Method and apparatus for routing persons through one or more destinations based on a least-cost criterion

• US 6,633,232 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Philomin, Vasanth, Trajkovic, Miroslav, Gutta, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/855,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20020167408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/573.1, 340/573.3, 340/573.4, 340/568.5, 340/934, 340/937, 348/139, 348/142, 348/143, 348/159, 348/169, 709/217, 709/231, 709/247, 700/56, 701/326, 701/117, 345/848
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A vision system that is capable of computing the crowd densities, shopper movement speed and direction, and queue lengths at different locations in a shopping center makes recommendations for least-cost path through a set of destinations. Well-known person-counting techniques may be employed. One type of output display is a map display with an overlay an optimal route through a shopping venue.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a user in navigating a three-dimensional space with multiple destinations, comprising:

imaging at least two scenes of said destinations to produce first and second images;

calculating, from a result of said imaging, numbers of persons in said scenes and costs including crowd density depending thereon;

generating an output responsive to said costs.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said step of generating includes calculating a least-cost path through said destinations.

3. A method as in claim 2, further comprising recognizing a queue in at least one of said scenes and calculating a predicted time waiting in said queue, said step of calculating including calculating costs responsively to said time waiting.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said step of generating includes outputting a display showing a map of a recommended route through said space.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein said outputting includes outputting an iconized representation showing said costs within said space.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said step of generating includes generating an output at a fixed terminal available to visitors of said space.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said space includes a shopping mall.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein said scenes includes scenes of checkout registers.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein said step of generating includes outputting a display showing a map with a distortion of the area defined by said map wherein said distortion is representative of said costs.

10. A shopper information system, comprising:

a controller with an input adapted to receive video data responsive to multiple scenes of shoppers at a shopping venue, each scene being of a different respective physical three-dimensional location of said shopping venue;

said controller being programmed to calculate a current density of occupancy of said physical three-dimensional locations responsively to said video data;

said controller being further programmed to calculate and output an indication of an optimum route or next destination based on said current density of occupancy;

said controller being located for access by shoppers at said shopping venue.

11. A system as in claim 10, wherein said output includes a map display with an overlay indicating least-cost route through said shopping venue.

12. A system as in claim 10, wherein said output includes a text or audio message indicating a recommended route.

13. A system as in claim 12, wherein said controller is further programmed to accept a shoppers input indicating a shoppers preference relating to density of shoppers at a location and calculate said optimum route responsively to said input indicating said shoppers preference.

14. A system as in claim 10, further comprising at least one pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) video camera said video data being derived from said PTZ video camera, said controller being programmed to operate said PTZ video camera.

15. A system as in claim 10, wherein said output is a wireless signal readable by a portable terminal.

16. A method of providing navigation guidance to visitors of a shopping venue, comprising the steps of:

receiving input at a controller providing real-time data responsive to at least one of a three-dimensional density and rate of movement of shoppers at various locations of a shopping venue;

calculating at said controller a local variation in three-dimensional density or rate of movement of shoppers at said various locations;

recognizing in at least one of said various locations a queue and predicting a delay from a series of images of said queue;

outputting at a terminal, accessible to shoppers at said shopping venue, data indicating an optimal route responsively to said delay.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein step of outputting includes generating a map of said space overlaid with a graphic representation of said three-dimensional density or rate of movement.

18. A method as in claim 16, wherein said step of outputting includes generating a wireless signal containing a result of said step of predicting.

19. A method as in claim 16, further comprising a step of controlling a pan-tilt-zoom camera to view said various locations.

20. A method as in claim 16, wherein said step of calculating includes updating a background image and subtracting said background image from a current video image.

21. A shopper information system, comprising:

a controller with an input adapted to receive video data responsive to multiple scenes of shoppers at a shopping venue, each scene being of a different respective three-dimensional physical location of said shopping venue;

said controller being programmed to a calculate a current density of occupancy of said three-dimensional physical locations responsively to said video data;

said controller being further programmed to calculate an indication of an optimum route or next destination based on said current density of occupancy;

said controller having a wireless output for outputting messages to wireless devices, said messages indicating said optimum route or next destination.