SYSTEMS, METHODS AND ARTICLES FOR VIDEO ANALYSIS REPORTING

• US 20110231419A1
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Envysion Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LightHaus Logic, Inc.
• Inventors: Papke, Norbert Gernot, Klijsen, Bartholomeus T. W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,438,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/784 the detected or recognised objects being people

Abstract

A macro video analysis system including a first connection to a first persistent database of a first video analysis system monitoring a first remote location, a second connection to a second persistent database of a second video analysis system monitoring a second remote location, a macro persistent database archiving a respective event generated by each the first remote video analysis system monitoring the first remote location and the second video analysis system monitoring the second remote location and wherein each respective event is respectively transmitted through the first connection and the second connection, and a database query module to evaluate the events.

Claims

1. A method of operating a macro video analytics system, the method comprising:

storing at a macro event persistent storage component a first number of sets of event metadata generated by a first video analysis system monitoring a first remote location remote from the macro event persistent storage component, at least some of the first number of sets of event metadata indicative of an occurrence of respective ones of events occurring at the first remote location, the first number of sets of event metadata representing aspects of the respective event without all of a number of digitized images on which identification of the occurrence of the event was based;

storing at the macro event persistent storage component a second number of sets of event metadata from a second video analysis system monitoring a second remote location remote from the macro event persistent storage component, at least some of the second number of sets of event metadata indicative of an occurrence of respective ones of events occurring at the second remote location, the second number of sets of event metadata representing aspects of the respective event without all of a number of digitized images on which identification of the occurrence of the event was based; and

executing by at least one processor at least a first query on information including both of at least one of the stored first number of sets of event metadata and at least one of the stored second number of sets of event metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transforming a format of at least one of the first number of sets of event metadata by the macro event persistent storage component before storing the first number of sets of event metadata at the macro event persistent storage component.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a result of the first query at the macro event persistent storage component.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

executing by at least one processor at least a second query on information including the stored result of the first query.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein storing at a macro event persistent storage component a first number of sets of event metadata includes storing the first number of sets of event metadata in a micro persistent database implemented by at least one processor and at least one non-transitory storage medium of the macro event persistent storage component and storing at the macro event persistent storage component a second number of sets of event metadata includes storing the second number of sets of event metadata in the micro persistent database.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein executing by at least one processor at least a first query on information includes at least one of executing a traffic flow timeline reporting database query, an entrance flow timeline database query, a zone flow timeline database query, a zone occupancy timeline database query, a queue depth timeline database query, an object dwell timeline database query, a face dwell timeline database query, a demographics classification timeline database query, a customer count database query, an employee count database query, a population count database query, a track heatmap database query, a dwell heatmap database query, a wait-time database query, a mixed reporting database query, or a statistical reporting database query.

7. A macro video analysis system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a macro event persistent storage component including at least one non-transitory storage medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and which stores processor executable instructions which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to;

store to the at least one non-transitory storage medium of the macro event persistent storage component a first number of sets of event metadata generated by a first video analysis system that monitors a first remote location remote from the macro event persistent storage component, at least some of the first number of sets of event metadata indicative of an occurrence of respective ones of events which occur at the first remote location, the first number of sets of event metadata which represent aspects of the respective event without all of a number of digitized images on which identification of the occurrence of the event was based;

store to the at least one non-transitory storage medium of the macro event persistent storage component a second number of sets of event metadata from a second video analysis system that monitors a second remote location remote from the macro event persistent storage component, at least some of the second number of sets of event metadata indicative of an occurrence of respective ones of events which occur at the second remote location, the second number of sets of event metadata which represent aspects of the respective event without all of a number of digitized images on which identification of the occurrence of the event was based; and

execute at least a first query on information including both of at least one of the stored first number of sets of event metadata and at least one of the stored second number of sets of event metadata.

8. The macro video analysis system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the first remote location and the second remote location is selected from the group consisting of:

a retail location, a retail zone of the retail location, a sub-zone of the retail location, a loading zone of the retail location, a public zone of the retail location, and a constriction point between two zones of the retail location.

9. The macro video analysis system of claim 7 wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to execute the first query for at least one of:

a traffic flow timeline report, an entrance flow timeline report, a zone flow timeline report, a queue depth timeline report, an object dwell timeline report, a face dwell timeline report, a demographics classification timeline report, a track map report, or a wait-time report.

10. The macro video analysis system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the sets of event metadata is indicative of one of an occupancy of a zone, an individual transitioning between two zones, a set of demographic information for at least one individual, a dwell time of an individual in a region, a track map, or an estimation of a wait-time estimation.

11. The macro video analysis system of claim 7 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to store a result of the first query to the at least one nontransitory storage medium of the macro event persistent storage component.

12. The macro video analysis system of claim 11 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to execute at least a second query on information including the stored result of the first query.

13. A method of operating a video analytics system, the method comprising:

monitoring a zone by a video analysis system for a period of time;

determining a population of the zone by the video analysis system over the period of time;

following the period of time, setting the population of the zone to an expected population of the zone at a defined time by at least one of the video analysis system or the video analytics system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an error corresponding to a difference between a population of the zone determined by the video analysis system at the defined time and the expected population of the zone at the defined time.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a weighted error proportional to the determined error and a flow of individuals into and out of the zone; and

adjusting the population of the zone as determined by the video analysis system over a series of sub-periods according to the weighted error.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the period of time is about 24 hours, the sub-period is about an hour, the expected population of the zone is zero individuals, and the zone is a retail zone.

17. A video analytics system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory storage medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and which stores processor executable instructions which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to;

monitor a zone by a video analysis system for a period of time;

determine a population of the zone by the video analysis system over the period of time;

following the period of time, set the population of the zone to an expected population of the zone at a defined time.

18. The video analytics system of claim 17 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to determine an error corresponding to a difference between a population of the zone determined by the video analysis system at the defined time and the expected population of the zone at the defined time.

19. The video analytics system of claim 18 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

determine a weighted error proportional to the determined error and a flow of individuals into and out of the zone; and

adjust the population of the zone as determined by the video analysis system over a series of sub-periods according to the weighted error.

20. The video analytics system of claim 19 wherein the period of time is about 24 hours, the sub-period is about an hour, the expected population of the zone is zero individuals, and the zone is a retail zone.