Area monitoring using prototypical tracks

• US 8,614,744 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Lisa M., Hampapur, Arun, Senior, Andrew W., Shu, Chiao-Fe, Tian, Ying-li
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Hee-Yong
• Application Number:
  US12/176,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20100013656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion

Abstract

A solution for monitoring an area includes using a region schema for the area. The region schema can include a set of prototypical tracks, each of which includes a start location, an end location, and a trajectory. The trajectory comprises an expected path an object will travel between the start location and the end location and can include variation information that defines an amount that an object can vary from the trajectory. The region schema can be generated by obtaining training object tracking data for the area for an initialization time period and evaluating the object tracking data to identify the set of prototypical tracks. While monitoring the area, monitored object tracking data is obtained for a monitored object in the area, and abnormal behavior of the monitored object is identified when the monitored object tracking data for the monitored object does not follow at least one of the set of prototypical tracks in the region schema.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring an area, the method comprising:

generating a region schema for the area, the generating including;

obtaining training object tracking data for the area for an initialization time period;

evaluating the object tracking data to identify a set of prototypical tracks, each prototypical track including a start location, an end location, and a trajectory, the trajectory comprising an expected path an object will travel between the start location and the end location, and each prototypical track including variation information for the trajectory, the variation information defining a plurality of crossbars, comprising a plurality of lines that intersect a line formed by the trajectory at a substantially perpendicular angle, the plurality of crossbars being periodically located along the trajectory; and

storing the set of prototypical tracks in the region schema;

obtaining monitored object tracking data for a monitored object in the area after the initialization time period;

identifying abnormal behavior of the monitored object when the monitored object tracking data for the monitored object does not follow at least one of the set of prototypical tracks in the region schema; and

determining whether the object tracking data for the monitored object varies too far from each prototypical track using the variation information, wherein the monitored object trajectory must pass through each of the set of crossbars to follow the prototypical track.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the variation information defines a set of typical modes of variation from the trajectory, and wherein the monitored object must vary from the trajectory in one of the set of typical modes of variation to follow the prototypical track.

3. The method of claim 1, the obtaining training object tracking data including generating a training object track for each of a plurality of moving objects in the area during the initialization time period.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the evaluating includes:

identifying a start point and an end point for each training object track;

clustering the start points and the end points to identify a set of terminal regions in the area;

assigning each training object track to one of a plurality of classes based on the start point and the end point for the training object track and the set of terminal regions; and

clustering the set of training object tracks for at least one of the plurality of classes to generate a prototypical track for the at least one of the plurality of classes.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alert for presentation to a user in response to the abnormal behavior.

6. A system for monitoring an area, the system comprising:

a component configured to obtain a region schema for the area, the region schema including a set of prototypical tracks, each prototypical track including a start location, an end location, and a trajectory, the trajectory comprising an expected path an object will travel between the start location and the end location, and each prototypical track including variation information for the trajectory, the variation information defining a plurality of crossbars, comprising a plurality of lines that intersect a line formed by the trajectory at a substantially perpendicular angle, the plurality of crossbars being periodically located along the trajectory;

a component configured to obtain monitored object tracking data for a monitored object in the area;

a component configured to identify abnormal behavior of the monitored object when the monitored object tracking data for the monitored object does not follow at least one of the set of prototypical tracks in the region schema; and

the component configured to identify further being configured to determine whether the object tracking data for the monitored object varies too far from each prototypical track using the variation information, wherein the monitored object trajectory must pass through each of the set of crossbars to follow the prototypical track.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the component configured to obtain the region schema is configured to generate the region schema by obtaining training object tracking data for the area for an initialization time period, evaluating the object tracking data to identify the set of prototypical tracks, and storing the set of prototypical tracks in the region schema.

8. The system of claim 7, the obtaining training object tracking data including generating a training object track for each of a plurality of moving objects in the area during the initialization time period.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the evaluating includes:

identifying a start point and an end point for each training object track;

clustering the start points and the end points to identify a set of terminal regions in the area;

assigning each training object track to one of a plurality of classes based on the start point and the end point for the training object track and the set of terminal regions; and

clustering the set of training object tracks for at least one of the plurality of classes to generate a prototypical track for the at least one of the plurality of classes.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising a component configured to generate an alert for presentation to a user in response to the abnormal behavior.

11. A computer program comprising program code embodied in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method, the method comprising:

generating a region schema for an area, the generating including;

obtaining training object tracking data for the area for an initialization time period;

evaluating the object tracking data to identify a set of prototypical tracks, each prototypical track including a start location, an end location, and a trajectory, the trajectory comprising an expected path an object will travel between the start location and the end location, and each prototypical track including variation information for the trajectory, the variation information defining a plurality of crossbars, comprising a plurality of lines that intersect a line formed by the trajectory at a substantially perpendicular angle, the plurality of crossbars being periodically located along the trajectory; and

storing the set of prototypical tracks in the region schema; and

storing the region schema on a computer-readable medium.

12. The computer program of claim 11, the method further comprising:

obtaining monitored object tracking data for a monitored object in the area after the initialization time period;

identifying abnormal behavior of the monitored object when the monitored object tracking data for the monitored object does not follow at least one of the set of prototypical tracks in the region schema; and

determining whether the object tracking data for the monitored object varies too far from each prototypical track using the variation information, wherein the monitored object trajectory must pass through each of the set of crossbars to follow the prototypical track.

13. The computer program of claim 12, the method further comprising generating an alert for presentation to a user in response to the abnormal behavior.

14. The computer program of claim 11, the obtaining training object tracking data including generating a training object track for each of a plurality of moving objects in the area during the initialization time period.

15. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the evaluating includes:

identifying a start point and an end point for each training object track;

clustering the start points and the end points to identify a set of terminal regions in the area;

assigning each training object track to one of a plurality of classes based on the start point and the end point for the training object track and the set of terminal regions; and

clustering the set of training object tracks for at least one of the plurality of classes to generate a prototypical track for the at least one of the plurality of classes.

16. A method of generating a system for monitoring an area, the method comprising providing a computer system operable to:

generate a region schema for the area, the generating including;

obtaining training object tracking data for the area for an initialization time period;

evaluating the object tracking data to identify a set of prototypical tracks, each prototypical track including a start location, an end location, and a trajectory, the trajectory comprising an expected path an object will travel between the start location and the end location, and each prototypical track including variation information for the trajectory, the variation information defining a plurality of crossbars, comprising a plurality of lines that intersect a line formed by the trajectory at a substantially perpendicular angle, the plurality of crossbars being periodically located along the trajectory; and

storing the set of prototypical tracks in the region schema;

obtain monitored object tracking data for a monitored object in the area after the initialization time period;

identify abnormal behavior of the monitored object when the monitored object tracking data for the monitored object does not follow at least one of the set of prototypical tracks in the region schema; and

determining whether the object tracking data for the monitored object varies too far from each prototypical track using the variation information, wherein the monitored object trajectory must pass through each of the set of crossbars to follow the prototypical track.