CONFINED MOTION DETECTION FOR PAN-TILT CAMERAS EMPLOYING MOTION DETECTION AND AUTONOMOUS MOTION TRACKING

• US 20110157358A1
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Bell, Mark Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,041,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19606 Discriminating between target movement or movement in an area of interest and other non-signicative movements, e.g. target movements induced by camera shake or movements of pets, falling leaves, rotating fan
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method of operating a surveillance system includes capturing a sequence of images of a field-of-view. A source of localized motion is disposed within at least one of a plurality of segments of the field-of-view. Provided to an operator is means to enable or disable, for at least one of the segments of the field-of-view, a localized motion identification and notification function wherein localized motion in the segment is automatically identified and distinguished from transient motion, and the operator is automatically notified about the presence of the localized motion.

Claims

1. A method of operating a surveillance system, the method including:

capturing a sequence of images of a field-of-view, a source of localized motion being disposed within at least one of a plurality of segments of the field-of-view; and

providing to an operator means to enable or disable, for at least one of the segments of the field-of-view, a localized motion identification and notification function wherein localized motion in the segment is automatically identified and distinguished from transient motion, and the operator is automatically notified about the presence of the localized motion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each said segment is rectangular.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the disablement of the localized motion identification and notification function causes tracking of localized motion to cease after the localized motion has been occurring for an operator-specified time interval.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of identifying the localized motion based upon detected motion being confined to at least one of the segments for more than a threshold period of time.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps, upon detection of motion that results in initiation of tracking, of:

filling a first history buffer with pan angles; and

filling a second history buffer with camera Angle of Views.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising the further step of entering a working state after the first and second history buffers are filled.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising the further steps of:

determining a maximum deviation of all the pan angles in the first history buffer relative to an oldest said pan angle in the first history buffer; and

identifying localized motion only if the maximum deviation is less than a threshold percentage of an oldest said camera Angle of View in the second history buffer.

8. A method of operating a surveillance system, the method including:

capturing a sequence of images of a field-of-view, a source of localized motion being disposed within at least one of a plurality of segments of the field-of-view;

detecting the motion in the field-of-view;

identifying the motion as localized motion;

notifying an operator of the localized motion; and

providing to an operator means to enable or disable, for at least one of the segments of the field-of-view, a localized motion identification function wherein localized motion in the segment is automatically identified and distinguished from transient motion.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising the further step of providing to the operator means to enable or disable, for at least one of the segments of the field-of-view, a localized motion notification function wherein the operator is automatically notified about the presence of the localized motion.

10. The method of claim 8 comprising the further step of displaying at least one said image of the field-of-view to the operator.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the disablement of the localized motion identification function causes tracking of localized motion to cease after the localized motion has been occurring for an operator-specified time interval.

12. The method of claim 8 comprising the further step of identifying the localized motion based upon detected motion being confined to at least one of the segments for more than a threshold period of time.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the notifying step includes transmitting a video signal based upon at least one of the captured images to a remote location for viewing by the operator.

14. The method of claim 8 comprising the further steps, upon detection of motion that results in initiation of tracking, of:

filling a first history buffer with pan angles;

filling a second history buffer with camera Angle of Views;

entering a working state after the first and second history buffers are filled;

determining a maximum deviation of all the pan angles in the first history buffer relative to an oldest said pan angle in the first history buffer; and

identifying localized motion only if the maximum deviation is less than a threshold percentage of an oldest said camera Angle of View in the second history buffer.

15. A method of operating a security system, comprising the steps of:

using a video camera in the security system to capture images of a monitored area;

identifying localized motion in the captured images;

transmitting at least one of the captured images to an operator disposed at a location remote from the monitored area;

displaying the at least one captured image to the operator, the display including an indication of an area in which the localized motion has been identified in the at least one captured image; and

disabling continued identification of the localized motion in images of the monitored area that are captured at later times, the disabling step being in response to a command from the operator.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the disabling of the continued identification of the localized motion causes tracking of localized motion to cease only after the localized motion has been occurring for an operator-specified time interval.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of identifying the localized motion is based upon detected motion being confined to at least one segment of a field of view for more than a threshold period of time.

18. The method of claim 15 comprising the further steps, upon detection of motion that results in initiation of tracking, of:

filling a first history buffer with pan angles; and

filling a second history buffer with camera Angle of Views.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising the further step of entering a working state after the first and second history buffers are filled.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising the further step of determining a maximum deviation of all the pan angles in the first history buffer relative to an oldest said pan angle in the first history buffer, wherein the localized motion is identified only if the maximum deviation is less than a threshold percentage of an oldest said camera Angle of View in the second history buffer.