Action recognition and interpretation using a precision positioning system

• US 8,069,005 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2010
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Cumby, Chad, Fano, Andrew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/683,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 702150-155, 235/462.2
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69

Abstract

To facilitate the recognition and interpretation of actions undertaken within an environment, the environment is associated with a precision positioning system (PPS) and a controller in communication with the PPS. Within the environment, an entity moves about in furtherance of one or more tasks to be completed within the environment. The PPS determines position data corresponding to at least a portion of the entity, which position data is subsequently compared with at least one known action corresponding to a predetermined task within the environment. Using a state-based task model, recognized actions may be interpreted and used to initiate at least one system action based on the current state of the task model and correspondence of the position data to the at least one known action. In an embodiment, an entity recognition system provides an identity of the entity to determine whether the entity is authorized to perform an action.

Claims

1. In an environment comprising a precision positioning system adapted to provide position information corresponding to an entity within the environment and an entity recognition system adapted to provide information identifying the entity, a method of recognizing an action undertaken by the entity within the environment, the method comprising:

determining, by the entity recognition system, an identity of the entity;

determining, by the precision positioning system, position data corresponding to at least a portion of the entity within the environment, the environment comprising a space substantially larger than the entity;

comparing the position data to at least one known action corresponding to a predetermined task within the environment;

recognizing the action when the position data compares favorably with the at least one known action; and

determining whether the entity is authorized to perform the action based on the identity of the entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one known action is defined relative to an element within the environment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one known action comprises at least one of:

approaching the element with a velocity within a velocity range or approaching the element at a distance within a distance range.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the entity comprises the element and wherein the at least one known action comprises movement of the element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one known action comprises, relative to an area, at least one of:

entering the area, exiting the area, entering the area from an entry direction, exiting the area at an exit direction or remaining within the area for a period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one known action comprises movements of a predetermined length.

7. A system for recognizing an action performed by an entity within an environment, comprising:

an entity recognition system, associated with the environment and adapted to determine an identity of the entity;

a precision positioning system comprising a plurality of detectors associated with the environment;

at least one tag, physically associated with the entity and in communication with at least some of the plurality of detectors, wherein the precision positioning system via the at least some of the plurality of detectors provides position data corresponding to the at least one tag, the position data describing the action by the entity; and

a controller, in communication with the plurality of detectors and the entity recognition system, operative to recognize the action based on correspondence of the position data to one or more reference actions corresponding to a predetermined task within the environment and to determine whether the entity is authorized to perform the action based on the identity of the entity.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the precision positioning system comprises an ultra-wideband positioning system.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the entity comprises a human, and wherein the at least one tag is configured to be physically associated with any extremity of the human.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a first database, in communication with the controller, comprising data structures corresponding to at least one task model describing a plurality of states and, for each of the plurality of states, at least one known action to provide the one or more references actions.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a second database, in communication with the controller, comprising information to be selectively provided to the entity based on the action.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a communication system coupled to the controller operative to send selected information to the entity; and

a communication device, operative within the communication system and associated with the entity, for receiving the selected information and providing the selected information to the entity.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a logging controller, in communication with the controller, operative to record the occurrence of the action in a third database coupled to the logging controller.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an event capture system, coupled to the logging controller, that provides event data based on the position data, wherein the logging controller associates the occurrence of the action with at least a portion of the event data in the third database.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the event data capture system is associated with the environment.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the entity recognition system comprises at least one of a facial recognition system and a keycard system.

17. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one storage device, coupled to the at least one processor, comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive, from an entity recognition system associated with an environment comprising a space substantially larger than an entity within the environment, an identity of the entity;

receive, from a precision positioning system adapted to provide position information corresponding to the entity, position data corresponding to at least a portion of the entity within the environment;

compare the position data to one or more reference actions corresponding to a predetermined task within the environment;

recognize the action when the position data compares favorably with a reference action of the one or more reference actions; and

determine whether the entity is authorized to perform the action based on the identity of the entity.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one storage device further comprises data structures corresponding to a task model for the predetermined task describing a plurality of states and, for each of the plurality of states, at least one known action to provide the one or more references actions, and wherein the at least one storage device further comprises processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

initiate at least one system action based on a current state of the plurality of states and correspondence of the position data to the at least one known action.