SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING ANIMALS FROM APPROACHING CERTAIN AREAS USING IMAGE RECOGNITION

• US 20150128878A1
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E-Collar Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E-Collar Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Van Curen, Greg, Lee, Chankil, SO, Hosung
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/721
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes

Abstract

Provided is a system and method for preventing an animal being managed by a human from approaching a certain area using image recognition technology. This system includes an apparatus put on the animal, and a marker having either a preset color or a preset shape or both and installed in the certain area. The apparatus put on the animal includes a camera to capture a ground surface image of a movement path of the animal, a stimulus applying means to apply a stimulus to the animal, a memory to store an image of the marker, and a control unit, and operates the stimulus applying means to apply a stimulus to the animal when an image matched with the image of the marker stored in the memory is recognized in the image captured by the camera as the animal moves.

Claims

1. A system for preventing animals from approaching that prevents an animal being managed by a human from approaching an area the animal is prohibited from approaching, the system comprising:

an apparatus put on the animal; and

a marker having either a preset color or a preset shape or both and installed in the area the animal is prohibited from approaching,

the apparatus put on the animal comprising;

a camera to capture a ground surface image of a movement path of the animal;

a stimulus applying means to apply a stimulus to the animal;

a memory to store an image of the marker; and

a control unit to control the stimulus applying means which operates to apply a stimulus to the animal when an image matched with the image of the marker stored in the memory is recognized in the image captured by the camera.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the marker includes at least two types distinguishable in either the preset color or the preset shape or both, and at least two marker images corresponding to the at least two types of markers are stored in the memory.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the stimulus applying means is capable of applying at least two different types of stimuli to the animal, and when the image matched with the image of the marker stored in the memory is recognized in the image captured by the camera, the control unit controls the stimulus applying means to apply different types of stimuli to the animal based on a type of the recognized marker.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein a strength of the stimulus applied to the animal by the stimulus applying means is adjustable, and when the image matched with the image of the marker stored in the memory is recognized in the image captured by the camera, the control unit controls the stimulus applying means to apply stimuli of different strengths to the animal based on a type of the recognized marker.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stimulus applied to the animal includes at least one of a sound, a vibration, and an electric shock stimulus.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the marker is coated with a fluorescent material, a phosphorescent material, or a light reflective material on at least the surface thereof.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the marker includes a light emitting element that emits light in a predetermined color or shape.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the marker further includes a light intensity sensor to sense an amount of ambient light, and enables the light emitting element to operate when an amount of light sensed by the light intensity sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus put on the animal further includes a light intensity sensor to sense an amount of ambient light, and a lighting means to illuminate the ground surface captured by the camera, and the control unit illuminates the ground surface using the lighting means when an amount of light sensed by the light intensity sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus put on the animal further includes a motion sensor to sense a motion of the animal, and the control unit illuminates the ground surface using the lighting means when an amount of light sensed by the light intensity sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined value and a motion of the animal is sensed by the motion sensor.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus put on the animal further includes a motion sensor to sense a motion of the animal, and the control unit operates the camera and the stimulus applying means only when a motion of the animal is sensed by the motion sensor.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein a strength of the stimulus applied to the animal by the stimulus applying means is adjustable, and the control unit stores an operation time of the stimulus applying means in the memory each time the stimulus applying means operates, and controls the stimulus applying means to adjust the strength of the stimulus based on the operation time of the stimulus applying means stored in the memory.

13. A method of preventing animals from approaching that prevents an animal being managed by a human from approaching an area the animal is prohibited from approaching, the method comprising:

installing a marker having either a preset color or a preset shape or both in the area;

putting, on the animal, an apparatus comprising a camera to capture a ground surface image, a stimulus applying means to apply a stimulus to the animal, a memory to store an image of the marker, and a control unit to control the camera, the stimulus applying means, and the memory;

capturing a ground surface image of a movement path of the animal using the camera as the animal moves;

recognizing, by the control unit, an image matched with the image of the marker stored in the memory among the image captured by the camera; and

applying a stimulus to the animal by the stimulus applying means when the image matched with the image of the marker is recognized in the image captured by the camera.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the marker includes at least two types distinguishable in either the preset color or the preset shape or both, and at least two marker images corresponding to the at least two types of markers are stored in the memory.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the stimulus applying means is capable of applying at least two different types of stimuli to the animal, and applying the stimulus comprises applying different types of stimuli to the animal based on a type of the recognized marker.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the strength of the stimulus applied to the animal by the stimulus applying means is adjustable, and applying the stimulus comprises applying stimuli of different strengths to the animal based on a type of the recognized marker.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the stimulus applied to the animal includes at least one of a sound, a vibration, and an electric shock stimulus.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the marker is coated with a fluorescent material, a phosphorescent material, or a light reflective material on at least the surface thereof.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the marker includes a light emitting element that emits light in a predetermined color or shape, and emits light autonomously.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the marker further includes a light intensity sensor to sense an amount of ambient light, and enables the light emitting element to operate when an amount of light sensed by the light intensity sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus put on the animal further includes a light intensity sensor to sense an amount of ambient light, and a lighting means to illuminate the ground surface captured by the camera, and capturing the ground surface image comprises capturing the ground surface image while illuminating the ground surface using the lighting means when an amount of light sensed by the light intensity sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the apparatus put on the animal further includes a motion sensor to sense a motion of the animal, and capturing the ground surface image comprises capturing the ground surface image while illuminating the ground surface using the lighting means when an amount of light sensed by the light intensity sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined value and a motion of the animal is sensed by the motion sensor.

23. The method according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus put on the animal further includes a motion sensor to sense a motion of the animal, and the control unit operates the camera and the stimulus applying means only when a motion of the animal is sensed by the motion sensor.

24. The method according to claim 13, wherein a strength of the stimulus applied to the animal by the stimulus applying means is adjustable, and the control unit stores an operation time of the stimulus applying means in the memory each time the stimulus applying means operates, and adjusts the strength of the stimulus based on the operation time of the stimulus applying means stored in the memory.