MONITORING AN ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090046147A1
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Envysion Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Safehouse International Inc. (Patient Portal Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henson, Michael Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,107,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19604 involving reference image or background adaptation with time to compensate for changing conditions, e.g. reference image update on detection of light level change
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• 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: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An environment is monitored by capturing image data depicting the environment and analysing the image data to identify moving foreground objects. Upon identifying an object, the movement of said object is tracked, and graphical output data is generated providing a representation of the movement superimposed upon a representation of said environment.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring an environment, comprising the steps of

capturing image data depicting said environment;

and

analysing said image data to identify moving foreground objects;

wherein

upon identifying an object, the movement of said object is tracked; and

graphical output data is generated providing a representation of said tracked movement superimposed upon a representation of said environment.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a background model is created and events are identified by processing said captured image data with reference to said background model.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said representation of the environment is the background model.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said representation of the environment is said captured image data with portions of said image data visible and other portions masked.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein varying portions of the image data are masked according to the level of access granted to the user.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein a masked image is displayable to an observer in real time.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein an operator is provided with access means for viewing a greater proportion of the captured image data upon identification of a moving foreground object.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein said level of access is authenticated by checking an identifying means for a user.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said identifying means takes the form of a bio-metric of the user.

10. A method according to claim 7, including logging means for maintaining a log when said access means has been used.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said representation of the environment is a diagram of the environment.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein an attribute of said graphical output data adapts in response to a detected characteristic of said movement of said object.

13. A method according to claim 4, wherein said environment is a building and the mask is applied to window areas of said building.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the detection of an object being thrown from a window is identified as a potential event of interest.

15. A method according to claim 1 wherein said captured image data is stored.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the replaying of said stored captured images requires an access certificate to be obtained.

17. A method according to claim 1 wherein said graphical output data is stored.

18. Apparatus configured to carry out a method according to claim 1.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions executable by a computer or by a network of computers such that when executing said instructions said computer(s) will perform a method as defined by claim 1.