Video monitoring system for a path

• US 9,214,074 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Fuhr, Jaclyn, DePape, Neal, Schneider, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US12/201,903
• Time in Patent Office: 2,664 Days
• Field of Search: 348/159
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A number of monitoring devices are directed at a path. A controller is electrically coupled to the number of monitoring devices. The controller may be configured to cause video captured by each of the number of monitoring devices to be displayed and/or stored in response to determining that an image of a carrier that was previously present in an image field captured by a first monitoring device of the plurality of monitoring devices that is directed at a starting location of the path is absent from image field captured by the first monitoring device. Alternatively, the controller may be configured to determine whether the carrier travels between successive locations of the path within a certain length of time and to indicate a timing violation when the carrier fails to travel between the successive locations of the path within the certain length of time.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a path of a facility using a plurality of cameras directed at the path, the method comprising:

determining that an object is absent from an image field captured by a camera of the plurality of cameras that is directed at a starting location of the path at least in part by using a controller having at least one electronic component to analyze data from the camera of the plurality of cameras that is directed at a starting location of the path; and

displaying and/or storing video captured by each of the plurality of cameras in response to said controller determining that the object is absent from the image field captured by the camera directed at the starting location of the path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is absent from the image field captured by the camera directed at the starting location of the path comprises determining that the object has a certain size and has been absent from that image field for a certain time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that a carrier has left the starting location of the path upon determining that the object is absent from the image field captured by the camera directed at the starting location of the path.