PATTERN DISCRIMINATION SYSTEM USING TELEVISION

• US 3,836,710 A
• Filed: 09/11/1972
• Issued: 09/17/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Masaaki Takahashi
• Original Assignee: Masaaki Takahashi
• Inventors: Takahashi, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US05/287,733
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 178/6.8,DIG.33,DIG.38,DIG.1,DIG.37
• US Class Current: 348/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 9/20 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 9/62 Methods or arrangements for pattern recognition using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/10 Image acquisition document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• 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 13/18 Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions

Abstract

A pattern discrimination system for automatic and rapid detection of occurrences of an abnormal condition in a pattern under surveillance comprising the means and steps of producing at least one horizontal gate pulse and vertical gate pulse of any required width and position by utilizing the television art, sampling a video signal with the horizontal and vertical gate pulses to form at least one sample surface variable in position, size or shape thereof in the field of view of a monitor, producing an integrated value of voltage of a video signal corresponding to the sample surface of the pattern under surveillance, digitally storing the integrated value of voltage of the video signal in a digital memory, and producing another integrated value of voltage of the video signal corresponding to said sample surface of the pattern under surveillance after a lapse of a predetermined time interval and comparing the second integrated value of voltage with the integrated value of voltage stored previously.

Claims

1. A pattern discrimination method for automatic and rapid detection of occurrences of an abnormal condition in a plurality of patterns under surveillance comprising the steps of producing a number of horizontal gate pulses and vertical gate pulses of any width and position as required by utilizing the television art, forming in the field of view of a monitor one or more sample surfaces variable in position, size and shape thereof by sampling by using said horizontal gate pulses and vertical gate pulses, converting optical images of the patterns under surveillance into electric signals by means of at least one television camera, producing and storing separately in a plurality of memories a plurAlity of sets of integrated values of voltages of video signal components corresponding to said one or more sample surfaces of the patterns under surveillance, and producing further plurality of sets of integrated values of voltages of video signal components corresponding to said one or more sample surfaces of the patterns under surveillance and comparing said further plurality of sets of integrated values of voltages with the plurality of sets of integrated values of voltages stored separately in the memories.

2. A pattern discriminating apparatus for automatic detection of occurrences of an abnormal condition in a pattern under surveillance, comprising:

generating means for generating horizontal and vertical gate pulses;

sampling means for sequentially sampling first and second portions of a video signal corresponding to a predetermined portion of the field of view of a television camera with said horizontal and vertical gate pulses;

integrating means for integrating the sampled video signal portions;

converting means for converting the integrated video signal portions into first and second series of corresponding digital pulses;

digital memory means for storing said first series of digital pulses therein;

comparing means for comparing said stored digital pulses with said second series of digital pulses;

indicator signal means for producing a signal when said stored series of pulses and said second series of pulses compared in said comparing means differ by a predetermined amount;

a plurality of AND gates, each having one input connected to an output of said sampling means;

a gate pulse generator connected to a second input of each of said AND gates, said gate pulse generator generating a plurality of pairs of vertical and horizontal gate pulses, one pair of gate pulses being supplied to a corresponding one of said AND gates through said second input thereof;

means applying outputs of said AND gates sequentially to said integrating means;

means applying outputs of said integrating means in a corresponding sequence to a corresponding plurality of digital memory means and comparing means; and

means applying outputs of said plurality of comparing means to said indicator signal means.