Automated person identification and location for search applications

• US 8,660,299 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2007
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Cochran, Edward L., Whillock, Rand P., Anderson, Bruce W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rush, Eric
• Application Number:
  US11/903,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20090080696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,348 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/118, 382/181
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification

Abstract

A “be on the look out” or BOLO device is an unsupervised device that can be deployed at a particular location to watch for a specific target or person. A camera produces scene images that the BOLO device analyzes to determine if they contain a pattern matching a target descriptor. If a matching pattern is found, then the BOLO device emits an alarm signal. The alarm signal can contain the BOLO device'"'"'s location or identification. A location database can produce the device'"'"'s location when given the device'"'"'s identification. A target transmitter can supply new target descriptors to deployed BOLO devices.

Claims

1. An unsupervised monitoring device comprising:

a plurality of unsupervised BOLO devices comprising, at least one dedicated BOLO device, at least one cell phone, and at least one wireless internet transceiver, wherein each of said plurality of BOLO devices further comprises;

a housing, a computer, a means for communications, and a camera that produces a multitude of scene images, wherein the housing contains the computer, the means for communications, and the camera;

a target storage module storing a target descriptor;

a pattern matching target recognition module running on the computer, wherein said pattern matching target recognition module is configured to perform at least one of Eigen analysis, orthogonal decompositions, and nonorthogonal decompositions;

a control module associated with said computer that triggers said camera at a slow interval of one frame per five seconds providing a low power mode; and

an alarm module that causes the communications means to transmit an alarm signal upon receiving a recognition signal;

a target transmitter comprising a telephonic device, that passes said plurality of BOLO devices said target descriptor; and

a monitor receiver configured to receive and process said alarm signal;

wherein the pattern matching target recognition module obtains the scene images, obtains the target descriptor and produces the recognition signal upon discovering that any one of the scene images contains a pattern matching the target descriptor.

2. The plurality of unsupervised BOLO devices of claim 1 further comprising a GPS module associated with each of said plurality of unsupervised BOLO devices that each of the unsupervised BOLO devices uses to discover its own position, wherein the GPS module supplies coordinates of the associated BOLO device, wherein the GPS module is inside the housing, and wherein the alarm signal comprises the coordinates of the associated BOLO device.

3. The plurality of unsupervised BOLO devices of claim 1 wherein the target descriptor is received by the communications means from the target transmitter and stored in the target storage module.

4. The plurality of unsupervised BOLO devices of claim 1 wherein each of said unsupervised BOLO devices has an associated device identifier comprising a MAC ID wherein the alarm signal comprises the device identifier.

5. The plurality of unsupervised BOLO devices of claim 1 wherein the target descriptor is a picture of a face or a mathematical description of a face.

6. The plurality of unsupervised BOLO devices of claim 1 wherein the alarm module causes said communications means to transmit said alarm signal by at least one of:

dialing a phone number and sending a data message;

sending a text message, and

using a data messaging service.

7. The plurality of unsupervised BOLO devices of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of unsupervised BOLO devices further comprises a non-optical sound sensor for detecting when a target is present thereby triggering the camera to collect imagery.

8. A system comprising:

a monitor receiver, a target transmitter, a location database, and a multitude of BOLO devices comprising, at least one dedicated BOLO device, at least one cell phone, and at least one wireless internet transceiver;

wherein each BOLO device comprises a housing, a means for communications, a camera that produces a multitude of scene images, a target storage module storing a target descriptor, a pattern matching target recognition module, wherein said pattern matching target recognition module is configured to perform at least one of Eigen analysis, orthogonal decompositions, and nonorthogonal decompositions, and an alarm module wherein the housing contains the means for communications, the camera, the target storage module, the target recognition module, and the alarm module;

wherein the target transmitter passes said multitude of BOLO devices said target descriptor such that the BOLO devices receive the target descriptor and store the target descriptor in their target storage modules;

wherein for each BOLO device the pattern matching target recognition module obtains the scene images, obtains the target descriptor and produces a recognition signal upon discovering that any one of the scene images contains a pattern matching the target descriptor;

wherein each BOLO device includes a control module that triggers said camera at a slow interval of one frame per five seconds providing a low power mode;

wherein each BOLO device transmits an alarm signal when the communications means receives the recognition signal; and

wherein the monitor receiver receives and processes the alarm signal and thereafter provides a user an alert that the target has been found.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein each BOLO device further comprises a device identifier comprising a MAC ID and wherein each alarm signal comprises the device identifier of the transmitting BOLO device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the location database associates each device identifier with one of a multitude of device locations.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising a radio location device comprising an array of antennas that receives the alarm signal, triangulates a position from a radio signal, and indicates a direction based on said position to the BOLO device transmitting the alarm signal regardless of the presence of an accurate GPS related coordinate in the alarm signal.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein each BOLO device further comprises a GPS module that the BOLO device uses to discover its own position and for supplying coordinates of the associated BOLO device, wherein the GPS module is inside the housing, and wherein each alarm signal comprises the coordinates of the associated BOLO device.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said target transmitter further comprises a telephonic device.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the target descriptor is a picture of a face or a mathematical description of a face.

15. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a location database wherein each BOLO device further comprises a device identifier comprising a MAC ID, wherein each alarm signal comprises the device identifier of the transmitting BOLO device, and wherein each device identifier is associated with one of a multitude of device locations;

wherein the target transmitter that transmits the target descriptor to the BOLO devices such that the BOLO devices receive the target descriptor and store the target descriptor in their target storage modules comprises a telephonic device; and

wherein the target descriptor is a picture of a face or a mathematical description of a face.

16. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a radio location device that receives the alarm signal and indicates a direction to the BOLO device transmitting the alarm signal regardless of the presence of an accurate coordinate in the alarm signal;

wherein the target transmitter that transmits the target descriptor to the BOLO devices such that the BOLO devices receive the target descriptor and store the target descriptor in their target storage modules comprises a telephonic device; and

wherein the target descriptor is a picture of a face or a mathematical description of a face.

17. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a wherein the target transmitter that transmits the target descriptor to the BOLO devices such that the BOLO devices receive the target descriptor and store the target descriptor in their target storage modules comprises a telephonic device;

wherein the target descriptor is a picture of a face of a mathematical description of a face; and

wherein each BOLO device further comprises a GPS module that the at least one BOLO device uses to discover its own position and for supplying coordinates, wherein each alarm signal comprises the coordinates, and wherein the communication means transmits said alarm signal by at least one of;

dialing a phone number and sending a data message;

sending a text message, and

using a data messaging service.