DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20100238286A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bull Sas (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Ip-Sotek Limited
• Inventors: Black, James, Boghossian, Boghos
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/44 Event detection
• 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: G08B 13/1961 Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

Data processing apparatus comprising a video data receiver configured to receive video data, and an audio data receiver configured to receive audio data. The apparatus further comprises an alarm engine configured to analyse said received video and audio data and generate an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.

Claims

1. Data processing apparatus comprising:

a video data receiver configured to receive video data;

an audio data receiver configured to receive audio data; and

an alarm engine configured to perform sequential analysis of said received video and audio data to determine a sequence of one or more incidents and generate an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said sequential analysis.

2. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alarm engine is configured to generate a sequential analysis output signal, and

wherein said sequential analysis comprises the sequential application of one or more sequential analysis functions to the received audio and video data, and

said sequential analysis output signal comprises a representation of the result of the last of the one or more sequential analysis functions.

3. The data processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sequential analysis comprises a plurality of sequential analysis functions, wherein one or more of the plurality of sequential analysis functions comprise a sequential analysis rule and a timeout period.

4. The data processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the timeout period defines a period of time after the sequential analysis rule has been satisfied during which the output signal for that sequential analysis function is maintained true.

5. The data processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the timeout period for the sequential analysis function is applied from the time at which the sequential analysis rule of that sequential analysis function is satisfied.

6. The data processing apparatus of any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein one or more of the sequential analysis rules comprises an operation that is performed on a contemporaneous analysis output signal.

7. The data processing apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the alarm engine is configured to:

perform contemporaneous analysis on said received audio and video data, and

generate a contemporaneous analysis output signal,

wherein said contemporaneous analysis output signal comprises a representation of the result of one or more contemporaneous analysis functions applied either directly or indirectly to the received audio and video data.

8. The data processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the contemporaneous analysis comprises one or more contemporaneous analysis functions which comprise a contemporaneous analysis rule and a delay period.

9. The data processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the contemporaneous analysis rule comprises an operation that is performed on one or more incident analysis output signals.

10. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alarm engine is configured to:

perform incident analysis on said received audio and video data, and

generate an incident analysis output signal,

wherein said incident analysis output signal comprises a representation of the result of one or more pattern recognition operations performed on said received audio and/or video data.

11. The data processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more pattern recognition operations comprise identifying one or more objects from the video data.

12. The data processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the incident analysis comprises performing one or more pattern recognition operations on the one or more objects identified from the video data.

13. The data processing apparatus of any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the incident analysis performed on the video data is performed on a detection area that comprises a sub-area of said video data.

14. The data processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the detection area is defined based on a result of one or more pattern recognition operations performed on received audio and/or video data.

15. The data processing apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the video data is data representative of output signals generated by a plurality of cameras.

16. The data processing apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the audio data is data representative of output signals generated by a plurality of microphones.

17. The data processing apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the audio data is representative of sound emanating from outside of the field of the received video data.

18. The data processing apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein further comprising an external data receiver configured to receive external data, and wherein the alarm engine is also configured to perform analysis on said received external data.

57. A system comprising:

the data processing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 19 or 43 to 51;

a camera configured to generate video data;

a microphone configured to generate audio data.

58. The system according to claim 57, further comprising a user terminal in electronic communication with the data processing apparatus.

63. A computer program comprising machine or computer-readable program elements for configuring a data processing apparatus to generate control signals for implementing a method according to any one of claims 19 to 38, 39 to 42, or 52 to 56, and/or to configure a data processing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19, 43 to 51 or 59 to 62.

64. A carrier medium carrying a computer program according to claim 63.

65. A carrier medium according to claim 64, wherein said carrier medium is a one of the following:

solid-state memory;

magnetic memory;

CD-ROM;

digital versatile disk (DVD);

HD-DVD;

read-write CD;

Blu-ray Disk, an electronic signal;

radio frequency carrier wave or optical carrier wave.

19. Data processing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of operating a data processing apparatus comprising:

receiving video data;

receiving audio data; and

performing sequential analysis of said received video and audio data to determine a sequence of one or more incidents; and

generating an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein performing sequential analysis of the received audio and video data comprises sequentially applying one or more sequential analysis functions to the received audio and video data;

and

generating a sequential analysis output signal, wherein said sequential analysis output signal comprises a representation of the result of the last of the one or more sequential analysis functions.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein performing sequential analysis comprises sequentially applying a plurality of sequential analysis functions to the received audio and video data, wherein applying one or more of the plurality of sequential analysis functions comprises applying a sequential analysis rule and a timeout period.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising maintaining the output of a sequential analysis function as true for the period of time defined by the timeout period after the sequential analysis rule is satisfied.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising applying the timeout period for the sequential analysis function from the time at which the sequential analysis rule of that sequential analysis function is first satisfied.

25. The method of any one of claims 22 to 24, comprising applying the sequential analysis rule to a contemporaneous analysis output signal.

26. The method of any one of claims 20 to 25, wherein analysing said received video and audio data comprises:

performing contemporaneous analysis on said received audio and video data; and

generating a contemporaneous analysis output signal, wherein said contemporaneous analysis output signal comprises a representation of the result of one or more contemporaneous analysis functions applied either directly or indirectly to the received audio and video data.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein performing contemporaneous analysis comprises applying a contemporaneous analysis rule and a delay period to the received audio and video data.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising applying the contemporaneous analysis rule to one or more incident analysis output signals.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein analysing said received video and audio data comprises:

performing incident analysis on said received video and audio data; and

generating an incident analysis output signal, wherein said incident analysis output signal comprises a representation of the result of one or more pattern recognition operations performed on said received audio and/or video data.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the one or more pattern recognition operations comprise identifying one or more objects from the video data.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein performing incident analysis on said received video and audio data comprises performing one or more pattern recognition operations on the one or more objects identified from the video data.

32. The method of any one of claims 29 to 31, further comprising performing incident analysis on a detection area that comprises a sub-area of said video data.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the detection area is defined based on a result of one or more pattern recognition operations performed on received audio and/or video data.

34. The method of any one of claims 20 to 33, wherein the video data is representative of output signals generated by a plurality of cameras.

35. The method of any one of claims 20 to 34, wherein the audio data is data representative of output signals generated by a plurality of microphones.

36. The method of any one of claims 20 to 35, wherein the audio data is representative of sound emanating from outside of the field of the received video data.

37. The method of any one of claims 20 to 36, further comprising:

receiving external data, and

wherein the step of analysing said received video and audio data further comprises analysing the received external data, and generating the alarm signal based on the output signal generated by said analysis of received video, audio and external data.

38. A method substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

39. A method of configuring data processing apparatus for automatically determining a real size of an object in an image of a scene displayed on a display screen, the method comprising:

responding to user input by displaying in an image of a scene displayed on a display screen a virtual object representative of a real size object to establish a first datum position;

varying the size of the virtual object in the image responsive to user input;

storing data representative of the horizontal and vertical size of the virtual object relative to the displayed image at the first datum position;

displaying said virtual object at a second datum position in said image responsive to user input;

varying the size of the virtual object on the display screen at the second datum position responsive to user input; and

storing data representative of the vertical and horizontal size of the virtual object at the second datum position relative to the displayed image.

40. A method according to claim 39, comprising automatically establishing said first datum position by displaying said virtual object such that the foot of the virtual object is at the foot of said displayed image.

41. A method according to claim 39 or claim 40, further comprising automatically establishing said second datum position by displaying said virtual object such that the foot of the virtual object is on the horizon of the scene in the displayed image.

42. A method according to any one of claims 39 to 41, further comprising storing data representative of the real size represented by said virtual object.

43. Data processing apparatus configured for automatically determining a real size of an object in an image of a scene displayed on a display screen, the apparatus operative to:

respond to user input by displaying in an image of a scene displayed on a display screen a virtual object representative of a real size object to establish a first datum position;

vary the size of the virtual object in the image responsive to user input;

store data representative of the horizontal and vertical size of the virtual object relative to the displayed image at the first datum position;

display said virtual object at a second datum position in said image responsive to user input;

vary the size of the virtual object on the display screen at the second datum position responsive to user input; and

store data representative of the vertical and horizontal size of the virtual object at the second datum position relative to the displayed image.

44. Apparatus according to claim 43, further operative to automatically establish said first datum position by displaying said virtual object such that the foot of the virtual object is at the foot of said displayed image.

45. Apparatus according to claim 43 or claim 44, further operative to automatically establish said second datum position by displaying said virtual object such that the foot of the virtual object is on the horizon of the scene in the displayed image.

46. Apparatus according to any one of claims 43 to 45, further operative to store data representative of the real size represented by said virtual object.

47. Data processing apparatus comprising:

a video data receiver configured to receive video data;

a virtual test signal receiver configured to receive a virtual test signal representative of a location of a virtual object;

a video overlay engine configured to overlay the received video data with a virtual object at locations determined from the virtual test signal to generate virtual test video data; and

an alarm engine configured to analyse the virtual test video data and generate an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.

48. The data processing apparatus of claim 47, wherein the video overlay engine is configured to set the size of the virtual object dependent upon the location of the virtual object.

49. The data processing apparatus of claim 47 or 48, wherein the received video data is pre-recorded video data retrieved from computer memory.

50. The data processing apparatus of any one of claims 47 to 49, wherein the virtual object is representative of an object that has been captured from video data.

51. The data processing apparatus of any one of claims 47 to 50, further comprising an audio data receiver and/or an external data receiver configured to received audio data and/or external data, and wherein the alarm engine is further configured to analyse the received audio data and/or external data to generate the alarm signal.

52. A method of operating a data processing apparatus comprising:

receiving video data;

receiving a virtual test signal representative of a location of a virtual object;

overlaying the received video data with a virtual object at locations determined from the virtual test signal to generate virtual test video data; and

analysing the virtual test video data and generating an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising setting the size of the virtual object dependent upon the location of the virtual object before overlaying the received video data with the virtual object.

54. The method of claim 52 or 53, wherein the received video data is pre-recorded video data retrieved from computer memory.

55. The method of any one of claims 52 to 54, wherein the virtual object is representative of an object that has been captured from video data.

56. The method of any one of claims 52 to 55, further comprising receiving audio data and/or external data, and wherein analysing the virtual test video data further comprises analysing the received audio data and/or external data and generating an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.

59. Data processing apparatus comprising:

a video data receiver configured to receive video data;

an external data receiver configured to receive external data; and

an alarm engine configured to analyse said received video and external data and generate an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.

60. The data processing apparatus of claim 59, wherein the alarm engine is configured to perform sequential analysis of said received video and external data to determine a sequence of one or more incidents.

61. The data processing apparatus of claim 59 or claim 60, wherein said analysis of received video and external data is configured to compare a count of objects represented by the video data with a count of objects represented by the external data.

62. The data processing apparatus of any one of claims 59 to 61, wherein the external data is representative of data output by an RFID system.