Traffic density analysis method based on encoded video

• US 6,975,749 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Toshiaki, Chujoh, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Miriam, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US10/817,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20040190755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/104, 382/105, 382/106, 382/107, 382/154, 382/162, 382/163, 382/165, 382/166, 382/170, 382/173, 382/183, 382/193, 382/195, 382/197, 382/199, 382/209, 382/232, 382/233, 382/234, 382/236, 382/250, 382/253, 382/254, 382/274, 382/285, 382/287, 382/291, 382/305, 382/312, 375/240.26, 375/240.1, 375/240.16, 345/166, 345/850, 345/501, 345/100, 340/907, 340/917, 348/148, 348/149, 348/113, 348/154, 356/3, 356/27, 701/207, 701/205
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

A traffic density analysis method includes decoding encoded video data corresponding to an analysis region to obtain a decoded video signal and code information, determining a moving object in units of a macroblock on the basis of the decoded video signal, the code information and a previously decoded video signal, analyzing a macroblock determined as the moving object, setting a specific region in a screen using an analysis result of the macroblock, and estimating a traffic density in the analysis region from information related to the moving object passing through the specific region.

Claims

1. A traffic density analysis method comprising:

decoding encoded video data obtained by encoding a video signal corresponding to an analysis region to obtain a decoded video signal and code information including mode information and vector information;

determining a moving object in units of a macroblock on the basis of the decoded video signal, the code information and a previously decoded video signal;

analyzing a macroblock determined as the moving object;

setting a specific region in a screen using an analysis result of the macroblock determined as the moving object; and

estimating a traffic density in the analysis region from information related to the moving object passing through the specific region,

wherein the determining includes temporarily determining that the macroblock of INTRA or INTER_—

CODED is highly probably a moving object, and comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the macroblock to determine the moving object.

2. A traffic density analysis method comprising:

decoding encoded video data obtained by encoding a video signal corresponding to an analysis region to obtain a decoded video signal and code information including mode information and vector information;

determining a moving object in units of a macroblock on the basis of the decoded video signal, the code information and a previously decoded video signal;

analyzing a macroblock determined as the moving object;

setting a specific region in a screen using an analysis result of the macroblock determined as the moving object; and

estimating a traffic density in the analysis region from information related to the moving object passing through the specific region,

wherein the determining includes determining that a macroblock where large motion vectors concentrate is highly probably a moving object, and comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the macroblock to determine a moving object.

3. A method for transmitting traffic information, comprising:

capturing an image in a monitoring region to be monitored for a traffic density;

encoding a video signal corresponding to the image to output encoded video data;

decoding the encoded video data to output a decoded video signal and code information including mode information and vector information;

determining a moving object in units of a macroblock on the basis of the decoded video signal, the code information and a previously decoded video signal;

analyzing a macroblock determined as the moving object;

setting a specific region in a screen using an analysis result of the macroblock determined as the moving object;

estimating a traffic density in the monitoring region from information related to the moving object passing through the specific region; and

transmitting traffic information including the traffic density and video information,

wherein the encoding includes compress-encoding a video signal, the transmitting includes transmitting the encoded video data, and the determining includes temporarily determining that the macroblock of INTRA or INTER_—

CODED is highly probably a moving object, and comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the macroblock to determine the moving object.

4. A method for transmitting traffic information, comprising:

capturing an image in a monitoring region to be monitored for a traffic density;

encoding a video signal corresponding to the image to output encoded video data;

decoding the encoded video data to output a decoded video signal and code information including mode information and vector information;

determining a moving object in units of a macroblock on the basis of the decoded video signal, the code information and a previously decoded video signal;

analyzing a macroblock determined as the moving object;

setting a specific region in a screen using an analysis result of the macroblock determined as the moving object;

estimating a traffic density in the monitoring region from information related to the moving object passing through the specific region; and

transmitting traffic information including the traffic density and video information,

wherein the determining includes determining that a macroblock where large motion vectors concentrate is highly probably a moving object, and comparing the decoded video signals of the current and previous frames only for the macroblock to determine the moving object.