Traffic density analysis apparatus based on encoded video

• US 6,744,908 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Toshiaki, Chujoh, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jayanti K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US09/772,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20010017933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/104, 382/105, 382/107, 382/182, 382/163, 382/162, 382/166, 382/232, 382/250, 382/251, 382/312, 382/237, 382/239, 382/248, 382/246, 375/240.16, 375/240.26, 345/100, 345/501, 701/207, 348/149, 348/148, 348/113
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

A traffic density analysis apparatus includes a video decoder configured to decode encoded video data obtained by encoding a video signal corresponding to an analysis region and to output a decoded video signal, and an analyzer configured to set a specific region in a screen using the decoded video signal output from the video decoder and to analyze a traffic density in the analysis region from information related to a moving object which passes through the specific region.

Claims

1. A traffic density analysis apparatus comprising:

a video decoder configured to decode encoded video data obtained by encoding a video signal corresponding to an analysis region and to output a decoded video signal and code information including mode information and vector information, the video decoder including a video memory to store at least one previously decoded video signal;

a determination unit configured to determine a moving object in units of a macroblock on the basis of the decoded video signal, the code information and the previously decoded video signal;

a macroblock analyzer configured to analyze a macroblock determined as the moving object; and

a traffic density estimator configured to set a specific region in a screen using an analysis result of the macroblock analyzer and to estimate a traffic density in the analysis region from information related to the moving object which passes through the specific region.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit temporarily determines that the macroblock of INTRA or INTER CODED is highly probably a moving object, and determines the moving object by comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the macroblock.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that a macroblock where large motion vectors concentrate is highly probably a moving object, and determines a moving object by comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the macroblock.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the traffic density estimator estimates the traffic density from an average velocity and the number of moving objects which pass through the specific region.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprises a specific vehicle estimator configured to estimate a specific vehicle from a color of the moving object on the basis of an analysis result of the macroblock analyzer, and said traffic density estimator measures a velocity of the moving object from a velocity of the estimated specific vehicle.

6. A traffic density analysis apparatus comprising:

a video encoder configured to encode a video signal corresponding to an analysis region and to output encoded video data, a local decoded signal and code information including mode information and vector information, the video encoder including a video memory to store at least one previous local decoded video signal;

a determination unit configured to determine a moving object in units of a macroblock on the basis of the encoded video data, the code information and the previous local decoded video signal;

a macroblock analyzer configured to analyze a macroblock determined as the moving object; and

a traffic density estimator configured to set a specific region in a screen using the local decoded signal generated by the video encoder and to analyze a traffic density in the analysis region from information related to a moving object which passes through the specific region.

7. A traffic information system comprising:

at least one monitor camera unit configured to capture an image in a monitoring region to be monitored for a traffic density and to encode a video signal corresponding to the image to output encoded video data;

at least one terminal configured to request traffic information and to receive the traffic information; and

a monitor center comprising a video decoder configured to decode the encoded video data to output a decoded video signal and code information including mode information and vector information, the video decoder including a video memory to store at least one previously decoded video signal, a determination unit configured to determine a moving object in units of a macroblock on the basis of the decoded video signal, the code information and the previously decoded video signal, a macroblock analyzer configured to analyze a macroblock determined as the moving object, and

a traffic density estimator configured to set a specific region in a screen using an analysis result of the macroblock analyzer and to estimate a traffic density in the analysis region from information related to the moving object which passes through the specific region, and a transmitter configured to transmit traffic information including the traffic density and video information in response to a request of the terminal.

8. A traffic information system according to claim 7 wherein the monitor camera unit comprises a video camera configured to capture the monitoring region, a video encoder configured to compress-encode a video signal obtained by the video camera, and a transmitter configured to transmit the encoded video data.

9. A traffic information system according to claim 8, wherein the determination unit temporarily determines that the macroblock is highly probably a moving object, and determines the moving object by comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the macroblock.

10. A traffic information system according to claim 7, wherein the determination unit determines that a macroblock where large motion vectors concentrate is highly probably a moving object, and determines a moving object by comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the macroblock.

11. A traffic information system according to claim 7, wherein the traffic density estimator estimates the traffic density from an average velocity and number of moving objects which pass through the specific region.

12. A traffic information system according to claim 7, further comprises a specific vehicle estimator configured to estimate a specific vehicle from a color of the moving object on the basis of the object information, and the traffic density estimator measures a velocity of the moving object from a velocity of the estimated specific vehicle.