IMAGE ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

• US 20170228874A1
• Filed: 06/24/2016
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,306,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/086 with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/026 rechargeable by using wind power, e.g. using wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/028 rechargeable by using hydropower, e.g. using water powered turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/03 rechargeable by exposure to light
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/003 the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/005 the substrate is supporting also the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/22 characterised by materials, surface treatments or coatings, e.g. dichroic reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/08 Systems for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/08 Systems for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S15/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20216 Image averaging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• 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: G06V 10/50 by performing operations within image blocks; by using histograms, e.g. histogram of oriented gradients [HoG]; by summing image-intensity values; Projection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 relating to colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 : Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 : structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/44 : Event detection
• 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: H02J 7/0068 : Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 : with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 : based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/00 : Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 : Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 : Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 : Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 : Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 : having LEDs disposed in parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 : in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 : by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 : by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 : by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 : via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/50 : Energy storage in industry with an added climate change mitigation effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A frame is obtained from an image sensor. The frame may include a number of zones, each of which in turn includes a number of pixels. Each one of the pixels may be associated with a pixel value. A pixel change value for each one of the pixels in the frame may be determined based on an average pixel value of the pixel over a number of frames. The pixel change value for each pixel may then be normalized based on an average zone change value for the zone in which the pixel is located. The average zone change value may be based on the pixel change value for each one of the pixels in the zone. By using the average zone change value to normalize the pixel change value, an image frame may be analyzed in an efficient and fast manner.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a frame from an image sensor, the frame comprising a plurality of zones, wherein each one of the plurality of zones comprise a plurality of pixels and each one of the plurality of pixels is associated with a pixel value;

determining a pixel change value for each of the plurality of pixels in the frame based on an average pixel value of the pixel over a plurality of frames; and

normalizing the pixel change value based on an average zone change value for the one of the plurality of zones in which the one of the plurality of pixels is located, wherein the average zone change value is based on the pixel change value for each of the plurality of pixels in the zone.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining if a significant change has occurred in each pixel in the frame by comparing the normalized pixel change value to a predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining if an occupancy event has occurred based on the number of pixels in a zone that experience a significant change.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining if the occupancy event has occurred is based on the number of pixels in the zone that experience a significant change over a plurality of successive frames.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein determining if the occupancy event has occurred is based on the number of pixels in a plurality of zones that experience a significant change.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining if the occupancy event has occurred is based on the number of pixels in a plurality of zones that experience a significant change over a plurality of successive frames.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing the pixels in a zone to a remote device if the zone experiences a significant change.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein only the pixels in the zones that experience a significant change are provided to the remote device.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing the pixels in a zone to a remote device if the zone experiences a significant change in a plurality of successive frames.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein only the pixels in the zones that experience a significant change are provided to the remote device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the pixel change value for each of the plurality of pixels in the frame comprises subtracting the average pixel value of the pixel from the pixel value of the pixel.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein normalizing the pixel change value based on the average zone change value comprises dividing the pixel change value by the average zone change value.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein normalizing the pixel change value based on the average zone change value comprises dividing the pixel change value by the average zone change value.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the pixel value for each pixel is a luma value.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the pixel value for each pixel is a raw value.

16. A method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of frames from an image sensor, each one of the plurality of frames comprising a plurality of zones, wherein each one of the plurality of zones comprise a plurality of pixels and each one of the plurality of pixels is associated with a pixel value; and

determining if an occupancy event has occurred by analyzing normalized changes in the pixel values for each pixel in successive ones of the plurality of frames, wherein the changes in pixel values are normalized based on an average pixel value of the pixel over the plurality of frames and an average of the changes in the pixel values of the pixels in the zone in which the pixel is located over the plurality of frames.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein analyzing the normalized changes in the pixel values for each pixel in successive ones of the plurality of frames comprises comparing the normalized changes in the pixel values to a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein analyzing the normalized changes in the pixel values for each pixel in the successive ones of the plurality of frames comprises determining if a predetermined number of normalized changes in the pixel values for each pixel in a zone are above a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the normalized changes in the pixel values for each pixel are obtained by subtracting the average pixel value of the pixel from the pixel value of the pixel and dividing the result by the average of the changes in the pixel values of the pixels in the zone in which the pixel is located.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a message to a remote device upon detection of an occupancy event.

21. An apparatus comprising:

an image sensor;

processing circuitry; and

a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuitry cause the apparatus to;

obtain a frame from the image sensor, the frame comprising a plurality of zones, wherein each one of the plurality of zones comprises a plurality of pixels and each one of the plurality of pixels is associated with a pixel value;

determine a pixel change value for each of the plurality of pixels in the frame based on an average pixel value of the pixel over a plurality of frames; and

normalize the pixel change value based on an average zone change value for the one of the plurality of zones in which the one of the plurality of pixels is located, wherein the average zone change value is based on the pixel change value for each of the plurality of pixels in the zone.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the memory stores further instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuitry cause the apparatus to determine if a significant change has occurred in each pixel in the frame by comparing the normalized pixel change value to a predetermined value.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the memory stores further instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuitry cause the apparatus to determine if an occupancy event has occurred based on a number of pixels in a zone that experience a significant change.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein determining if the occupancy event has occurred is based on the number of pixels in the zone that experience a significant change over a plurality of successive frames.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a solid-state light source.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the memory stores further instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuitry cause the apparatus to change an output of the solid-state light source in response to detection of the occupancy event.