AUTOMATIC DETECTION BY A WEARABLE CAMERA

• US 20130128051A1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syracuse University
• Original Assignee: Syracuse University
• Inventors: VELIPASALAR, Senem, ALMAGAMBETOV, Akhan, CASARES, Mauricio
• Granted Patent: US 9,571,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/158
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00029 Diagnosis, i.e. identifying a problem by comparison with a normal state
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00042 Monitoring, i.e. observation H04N1/00029 - H04N1/00039 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

There is set forth herein a system including a camera device. In one embodiment the system is operative to perform image processing for detection of an event involving a human subject. There is set forth herein in one embodiment, a camera equipped system employed for fall detection.

Claims

1. A camera device comprising:

an image sensor;

a memory;

a processor for processing images;

wherein the camera device is adapted to be wearable by a human subject in a manner that images captured using the camera device represent surroundings of the human subject;

wherein the camera device is operative to process images captured using the camera device for detection of an event, the event being an action of the human subject, the event being detected by performance of an image processing method that includes a comparison of a subsequently captured image to an earlier captured image;

wherein the camera device is operative to wirelessly transmit a message to an external destination responsively to the detection by the camera device of the event.

2. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the message includes one or image representing surroundings of the subject.

3. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the event is a laying down of the human subject.

4. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the event is one or more of a laying down event or a sitting down event of the human subject, and wherein the camera device utilizes the one or more of a laying down event or a sitting down event to determine whether the human subject has become ill.

5. The camera device of claim 1, wherein an image processing rate of the processor is restricted from being less than 50 percent of a frame rate of the camera device.

6. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera device is restricted from transmitting an image to an external destination unless an event is detected by the camera device.

7. A method comprising:

positioning a camera device on a human subject in a manner that the camera device is directed away from the human subject so that images captured using the camera device represent surroundings of the human subject, the camera device having an image sensor, a memory and a processor; and

processing images captured using the camera device to detect an occurrence of an event, the event being an action of the human subject, the processing including comparing a subsequent captured image to a prior image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the event is a fall.

9. The method claim 7, wherein the processing includes developing a histogram of edge orientations of an image.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the action is a fall, and wherein the method includes wirelessly transmitting a message to an external destination responsively to the fall being detected.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the message includes an image representing surroundings of the human subject.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the event is a laying down of the human subject, and wherein the method includes utilizing a laying down event for determination of whether the human subject has become ill.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing includes determining that the human subject has become ill responsively to a count of laying down events exceeds a threshold during a predetermined time window.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the processing includes determining that the human subject has become ill further responsively to a duration of a laying down event.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing includes processing of images devoid of a representation of a human subject on which the camera device is positioned.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing includes processing of images captured while the human subject is internal of a building and processing of images captured while the human subject is external of a building.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein responsively to the processing the camera device outputs an indicator observable by the human subject.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein responsively to the processing the camera device outputs an indicator observable by the human subject and transmits a message to an external destination.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein responsively to a laying down event being detected by the processing the camera device outputs an indicator observable by the human subject and transmits a message to an external destination indicating that the human subject has become ill, wherein the indicator observable by the human subject includes a tactile indicator and audible indicator.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein responsively to determination that an activity level of the human subject has exceeded a desirable level by the processing the camera device outputs an indicator observable by the human subject prompting the human subject to reduce the human subject'"'"'s activity level.

21. A computer program product for detecting action of a human subject, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

processing, by a processor, images representing surroundings of a human subject;

determining, by the processor, responsively to the processing an action of the human subject, wherein the processing includes comparing a subsequently captured image to a prior captured image.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the method includes wirelessly transmitting a message to an external destination responsively to the fall being detected.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the message includes an image representing the surroundings of the human subject.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the method includes outputting responsively to the determining an indicator observable by the human subject and transmitting to an external destination a message.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the wherein the method includes restricting transmitting of an image from a camera device to an external destination unless an event is detected by the camera device.