IMAGING SYSTEM FOR IMMERSIVE SURVEILLANCE

• US 20180007264A1
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: CHUANG, Daniel B., CANDELL, Lawrence M., ROSS, William D., BEATTIE, Mark E., FANG, Cindy Y., REN, Bobby, BLANCHARD, Jonathan P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,630,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19626 optical details, e.g. lenses, mirrors or multiple lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19643 wherein the cameras play different roles, e.g. different resolution, different camera type, master-slave camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Security guards at big facilities, such as airports, monitor multiple screens that display images from individual surveillance cameras dispersed throughout the facility. If a guard zooms with a particular camera, he will lose image resolution, along with perspective on the surrounding area. Embodiments of the inventive Imaging System for Immersive Surveillance (ISIS) solve these problems by combining multiple cameras in one device. When properly mounted, example ISIS systems offer 360-degree, 100-megapixel views on a single screen. (Other resolutions may also be employed.) Image-stitching software merges multiple video feeds into one scene. The system also allows operators to tag and follow targets, and can monitor restricted areas and sound an alert when intruders breach them.

Claims

1. An interface for a surveillance system that monitors a scene, the interface comprising:

a display to render;

a full-scene view of a panoramic image of the scene monitored by the surveillance system; and

a zoom view of a close-up of a region of the panoramic view; and

a user input device configured to enable at least one user to set at least one zone in the panoramic image to be monitored for activity, the activity causing population of an activity database,

wherein the display is configured to show an indication of detected activity in the at least one zone set by the at least one user.

2. The interface of claim 1, further comprising:

an activity view to display the indication of the detected activity to the at least one user in a manner that indicates a time and a location of the detected activity.

3. The interface of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display images of detected activity in at least one of the full-scene view and the zoom view.

4. The interface of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to track a target throughout the scene and the display is configured to display an indication of a location of the target in at least one of the full-scene view and the zoom view.

5. The interface of claim 4, wherein the user input device is further configured to enable the at least one user to select the target.

6. The interface of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display a pre-warped image in the zoom view.

7. The interface of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to alert the at least one user upon detection of activity in the at least one zone.

8. A system comprising:

a first array of cameras, each of which has a first focal length and is disposed to image a respective portion of a wide area scene, the first array of cameras providing a first spatially continuous view of the wide area scene;

a second array of cameras operably coupled to the first array of cameras, each of which has a second focal length different from the first focal length and is disposed to image a respective portion of the wide area scene, the second array of cameras providing a second spatially continuous view of the wide area scene; and

the interface of claim 1, operably coupled to the first array of cameras and the second array of cameras, to display at least one of the first spatially continuous view or the second spatially continuous view as the full-scene view.

9. A method of monitoring a scene with a surveillance system, the method comprising:

rendering a panoramic image of the scene monitored by the surveillance system with a display of the surveillance system; and

rendering a close-up of a region of the panoramic image with the display of the surveillance system;

enabling a user to set at least one zone in the panoramic image to be monitored for activity; and

populating an activity database with an indication of detected activity in the at least one zone.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying the indication of detected activity to the user in a manner that indicates a time and a location of the detected activity.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying an image of the detected activity in at least one of the full-scene view or the zoom view.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

tracking a target throughout the scene; and

displaying an indication of a location of the target in at least one of the full-scene view or the zoom view.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

enabling the user to select the target.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein rendering the close-up comprises displaying a pre-warped image.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

alerting the user upon detection of activity in the at least one zone.