IMAGE ANALYSIS METHOD AND APPARATUS IN A NETWORK THAT IS STRUCTURED WITH MULTIPLE LAYERS AND DIFFERENTIALLY WEIGHTED NEURONS

• US 20060245622A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daniel E. Tedesco, Dean P. Alderucci, Geoffrey M. Gelman, James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, Stephen C. Tulley, Vincent M O'Neil
• Original Assignee: Daniel E. Tedesco, Dean P. Alderucci, Geoffrey M. Gelman, James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, Stephen C. Tulley, Vincent M O'Neil
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Tulley, Stephen C., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Alderucci, Dean P., Walker, Jay S., O'Neil, Vincent M.
• Application Number:
  US11/426,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20060245622A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for facilitating the usage of an online workforce to remotely monitor security-sensitive sites and report potential security breaches. In some embodiments, cameras are configured to monitor critical civilian infrastructure, such as water supplies and nuclear reactors. The cameras are operatively connected to a central computer or series of computers, and images captured by the cameras are transmitted to the central computer. After initially registering with the central computer, Guardians “log on” to a central website hosted by the central computer and monitor the images, thereby earning compensation. In one embodiment, images of “no-man” zones—areas where no humans or vehicles should be present or monitored—are sent to Guardians for a simple determination of whether or not a human exists in the picture. Site owners compensate the operator of the computer system for this monitoring service, and the operator in turn compensates Guardians based on, for example, (i) the amount of time spent monitoring, and/or (ii) the degree of a given Guardian'"'"'s responsiveness to real or fabricated security breaches. Among other things, systems and methods are disclosed herein for facilitating (a) the registration of monitored sites, (b) the registration of Guardians, and (c) the management of monitoring sessions, including the routing of real and fabricated images to Guardians, the rating of Guardians, and the compensation of Guardians. Many additional and alternative embodiments are contemplated, including the following example of one embodiment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an image from an image capture device,

in which the image capture device generates an image of an area in which human activity is desired to be substantially nonexistent;

determining information related to the area;

receiving a request for a first user to monitor;

receiving a user identifier;

verifying that the user identifier corresponds to the first user;

providing the first user with the image;

receiving a response to the image by the first user, in which the response comprises an indication that a human is present in the image;

providing additional users with the image;

receiving responses to the image by the additional users;

evaluating the received responses;

determining, based on the information related to the area, an entity to notify; and

notifying the entity.

2-23. -23. (canceled)