Vision-controlled system and method thereof

• US 8,064,683 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wipro Limited
• Original Assignee: Wipro Limited
• Inventors: Athar, Mohammed Shakir Majeed
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Samir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bayat; Ali
• Application Number:
  US11/535,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20080075356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/107, 382/167, 382/236, 382/190, 128/922, 396/135, 348/335, 348/61, 348/69, 375/240.01, 375/240.07, 600/102, 358/426.01
• US Class Current: 382/153
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60

Abstract

A vision-controlled system and method thereof for detecting changes in a monitoring environment are disclosed. The system includes an image-capturing device for capturing an image; an image analyzer for receiving the captured image and analyzing the same to provide a control signal; and a controller coupled to the image analyzer for receiving the control signal and processing the same.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an image-capturing device for capturing an image and converting the captured image into a binary image;

an image analyzer for receiving the binary image and analyzing the binary image by comparing the binary image with a reference binary image stored in a memory to generate a control signal, wherein comparing the binary image with the reference binary image comprises;

selecting a portion of the binary image based on a reference portion of the reference binary image, wherein the portion comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a pixel value;

determining a portion value of the selected portion, wherein the portion value being an average of the pixel value of the plurality of pixels within the portion; and

comparing the portion value with a reference portion value of the reference portion; and

a controller coupled to the image analyzer for receiving the control signal and processing the same, wherein the image-capturing device comprises a motion mechanism responsive to a feedback signal provided by the controller for controlling movement of the image-capturing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image-capturing device is a web-cam.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the image-capturing device comprises a digitizer for providing the binary image based on the captured image.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the image analyzer generates the control signal based on the outcome of the comparison.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of actuators coupled to the controller, the controller comprising a switching circuit for simultaneously controlling the plurality of actuators based on the control signal.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising an actuator coupled to the controller, wherein the controller sends the control signal to the actuator to trigger the actuator to perform a pre-determined task.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the actuator comprises a robot.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the actuator comprises a final control element.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the actuator being coupled to the controller using a wired connection.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the actuator being coupled to the controller using a wireless connection.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface having an image window for displaying the image.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the user interface further comprising controls for establishing reference portions of the image for use by the image analyzer.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein generating the control signal comprises:

providing an active signal upon finding the portion value substantially different from the reference portion value; and

providing a non-active signal upon finding the portion value substantially same as the reference portion value.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback signal is transmitted from the controller to the image-capturing device using a wired communication connection or a wireless communication connection.

4. A method for controlling movement of an image-capturing device and one or more actuators, comprising:

capturing an image by the image-capturing device and converting the captured image into a binary image;

receiving the binary image and analyzing the binary image by comparing the binary image with a reference binary image stored in a memory to generate a control signal by an image analyzer, wherein comparing the binary image with the reference binary image comprises;

selecting a portion of the binary image based on a reference portion of the reference binary image, wherein the portion comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a pixel value;

determining a portion value of the selected portion, wherein the portion value being an average of the pixel value of the plurality of pixels within the portion; and

comparing the portion value with a reference portion value of the reference portion; and

receiving the control signal and processing the control signal by a controller, wherein the image-capturing device comprises a motion mechanism responsive to a feedback signal provided by the controller for controlling the movement of the image-capturing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pixel value being a ONE or ZERO.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the control signal comprises:

providing an active signal upon finding the portion value substantially different from the reference portion value; and

providing a non-active signal upon finding the portion value substantially same as the reference portion value.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein

the control signal is generated based on the outcome of the comparison.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein the feedback signal is transmitted from the controller to the image-capturing device using a wired communication connection or a wireless communication connection.

20. The method of claim 4 further comprising activating a plurality of actuators simultaneously based on the control signal.

21. The method of claim 4 further comprising activating an actuator using the control signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein activating the actuator comprises sending the control signal to the actuator using a wired connection or a wireless connection to trigger the actuator to perform a pre-determined task.

23. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing a user interface, the user interface comprising an image window for displaying the image, and controls for establishing reference portions of the image for use by the image analyzer.