Surveillance system, method and computer program for detecting and/or tracking a surveillance object

• US 8,558,696 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2009
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Baumann, Axel, Loos, Hartmut, Warzelhan, Jan Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/062,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20110175738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/573.4, 340/584, 340/670, 340/539.13, 340/541, 340/573.1, 348/152, 348/169, 382/103
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position

Abstract

The invention relates to a monitoring system (1) for detecting and/or tracking at least one moving monitoring object (4) in a monitoring area (2), having a plurality of monitoring sensors (6) which are and/or can be spatially distributed in the monitoring area (2) and which are designed to detect the monitoring object (4) and to output detected object information, having a signature lock (8a, b, c, d) having at least one signature sensor (9) which is designed and/or arranged to detect the monitoring object (4) and to output object signature information, having an evaluation device (10) which is designed to create and/or add to an object signature (16) of the monitoring object (4) based on the object signature information and to detect and/or track the monitoring object (4) by comparing detected object information to the object signature (16) of the monitoring object (4), wherein the signature lock (8a, b, c, d) comprises at least two signature sensors (9) and is designed in such a way that the object signature information of the at least two signature sensors (9) can be associated with the monitoring object distinctly and/or unmistakably.

Claims

1. A surveillance system (1) for detecting and/or tracking at least one moving surveillance object (4) in a surveillance region (2) having a plurality of subregions (7), which subregions (7) are disposed at least partially without overlap, comprising

a plurality of surveillance sensors (6) which are and/or can be spatially distributed in surveillance region (2), wherein the surveillance sensors (6) include several general classes of sensors and are designed to detect the surveillance object (4) and output detected object information,

a signature lock (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) having at least one signature sensor (9) which is designed and/or disposed to detect the surveillance object (4) and output object signature information, and

an evaluation device (10) designed to form and/or supplement an object signature (16) of the surveillance object (4) on the basis of the object signature information and to detect and/or track the surveillance object (4) by comparing detected object information with the object signature (16) of the surveillance object (4),

wherein the signature lock (8a, b, c, d) includes at least two signature sensors (9) and is designed such that the object signal information of the at least two signature sensors (9) can be assigned or are assignable distinctly and/or unmistakably to the surveillance object (4);

wherein a totality of the signature sensors (9) covers all the several general classes of the sensors,

wherein only one surveillance sensor (6) is installed in each subregion (7), and

wherein sensor-specific measurement signals obtained from the one surveillance sensor (6) in each subregion (7) is used, according to the stored object signature (16), to reliably identify or recognize the related surveillance object (4).

2. The surveillance system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation device (10) is designed to form the object signature (16) exclusively on the basis of object information detected using the signature sensors (9).

3. The surveillance system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two signature sensors (9) are disposed and/or designed to detect the surveillance object (4) in a spatially and/or temporally overlapping manner.

4. The surveillance system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the signature locks (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) are designed to isolate the surveillance object (4), wherein the at least two signature sensors (9) are disposed in one isolating region to detect the isolated surveillance object (4).

5. The surveillance system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the signature lock (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) is located at an entrance to the surveillance region (2).

6. The surveillance system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the signature lock (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) is designed for automated activation of the detection of the surveillance object (4).

7. The surveillance system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the signature lock (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) is designed for manual activation of the detection of the surveillance object (4).

8. The surveillance system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the signature sensors (9) and/or the surveillance sensors (6) comprise one or more of the following general classes of sensors:

Surveillance cameras;

Odor sensors;

Temperature sensors;

Scale'"'"'

Acoustic sensors;

Sensors for detecting electromagnetic radiation;

Sensors for detecting biometric data.

9. The surveillance system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the surveillance sensors (6) and/or the signature sensors (9) are located in one sensor network (14, 15).

10. A method for detecting and/or tracking a moving surveillance object (4) in a surveillance region (2), the surveillance region (2) comprising a plurality of spatially distributed surveillance sensors (6) that include several general classes of sensors, a plurality of subregions (7) positioned at least partially without overlap in the surveillance region (2), wherein only one surveillance sensor (6) is installed in each subregion (7) and a plurality of signature locks (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) formed with at least two signature sensors (9) that cover all the several general classes of sensors, wherein the signature locks (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) are disposed in entrances to the surveillance region (2), and wherein the method is implemented in an evaluation device (10) that is in electrical communication with the surveillance sensors (6) and the signature sensors (9) and comprises steps of:

recording, in one of the at least two signature sensors (9) in one of the signature locks (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), sensor-specific measurement signals for registering object properties of the surveillance object (4);

forwarding the sensor-specific measurement signals as object signature information to the evaluation device (10);

combining, in the evaluation device (10), the object signature information from the one signature sensor (9) to form object signatures (16) in the form of data records;

distinctly and/or unmistakably assigning each data record in an individualized manner to each surveillance object (4); and

detecting and/or tracking the surveillance object (4) by comparing detected object information with the object signature (16) of the surveillance object (4);

wherein sensor-specific measurement signals obtained from the one surveillance sensor (6) in each subregion (7) are used, according to the stored object signature (16), to reliably identify or recognize the related surveillance object (4).

11. A computer program product comprising program code means embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium for carrying out all steps of the method as recited in claim 10 when the program code means is run on a computer and/or the evaluation a device (10).