Object tracking system, method and smart node using active camera handoff
First Claim
1. A object tracking method using a camera handoff mechanism, the object tracking method applied in an intelligent distributed object tracking system comprising a control center, a plurality of smart nodes and a plurality of cameras, the smart nodes managing the cameras, the object tracking method comprising steps of:
- detecting, by a first smart node of the smart nodes, a position of a object to judge whether the object leaves a center region of a first field of view (FOV) of the first smart node for a boundary region when the first smart node is tracking the object;
predicting, by the first smart node, a possible path of the object when the object enters the boundary region of the first FOV of the first smart node;
predicting, by the first smart node, that the object will appear in a second FOV of a second smart node of the smart nodes according to the possible path of the object and a spatial relation between the cameras when the object gets out of the first FOV of the first smart node;
notifying, by the first smart node, the second smart node to detect a first newly entered object inside the second FOV;
determining, by the second smart node, a first image characteristic similarity between the object and the first newly entered object, and returning the first image characteristic similarity to the first smart node;
deciding, by the first smart node, whether to make handoff transfer to the second smart node according to the first image characteristic similarity returned by the second smart node; and
if yes, making handoff transfer, by the first smart node, to the second smart node so that the second smart node takes over tracking on the object.
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Abstract
If an active smart node detects that an object leaves a center region of a FOV for a boundary region, the active smart node predicts a possible path of the object. When the object gets out of the FOV, the active smart node predicts the object appears in a FOV of another smart node according to the possible path and a spatial relation between cameras. The active smart node notifies another smart node to become a semi-active smart node which determines an image characteristic similarity between the object and a new object and returns to the active smart node if a condition is satisfied. The active smart node compares the returned characteristic similarity, an object discovery time at the semi-active smart node, and a distance between the active smart node and the semi-active smart node to calculate possibility.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A object tracking method using a camera handoff mechanism, the object tracking method applied in an intelligent distributed object tracking system comprising a control center, a plurality of smart nodes and a plurality of cameras, the smart nodes managing the cameras, the object tracking method comprising steps of:
detecting, by a first smart node of the smart nodes, a position of a object to judge whether the object leaves a center region of a first field of view (FOV) of the first smart node for a boundary region when the first smart node is tracking the object;
predicting, by the first smart node, a possible path of the object when the object enters the boundary region of the first FOV of the first smart node;
predicting, by the first smart node, that the object will appear in a second FOV of a second smart node of the smart nodes according to the possible path of the object and a spatial relation between the cameras when the object gets out of the first FOV of the first smart node;
notifying, by the first smart node, the second smart node to detect a first newly entered object inside the second FOV;
determining, by the second smart node, a first image characteristic similarity between the object and the first newly entered object, and returning the first image characteristic similarity to the first smart node;
deciding, by the first smart node, whether to make handoff transfer to the second smart node according to the first image characteristic similarity returned by the second smart node; and
if yes, making handoff transfer, by the first smart node, to the second smart node so that the second smart node takes over tracking on the object.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An intelligent distributed object tracking system using a camera handoff mechanism, the system comprising:
- a control center;
a plurality of smart nodes communicating with the control center; and
a plurality of cameras controlled by the smart nodes, wherein;
when a first smart node of the smart nodes is tracking an object, the first smart node detects a position of the object to judge whether the object leaves a center region of a first FOV of the first smart node for a boundary region of the first FOV to predict a possible path of the object;
when the object gets out of the first FOV of the first smart node, the first smart node predicts that the object appears inside a second FOV of a second smart node of the smart nodes according to the possible path of the object and a spatial relation between the cameras;
the first smart node notifies the second smart node to detect a first newly entered object inside the second FOV;
the second smart node determines a first image characteristic similarity between the object and the first newly entered object, and returns to the first smart node;
the first smart node decides whether to make handoff transfer to the second smart node according to the first image characteristic similarity, an object discovery time and the distance between the smart node of these data returned by the second smart node; and
if the first smart node decides to make handoff transfer to the second smart node, the second smart node takes over tracking on the object. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- a control center;
Specification