Secure method and system of video detection for automatically controlling a mechanical system such as a moving staircase or a travelator

• US 6,606,538 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2002
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Constructions Industrielles De La Mã©Diterranã©E
• Original Assignee: Constructions Industrielles De La Mã©Diterranã©E
• Inventors: Duterrage, Jean, Ponsot, Bernard, Ghibaudo, Gérard
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIDLEY, RICHARD W L
• Application Number:
  US10/191,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20030007665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 198/321, 198/322, 198/331, 700/230
• US Class Current: 700/230
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 25/00 Control of escalators or moving walkways walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26; of general application G05

Abstract

A method for detecting persons or objects in a detection zone covering a mechanical system that is to be controlled as a function of propel or objects being detected at present in the detection zone an initialization phase consisting in checking the hardware and software elements of a monitoring processor coupled to a control device for controlling the mechanical system; a processing loop comprises for active camera connected to the processor and covering the detection zone: acquiring and processing an image supplied by the camera in order to generate detection data and determine which commands to apply to the control device; and checking both the image quality and the position of the camera relative to the detection zone; and a phase in which the control device is controlled using commands determined in the processing loop and as a function of any faults detected while carrying out the checks.

Claims

1. A method for detecting persons or objects in a detection zone in order to control a mechanical system as a function of a presence of objects or persons detected in the detection zone by means of cameras disposed so as to cover the detection zone and connected to a monitoring processor coupled to a control device for controlling the mechanical system, the detection method comprising:

an initialization phase comprising a step of checking hardware elements of the monitoring processor and data stored in the monitoring processor;

a processing loop including, for each active camera, a step of acquiring an image supplied by the camera and of processing the image in order to generate detection data whenever a person or an object is detected in the detection zone and in order to determine which commands to apply to the control device of the mechanical system, a step of checking the quality of the image, a step of checking an angular position of the camera relative to the detection zone, and a step of checking hardware elements of the monitoring processor and data stored in the monitoring processor; and

a phase of checking and controlling the control device using commands determined in the processing loop and as a function of any defects detected during the checking step.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the checks performed during the processing loop are periodic, each check having an execution period adapted as a function of the critical nature and the probability of failure of the element or the data being checked.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of checking image quality consists in determining the mean luminance of analyzed zones of the image and in comparing the mean luminance with high and low thresholds, image quality being considered as satisfactory if the mean luminance lies between the high and low thresholds.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of checking the position of each camera consists in analyzing specific predefined zones in the images supplied by the camera in order to determine whether said zones present predetermined characteristics, and if these zones do not present said predetermined characteristics, then the camera is considered as being faulty because it has been moved.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of updating reference images in order to adapt to variations in ambient luminosity in the detection zone.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of checking the image processing algorithm, which step consists in running the image processing algorithms on a video test pattern, and in comparing the results obtained with reference values.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein data checking relates to parameter data, reference image data, and programs executed by the monitoring processor.

8. A secure system for detecting persons or objects in a detection zone in order to control a mechanical system, the detection system comprising a set of cameras covering the detection zone and a monitoring processor coupled to the cameras and to a control device for controlling the mechanical system, wherein the processor comprises:

means responsive to each active camera in succession to acquire and process an image supplied by the camera, and to determine the commands that are to be applied to the control device;

means for checking the image quality and the position of each camera relative to the detection zone during image acquisition and processing;

means for checking the hardware elements of the processor and the data stored in the processor, during image acquisition and processing and during a stage of initializing the processor; and

means for checking and controlling the control device for controlling the mechanical system by means of commands that are generated providing no error is detected by the check means.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising means for determining the ambient luminosity of the detection zone, and for updating reference image data as a function of variation in ambient luminosity.

10. The system according to claim 8, further comprising means for determining the mean luminance of analyzed zones of the image and for comparing the mean luminance with high and low thresholds, the quality of the image being considered as sufficient if the mean luminance lies between the high and low thresholds.

11. The system according to claim 8, comprising means for cyclically checking proper operation of memories of the processor.