APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING SUBJECTS ON THE BASIS OF VITAL SIGNS

• US 20140241588A1
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: ROCQUE, Mukul Julius
• Granted Patent: US 9,218,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20021 Dividing image into blocks, subimages or windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30076 Plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/215 Motion-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for detecting different subjects on the basis of vital signs are disclosed. The proposed apparatus comprises an image detection unit for detecting radiation from a field of view and for providing image data from the field of view, a detection unit for defining image sections in the image data and for detecting movement pattern in the different image sections, an identification unit for identifying vital signs in the different image section on the basis of the movement pattern, and an analysis unit for analysing the image data, wherein the analysis unit is adapted to detect the different subjects in the field of view on the basis of a spatial separation of the image sections or of groups of image sections in which the vital signs are identified.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting different subjects on the basis of vital signs, comprising:

an image detection unit that detects radiation from a field of view and that provides image data from the field of view,

a detection unit that defines image sections in the image data and that detects movement pattern in the different image sections,

an identification unit that identifies vital signs in the different image section on the basis of the movement pattern, and

an analysis unit that analyses the image data, wherein the analysis unit detects the different subjects in the field of view on the basis of a spatial separation of the image sections or of groups of image sections in which the vital signs are identified.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement patterns are determined on the basis of frame detection.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification unit is adapted to derive an alternating signal from the respective movement pattern for each of the image sections.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the identification unit comprises a frequency analysis device that analyses a frequency spectrum of the alternating signals in order to identify the vital signs.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the frequency analysis device is adapted to determine spectral parameter on the basis of each of the alternating signals to identify the vital signs.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the analysis unit is adapted to combine connected image sections to a first group of image sections on the basis of the respective alternating signals.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the analysis unit is adapted to combine the connected image sections to the first group of image sections on the basis of the respective spectral parameter and a predefined threshold value.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the analysis unit is adapted to combine connected image sections, which are separated from the first group of sections to a second group of image sections on the basis of the respective alternating signals.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the analysis unit is adapted to combine the connected image sections to the second group of image sections on the basis of the respective spectral parameter and a predefined threshold value.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the frequency analysis device is adapted to determine a spectral energy of a predefined spectral range as the spectral parameter.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first group of image sections is defined by selecting an initial image section on the basis of the spectral parameter and wherein image sections adjacent to the initial image section are selected as image sections of the first group on the basis the respective spectral parameter and the predefined threshold level.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second group of image sections is defined by selecting an initial image section separated from the first group of image sections on the basis of the spectral parameter and wherein image sections adjacent to the initial image section are selected as connected image sections of the second group on the basis the respective spectral parameter and the predefined threshold level.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the image sections are selected as the initial image sections having the highest spectral parameter value.

14. A method for detecting different subjects on the basis of vital signs, comprising the steps of:

detecting radiation from a field of view and providing image data from the field of view,

defining image sections in the image data and detecting movement pattern in the different image sections,

identifying vital signs in the different image sections on the basis of the movement pattern, and

detecting the different subjects in the field of view on the basis of a spatial separation of the image sections or of groups of the image sections in which the vital signs are identified.

15. A computer readable non-transitory medium having instructions stored thereon which, when carried out on a computer, cause the computer to perform the following steps of the method as claimed in claim 14.