VIDEO CONTENT ANALYSIS

• US 20110033087A1
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UTC Fire & Security Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: UTC Fire & Security Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Kang, Pengiu, Netter, Christian M., Rakoff, Steven B., Lin, Lin, Peng, Pei-Yuan, Tiwari, Ankit, Xiong, Ziyou, Finn, Alan M.
• Application Number:
  US12/936,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20110033087A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69

Abstract

A video content analysis (VCA) system generates an output regarding a detected condition that provides an indication of a confidence level regarding the detected condition. One example VCA system determines whether a first characteristic of a detected object in a field of vision of the video content analysis system satisfies a first criterion. If so, a first signal is generated under selected conditions. The VCA system also determines whether a second characteristic of the detected object satisfies a corresponding second criterion. If so, a second, different signal is generated if the first and second criteria are satisfied. The first and second signals indicate respective, different confidence levels that an event has occurred. A disclosed example includes a VCA as part of a security system.

Claims

1. A method of operating a video content analysis (VCA) system, comprising

generating an output regarding a condition detected by the VCA system such that the output provides an indication of a confidence level regarding the detected condition.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising

determining whether a first characteristic of a detected object in a field of vision of the VCA system satisfies a corresponding first criterion;

generating a first signal if the first criterion is satisfied;

determining whether a second characteristic of the detected object satisfies a corresponding second criterion; and

generating a second, different signal if the first and second criteria are satisfied.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second signals indicate respective, different confidence levels that an event has occurred.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second signal indicates a higher confidence level than the first signal.

5. The method of claim 2, comprising

determining whether a third characteristic satisfies a third criteria;

and

providing an indication to an individual corresponding to the first or second signals if the third criterion is satisfied.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the third criterion corresponds to at least one of

(i) a selected time elapsing after providing an indication corresponding to a first signal, or

(ii) a second signal is generated.

7. The method of claim 2, comprising

determining whether a third characteristic satisfies a third criterion;

and

controlling whether the first or second signals are generated dependent on whether the third criterion is satisfied.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third criterion comprises at least one of

a time of day,

a day of week,

a size of the detected object, or

an authorization.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising

providing an indication to an individual corresponding to the first or second signal if the third criterion is satisfied.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising

preventing the first and second signals from being generated if the third criterion is not satisfied.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the first criterion comprises a location of the detected object is within a selected range of a boundary.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first criterion comprises a location of the detected object being on a selected side of the boundary.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second criterion comprises at least one of

(i) a location of the detected object moving outside of the selected range of the boundary;

(ii) a location of the detected object being outside of the selected range in a selected direction;

or

(iii) an amount of time elapsing when a location of the detected object remains within the selected range of the boundary.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the first criterion comprises a detected object moving at a speed within a selected range of a threshold speed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second criterion comprises at least one of

(i) the detected object moving at the speed within the selected range for a selected amount of time;

or

(ii) the detected object moving at a second, higher speed exceeding a second, higher threshold speed.

16. A video content analysis system (VCA), comprising

a signal generation portion that generates an output regarding a condition detected by the VCA system that provides an indication of a confidence level regarding the detected condition.

17. The system of claim 16, comprising:

an object detection and tracking portion that detects an object and determines whether a first characteristic of a detected object corresponds to a first criterion, the object detection and tracking portion determining whether a second characteristic of the detected object satisfied a corresponding second criterion; and

wherein

the signal generation portion generates a first signal if the first criterion is satisfied and generates a second, different signal if the first and second criteria are satisfied.

18. The system of claim 17, comprising a user indication portion that generates an indication to a user indicating when a first or second signal is generated.

19. The system of claim 18, comprising a user interface that provides at least one of a visible or audible output to a user responsive to an indication from the user indication portion.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first and second signals indicate respective, different confidence levels that an event has occurred.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the first signal corresponds to a suspicion or warning signal and the second signal corresponds to an alarm signal.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the first characteristic is different than the second characteristic.