Video recording apparatus supporting smart search and smart search method performed using video recording apparatus

• US 9,514,225 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Vision Company Limited (Hanwha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hanwha Techwin Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, SungBong, Choi, Hanki, Im, Jinsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/823,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20160162497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 386/241, 386/239, 386/318, 386/300, 386/353, 386/351
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7837 using objects detected or recognised in the video content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/785 using colour or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/46 Extracting features or characteristics from the video content, e.g. video fingerprints, representative shots or key frames
• 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: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/22 Means responsive to presence or absence of recorded information signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/30 on the same track as the main recording

Abstract

A video recording apparatus includes: an object classifier configured to classify an object which is included in an input video and related to a detected event, according to a type of the object; an object color extractor configured to extract a representative color of the object; and a search color storage configured to transform the representative color into a search color and store the search color as color information to be used for searching the object or the detected event from the input video.

Claims

1. A video recording apparatus comprising:

an object classifier configured to classify an object which is included in an input video and related to a detected event, according to a type of the object;

an object color extractor configured to extract a representative color of the object; and

a search color storage configured to transform the representative color into a search color and store the search color as color information to be used for searching the object or the detected event from the input video.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an event information storage configured to store information about at least one of an area of the input video in which the event occurs, a time point when the event occurs, sensitivity about the event, and attribute of the object detected in the area in which the event occurs,

wherein the information about the attribute comprises identification, size, and location of the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the search color storage is configured to select, as the search color, a color of which differences between red, green and blue (RGB) values and RGB values of the representative color are minimum, among a plurality of predetermined colors.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a search interface configured to receive input of searching for the object or the event based on the search color.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the search interface supports or provides for a search to be performed by additionally setting at least one among a sensitivity of the event, time information about a time point when the event occurs, and area information about an area in which the event occurs.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each image frame of the input video comprises a predetermined number of blocks and the event is detected by determining the object in a unit of block.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a metadata storage configured to store information about at least one of an attribute, the representative color and the search color of the object, per block of the predetermined number of blocks.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the attribute of the object comprises the type of the object indicating whether the object is at least one of a human and a vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the search color storage is configured to select, as the search color, a color of which differences between red, green and blue (RGB) values and RGB values of the representative color are minimum, among a plurality of predetermined colors.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the representative color is extracted based on a histogram generated based on colors of some or all pixels of the object or based on a line sampled from the object.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the representative color is extracted based on a color of a representative pixel of the object, and

wherein the representative pixel of the object comprises at least one of a corner pixel of the object, a central pixel of the object, and a pixel spaced a predetermined distance from a center of the object.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the representative color is extracted based on a histogram generated with respect to a line sampled from the object.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the search color storage is configured to select, as the search color, a color of which differences between red, green and blue (RGB) values and RGB values of the representative color are minimum, among a plurality of predetermined colors.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the search color storage is further configured to generate a data structure from the input video based on a number of blocks constituting each image frame of the input video, the type of object related to the detected event, and a number of a predetermined colors from which the search color is selected.

15. A smart search method performed by a video recording apparatus, the method comprising:

classifying, by an object classifier, an object which is included in an input video and related to a detected event, according to a type of the object;

extracting, by an object color extractor, a representative color of the object; and

transforming, by a search color storage, the representative color into a search color and storing the search color as color information to be used for searching the object or the detected event from the input video.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting, as the search color, a color of which differences between red, green and blue (RGB) values and RGB values of the representative color are minimum, among a plurality of predetermined colors.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing information about at least one of an attribute, the representative color and the search color of the object, per block of the predetermined number of blocks.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a data structure from the input video based on a number of blocks constituting each image frame of the input video, the type of object related to the detected event, and a number of a predetermined colors from which the search color is selected.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing information about at least one of an attribute, the representative color and the search color of the object, per block of the predetermined number of blocks.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating a data structure from the input video based on a number of blocks constituting each image frame of the input video, the type of object related to the detected event, and a number of a predetermined colors from which the search color is selected.