Method and system for fall detection

• US 8,508,372 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Cuddihy, Paul Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANEGA, RENEE A
• Application Number:
  US12/819,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 600/595
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras

Abstract

A method and system for detecting motion is described. A data acquisition system is positioned at a desired position by establishing a reference line based on the desired position of the data acquisition system. Further, a field of view of the data acquisition system is partitioned into an upper region and a lower region based on the reference line. Subsequently, motion information corresponding to a person in the field of view is acquired. Additionally, it is determined if the acquired motion information corresponds to the upper region and/or the lower region in the field of view. Moreover, a magnitude of motion and an area of motion of the person are computed using the acquired motion information. Subsequently, a motion event corresponding to the person in the lower region of the field of view is detected based on the determined magnitude of motion and the determined area of motion.

Claims

1. A method for detecting motion, comprising:

positioning a data acquisition system at a desired position and establishing a reference line based on the desired position of the data acquisition system;

partitioning a field of view of the data acquisition system into an upper region and a lower region based on the reference line;

acquiring motion information corresponding to a person in the field of view of the data acquisition system based on a plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter;

determining if the acquired motion information corresponds to the upper region, the lower region, or a combination thereof, in the field of view of the data acquisition system based on the plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter;

computing a duration of motion, a magnitude of motion and an area of motion of the person in the upper region, the lower region, or a combination thereof, based on the plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter; and

detecting a type of fall event corresponding to the person based on the computed duration of motion, the magnitude of motion and the computed area of motion of the person in the upper region, the lower region, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the data acquisition system at the desired position comprises positioning the data acquisition system at a desired height and a desired orientation with respect to a reference device for establishing the reference line.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the desired orientation corresponds to one of a horizontal orientation or a vertical orientation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein positioning the data acquisition system comprises:

disposing the reference device at the desired height and the desired orientation; and

positioning the data acquisition system based on the desired height and the desired orientation of the reference device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein positioning the data acquisition system further comprises generating an output based on the desired height and the desired orientation of the data acquisition system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the output comprises generating an audio output, a visual output, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the motion information corresponding to the person in the field of view of the data acquisition system comprises identifying a plurality of pixels that experience a change in a corresponding parameter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the corresponding parameter associated with each pixel in the plurality of pixels comprises an X coordinate position, a Y coordinate position, a Z coordinate position, or combinations thereof, of that pixel.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a duration of the change in the corresponding parameter experienced by each of the plurality of pixels disposed in the upper region, the lower region, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein computing the magnitude of motion, comprises determining a count of the plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein computing the area of motion comprises identifying a geometrical shape enclosing the plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the geometrical shape comprises determining a highest X coordinate position, a highest Y coordinate position, a lowest X coordinate postion, and a lowest Y coordinate postion corresponding to the plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a distance between the data acquisition system and the person based on the lowest Y coordinate postion corresponding to the plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining an approximate size of the person based on a length corresponding to the area of motion, a width corresponding to the area of motion, the determined distance between the data acquisition system and the person, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining a horizontal position or a vertical position corresponding to the person based on the length corresponding to the area of motion and the width corresponding to the area of motion.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating an output based on the determined horizontal position of the person and the determined approximate size of the person.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a motion event corresponding to the person in the lower region of the field of view of the data acquisition system comprises detecting a fall event.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting lighting conditions corresponding to the field of view of the data acquisition system; and

activating a lighting device based on the detected lighting conditions.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the field of view comprises a horizontal plane, a vertical plane, an inclined plane, or combinations thereof.

20. A fall detection system, comprising:

a data acquisition system that acquires a plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter in a field of view of the data acquisition system, wherein the plurality of pixels corresponds to a person;

a positioning subsystem that positions the data acquisition system at a desired position and establishes a reference line based on the desired position of the data acquisition system; and

a processing subsystem communicatively coupled to the data acquisition system, wherein the processing subsystem;

partitions a field of view of the data acquisition system into an upper region and a lower region based on the reference line;

acquires motion information corresponding to the person in the field of view of the data acquisition system based on a plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter;

determines if the acquired motion information corresponds to the upper region, the lower region, or a combination thereof, in the field of view of the data acquisition system;

computes a duration of motion, a magnitude of motion and an area of motion of the person in the upper region, the lower region, or a combination thereof, based on the plurality of pixels that experiences a change in a corresponding parameter using the acquired motion information; and

detects a type of a fall event corresponding to the person in the field of view of the data acquisition system based on the computed duration of motions, magnitude of motion and the computed area of motion of the person in the upper region, the lower region, or a combination thereof.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the data acquisition system comprises a camera, a motion sensor, an optical sensor, or combinations thereof.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a lighting device communicatively coupled to the data acquisition system, wherein the lighting device is activated based on ambient lighting conditions in the field of view of the data acquisition system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the motion sensor detects motion in the field of view of the data acquisition system and activates the lighting device based on the detected motion.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the positioning subsystem comprises one or more fastening devices, a reference device disposed at the desired position in the field of view of the data acquisition system, or a combination thereof.

25. The system of claim 20, further comprising timing circuitry that determines a time period corresponding to the change in the corresponding parameter experienced by the plurality of pixels disposed in the upper region, the lower region, or a combination thereof.

26. The system of claim 20, further comprising an output unit that generates an output upon detecting the fall detection event corresponding to the person in the field of view of the data acquisition system.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the output unit comprises an alarm unit, an audio transmitter, a video transmitter, a display unit, or combinations thereof.