System and method for designating surveillance camera regions of interest

• US 20170277967A1
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco International Management Company, LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Burke, Anthony, Birkel, Peter Joseph, Humphreys, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,318,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/62 relating to a temporal dimension, e.g. time-based feature extraction; Pattern tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69

Abstract

A system and method of designating regions of interest for surveillance cameras is disclosed. The system enables definition of regions of interest simultaneously across multiple cameras. This is useful when the cameras are positioned to monitor the same region of interest within their scenes. Each camera monitors image data for designation of regions of interest, stores the regions of interest, and analyzes the image data from the cameras based on the regions of interest. Preferably, each camera has an integrated analytics system for analyzing the image data based on the regions of interest. A setup process between a user device (e.g. mobile phone) and the cameras enables definition of the regions of interest. In embodiments, the regions of interest are defined in response to the cameras tracking either the user device or an optical device as an operator moves the devices to outline the regions of interest within the scene.

Claims

1. A method of designating regions of interest in the fields of view of surveillance cameras, the method comprising:

capturing image data with the surveillance cameras; and

analyzing the image data for designation of regions of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein designation of the regions of interest comprises tracking a portable comprising device as it is moved with respect to desired regions of interest to thereby define the regions of interest.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising controlling the portable computing device to display images during the defining of the regions of interest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein designation of the regions of interest comprises tracking a light spot projected into fields of view of the surveillance cameras as it is moved to thereby define the regions of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the image data from the surveillance cameras based on the regions of interest.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein analyzing the image data from the surveillance cameras based on the regions of interest comprises:

detecting predetermined optical patterns; and

generating metadata for the image data in response to detecting the predetermined optical patterns.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein analyzing the image data from the surveillance cameras based on the regions of interest comprises tracking movement of objects or persons relative to point of sale terminals or product displays or thresholds of doors or areas movement along streets or hallways.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the image data on analytics systems embedded in the surveillance cameras to determine the designated regions of interest.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the image data on external analytics systems to determine the designated regions of interest.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the image data on analytics systems executing on a portable computing device to determine the designated regions of interest.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the analytics system tracks a light spot projected into fields of view of the surveillance cameras as it is moved to thereby define the regions of interest,

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the analytics system analyzes the image data from the surveillance cameras based on the regions of interest.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein analytics system detects predetermined optical patterns;

and generating metadata for the image data in response to detecting the predetermined optical patterns.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein analytics system tracks movement of objects or persons relative to regions of interest corresponding to point of sale terminals or product displays or thresholds of doors or area of movement along streets or hallways.

11. A surveillance camera system, comprising:

one or more surveillance cameras capturing image data; and

an analytics system analyzing the image data for designation of regions of interest.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the analytics system tracks a portable computing device as it is moved with respect to desired regions of interest to thereby define the regions of interest.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the portable computing device displays predetermined images during the defining of the regions of interest.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the analytics system is embedded in the surveillance cameras to determine the designated regions of interest.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the analytics system is an external analytics system.

20. The system of claim 11, f wherein the analytics system executes on a portable computing device to determine the designated regions of interest.

21. A method of analyzing image data from a surveillance camera, the method comprising:

installing mechanisms for generating predetermined optical patterns in response to events of interest in a scene monitored by the surveillance camera;

monitoring image data for the predetermined optical patterns; and

generating meta data for the image data in response to detecting the predetermined optical patterns.

22. A system for analyzing image data, the system comprising:

mechanisms for generating predetermined optical patterns in response to events of interest;

a surveillance camera capturing image data including the optical patterns; and

an analytics system for analyzing the image data for the predetermined optical patterns and generating meta data for the image data in response to detecting or not detecting the predetermined optical patterns.

23. A method of designating regions of interest in the fields of view of surveillance cameras, the method comprising:

capturing image data with the surveillance cameras wherein the fields of view of the cameras are overlapping; and

analyzing the image data for designation of the same regions of interest in each of the different fields for different cameras simultaneously.

24. A surveillance camera system, comprising:

surveillance cameras capturing image data and having overlapping fields of view; and

an analytics system analyzing the image data from the surveillance cameras for designation of regions of interest.