UNIFIED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANIMAL BEHAVIOR CHARACTERIZATION IN HOME CAGES USING VIDEO ANALYSIS

• US 20090285452A1
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clever Sys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clever Sys Incorporated
• Inventors: ZHANG, Yi, Wilks, Stan L., Crnic, Linda S., LIANG, Yiqing, KOBLA, Vikrant, Wolf, Wayne, BAI, Xuesheng
• Application Number:
  US12/354,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20090285452A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/110
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/42 for laboratory research
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and methods for finding the position and shape of an animal using video are disclosed. The invention includes a system with a video camera coupled to a computer in which the computer is configured to automatically provide animal segmentation and identification, animal motion tracking (for moving animals), animal posture classification, and behavior identification. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention may use background subtraction for animal identification and tracking, and a combination of decision tree classification and rule-based classification for posture and behavior identification. Thus, the present invention is capable of automatically monitoring a video image to identify, track and classify the actions of various animals and the animal'"'"'s movements within the image. The image may be provided in real time or from storage.

Claims

1. A method for characterizing animal behavior, comprising:

segregating images of an animal from video images;

classifying a posture of the animal in each of a series of images of the animal;

identifying at least one body segment of the animal in each of the series of images of the animal; and

identifying behavior of the animal as one of a set of predetermined behaviors using the postures and the body segments of the animal over the series of images of the animal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein segregating images of an animal from video images includes subtracting a background image from a video image containing an image of an animal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein classifying a posture of the animal includes classifying a posture of the animal as one of a set of predetermined postures.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of predetermined postures includes horizontal side view posture, vertical posture, cuddled posture, horizontal front/back view posture, partially reared posture, stretched posture, hang vertical posture, hang cuddled posture, eating posture, and drinking posture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one body segment is a head.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one body segment is a forelimb.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one body segment is an abdomen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one body segment is a hind limb.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one body segment is a tail.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one body segment is a lower back.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one body segment is an upper back.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one body segment is an ear.

13. A method for characterizing animal behavior, comprising:

segregating images of an animal from video images;

identifying a posture of the animal in each of a series of images of the animal;

identifying each of a set of body segments of the animal in each of the series of images of the animal; and

characterizing behavior of the animal as one of a set of predetermined behaviors using the postures and the sets of body segments of the animal over the series of images of the animal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein segregating images of an animal from video images includes subtracting a background image from a video image containing an image of an animal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein classifying a posture of the animal includes classifying a posture of the animal as one of a set of predetermined postures.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of predetermined postures includes horizontal side view posture, vertical posture, cuddled posture, horizontal front/back view posture, partially reared posture, stretched posture, hang vertical posture, hang cuddled posture, eating posture, and drinking posture.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of body segments includes a head, a forelimb, an abdomen, a hind limb, a tail, a lower back, an upper back, and an ear.

18. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing:

segregating images of an animal from video images;

identifying a posture of the animal in each of a series of images of the animal;

identifying each of a set of body segments of the animal in each of the series of images of the animal; and

characterizing behavior of the animal as one of a set of predetermined behaviors using the postures and the sets of body segments of the animal over the series of images of the animal.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein segregating images of an animal from video images includes subtracting a background image from a video image containing an image of an animal.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein classifying a posture of the animal includes classifying a posture of the animal as one of a set of predetermined postures.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the set of predetermined postures includes horizontal side view posture, vertical posture, cuddled posture, horizontal front/back view posture, partially reared posture, stretched posture, hang vertical posture, hang cuddled posture, eating posture, and drinking posture.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the set of body segments includes a head, a forelimb, an abdomen, a hind limb, a tail, a lower back, an upper back, and an ear.