IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE AND METHOD WITH OBJECT TRACKING

• US 20110255739A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud Network Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LO, CHIH-PING, LEE, HOU-HSIEN, LEE, CHANG-JUNG
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,300 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: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking
• 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 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over

Abstract

A method for dynamically tracking a specific object in a monitored area obtains an image of the monitored area by one of a plurality of image capturing devices in the monitored area, and detects the specific object in the obtained image. The method further determines adjacent image capturing devices in the monitored area according to the path table upon the condition that the specific object is detected, and adjusts a detection sensitivity of each of the adjacent image capturing devices.

Claims

1. An image capturing device, comprising:

a storage system operable to store a path table;

an image obtaining module operable to obtain an image of a monitored area;

an object detection module operable to detect a specific object in the obtained image;

a dynamic tracking module operable to determine adjacent image capturing devices in the monitored area according to the path table upon the condition that the specific object is detected, and to adjust a detection sensitivity of each of the adjacent image capturing devices according to a sensitivity mode of the image capturing device; and

at least one processor to execute the image obtaining module, the object detection module, and the dynamic tracking module.

2. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the sensitivity mode of each of the adjacent image capturing devices is adjusted from a low sensitivity mode to a high sensitivity mode.

3. The image capturing device according to claim 1, the device further comprises a data setting module operable to set the path table, the path table storing an identifier (ID) of each of image capturing devices in the monitored area, and the identifiers of the adjacent image capturing devices of each of the image capturing devices.

4. The image capturing device according to claim 3, wherein the data setting module is operable to set a tracking mechanism for detecting the specific object.

5. The image capturing device according to claim 3, wherein the data setting module is operable to set tracking parameters, the tracking parameters comprising an time interval to perform data synchronization between the image capturing devices, and contact information of an administrator.

6. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic tracking module is further operable to adjust a monitoring direction of each of the adjacent image capturing devices.

7. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic tracking module is further operable to record a movement path of the specific object, and store the movement path of the specific object in the storage system.

8. A method for dynamically tracking a specific object in a monitored area, comprising:

obtaining an image of the monitored area by one of a plurality of image capturing devices in the monitored area;

detecting the specific object in the obtained image;

determining adjacent image capturing devices in the monitored area according to the path table upon the condition that the specific object is detected, and adjusting a detection sensitivity of each of the adjacent image capturing devices according to a sensitivity mode of the one of the plurality of image capturing devices.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the sensitivity mode of each of the adjacent image capturing devices is adjusted from a low sensitivity mode to a high sensitivity mode.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of setting the path table, the path table storing an identifier (ID) of each of the image capturing devices in the monitored area, and the identifiers of the adjacent image capturing devices of each of the image capturing devices.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of setting a tracking mechanism for detecting the specific object.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of setting tracking parameters, the tracking parameters comprising an time interval to perform data synchronization between the image capturing devices, and contact information of an administrator.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of setting the path table comprises:

uploading an electronic map of the monitored area through a setting interface of one of the image capturing devices;

marking an installed position and an Internet protocol (IP) address of each of the image capturing devices on the electronic map; and

setting the path table according to the installed position of each of the image capturing devices.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

adjusting a monitoring direction of each of the adjacent image capturing devices.

15. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

recording a movement path of the specific object; and

storing the movement path of the specific object in the storage system.

16. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor of an image capturing device, causes the processor to perform a method for dynamically tracking a specific object in a monitored area, the method comprising:

obtaining an image of the monitored area by one of a plurality of image capturing devices in the monitored area;

detecting the specific object in the obtained image;

determining adjacent image capturing devices in the monitored area according to the path table upon the condition that the specific object is detected, and adjusting a detection sensitivity of each of the adjacent image capturing devices according to a sensitivity mode of the one of the plurality of image capturing devices.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the sensitivity mode of each of the adjacent image capturing devices is adjusted from a low sensitivity mode to a high sensitivity mode.

18. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, further comprising a step of setting the path table, the path table storing an identifier (ID) of each of the image capturing devices in the monitored area, and the identifiers of the adjacent image capturing devices of each of the image capturing devices.

19. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 18, further comprising a step of setting a tracking mechanism for detecting the specific object.

20. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 18, further comprising a step of setting tracking parameters, the tracking parameters comprising an time interval to perform data synchronization between the image capturing devices, and contact information of an administrator.