Methods and apparatus for establishing exit/entry criteria for a secure location

• US 9,639,760 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Bragg, Jeffrey, Strine, Lloyd, Ottlik, Artur
• Primary Examiner(s): NAKHJAVAN, SHERVIN K
• Application Number:
  US14/427,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20150242691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/40 in video content extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19652 Systems using zones in a single scene defined for different treatment, e.g. outer zone gives pre-alarm, inner zone gives alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

In some embodiments, a method of monitoring a secure location is provided that includes (1) providing one or more sensors that monitor the secure location, each sensor generating sensor data; (2) establishing a policy region for the secure location employing world coordinates, the policy region establishing one or more alarm criterion for at least one of objects entering the policy region and objects exiting the policy region; (3) tracking an object within the secure location using the sensor data from the one or more sensors; and (4) determining if the sensor data indicates that the object has violated one or more alarm criterion of the policy region. Numerous other embodiments are provided.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a secure location comprising:

providing one or more sensors that monitor the secure location, each sensor generating sensor data;

establishing a plurality of policy regions for the secure location employing world coordinates, wherein at least two of the policy regions overlap and form an overlapping policy region, wherein each of the policy regions including the overlapping policy region respectively establishing one or more alarm criterion for at least one of objects entering the respective policy region and/or objects exiting the respective policy region;

tracking an object within the secure location using the sensor data from the one or more sensors; and

determining if the sensor data indicates that the object has violated one or more alarm criterion of the policy regions,

wherein an alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions causes;

an alarm to be triggered if the object enters the a least one policy region but not if the object exits the at least one policy region;

an alarm to be triggered if the object exits the policy region but not if the object enters the policy region;

or

an alarm to be triggered if the object enters the at least one policy region from a first side of the policy region and exits the policy region from a second side of the at least one policy region.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising triggering an alarm if the received sensor data indicates that the object has violated the one or more alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising converting sensor data from the one or more sensors to world coordinate sensor data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the policy regions is a polygon in shape.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions, cause an alarm to be triggered if the object enters the a least one policy region but not if the object exits the at least one policy region.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions, cause an alarm to be triggered if the object exits the policy region but not if the object enters the policy region.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions cause an alarm to be triggered if the object enters the at least one policy region from a first side of the policy region and exits the policy region from a second side of the at least one policy region.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions cause an alarm to be triggered if the object enters or exits the at least one policy region for a predetermined number of data points.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the data points include at least one of time, distance and direction.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the policy regions spans multiple sensors.

11. A method of monitoring a secure location comprising:

providing one or more sensors that monitor the secure location, each sensor generating sensor data;

establishing a plurality of policy regions for the secure location employing world coordinates, which policy regions respectively establish alarm criterion for objects entering and/or exiting the policy region, wherein at least two of the policy regions overlap and form an overlapping policy region, wherein the overlapping policy region creates a safe entry for one of the policy regions that establishes an alarm criterion for objects entering and/or exiting the policy region;

tracking an object within the secure location using the sensor data from the one or more sensors; and

determining if the sensor data indicates that the object has violated one or more alarm criterion of the policy regions.

12. A system for monitoring a secure location comprising:

one or more sensors that monitor the secure location, each sensor generating sensor data; and

a controller coupled to the one or more sensors, which controller includes a processor configured to;

receive sensor data from the one or more sensors;

allow a user to establish a plurality of policy regions for the secure location employing world coordinates, wherein at least two of the policy regions overlap and form an overlapping policy regions, wherein each of the policy regions including the overlapping policy regions respectively establishing one or more alarm criterion for at least one of objects entering the respective policy region and/or objects exiting the respective policy region;

track an object within the secure location using the received sensor data; and

determining if the received sensor data indicates that the object has violated one or more alarm criterion of the policy regions,

wherein an alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions causes;

an alarm to be triggered if the object enters the at least one policy region but not if the object exits the at least one policy region;

an alarm to be triggered if the object exits the at least one policy region but not if the object enters the at least one policy region;

or

an alarm to be triggered if the object enters the at least one policy region from a first side of the at least one policy region and exits the at least one policy region from a second side of the at least one policy region.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more sensors provide sensor data to the controller in world coordinates.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to convert sensor data from the one or more sensors into world coordinates.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions cause an alarm to be triggered if the object enters the at least one policy region but not if the object exits the at least one policy region.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions cause an alarm to be triggered if the object exits the at least one policy region but not if the object enters the at least one policy region.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions cause an alarm to be triggered if the object enters the at least one policy region from a first side of the at least one policy region and exits the at least one policy region from a second side of the at least one policy region.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more alarm criterion of at least one of the policy regions cause an alarm to be triggered if an object enters or exits the at least one policy region for a predetermined number of data points.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of the policy regions spans multiple sensors.

20. A method of monitoring a secure location comprising:

providing one or more sensors that monitor the secure location, each sensor generating pixel data;

establishing a plurality of polygon-shaped policy regions for the secure location employing world coordinates, wherein at least two of the policy regions overlap and form an overlapping policy regions, wherein each of the policy regions including the overlapping policy regions respectively establishing one or more alarm criterion for at least one of objects entering the policy region and/or at least one of objects exiting the policy region;

converting pixel data from the one or more sensors to world coordinate sensor data;

tracking a position of an object within the secure location using the world coordinate sensor data;

determining if the world coordinate sensor data indicates that the object has violated one or more alarm criterion of the policy regions; and

triggering an alarm if the world coordinate sensor data indicates that the object has violated the one or more alarm criterion of the policy regions.

21. A system for monitoring a secure location comprising:

one or more sensors that monitor the secure location, each sensor generating world coordinate sensor data; and

a controller coupled to the one or more sensors, which controller includes a processor configured to;

allow a user to establish a plurality of polygon-shaped policy regions for the secure location employing world coordinates, which policy regions respectively establish alarm criterion for objects entering and/or exiting the policy region, wherein at least two of the policy regions overlap and form an overlapping policy region, wherein the overlapping policy region creates a safe entry for one of the policy regions that establishes an alarm criterion for objects entering and/or exiting the policy region;

track a position of an object within the secure location using the world coordinate sensor data;

determine if the world coordinate sensor data indicates that the object has violated one or more alarm criterion of the policy regions; and

trigger an alarm if the world coordinate sensor data indicates that the object has violated the one or more alarm criterion of the policy regions.