Investigation generation in an observation and surveillance system

• US 10,347,070 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Carey
• Original Assignee: James Carey
• Inventors: Carey, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Tsung Yin
• Application Number:
  US15/729,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20180033232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft alarms G08B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for generating investigations of user behavior. In an example embodiment, the system includes a video camera configured to capture video of user activity, a video analytic module to perform real-time video processing of the captured video to generate non-video data from video, and a computer configured to receive the video and the non-video data from the video camera. The computer includes a video analytics module configured to analyze one of video and non-video data to identify occurrences of particular user behavior, and an investigation generation module configured to generate an investigation containing at least one video sequence of the particular user behavior. In some embodiments, the investigation is generated in near real time. The particular user behavior may be defined as an action, an inaction, a movement, a plurality of event occurrences, a temporal event and/or an externally-generated event.

Claims

1. A video analytics module comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

store, in the memory, user behavior type data indicating a plurality of types of user behaviors and rule data indicating a plurality of rules associated with the plurality of types of user behaviors;

receive video camera data from a video camera;

determine a user behavior, based on the received video camera data, occurring at a user behavior occurrence time;

match the determined user behavior to at least one of the plurality of types of user behaviors indicated by the stored user behavior type data;

obtain, from a POS system, POS data for POS transactions occurring within a predetermined time window relative to the user behavior occurrence time; and

generate an investigation based on at least one of the video camera data or the POS data.

2. The video analytics module according to claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive externally-generated data from the POS system, the externally-generated data includes information associated with the POS transaction.

3. The video analytics module according to claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a plurality of investigations.

4. The video analytics module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of user behaviors includes at least one of an action, an inaction, a movement, a plurality of event occurrences, a temporal event, or an externally-generated event.

5. The video analytics module according to claim 1, wherein the investigation is generated in near real time.

6. The video analytics module according to claim 1, wherein the investigation contains a video sequence including the determined user behavior.

7. The video analytics module according to claim 1, wherein the investigation is transmitted to an external computer for analysis by a user.

8. The video analytics module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of user behaviors includes an individual placing his or her hands in their pocket.

9. The video analytics module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of user behaviors includes an individual positioning his or her head toward a video camera for a predetermined time.

10. The video analytics module according to claim 1, wherein the video camera data includes video data and non-video data.

11. A method of generating a user behavior investigation, the method comprising:

storing user behavior type data indicating a plurality of types of user behaviors and rule data indicating a plurality of rules associated with the plurality of types of user behaviors;

receiving video camera data from a video camera;

determining a user behavior, based on the received video camera data, occurring at a user behavior occurrence time;

matching the determined user behavior to at least one of the plurality of types of user behaviors indicated by the stored user behavior type data;

receiving, from a POS system, POS data for POS transactions occurring within a predetermined time window relative to the user behavior occurrence time; and

generating an investigation based on at least one of the video camera data or the POS data.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving externally-generated data from the POS system, the externally-generated data includes information associated with the POS transaction.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising generating a plurality of investigations.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of types of user behaviors includes at least one of an action, an inaction, a movement, a plurality of event occurrences, a temporal event, or an externally-generated event.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the investigation is generated in near real time.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the investigation contains a video sequence including the determined user behavior.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the investigation is transmitted to an external computer for analysis by a user.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of types of user behaviors includes an individual placing his or her hands in their pocket.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of types of user behaviors includes an individual positioning his or her head toward a video camera for a predetermined time.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the video camera data includes video data and non-video data.