BEHAVIOR MONITORING SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR MONITORING METHOD

• US 20110115634A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Monden, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 8,525,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• 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 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion

Abstract

A storage element stores identification information identifying to-be-monitored objects (TBMO) and prohibited behavior conditions indicating behaviors respectively prohibited to the TBMO in an area. Entry monitoring elements monitor as specific TBMO, TBMO which enter the area, and judge whether or not specific identification information identifying the specific to TBMO exists in the identification information stored in the storage element. When identification information coincident with the specific identification information exists in the identification information, behavior monitoring element monitor based on the specific identification information, the specific TBMO which behave in the area, and generate behavior information indicating behaviors of the specific TBMO. Behavior judging element select specific prohibited behavior conditions corresponding to the specific identification information from the plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in the storage element, and produce an alarm when behaviors indicated by the specific prohibited behavior conditions coincide with behaviors indicated by the behavior information.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A behavior monitoring system comprising:

storage unit which stores a plurality of identification information respectively identifying a plurality of to-be-monitored objects and a plurality of prohibited behavior conditions indicating behaviors respectively prohibited to said plurality of to-be-monitored objects in an area;

entry monitoring unit configured to monitor as specific to-be-monitored objects, to-be-monitored objects which enter said area and to judge whether or not specific identification information identifying said specific to-be-monitored objects exists in said plurality of identification information stored in said storage unit;

behavior monitoring unit configured to monitor based on said specific identification information, said specific to-be-monitored objects which behave in said area and to generate behavior information indicating behaviors of said specific to-be-monitored objects, when identification information coincident with said specific identification information exists in said plurality of identification information; and

behavior judging unit configured to select specific prohibited behavior conditions corresponding to said specific identification information from said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in said storage unit and to produce an alarm when behaviors indicated by said specific prohibited behavior conditions coincide with behaviors indicated by said behavior information.

20. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 19, further comprising:

a monitoring camera for taking images of said area; and

a monitoring camera control unit which controls said monitoring camera to take images of said area and to generate dynamic image data indicating a dynamic image of said area,

wherein each of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects is a person and holds specific information of oneself,

said plurality of identification information stored in said storage unit respectively include a plurality of specific information indicating said plurality of to-be-monitored objects and a plurality of face image data indicating face images of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects,

said entry monitoring unit judges whether or not specific information of said specific to-be-monitored objects exist in said plurality of specific information stored in said storage unit,

said behavior monitoring unit selects selected face image data corresponding to specific information of said specific to-be-monitored objects from said plurality of face image data stored in said storage unit when specific information coincident with specific information of said specific to-be-monitored objects exists in said plurality of specific information,

said behavior monitoring unit executes a face recognition process to judge whether or not face images indicated by said selected face image data are included in a dynamic image indicated by said dynamic image data in order to monitor said specific to-be-monitored objects which behave in said area,

said behavior monitoring unit generates as said behavior information, behaviors of said specific to-be-monitored objects included in a dynamic image indicated by said dynamic image data when face images indicated by said selected face image data are included in a dynamic image indicated by said dynamic image data, and

said behavior judging unit selects said specific prohibited behavior conditions corresponding to said specific identification information including specific information of said specific to-be-monitored objects and said selected face image data from said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in said storage unit.

21. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 20, further comprising a communication unit provided at an entrance of said area in order to monitor said specific to-be-monitored objects which enter said area,

wherein each of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects possesses a holding unit in which said specific information of oneself is held,

specific information held in said holding unit of each of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects is readable by said communication unit, and

said entry monitoring unit controls said communication unit to communicate with said holding unit of said specific to-be-monitored objects which enter said area and to read specific information of said specific to-be-monitored objects from a holding unit of said specific to-be-monitored object.

22. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 20, further comprising a biometrics reader provided at an entrance of said area in order to monitor said specific to-be-monitored objects which enter said area,

wherein each of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects holds specific information of oneself,

specific information of each of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects indicates at least one biometrics of a fingerprint, an iris, a voiceprint and handwriting and is readable by said biometrics reader, and

said entry monitoring unit controls said biometrics reader to read specific information of said specific to-be-monitored objects which enter said area.

23. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 19, further comprising:

a monitoring camera for taking images of said area;

a monitoring camera control unit which controls said monitoring camera to take images of said area and to generate dynamic image data indicating a dynamic image of said area; and

a camera provide at an entrance of said area in order to monitor said specific to-be-monitored objects which enter said area,

wherein each of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects is a person,

said plurality of identification information stored in said storage unit respectively include a plurality of face image data indicating face images of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects,

said entry monitoring unit controls said camera to take images of to-be-monitored objects which enters said area as said specific to-be-monitored objects and to generate image data indicating an image including face images of said specific to-be-monitored objects,

said entry monitoring unit judges whether or not face image data indicating face images of said specific to-be-monitored objects exists in said plurality of face image data stored in said storage unit,

when face image data indicating face images coincident with face images of said specific to-be-monitored objects exists in said plurality of face image data, said behavior monitoring unit selects said face image data as selected face image data,

said behavior monitoring unit executes a face recognition process to judge whether or not face images indicated by said selected face image data are included in a dynamic image indicated by said dynamic image data in order to monitor said specific to-be-monitored objects which behave in said area,

said behavior monitoring unit generates as said behavior information, behaviors of said specific to-be-monitored objects included in a dynamic image indicated by said dynamic image data when face images indicated by said selected face image data are included in a dynamic image indicated by said dynamic image data, and

said behavior judging unit selects said specific prohibited behavior information corresponding to said specific identification information including specific information of said specific to-be-monitored objects and said selected face image data from said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in said storage unit.

24. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein a gate is provided at an entrance of said area, and

said entry monitoring unit controls said gate to refuse said specific to-be-monitored objects to enter said area when said specific identification information does not exist.

25. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 23, wherein a prohibited behavior condition of said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in said storage unit is an outsider prohibited behavior condition indicating a behavior prohibited to said outsider,

when face image data indicating face images coincident with face images of said specific to-be-monitored objects do not exist in said plurality of face image data, said entry monitoring unit stores as outsider identification information for identifying outsider, outsider face image data indicating face images of said specific to-be-monitored objects such that said outsider face image data is correlated to said outsider prohibited behavior condition,

said behavior monitoring unit executes a face recognition process to judge whether or not face images indicated by said outsider face image data are included in a dynamic image indicated by said dynamic image data in order to monitor said specific to-be-monitored objects which behave in said area,

said behavior monitoring unit generates as said behavior information, behaviors of said specific to-be-monitored objects included in a dynamic image indicated by said dynamic image data when face images indicated by said outsider face image data are included in a dynamic image indicated by said dynamic image data,

said behavior judging unit selects said outsider prohibited behavior condition corresponding to said outsider face image data from said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in said storage unit, and

said behavior judging unit produces an alarm when a behavior indicated by said outsider prohibited behavior condition coincides with behaviors indicated by said behavior information.

26. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein said area includes predetermined region, and

said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in said storage unit indicates permission or prohibition of entry to said predetermined region, for said plurality of to-be-monitored object, respectively.

27. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein said area includes predetermined region, and

said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in said storage unit indicates times in which said plurality of to-be-monitored objects can stay in said predetermined region, respectively.

28. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 26, wherein permission of entry to said predetermined region is determined based on date or time zone in a day.

29. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 26, wherein said area further includes a plurality of regions, and

said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in said storage unit respectively indicate for said entry-permitted to-be-monitored object group, orders for passing through said plurality of regions in entering and leaving said predetermined region.

30. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein said specific to-be-monitored objects are a plurality of specific to-be-monitored objects, and

said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions stored in said storage unit respectively indicate interrelationships for said plurality of specific to-be-monitored objects.

31. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 30, wherein said area includes a predetermined region, and

said interrelationships indicate that a first to-be-monitored object and a second to-be-monitored object of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects approach one another in said predetermined region such that a distance between said first to-be-monitored object and said second to-be-monitored object is shorter than a predetermined distance.

32. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 30, wherein said area includes a predetermined region, and

said interrelationships indicate whether or not a first to-be-monitored object and a second to-be-monitored object of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects belong to a same group in said predetermined region.

33. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 30, wherein said interrelationships indicate that a first to-be-monitored object and a second to-be-monitored object of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects depart from one another in said area such that a distance between said first to-be-monitored object and said second to-be-monitored object is a predetermined distance or longer.

34. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 30, wherein said area includes a specific place, and

said interrelationships indicate that a first to-be-monitored object and a second to-be-monitored object of said plurality of to-be-monitored objects depart from one another in said area except said specific place such that a distance between said first to-be-monitored object and said second to-be-monitored object is a predetermined distance or longer.

37. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 20, wherein a gate is provided at an entrance of said area, and

said entry monitoring unit controls said gate to refuse said specific to-be-monitored objects to enter said area when said specific identification information does not exist.

38. The behavior monitoring system according to claim 21, wherein a gate is provided at an entrance of said area, and

said entry monitoring unit controls said gate to refuse said specific to-be-monitored objects to enter said area when said specific identification information does not exist.

35. A behavior monitoring method comprising:

monitoring as specific to-be-monitored objects, to-be-monitored objects which enter an area;

judging by referring to a database in which a plurality of identification information respectively identifying a plurality of to-be-monitored objects and a plurality of prohibited behavior conditions indicating behaviors respectively prohibited to said plurality of to-be-monitored objects in said area, whether or not specific identification information identifying said specific to-be-monitored objects exists in said plurality of identification information;

monitoring based on said specific identification information, said specific to-be-monitored objects which behave in said area when identification information coincident with said specific identification information exists in said plurality of identification information;

generating behavior information indicating behaviors of said specific to-be-monitored objects;

selecting by referring to said database, specific prohibited behavior conditions corresponding to said specific identification information from said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions; and

producing an alarm when behaviors indicated by said specific prohibited behavior conditions coincide with behaviors indicated by said behavior information.

36. A computer-readable recording medium which records a computer program for causing a computer to execute a behavior monitoring method comprising:

monitoring as specific to-be-monitored objects, to-be-monitored objects which enter an area;

judging by referring to a database in which a plurality of identification information respectively identifying a plurality of to-be-monitored objects and a plurality of prohibited behavior conditions indicating behaviors respectively prohibited to said plurality of to-be-monitored objects in said area, whether or not specific identification information identifying said specific to-be-monitored objects exists in said plurality of identification information;

monitoring based on said specific identification information, said specific to-be-monitored objects which behave in said area when identification information coincident with said specific identification information exists in said plurality of identification information;

generating behavior information indicating behaviors of said specific to-be-monitored objects;

selecting by referring to said database, specific prohibited behavior conditions corresponding to said specific identification information from said plurality of prohibited behavior conditions; and

producing an alarm when behaviors indicated by said specific prohibited behavior conditions coincide with behaviors indicated by said behavior information.