OBJECT TRACKING SYSTEM, METHOD AND SMART NODE USING ACTIVE CAMERA HANDOFF
First Claim
1. A object tracking method using a camera handoff mechanism, the object tracking method applied in an intelligent distributed object tracking system comprising a control center, a plurality of smart nodes and a plurality of cameras, the smart nodes managing the cameras, the object tracking method comprising steps of:
- detecting, by a first smart node of the smart nodes, a position of a object to judge whether the object leaves a center region of a first field of view (FOV) of the first smart node for a boundary region when the first smart node is tracking the object;
predicting, by the first smart node, a possible path of the object when the object enters the boundary region of the first FOV of the first smart node;
predicting, by the first smart node, that the object will appear in a second FOV of a second smart node of the smart nodes according to the possible path of the object and a spatial relation between the cameras when the object gets out of the first FOV of the first smart node;
notifying, by the first smart node, the second smart node to detect a first newly entered object inside the second FOV;
determining, by the second smart node, a first image characteristic similarity between the object and the first newly entered object, and returning the first image characteristic similarity to the first smart node;
deciding, by the first smart node, whether to make handoff transfer to the second smart node according to the first image characteristic similarity returned by the second smart node; and
if yes, making handoff transfer, by the first smart node, to the second smart node so that the second smart node takes over tracking on the object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
If an active smart node detects that an object leaves a center region of a FOV for a boundary region, the active smart node predicts a possible path of the object. When the object gets out of the FOV, the active smart node predicts the object appears in a FOV of another smart node according to the possible path and a spatial relation between cameras. The active smart node notifies another smart node to become a semi-active smart node which determines an image characteristic similarity between the object and a new object and returns to the active smart node if a condition is satisfied. The active smart node compares the returned characteristic similarity, an object discovery time at the semi-active smart node, and a distance between the active smart node and the semi-active smart node to calculate possibility.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A object tracking method using a camera handoff mechanism, the object tracking method applied in an intelligent distributed object tracking system comprising a control center, a plurality of smart nodes and a plurality of cameras, the smart nodes managing the cameras, the object tracking method comprising steps of:
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detecting, by a first smart node of the smart nodes, a position of a object to judge whether the object leaves a center region of a first field of view (FOV) of the first smart node for a boundary region when the first smart node is tracking the object; predicting, by the first smart node, a possible path of the object when the object enters the boundary region of the first FOV of the first smart node; predicting, by the first smart node, that the object will appear in a second FOV of a second smart node of the smart nodes according to the possible path of the object and a spatial relation between the cameras when the object gets out of the first FOV of the first smart node; notifying, by the first smart node, the second smart node to detect a first newly entered object inside the second FOV; determining, by the second smart node, a first image characteristic similarity between the object and the first newly entered object, and returning the first image characteristic similarity to the first smart node; deciding, by the first smart node, whether to make handoff transfer to the second smart node according to the first image characteristic similarity returned by the second smart node; and if yes, making handoff transfer, by the first smart node, to the second smart node so that the second smart node takes over tracking on the object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An intelligent distributed object tracking system using a camera handoff mechanism, the system comprising:
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a control center; a plurality of smart nodes communicating with the control center; and a plurality of cameras controlled by the smart nodes, wherein; when a first smart node of the smart nodes is tracking an object, the first smart node detects a position of the object to judge whether the object leaves a center region of a first FOV of the first smart node for a boundary region of the first FOV to predict a possible path of the object; when the object gets out of the first FOV of the first smart node, the first smart node predicts that the object appears inside a second FOV of a second smart node of the smart nodes according to the possible path of the object and a spatial relation between the cameras; the first smart node notifies the second smart node to detect a first newly entered object inside the second FOV; the second smart node determines a first image characteristic similarity between the object and the first newly entered object, and returns to the first smart node; the first smart node decides whether to make handoff transfer to the second smart node according to the first image characteristic similarity, an object discovery time and the distance between the smart node of these data returned by the second smart node; and if the first smart node decides to make handoff transfer to the second smart node, the second smart node takes over tracking on the object. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A smart node using a camera handoff mechanism, applied in an intelligent distributed object tracking system for tracking at least one object, the intelligent distributed object tracking system comprising a control center and a plurality of cameras, the smart node comprising:
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an image processing module for obtaining an image characteristic of the object; an object tracking module, coupled to the image processing module, for designating a serial number to the object, receiving an object tracking enabling command, periodically returning a label information and a position information of the object under track to the control center, and performing FOV boundary detection and image characteristic comparison; an alert detection module, coupled to the object tracking module, for enabling a detection function according to a monitor metadata of the object, wherein when an object triggering alert is the object tracked by the smart node, the alert detection module outputs alertness, the alert detection module decides an alert level according to the monitor metadata of the object, and the alert detection module transmits an alert message to the control center; and a handoff operation control module, coupled to the alert detection module and the object tracking module, for making handoff transfer and enabling a dedicated handoff control program for the object, wherein a state of the handoff control program relates to a handoff operation performing condition, and the handoff operation control module transmits the monitor metadata of the object to the alert detection module. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification