Generating Cohorts Based on Attributes of Objects Identified Using Video Input

• US 20100150458A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patnaik, Yasodhar, Kraemer, James R., Angell, Robert Lee, Friedlander, Robert R., Borger, Sergio
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for generating video based cohorts. Digital video data is processed to identify a set of size and shape based attributes associated with the set of objects. The digital video data comprises metadata describing the set of objects. A size and shape attribute comprises an attribute describing a shape associated with a portion of an object or a size measurement of the portion of the object. The set of size and shape based attributes are analyzed using cohort criteria to form a result. The cohort criteria specify attributes that are associated with members of a given cohort. A set of cohorts is generated based on the result. Each cohort in the set of cohorts comprises a subset of objects from the set of objects that share at least one size and shape based attribute in common.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating cohorts using size and shape attributes of objects, the computer implemented method comprising:

processing digital video data, by a video analysis engine, to identify a set of size and shape based attributes associated with a set of objects, wherein the digital video data comprises metadata describing the set of objects, and wherein a size and shape attribute comprises an attribute describing a shape associated with a portion of an object or a size measurement of the portion of the object;

analyzing the set of size and shape based attributes using cohort criteria to form a result, wherein the cohort criteria specify attributes that are associated with members of a given cohort; and

generating a set of cohorts based on the result, wherein each cohort in the set of cohorts comprises a subset of objects from the set of objects that share at least one size and shape based attribute in common.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises an identification of a length of the portion of the object in the set of objects.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises a height of the portion of the object in the set of objects.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises a length of the portion of the object in the set of objects.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises an identification of an estimated weight of the object in the set of objects.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises an identification of an estimated volume of the portion the object in the set of objects.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises size and shape based identification markings associated with the portion of the object in the set of objects and further comprising:

parsing the size and shape based identification markings to identify the object; and

checking a lookup table to determine a weight or volume of the object based on the identification of the object.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7 wherein the identification markings comprises at least one of a license plate number, a label on the object, a serial number, a bar code, a lot number, a model number, and a product name.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the set of cohorts by an inference engine; and

processing the set of cohorts by the inference engine, wherein the inference engine uses the set of video based cohorts to generate a set of inferences.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the set of video based attributes using the cohort criteria to form the result further comprises:

analyzing the size and shape based attributes using a set of size and shape patterns, by a cohort generation engine, to form the result.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the set of video based attributes using the cohort criteria to form the result further comprises:

analyzing the video based attributes using cohort constraints to form the result, wherein cohort constraints specify attributes that are absent from members of a given cohort in the set of video cohorts.

12. A computer program product for generating video cohort data, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to process digital video data, by a video analysis engine, to identify a set of size and shape based attributes associated with the set of objects, wherein the digital video data comprises metadata describing the set of objects, and wherein a size and shape attribute comprises an attribute describing a shape associated with a portion of an object or a size measurement of the portion of the object;

computer usable program code configured to analyze the set of size and shape based attributes using cohort criteria to form a result, wherein the cohort criteria specify attributes that are associated with members of a given cohort; and

computer usable program code configured to generate a set of cohorts based on the result, wherein each cohort in the set of cohorts comprises a subset of objects from the set of objects that share at least one size and shape based attribute in common.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises an identification of a height of the portion of the object in the set of objects.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises an identification of a length of the portion of the object in the set of objects.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises an identification of a width of the portion of the object in the set of objects.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the size and shape attributes comprises an identification of a weight of the object in the set of objects.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to receive the set of cohorts by an inference engine; and

computer usable program code configured to process the set of cohorts by the inference engine, wherein the inference engine uses the set of to generate a set of inferences.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system coupled to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to process digital video data, by a video analysis engine, to identify a set of size and shape based attributes associated with the set of objects, wherein the digital video data comprises metadata describing the set of objects, and wherein a size and shape attribute comprises an attribute describing a shape associated with a portion of an object or a size measurement of the portion of the object;

analyze the set of size and shape based attributes using cohort criteria to form a result, wherein the cohort criteria specify attributes that are associated with members of a given cohort; and

generate a set of cohorts based on the result, wherein each cohort in the set of cohorts comprises a subset of objects from the set of objects that share at least one size and shape based attribute in common.

19. The apparatus of 18 wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to receive the set of cohorts by an inference engine and process the set of cohorts by the inference engine, wherein the inference engine uses the set of cohorts to generate a set of inferences.

20. A video cohort generation system comprising:

a set of cameras, wherein the set of cameras captures a set of images of a plurality of objects;

a digital video analysis engine, wherein the digital video analysis engine processes digital video data, by a video analysis engine, to identify a set of size and shape based attributes associated with the set of objects, wherein the digital video data comprises metadata describing the set of objects, and wherein a size and shape attribute comprises an attribute describing a shape associated with a portion of an object or a size measurement of the portion of the object; and

a cohort generation engine, wherein the cohort generation engine analyzes the set of size and shape based attributes using cohort criteria to form a result, wherein the cohort criteria specify attributes that are associated with members of a given cohort; and

generates a set of cohorts based on the result, wherein each cohort in the set of cohorts comprises a subset of objects from the set of objects that share at least one size and shape based attribute in common.