Systems and Methods for Tracking Objects Under Occlusion

• US 20110135149A1
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: PVI Virtual Media Services, LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gefen, Smadar
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30221 Sports video; Sports image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30228 Playing field
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory

Abstract

A method for tracking objects in a scene may include receiving visual-based information of the scene with a vision-based tracking system and telemetry-based information of the scene with a RTLS-based tracking system. The method may also include determining a location and identity of a first object in the scene using a combination of the visual-based information and the telemetry-based information. Another method for tracking objects in a scene may include detecting a location and identity of a first object and determining a telemetry-based measurement between the first object and a second object using a real time locating system (RTLS)-based tracking system. The method may further include determining a location and identity of the second object based on the detected location of the first object and the determined measurement. A system for tracking objects in a scene may include visual-based and telemetry-based information receivers and an object tracker.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for tracking objects in a scene comprising:

receiving visual-based information of the scene with a vision-based tracking system;

receiving telemetry-based information of the scene with a real time locating system (RTLS)-based tracking system; and

determining a location and identity of a first object in the scene using a combination of the visual-based information and the telemetry-based information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises using telemetry-based information to locate and identify the first object when visual-based information is unable to locate and identify the first object in the scene.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises using visual-based information to locate and identify the first object when telemetry-based information is unable to locate and identify the first object in the scene.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises using visual-based information and telemetry-based information in combination to locate and identify the first object when using visual-based information alone or when using telemetry-based information alone is not sufficient to uniquely locate and identify the first object in the scene.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when no direct line of sight (LOS) is available between the first object and a camera of the vision-based tracking system; and

determining what telemetry-based information from the RTLS-based tracking system to use to locate and identify the first object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when no direct line of sight (LOS) is available between an RTLS tag situated on the first object and a reader of the RTLS-based tracking system; and

determining what visual-based information to use to locate and identify the first object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the RTLS-based tracking system to determine a telemetry-based measurement between the first object and a second object.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting a first signal from a first RTLS tag situated on the first object to a second RTLS tag situated on the second object and to a reader of the RTLS-based tracking system; and

transmitting a second signal from the second RTLS tag situated on the second object through the first RTLS tag to the reader of the RTLS-based tracking system.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising locating and identifying the first and second objects when the first and second objects are located on different parts of a larger object.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

segmenting out an image measurement of the first object based on the location and identity of the first object;

characterizing the first object based on the first object'"'"'s image measurement; and

associating the characteristic data of the first object with tracking information corresponding to the first object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes estimating a location of the first object based on previous tracking information for the first object.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual-based information includes the location of the first object and the telemetry-based information includes the identity of the first object.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the telemetry-based information includes the location of the first object and the visual-based information includes the identity of the first object.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the using telemetry-based information includes using telemetry-based information only when necessary to resolve the location and identity of the first object when one or more lines of sight (LOS) between the first object and a camera of the visual-based tracking system are impeded.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the using visual-based information includes using visual-based information only when necessary to resolve the location and identity of the first object when one or more lines of sight (LOS) between a first RTLS tag on the first object and a reader of the RTLS-based tracking system are impeded.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a first RTLS tag situated on the first object when the first object is inside a specified area of the scene; and

deactivating the first RTLS tag situated on the first object when the first object is outside a specified area of the scene.

17. A computer-implemented method for tracking objects in a scene comprising

detecting a location and identity of a first object;

determining a first telemetry-based measurement between the first object and a second object using a real time locating system (RTLS)-based tracking system; and

determining a location and identity of the second object based on the detected location of the first object and the first determined measurement.

18. A system for tracking objects in a scene comprising:

a visual-based information receiver configured to receive visual information of the scene with a vision-based tracking system;

a telemetry-based information receiver configured to receive telemetry-based information of the scene with an RTLS-based tracking system; and

an object tracker, implemented on a processor-based system, configured to use a combination of the visual-based information and the telemetry-based information to locate and identify a first object in the scene.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the object tracker is further configured to use telemetry-based information to locate and identify the first object when visual-based information is unable to locate and identify the first object in the scene.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the object tracker is further configured to use visual-based information to locate and identify the first object when telemetry-based information is unable to locate and identify the first object in the scene.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the object tracker is further configured to use visual-based information and telemetry-based information in combination to locate and identify the first object when using visual-based information alone or when using telemetry-based information alone is not sufficient to uniquely determine the location and identity of the first object in the scene.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the object tracker is further configured to:

determine when no direct line of sight (LOS) is available between the first object and a camera of the vision-based tracking system; and

determine what telemetry-based information from the RTLS-based tracking system to use to locate and identify the first object.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the object tracker is further configured to:

determine when no direct line of sight (LOS) is available between an RTLS tag situated on the first object and a reader of the RTLS-based tracking system; and

determine what visual-based information to use to locate and identify the first object.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the object tracker is further configured to use telemetry-based information to determine a measurement between the first object and a second object.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the telemetry-based information receiver is further configured to receive a first signal from a first RTLS tag situated on the first object and a second signal from a second RTLS tag situated on a second object, wherein the second signal is transmitted through the first RTLS tag.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the visual-based information includes a location of the first object and the telemetry-based information includes the identity of the first object.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the telemetry-based information includes a location of the first object and the visual-based information includes the identity of the first object.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein the object tracker is further configured to use the telemetry-based information only when necessary to resolve the location and identity of the first object when one or more lines of sight (LOS) between the first object and a camera of the visual-based tracking system are impeded.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the object tracker is further configured to use the visual-based information only when necessary to resolve the location and identity of the first object when one or more lines of sight (LOS) between an RTLS tag on the first object and a reader of the telemetry-based tracking system are impeded.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the object tracker is further configured to:

segment out an image measurement of the first object based on the location and identity of the first object;

characterize the first object based on the first object'"'"'s image measurement; and

associate the characteristic data of the first object with tracking information corresponding to the first object.

31. A system for tracking objects in a scene comprising

a tracking system configured to detect a location of a first object;

a real time locating system (RTLS)-based tracking system configured to;

determine a first measurement between the first object and a reader of the RTLS-based tracking system; and

determine a second measurement between the first object and a second object; and

an object tracker configured to determine the location and identity of the second object based on the detected location of the first object and the first and second determined measurements.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the RTLS-based tracking system comprises a first RTLS tag situated on the first object, configured to transmit a first signal to a second RTLS tag situated on the second object and to the reader of the RTLS-based tracking system having information associated with the first object.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the RTLS-based tracking system comprises a second RTLS tag situated on the second object, configured to transmit a second signal through a first RTLS tag situated on the first object to the reader of the RTLS-based tracking system having information associated with the second object.