BABY MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20130250063A1
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, HOU-HSIEN, LEE, CHANG-JUNG, LO, CHIH-PING
• Application Number:
  US13/478,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250063A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An exemplary baby monitoring method includes obtaining an image captured by a camera. The image includes a distance information indicating distances between the camera and objects captured by the camera. The method then creates a 3D scene model according to the captured image and the distances between the camera and objects captured by the camera. Next, the method determines whether any baby appears in the created 3D scene model, and further determines whether the distances between the babies and electronic appliances are less than a preset value according to the distances between the camera and the babies, the distances between the camera and the electronic appliances, and a stored horizontal field of view of the camera. The method then outputs a warning and cuts off power supply to the electronic appliances whose distance to the one or more babies are less than the preset value.

Claims

1. A baby monitoring device comprising:

a storage unit;

a processor;

one or more programs stored in the storage unit, executable by the processor, the one or more programs comprising;

an image obtaining module operable to obtain an image captured by a camera, the image comprising a distance information indicating distances between the camera and objects captured by the camera;

a model creating module operable to create a 3D scene model according to the captured image and the distances between the camera and objects captured by the camera;

a detecting module operable to determine whether one or more babies appear in the created 3D scene model, and further to determine whether the one or more distances between the one or more babies and one or more electronic appliances being monitored are less than a preset value according to the distances between the camera and the one or more babies, the distances between the camera and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored, and a stored horizontal field of view of the camera; and

an executing module operable to output a warning and cut off power supply to the one or more electronic appliances being monitored whose distances to the one or more babies are less than the preset value.

2. The baby monitoring device as described in claim 1 further comprising an area setting module, wherein the area setting module is operable to obtain a map from the storage unit in response to a user selection, obtain the image of a desired location from the map in response to the user selection, and determine which electronic appliance being monitored in accordance with user selections.

3. The baby monitoring device as described in claim 2, wherein the user selections comprises a first selection, a second selection, and a third selection, the first selection is an operation to select a single electronic appliance in the image, the second selection is a series of operations to select two or more electronic appliances in the image, and the third selection is a series of operations to select objects which overlap another object by subtracting a first object from a second object in the image.

4. The baby monitoring device as described in claim 1 further comprising an image analysis module, wherein the image analysis module is operable to extract data from the created 3D scene model which corresponds to the shape of the one or more objects appearing in the created 3D scene model, and compare the extracted data with characteristic features of each of the 3D views of electronic appliances, to determine whether one or more electronic appliances being monitored are present in the created 3D scene model.

5. The baby monitoring device as described in claim 1, wherein when an absolute value of each of the one or more distances between the camera and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and the one or more babies is more than a predetermined value, the determining module is operable to determine that one or more distances between the one or more babies and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored is more than the preset value.

6. The baby monitoring device as described in claim 1, wherein when no absolute value of each of the one or more distances between the camera and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and the one or more babies is more than a predetermined value, the determining module is operable to:

extend a line from the baby which is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera in the image and determine a first intersection point where the line intersects the optical axis of the camera;

extend the line to the boundary of the image adjacent to the baby to form an extending line and determine a second intersection point where the extending line intersects the boundary of the image;

determine the ratio in the image of the length formed by the baby and the another intersection point to the length formed by the baby and the intersection point, and determine the ratio in fact of the length formed by the baby and the second intersection point to the length in the image formed by the baby and the first intersection point which is the same as the ratio in the image;

determine the angle between the optical axis and the line formed by the camera and the baby according to the determined ratio in fact and the stored horizontal field of view of the camera, and further determine the distance between the baby and the first intersection point according to the determined angle and the distance between the camera and the baby;

determine the distance between the monitoring electronic appliance and a third intersection point where another line intersects the optical axis of the camera, another line extends from the monitoring electronic appliance and is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera;

consider the distance between the baby and the monitoring electronic appliance as the actual distance in fact between the baby and the first intersection point adding the actual distance in fact between the monitoring electronic appliance and the second intersection point, because no absolute value of the result that the distance between the camera and the monitoring appliance, subtract the distance between the camera and the baby, is more than a preset value;

determine the other distances between the other one or more babies and the other one or more electronic appliances being monitored; and

determine whether any of the determined distances between the one or more babies and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored is less than the preset value.

7. The baby monitoring device as described in claim 6, wherein when an absolute values of each of the one or more distances between the camera and some electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and some babies are more than the predetermined value, and an absolute values of each of the one or more distances between the camera and the other electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and the other babies are less than the predetermined value, the determining module is operable to determine that the distances between the some babies and the some electronic appliances being monitored are more than the preset value, determine the distances between the other babies and the other electronic appliances being monitored, in the same way as that no absolute value of the result is more than the predetermined value, and further determine whether the determined distances between the other babies and the other electronic appliances being monitored are less than the preset value.

8. A baby monitoring method comprising:

obtaining an image captured by a camera, the image comprising a distance information indicating distances between the camera and objects captured by the camera;

creating a 3D scene model according to the captured image and the distances between the camera and objects captured by the camera;

determining whether one or more babies appear in the created 3D scene model, and further determining whether the one or more distances between the one or more babies and one or more electronic appliances being monitored are less than a preset value according to the distances between the camera and the one or more babies, the distances between the camera and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored, and a stored horizontal field of view of the camera; and

outputting a warning and cutting off power supply to the one or more electronic appliances being monitored whose distance to the one or more babies are less than the preset value.

9. The baby monitoring method as described in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining a map from the storage unit in response to a user selection, obtaining the image of a desired location from the map in response to the user selection, and determining which electronic appliance being monitored in accordance with user selections.

10. The baby monitoring method as described in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

extracting data from the created 3D scene model which corresponds to the shape of the one or more objects appearing in the created 3D scene model, and comparing the extracted data with characteristic features of each of the 3D views of electronic appliances, to determine whether one or more electronic appliances being monitored are present in the created 3D scene model.

11. The baby monitoring method as described in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that one or more distances between the one or more babies and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored is more than the preset value, when an absolute value of each of the one or more distances between the camera and the one or more electronic appliance being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and the one or more babies is more than a predetermined value.

12. The baby monitoring method as described in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

extending a line from the baby which is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera in the image and determining a first intersection point where the line intersects the optical axis of the camera, when no absolute value of each of the one or more distances between the camera and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and the one or more babies is more than a predetermined value;

extending the line to the boundary of the image adjacent to the baby to form an extending line and determining a second intersection point where the extending line intersects the boundary of the image;

determining the ratio in the image of the length formed by the baby and the another intersection point to the length formed by the baby and the intersection point, and determining the ratio in fact of the length formed by the baby and the second intersection point to the length in the image formed by the baby and the first intersection point which is the same as the ratio in the image;

determining the angle between the optical axis and the line formed by the camera and the baby according to the determined ratio in fact and the stored horizontal field of view of the camera, and further determining the distance between the baby and the first intersection point according to the determined angle and the distance between the camera and the baby;

determining the distance between the monitoring electronic appliance and a third intersection point where another line intersects the optical axis of the camera, another line extends from the monitoring electronic appliance and is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera;

considering the distance between the baby and the monitoring electronic appliance as actual distance in fact between the baby and the first intersection point adding the actual distance in fact between the monitoring electronic appliance and the second intersection point, because no absolute value of the result that the distance between the camera and the monitoring electronic appliance, subtract the distance between the camera and the baby, is more than a preset value;

determining the other distances between the other one or more babies and the other one or more electronic appliances being monitored; and

determining whether any of the determined distances between the one or more babies and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored are less than the preset value.

13. The baby monitoring method as described in claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the distances between the some babies and the some electronic appliances being monitored are less than the preset value, when an absolute values of each of the one or more distances between the camera and some electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and some babies are more than the predetermined value, and an absolute values of each of the one or more distances between the camera and the other electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and the other babies are less than the predetermined value;

determining the distances between the other babies and the other electronic appliances being monitored, in the same way as that no absolute value of the result is more than the predetermined value; and

determining whether the determined distances between the other babies and the other electronic appliances being monitored are less than the preset value.

14. A non-transitory storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor of a baby monitoring device, cause the baby monitoring device to perform a baby monitoring method, the method comprising:

obtaining an image captured by a camera, the image comprising a distance information indicating distances between the camera and objects captured by the camera;

creating a 3D scene model according to the captured image and the distances between the camera and objects captured by the camera;

determining whether one or more babies appear in the created 3D scene model, and further determining whether the one or more distances between the one or more babies and one or more electronic appliances being monitored are less than a preset value according to the distances between the camera and the one or more babies, the distances between the camera and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored, and a stored horizontal field of view of the camera; and

outputting a warning and cutting off power supply to the determined one or more electronic appliances being monitored whose distance to the one or more babies are less than the preset value.

15. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining a map from the storage unit in response to the user selection, obtaining the image of a desired location from the map in response to a user selection, and determining which electronic appliance being monitored in accordance with user selections.

16. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

extracting data from the created 3D scene model which corresponds to the shape of the one or more objects appearing in the created 3D scene model, and comparing the extracted data with characteristic features of each of the 3D views of electronic appliances, to determine whether one or more electronic appliances being monitored are present in the created 3D scene model.

17. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that one or more distances between the one or more babies and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored is more than the preset value, when an absolute value of each of the one or more distances between the camera and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and the one or more babies is more than a predetermined value.

18. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

extending a line from the baby which is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera in the image and determining a first intersection point where the line intersects the optical axis of the camera, when no absolute value of each of the one or more distances between the camera and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and the one or more babies is more than a predetermined value;

extending the line to the boundary of the image adjacent to the baby to form an extending line and determining a second intersection point where the extending line intersects the boundary of the image;

determining the ratio in the image of the length formed by the baby and the another intersection point to the length formed by the baby and the intersection point, and determining the ratio in fact of the length formed by the baby and the second intersection point to the length in the image formed by the baby and the first intersection point which is the same as the ratio in the image;

determining the angle between the optical axis and the line formed by the camera and the baby according to the determined ratio in fact and the stored horizontal field of view of the camera, and further determining the distance between the baby and the first intersection point according to the determined angle and the distance between the camera and the baby;

determining the distance between the monitoring electronic appliance and a third intersection point where another line intersects the optical axis of the camera, another line extends from the monitoring electronic appliance and is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera;

considering the distance between the baby and the monitoring electronic appliance as the actual distance in fact between the baby and the first intersection point adding the actual distance in fact between the monitoring electronic appliance and the second intersection point, because no absolute value of the result that the distance between the camera and the monitoring electronic appliance, subtract the distance between the camera and the baby, is more than a preset value;

determining the other distances between the other one or more babies and the other one or more electronic appliances being monitored; and

determining whether any of the determined distances between the one or more babies and the one or more electronic appliances being monitored is less than the preset value.

19. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the distances between the some babies and the some electronic appliances being monitored are less than the preset value when an absolute values of each of the one or more distances between the camera and some electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and some babies are more than the predetermined value, and an absolute values of each of the one or more distances between the camera and the other electronic appliances being monitored subtracted by one of the distances between the camera and the other babies are less than the predetermined value;

determining the distances between the other babies and the other electronic appliances being monitored, in the same way as that no absolute value of the results is more than the predetermined value; and

determining whether the determined distances between the other babies and the other electronic appliances being monitored are less than the preset value.