METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING INDIVIDUALS WHILE PROTECTING THEIR PRIVACY

• US 20140299775A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atlas5D, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atlas5D, Inc.
• Inventors: Kimmel, Zebadiah M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,817,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/341.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• 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 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates

Abstract

A system for monitoring individuals while protecting their privacy includes at least one energy emitter configured to emit energy onto a field-of-view that may contain an individual, and at least one energy sensor configured to capture reflected energy from within the field-of-view. A spatial measurement module calculates spatial measurements of objects within the field-of-view based on data from the energy sensor. A schematic generation module creates schematic views of objects within the field-of-view, distinguishing human beings from each other and from inanimate objects or animals. Three-dimensional measurements of the individual and environs are transformed into a two-dimensional or other schematic view, allowing ongoing monitoring of the individual while preventing viewing of the individual'"'"'s face and appearance, and preventing observation of what the individual may be wearing or watching.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring the presence and movement of an individual while protecting the individual'"'"'s privacy, comprising:

capturing data corresponding to objects positioned within a field-of view of at least one energy emitter and at least one energy sensor, the at least one energy sensor configured to capture energy reflected from the individual and the objects within the field-of-view;

generating depth data for the field-of-view based on the captured data from the at least one energy sensor;

identifying elements of the depth data that correspond to at least one individual within the field-of-view;

providing the identified elements to an operator, display, or storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the depth data are transformed into a two-dimensional view.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the depth data are analyzed for changes in presence or motion, and update-messages or warning-messages are supplied to users, operators, or caregivers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of individuals are simultaneously monitored.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein individuals are identified or distinguished from each other by facial recognition or by body biometrics.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein skeleton data and/or pixel label data are generated from the depth data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the skeleton data and/or pixel label data are used to identify the elements of the depth data that correspond to the at least one individual.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy emitter emits at least one of a pattern of infrared light, a pattern of laser light, a pattern of ultraviolet light, a pattern of visible light, a pattern of X-rays, a pattern of microwaves, a pattern of radio waves, a pattern of sound waves, a pattern of ultrasound energy, and a pattern of thermal energy.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein and the at least one energy sensor acquires at least one of reflected infrared light, reflected laser light, reflected ultraviolet light, reflected visible light, reflected X-rays, reflected microwaves, reflected radio waves, reflected sound waves, reflected ultrasound energy, and reflected thermal energy.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the depth data are generated through LIDAR methods.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the depth data are generated through pattern deformation methods.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one additional energy sensor is positioned so as to view substantially the same field-of-view as the at least one energy sensor, and wherein the at least one energy sensor and the at least one additional energy sensor acquire a substantially non-overlapping spectra of energy.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one additional energy sensor acquires visual light.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one energy sensor and the at least one additional energy sensor are substantially co-located in space.

15. (canceled)

16. A method of monitoring the presence and movement of an individual while protecting the individual'"'"'s privacy, comprising:

capturing data corresponding to objects positioned within a field-of view of at least one energy emitter and at least one energy sensor, the at least one energy sensor configured to capture energy reflected from the objects within the field of-view;

generating depth data for the field-of-view based on the captured data from the at least one energy sensor;

calculating one or more spatial measurements of the objects based on the generated depth data for the field-of-view;

marking which spatial measurements correspond to objects which are human beings, and which spatial measurements correspond to non-human objects;

generating a schematic output corresponding to the field-of-view, based on the spatial measurements of the human beings and non-human objects.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the schematic output of the field-of-view is supplied to an operator, a display device, or a storage device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least depth data or spatial measurement corresponding to the at least one non-human object is retained over time as legacy data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the retained legacy data is used to augment or fill-in the schematic output when an individual in the field-of-view obstructs a view of the at least one non-human object.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the depth data or spatial measurements are transformed into at least one of a two-dimensional schematic, a two-dimensional cartoon, a two-dimensional avatar, a three-dimensional cartoon, a three-dimensional avatar, a two-dimensional stick figure, and a three-dimensional stick figure.

21-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A system of monitoring the presence and movement of an individual while protecting the individual'"'"'s privacy, comprising:

at least one energy emitter configured to emit energy within a field of view;

at least one energy sensor configured to capture energy reflected from objects within the field of view;

a depth calculation module configured to generate depth data corresponding to the objects in the field-of-view, based on information from the at least one energy sensor;

a spatial measurement module configured to calculate spatial measurements of objects in the field-of-view, based on the generated depth data;

a schematic generator configured to transform or convert the spatial measurements into a schematic output of the field-of-view.