Apparatus And Methods For The Semi-Automatic Tracking And Examining Of An Object Or An Event In A Monitored Site

• US 20100157049A1
• Filed: 04/03/2005
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qognify Ltd. (PSBU Midco SARL)
• Original Assignee: Qognify Ltd. (PSBU Midco SARL)
• Inventors: Shabtal, Moti, Dvir, Igal
• Granted Patent: US 10,019,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• 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 13/19641 Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• 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 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the investigation of an object or an event in a video clip, by playing video clips of the object or objects associated with the events. The video frames comprised within the video clips comprise information regarding the creation time and coordinates of the objects appearing in multiple frames, thus enabling an operator to immediately play video clips tracking the object starting at the object'"'"'s creation time within the field of view, until its disappearance from the field of view. By defining neighboring regions, and keeping the creation time of each object within each video stream, an object is tracked between different fields of view.

Claims

1. A method for the investigation of an at least one object shown on an at least one first displayed video clip captured by an at least one first image capturing device in a monitored site, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting the at least one object shown on the at least one first video clip, said at least one object having a creation time or a disappearance time; and

displaying an at least one second video clip starting at a predetermined time associated with the creation time of the at least one object within the first video clip or the disappearance time of the at least one object from the first video clip.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one second video clip is captured by a second image capturing device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of identifying information related to the creation of the at least one object within the first video clip.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising a step of incorporating the information in multiple frames of the at least one first video clip, in which the at least one object exists.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the information comprises the point in time or coordinates at which the at least one object was created within the at least one first video clip.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

recognizing an at least one event, based on predetermined parameters, the event involving the at least one object; and

generating an alarm for the at least one event.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of constructing a map of said monitored site, said map comprising at least one indication of an at least one location in which an at least one image capturing device is located.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of displaying a map of said monitored site, said map comprising at least one indication of an at least one location in which an at least one image capturing device is located.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising a step of associating said at least one indication with an at least one video stream generated by the at least one image capturing device.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising a step of indicating on the map the location of an image capturing device, when a clip captured by the image capturing device is displayed.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying the at least one second video clip further comprises showing the at least one second video clip in forward or backward direction or at a predetermined speed.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

defining at least one first region within the field of view of the at least one first image capturing device; and

defining at least one second region neighboring to the at least one first region, said second region is within an at least one second field of view captured by an at least one second image capturing device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one second video clip is captured by the at least one second image capturing device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one second video clip captured by the at least one second image capturing device is displayed concurrently with displaying the first video clip.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying the at least one second video clip where the at least one first video clip was displayed, such that the at least one object under investigation is shown on the at least one second video clip.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of generating an at least one combined video clip showing in a continuous manner at least one portion of the at least one first video clip and at least one portion from the at least one second video clip shown to an operator.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising a step of storing the at least one combined video clip.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined time associated with the creation of the at least one object is a predetermined time prior to the creation of the at least one object.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one first or second video clips are displayed in real time.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one first or second video clips are displayed offline.

21. A method for tracking an at least one object shown on an at least one first video clip showing a first field of view, said clip captured by an at least one first image capturing device in a monitored site, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying the at least one first video clip, in forward or backward direction, and at a predetermined speed;

identifying an at least one first region within the first field of view;

selecting an at least one second region, said at least one second region neighboring the at least one first region; and

displaying an at least one second video clip showing the second region, thereby tracking the at least one object, said clip is displayed in forward or backward direction, and at a predetermined speed.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising a step of constructing a map of said monitored site, said map comprising at least one indication of an at least one location in which an at least one image capturing device is located.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising a step of displaying a map of said monitored site, said map comprising at least one indication of an at least one location in which an at least one image capturing device is located.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising a step of associating said at least one indication with an at least one video stream generated by the at least one image capturing device.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising a step of indicating on the map the location of an image capturing device, when a clip captured by the image capturing device is displayed.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

defining at least one region within the field of view of the at least one first image capturing device; and

defining at least one second neighboring region to the at least one first region, said second region is within an at least one second field of view captured by an at least one second image capturing device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the at least one second video clip is captured by the at least one second image capturing device.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the at least one second video clip captured by the at least one second image capturing device is displayed concurrently with displaying the first video clip.

29. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of displaying the at least one second video clip where the at least one first video clip was displayed, such that the at least one object under investigation is shown on the at least one second video clip.

30. The method of claim 21 further comprising a step of generating an at least one combined video clip showing in a continuous manner at least one portion of the at least one first video clip and at least one portion from the at least one second video clip shown to an operator during an investigation.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising a step of storing the at least one combined video clip.

32. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one first or second video clips are displayed in real time.

33. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one first or second video clips are displayed offline.

34. An apparatus for the investigation of an at least one object appearing on an at least one displayed video clip captured by an at least one image capturing device in a monitored site, the apparatus comprising:

an object creation time and coordinates storage component for incorporating information about the at least one object within multiple frames of the at least one video clip;

an investigation options component for presenting an operator with relevant options during the investigation; and

an investigation display component for displaying the at least one video clip.

35. A computer readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a general purpose computer, the set of instructions comprising:

an object creation time and coordinates storage component for incorporating information about the at least one object within multiple frames of the at least one video clip;

an investigation options component for presenting an operator with relevant options during the investigation; and

an investigation display component for displaying the at least one video clip.