information, respectively;

and a coupling unit which couples monitoring area mobile object information and specified area mobile object information of which the difference in position information is a prescribed value or less and also of which the difference in time information is minimum as information of the same mobile object.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising:

an entering determination unit which determines whether or not the mobile object has entered the specified area on the basis of the position information of the mobile object detected by the first or second position detection device, wherein

the comparison unit compares monitoring area mobile object information of a mobile object determined to have entered the specified area by the entering determination unit from among items of the monitoring area mobile object information with the specified area mobile object information.

8. The system according to claim 6, further comprising:

an exiting determination unit which determines whether or not the mobile object has exited the specified area on the basis of position information of the mobile object detected by the first or second position detection device, wherein

the comparison unit compares monitoring area mobile object information of a mobile object determined to have exited the specified area by the exiting determination unit from among items of the monitoring area mobile object information with the specified area mobile object information.

9. A flow line recognition system comprising:

a first information recording unit which records position information showing a position of a mobile object in a monitoring area as monitoring area mobile object information together with time information showing a time at which the mobile object has been in the position;

a second information recording unit which records position information showing a position of the mobile object in a specified area that is a part of the monitoring area as specified area mobile object information together with time information showing a time at which the mobile object has been in the position; and

a flow line information generation unit which generates flow line information showing a movement path of a mobile object moving in the monitoring area on the basis of the monitoring area mobile object information recorded in the first information recording unit and the specified area mobile object information recorded in the second information recording unit.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein

the flow line information generation unit comprises a comparison unit which compares each item of position information and time information of the monitoring area mobile object information and the specified area mobile object information, respectively;

and a coupling unit which couples monitoring area mobile object information and specified area mobile object information and the specified area mobile object information of which the difference in position information is equivalent to a prescribed value or less and also of which the difference in time information is minimum as the same mobile object.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

an entering determination unit which determines whether or not the mobile object has entered the specified area on the basis of the position information showing a mobile object in the monitoring area, or position information showing a position of the mobile object in the specified area, wherein

the comparison unit compares monitoring area mobile object information of a mobile object determined to have entered the specified area by the entering determination unit from among items of the monitoring area mobile object information with the specified area mobile object information.

12. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

an exiting determination unit which determines whether or not the mobile object has exited the specified area on the basis of position information showing a position of a mobile object in the monitoring area, or position information showing a position of the mobile object in the specified area, wherein

the comparison unit compares monitoring area mobile object information of a mobile object determined to have exited the specified area by the exiting determination unit from among items of the monitoring area mobile object information with the specified area mobile object information.