Obtaining camera device image data representing an event

• US 9,955,061 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carbonell, Lee A., Cheng, Tsz Shing, Edgington, Jeffrey Lynn, Mariadoss, Pandian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nazrul, Shahbaz
• Application Number:
  US15/227,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20180041685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/41 Higher-level, semantic clustering, classification or understanding of video scenes, e.g. detection, labelling or Markovian modelling of sport events or news items segmenting video sequences G06V20/49
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

Methods, computer program products, and systems are presented and can include for instance: determining a location of interest; and obtaining image data from one or more camera device about the location of interest.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by one or more processor, a location of interest; and

obtaining, by one or more processor, image data from one or more camera device about the location of interest, wherein the method includes registering a plurality of camera devices to a manager system, and wherein the obtaining includes messaging a location repository to determine identifiers for registered camera devices within a determined geofence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of interest is a location of a live event, wherein the obtaining includes obtaining for display crowdsourced image data from a plurality of camera devices, wherein crowdsourced image data includes image data representing the live event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining includes establishing a geofence to define the determined geofence and determining devices within the geofence, the establishing a geofence being based on one or more current input of an operator user entered into a user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of interest is a location of a live event, wherein the obtaining includes establishing a geofence to define the determined geofence and determining devices within the geofence, the establishing a geofence being based on one or more criteria that includes one or more the following selected from the group consisting of (a) a type of the live event, and (b) a number of devices in an area about the live event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining includes establishing a geofence to define the determined geofence and identifying camera devices within the geofence, wherein the establishing a geofence is based on one or more current operator input of an operator user entered into a user interface of a manager system, wherein the manager system initiates communications with camera devices within the geofence responsively to the establishing the geofence.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining includes establishing a geofence to define the determined geofence and identifying camera devices within the geofence, wherein the establishing a geofence is based on one or more current operator input of an operator entered into a user interface of a manager system, wherein the establishing is performed so that the manager system defines X, Y and Z boundaries of the geofence based on one or more input of the operator into a user interface of the manager system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining includes prioritizing views from camera devices of the one or more camera device from which to obtain image data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining includes prioritizing views from camera devices of the one or more camera device, and wherein the prioritizing views results in an occurrence of one or more of the following selected from the group consisting of:

(a) image data of a prioritized view transitioning from an undisplayed state to a displayed state, (b) image data from a higher priority view being displayed in a larger size than a lower priority view, (c) image data of a higher priority view being displayed with an indicator indicating a higher priority.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining includes prioritizing views from camera devices of the one or more camera device, wherein the location of interest is a location of a live event, and wherein the prioritizing is based on a criteria including one or more of the following selected from the group consisting of:

(a) image quality of views of the camera devices, (b) a proximity of the camera devices to the live event, (c) a history of usage of users of the camera devices during a current live event, (d) a history of usage of users of the camera devices during a past event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location of interest includes examining data of an emergency center system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location of interest includes examining data from one or more camera device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining includes simultaneously obtaining image data from a plurality of camera devices.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes receiving, by the one or more processor, a request to register a camera device into a manager system and in response to the request sending camera control program code to the camera device for installation on the camera device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes sending, by the one or more processor, one or more prompt message to a camera device of the one or more camera device for prompting of a user of the camera device to operate the camera device, the one or more prompt message being based on one or more operator input into a user interface a manager system, the user interface of the manager system being remote from the camera device, wherein the sending, by the one or more processor, the one or more prompt message is performed while live image data from the camera device is being displayed on a display of the manager system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes sending, by the one or more processor, one or more prompt message to a camera device of the one or more camera device for prompting of a user of the camera device to operate the camera device, the sending including sending the one or more prompt message from a manager system based on one or more input entered into a user interface of the manager system by an operator of the manager system, the user interface of the manager system being remote from the camera device, wherein the sending, by the one or more processor, the one or more prompt message is performed while live image data from the camera device is being displayed on a display of the manager system.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes sending, by the one or more processor, one or more prompt message to a camera device of the one or more camera device for prompting of a user of the camera device to operate the camera device, the sending including automatically sending the one or more prompt message from a manager system independent of any current input entered into a user interface of a manager system by an operator of the manager system, wherein the sending, by the one or more processor, the one or more prompt message is performed while live image data from the camera device is being displayed on a display of the manager system.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of interest is a location of a live event, and wherein the method includes sending, by the one or more processor, one or more prompt message to a camera device of the one or more camera device for prompting of a user of the camera device to operate the camera device, the sending including automatically sending the one or more prompt message from a manager system independent of any current input entered into a user interface of the manager system by an operator of the manager system, wherein the sending, by the one or more processor, the one or more prompt message is performed while live image data from the camera device is being displayed on a display of the manager system, and wherein the prompt message prompts the user of the camera device to change one or more of a location or an orientation of the camera device to optimize a representation of the live event.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of interest is a location of a location changing live event, wherein the method includes sending, by the one or more processor, one or more prompt message to a camera device of the one or more camera device for prompting of a user of the camera device to operate the camera device, wherein the sending, by the one or more processor, the one or more prompt message is performed while live image data from the camera device is being displayed on a display, and wherein the prompt message prompts the user of the camera device to change one or more of a location or orientation of the camera device to optimize a representation of the live event, wherein the method includes automatically defining the one or more prompt message based on a location of the live event and the camera device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes controlling, by the one or more processor, one or more image obtaining operation of a camera device of the one or more camera device based on one or more input entered into a user interface of a manager system by an operator of the manager system, the user interface of the manager system being remote from the camera device.

20. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium readable by one or more processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by one or more processor for performing a method comprising;

determining a location of interest; and

obtaining image data from one or more camera device about the location of interest, wherein the method includes registering a plurality of camera devices to a manager system, and wherein the obtaining includes messaging a location repository to determine identifiers for registered camera devices within a determined geofence.

21. A system comprising:

a memory;

one or more processor in communication with the memory; and

program instructions executable by the one or more processor via the memory to perform a method, the method comprising;

determining a location of interest; and

obtaining image data from one or more camera device about the location of interest, wherein the method includes receiving a request to register a camera device into a manager system and in response to the request sending camera control program code to the camera device for installation on the camera device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the camera control program code includes code to provide particular image obtaining functionality, and wherein the location of interest is a location of a live event, wherein the obtaining includes obtaining for display crowdsourced image data from a plurality of camera devices, wherein crowdsourced image data includes image data representing the live event.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the obtaining includes establishing a geofence and identifying camera devices within the geofence, wherein the establishing a geofence is based on one or more current operator input of an operator user entered into a user interface of a manager system, wherein the manager system initiates communications with camera devices within the geofence responsively to the establishing the geofence.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the method includes sending one or more prompt message to a camera device of the one or more camera device for prompting of a user of the camera device to operate the camera device, the sending including sending the one or more prompt message from a manager system based on one or more input entered into a user interface of the manager system by an operator of the manager system, the user interface of the manager system being remote from the camera device, wherein the sending, by the one or more processor, the one or more prompt message is performed while live image data from the camera device is being displayed on a display of the manager system.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the location of interest is a location of a location changing live event, wherein the method includes sending, by the one or more processor, one or more prompt message to a camera device of the one or more camera device for prompting of a user of the camera device to operate the camera device, wherein the sending, by the one or more processor, the one or more prompt message is performed while live image data from the camera device is being displayed on a display, and wherein the prompt message prompts the user of the camera device to change one or more of a location or orientation of the camera device to optimize a representation of the live event, wherein the method includes automatically defining the one or more prompt message based on a location of the live event and the camera device.