Video mapping, storage, and retrieval system and method

• US 8,887,050 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LHS Productions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LHS Productions
• Inventors: Siracusano, Louis H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRAGOESCU, CLAUDIA B
• Application Number:
  US12/931,213
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

The positions of target and a video surveillance sensor are plotted on a computer map display. An icon representing the target and its movement with time is shown on the map, as is the movement of the sensor. The mapping facility preferably is used together with a logger for applying electronic tags and displaying live feeds and stored images of the target, and a timeline device for quickly locating stored images having desired attributes.

Claims

1. A visual surveillance monitoring system for mapping the locations of a moving surveillance target on the earth'"'"'s surface, comprising

a. an input terminal for receiving a video picture sequence of said target with telemetry data indicating the location of the target of the video picture sequence,

b. a data storage unit for storing map data,

c. display equipment for displaying said video picture sequence and using map data for displaying maps of areas corresponding to said telemetry data,

d. a programmed computer for causing to be displayed by said display equipment indicia indicating locations of said moving target on said map and displaying corresponding video images in said sequence and displaying subsequent sequential indicia and corresponding video images at predetermined time intervals along the path of said target on said map during said sequence,

e. a video logger for receiving and storing video signal streams and having a device for electronic tagging of video images in said streams to locate by timecode video image features of interest according to predetermined criteria,

f. a timeline display device for receiving video images with electronic tags and displaying for said images a first timeline image representing the total duration of a program and having visible indicia dividing said first timeline into a plurality of segments of a selectable pre-determined duration, each comprising multiple standard time divisions, and at least one further timeline representative of a feature of selected ones of said video images and located by said tags, said further timeline being aligned with said first timeline to display only those tagged images occurring within a selected one of said segments, and

g. a cursor device for alignment with said first timeline to select one of said segments and selectively displaying video images from said further timeline in said selected segment at the location of said cursor.

2. The system of claim 1 in which said telemetry data also indicates the position of a camera which took the video pictures in said sequence, and said programmed computer also selectively displays further indicia indicating the location of said camera at said predetermined time intervals.

3. The system of claim 1 in which each of said indicia is located at a predetermined position on said display, and said map display is shifted as necessary to bring each new indicium to said predetermined position when it appears on said map display.

4. The system of claim 1 including a device for preparing and storing data storage folders, one for each of a plurality of areas on said map, and for storing in each of said folders data representing information gathered concerning said area, and for selectively retrieving said data from each of said folders.

5. The system of claim 1 in which said images from said further timeline are expanded beyond the limits of one of said segments.

6. A video storage and retrieval system comprising

a. storage equipment for receiving, electronically tagging and storing video streams,

b. input terminals for receiving both a live video feed showing a selected target, and from said storage equipment, stored video images of said target taken earlier in time,

c. a video display for displaying both said live video and said stored video images in close proximity to one another simultaneously,

d. a selector for selecting the stored video images to be displayed on said display, said selector comprisinga timeline display device for receiving video images with electronic tags and displaying for said images a first timeline image representing the total duration of a program and having visible indicia dividing said first timeline into a plurality of segments, each of a selectable pre-determined duration comprising multiple smaller timeline indicia, and at least one further timeline representative of a feature of selected ones of said video images and located by said tags, said further timeline being aligned with said first timeline to display only those tagged images occurring within a selected one of said segments, and

a cursor device for alignment with said first timeline to select one of said segments and selectively displaying video images from said further timeline in said selected segment at the location of said cursor, and

e. a mapping device for displaying a plurality of map areas on a display and for plotting the movement of a target and a target sensor on each of said map areas.

7. The system of claim 6 including a device for preparing and storing data storage folders, one for each of said plurality of map areas, and for storing in each of said folders data representing information gathered concerning said area, and for selectively retrieving said data from each of said folders.

8. The system of claim 6 including multiple terminals connected to receive through the worldwide web said video display data to allow tagging, timeline usage and mapping usage of said logger, timeline and mapping devices.

9. A method of monitoring visual surveillance of a moving target, comprising

a. using a video sensor to provide video images of said target over time,

b. transmitting said images to a receiving station together with telemetry data concerning said target,

c. displaying on a display a representation of a map for an area around the location of said target,

d. displaying on said map an icon representing the current location of said target while displaying corresponding video images of said target,

e. repeating the display of said icon and corresponding video images at spaced time intervals and continuing the display of said icons over time to illustrate a path of movement of said target, and

f. creating multiple timelines, each for a different attribute of said video signals, and creating electronic tags for said video signals, using a selection timeline representing a video program with indicia marking time segments of said program, each segment being of a selectable variable length and including a plurality of smaller timeline units, and retrieving said information using said timelines and said tags and a cursor positioned to traverse each of said selection timelines and multiple timelines in a selected one of said time segments to enable retrieval and display of video signals recorded during said time segment and having any of said attributes.

10. The method of claim 9 including the step of displaying on said map a series of indicia each representing the position of said sensor at a given time, and continuing the display of said indicia to display on said map the path of movement of said sensor.

11. The method of claim 10 in which said sensor is mounted on a platform selected from the group consisting of an aircraft and a surface vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9 in which images in said timelines for attributes are expanded beyond the limits of the segment within which it is located.

13. The method of claim 9 including the step of applying to said map markings selected from the group consisting of annotations and drawings.

14. The method of claim 9 including the step of creating folders, each for a specific area of said map, and placing items of information about said area into the folder and storing said folders and their contents and making them available for retrieval by operating personnel.

15. The method of claim 9 including displaying a live video picture of a target simultaneously and closely adjacent to a picture recorded previously of the same target.