Automatic detection by a wearable camera

• US 9,571,723 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syracuse University
• Original Assignee: National Science Foundation (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Velipasalar, Senem, Almagambetov, Akhan, Casares, Mauricio
• Primary Examiner(s): Pasiewicz, Daniel M
• Application Number:
  US13/679,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20130128051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00029 Diagnosis, i.e. identifying a problem by comparison with a normal state
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00042 Monitoring, i.e. observation H04N1/00029 - H04N1/00039 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

There is set forth herein a system including a camera device. In one embodiment the system is operative to perform image processing for detection of an event involving a human subject. There is set forth herein in one embodiment, a camera equipped system employed for fall detection.

Claims

1. A camera device comprising:

an image sensor;

a memory;

a processor for processing images;

wherein the camera device is adapted to be wearable by a human subject in a manner that images captured using the camera device represent surroundings of the human subject;

wherein the camera device is operative to process images captured using the camera device for detection of one or more event, the one or more event being one or more action of the human subject, the one or more event being detected by performance of an image processing method that includes a comparison of a subsequently captured image to an earlier captured image;

wherein the camera device is operative to wirelessly transmit a message to an external destination responsively to the detection by the camera device of the one or more event, wherein the one or more event includes one or more of the following selected from the group consisting of a laying down of the human subject, a sitting down of the human subject, and a falling of the human subject.

2. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the message includes one or image representing surroundings of the human subject.

3. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the event is a laying down of the human subject.

4. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the event is one or more of a laying down event or a sitting down event of the human subject, and wherein the camera device utilizes the one or more of a laying down event or a sitting down event to determine whether the human subject has become ill.

5. The camera device of claim 1, wherein an image processing rate of the processor is restricted from being less than 50 percent of a frame rate of the camera device.

6. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera device is restricted from transmitting an image to an external destination unless an event is detected by the camera device.

7. A computer program product for detecting action of a human subject, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

processing, by a processor, images representing surroundings of a human subject to determine an occurrence of one or more event, the one or more event being one or more action of the human subject, wherein the processing includes comparing a subsequently captured image to a prior captured image, wherein the images representing surroundings of a human subject are obtained using camera device worn by the human subject, wherein the one or more event is selected from the group consisting of a laying down of the human subject, a sitting down of the human subject, and a falling of the human subject, and responsively to the processing outputting a human observable indicator.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the method includes wirelessly transmitting a message to an external destination responsively to a fall being detected.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the method includes wirelessly transmitting a message to an external destination responsively to the action being detected, wherein the message includes an image representing the surroundings of the human subject.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the method includes outputting, responsively to a determining of the occurrence of one or more event, an indicator observable by the human subject and transmitting to an external destination a message.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing includes processing to discriminate between first and second different events, wherein each of the first event and second event is selected from the group consisting of a laying down of the human subject, a sitting down of the human subject, and a fall of the human subject.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein an image processing rate of the processing is restricted from being slower than a frame rate of the camera device.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the method includes restricting transmitting data from the camera device until the one or more event is detected.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the method includes disposing the camera device about a belt area of the human subject.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more event includes a falling of the human subject.

17. The method claim 7, wherein the processing includes developing a histogram of edge orientations of an image.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the method includes wirelessly transmitting a message to an external destination responsively to the event being detected, wherein the message includes an image representing surroundings of the human subject.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing includes processing of images devoid of a representation of a human subject on which the camera device is positioned.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein the camera device performs the outputting a human observable indicator, the human observable indicator being observable by the human subject.

21. The method of claim 7, wherein responsively to the processing the camera device outputs an indicator observable by the human subject and transmits a message to an external destination.

22. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing includes using an adaptive number of image segments of captured images for feature detection.

23. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing includes comparing a subsequently captured image to a prior captured image.

24. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing is performed by the camera device.

11. A method comprising:

positioning a camera device on a human subject in a manner that the camera device is directed away from the human subject so that images captured using the camera device represent surroundings of the human subject, the camera device having an image sensor, a memory and a processor;

processing images captured using the camera device to detect an occurrence of one or more event, the one or more event being one or more action of the human subject, wherein the one or more event includes one or more of the following selected from the group consisting of a laying down of the human subject, a sitting down of the human subject, and a falling of the human subject; and

responsively to the processing outputting a human observable indicator.

25. A method comprising:

positioning a camera device on a human subject in a manner that the camera device is directed away from the human subject so that images captured using the camera device represent surroundings of the human subject, the camera device having an image sensor, a memory and a processor; and

processing images captured using the camera device to detect an occurrence of one or more event, the one or more event being one or more action of the human subject, wherein responsively to a determination that an activity level of the human subject has deviated from a desirable level the camera device outputs an indicator observable by the human subject prompting the human subject to change the human subject'"'"'s activity level.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein responsively to a determination that an activity level of the human subject has exceeded a desirable level the camera device outputs an indicator observable by the human subject prompting the human subject to reduce the human subject'"'"'s activity level.