Computer system and method for classifying temporal patterns of change in images of an area
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, at a computing system configured to perform image-data analysis, a set of successive images for a given area from an image data source via a communication network, wherein the set of successive images comprises a first image captured at a first time, a second image captured at a second time, and third image captured at a third time, wherein the given area comprises a plurality of sectors, and wherein each image in the set of successive images is defined by a respective set of image data;
for each respective sector of the plurality of sectors of the given area;
performing, by the computing system, a first image-data analysis of the first and second images that involves (i) comparing a respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector with a respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector and (ii) based on the comparing, determining a first likelihood of change between the respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector and the respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector;
performing, by the computing system, a second image-data analysis of the first and third images that involves (i) comparing the respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector with a respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector and (ii) based on the comparing, determining a second likelihood of change between the respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector and the respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector;
performing, by the computing system, a third image-data analysis of the second and third images that involves (i) comparing the respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector with the respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector and (ii) based on the comparing, determining a third likelihood of change between the respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector and the respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector; and
evaluating the first, second, and third likelihood of change for the respective sector to classify the respective sector as exhibiting a given one of two or more different types of changes, wherein the evaluating comprises;
comparing the first likelihood of change to a first threshold, the second likelihood of change to a second threshold, and the third likelihood of change to a third threshold; and
classifying the respective sector as exhibiting a persistent type of change if the first likelihood of change exceeds the first threshold, the second likelihood of change exceeds the second threshold, and the third likelihood of change does not exceed the third threshold; and
outputting, to a client station via the communication network, data indicating that at least one sector of the given area has been classified as exhibiting a persistent type of change.
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Abstract
A set of successive images for a given area may comprise a first, second, and third images representing different times. Comparisons may be performed between the first image and the second image, the first image and the third image, and the second image and the third image. The respective outputs of the three pairwise comparisons may be evaluated to identify any sub-areas of the given area where one or more temporal patterns of change have occurred. For instance, any sub-area of the given area that exhibits a change between the first and second images, a change between the second and third images, and an absence of change between the second and third images may be identified as a persistent change. An indication that the temporal pattern of change has occurred at each identified sub-area of the given area may then be output to a client station.
152 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a computing system configured to perform image-data analysis, a set of successive images for a given area from an image data source via a communication network, wherein the set of successive images comprises a first image captured at a first time, a second image captured at a second time, and third image captured at a third time, wherein the given area comprises a plurality of sectors, and wherein each image in the set of successive images is defined by a respective set of image data; for each respective sector of the plurality of sectors of the given area; performing, by the computing system, a first image-data analysis of the first and second images that involves (i) comparing a respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector with a respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector and (ii) based on the comparing, determining a first likelihood of change between the respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector and the respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector; performing, by the computing system, a second image-data analysis of the first and third images that involves (i) comparing the respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector with a respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector and (ii) based on the comparing, determining a second likelihood of change between the respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector and the respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector; performing, by the computing system, a third image-data analysis of the second and third images that involves (i) comparing the respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector with the respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector and (ii) based on the comparing, determining a third likelihood of change between the respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector and the respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector; and evaluating the first, second, and third likelihood of change for the respective sector to classify the respective sector as exhibiting a given one of two or more different types of changes, wherein the evaluating comprises; comparing the first likelihood of change to a first threshold, the second likelihood of change to a second threshold, and the third likelihood of change to a third threshold; and classifying the respective sector as exhibiting a persistent type of change if the first likelihood of change exceeds the first threshold, the second likelihood of change exceeds the second threshold, and the third likelihood of change does not exceed the third threshold; and outputting, to a client station via the communication network, data indicating that at least one sector of the given area has been classified as exhibiting a persistent type of change. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a computing system configured to perform image-data analysis, a set of successive images for a given area from an image data source via a communication network, wherein the set of successive images comprises a first image captured at a first time, a second image captured at a second time, and third image captured at a third time, wherein each image in the set of successive images is defined by a respective set of image data; performing, by the computing system, a first image-data analysis of the first image captured at the first time and the second image captured at the second time that involves (i) comparing the respective set of data defining the first image to the respective set of data defining the second image and (ii) based on the comparing, detecting any sub-area of the given area that exhibits a change between the first and second images; performing, by the computing system, a second image-data analysis of the first image captured at the first time and the third image captured at the third time that involves (i) comparing the respective set of data defining the first image to the respective set of data defining the third image and (ii) based on the comparing, detecting any sub-area of the given area that exhibits a change between the first and third images; performing, by the computing system, a third image-data analysis of the second image captured at the second time and the third image captured at the third time that involves (i) comparing the respective set of data defining the second image to the respective set of data defining the third image and (ii) based on the comparing, detecting any sub-area of the given area that exhibits an absence of change between the second and third images; based on the first, second, and third image-data analyses, identifying at least one sub-area of the given area that exhibits a change between the first and second images, a change between the second and third images, and an absence of change between the second and third images; classifying the at least one sub-area of the given area as a sub-area that exhibits a persistent type of change; and outputting, to a client station via the communication network, data indicating that a persistent type of change has occurred at the at least one sub-area of the given area. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computing system comprising:
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a network interface configured to communicatively couple the computing system to (a) at least one image data source and (b) at least one client station; at least one processor; a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to; receive a set of successive images for a given area from an image data source via the network interface, wherein the set of successive images comprises a first image captured at a first time, a second image captured at a second time, and third image captured at a third time, wherein the given area comprises a plurality of sectors, and wherein each image in the set of successive images is defined by a respective set of image data; for each respective sector of the given area; perform a first image-data analysis of the first and second images that involves (i) comparing a respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector with a respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector and (ii) based on the comparing, determining a first likelihood of change between the first image that corresponds to the respective sector and the second image that corresponds to the respective sector; perform a second image-data analysis of the first and third images that involves (i) comparing the respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector with a respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector and (ii) based on the comparing, determining a second likelihood of change between the respective portion of the first image that corresponds to the respective sector and the respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector; perform a third image-data analysis of the second and third images that involves (i) comparing the respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector with the respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector and (ii) based on the comparing, determining a third likelihood of change between the respective portion of the second image that corresponds to the respective sector and the respective portion of the third image that corresponds to the respective sector; evaluate the first, second, and third likelihood of change for the respective sector of the given area to classify the respective sector as exhibiting a given one of two or more different types of changes, wherein the evaluation comprises; comparing the first likelihood of change to a first threshold, the second likelihood of change to a second threshold, and the third likelihood of change to a third threshold; and classifying the respective sector as exhibiting a persistent type of change if the first likelihood of change exceeds the first threshold, the second likelihood of change exceeds the second threshold, and the third likelihood of change does not exceed the third threshold; and output, to a client station via the network interface, data indicating that at least one sector of the given area has been classified as exhibiting a persistent type of change. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computing system comprising:
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a network interface configured to communicatively couple the computing system to (a) at least one image data source and (b) at least one client station; at least one processor; a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to; receive a set of successive images for a given area from an image data source via the network interface, wherein the set of successive images comprises a first image captured at a first time, a second image captured at a second time, and third image captured at a third time, wherein each image in the set of successive images is defined by a respective set of image data; perform a first image-data analysis of the first image captured at the first time and the second image captured at the second time that involves (i) comparing the respective set of data defining the first image to the respective set of data defining the second image and (ii) based on the comparing, detecting any sub-area of the given area that exhibits a change between the first and second images; perform a second image-data analysis of the first image captured at the first time and the third image captured at the third time that involves (i) comparing the respective set of data defining the first image to the respective set of data defining the third image and (ii) based on the comparing, detecting any sub-area of the given area that exhibits a change between the first and third images; perform a third image-data analysis of the second image captured at the second time and the third image captured at the third time that involves (i) comparing the respective set of data defining the second image to the respective set of data defining the third image and (ii) based on the comparing, detecting any sub-area of the given area that exhibits an absence of change between the second and third images; based on the first, second, and third image-data analyses, identify at least one sub-area of the given area that exhibits a change between the first and second images, a change between the second and third images, and an absence of change between the second and third images; classify the at least one sub-area of the given area as a sub-area that exhibits a persistent type of change; and output, to a client station via the network interface, data indicating that a persistent type of change has occurred at the at least one sub-area of the given area.
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Specification