Counting and monitoring method using face detection

• US 9,552,522 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognyte Technologies Israel Ltd. (Cognyte Software Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Verint Systems Limited (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dudovich, Boaz
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US14/593,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20150199575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382103-107, 382/115, 382/118, 382/151, 382/155, 382/162, 382/168, 382/173, 382/181, 382/189, 382/199, 382/209, 382/219, 382/224, 382/232, 382/254, 382/274, 382/276, 382286-291, 382/305, 382/312, 382/321, 707/756, 348/150, 348/170, 705/7.28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/40 in video content extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/53 Recognition of crowd images, e.g. recognition of crowd congestion
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/173 face re-identification, e.g. recognising unknown faces across different face tracks

Abstract

Video is often used to count and identify people entering and exiting an area, such as a store. This information may be used to determine the number and amount of time people are in the area, and other statistics and characteristics. These variables may be skewed by the associates employed or working in the area, instead of patrons or others. The present disclosure is directed to method for eliminating associates from video by facial analysis and the application of analytics.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a person, comprising:

receiving, by a video processing system, video captured by a video source at a predetermined location, wherein the video source captures video containing people passing through a field of view of the video source at the predetermined location;

processing the video, by the video processing system, to determine at least one bodily characteristic of each person passing through the field of view of the video source, wherein the at least one bodily characteristic includes hair;

storing, by the video processing system, a face image of each person in a database, the facial image being from the video, wherein the image is stored in the database in accordance with the at least one bodily characteristic;

determining, by the video processing system, if each person is a customer or store associate based upon the at least one bodily characteristic;

creating, by the video processing system, a face album comprising a plurality of face images, wherein each of the plural face images is of a unique face retrieved from the database; and

providing, by the video processing system, the face album to a user interface for display, wherein the plurality of face images of the face album are displayed in a thumbnail view by the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one bodily characteristic further includes head shape and body part characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising differentiating customers from the store associates using knowledge of the profiled associates.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking movement of the store associate.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking movement of the customer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining if the customer is part of a shopping group, wherein the shopping group comprises a family of two of more customers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the only images stored in the database are images that were determined to be of customers and not of store associates.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the field of view is an entrance or an exit of a store.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising comparing a face image of the customer captured at the entrance with a face image of the customer captured at the exit to determine a length of time the customer was in the store.

10. A method for detecting a person, comprising:

receiving, by a video processing system, video captured by a video source at a predetermined location, wherein the video source captures video containing people passing through a field of view of the video source at the predetermined location;

processing the video, by the video processing system, to determine bodily characteristics of the people passing through the field of view of the video source to determine a face of each person in the video, wherein the bodily characteristics include hair;

storing, by the video processing system, an image of the face of each person in a database;

creating, by the video processing system, a face album comprising a plurality of face images, wherein each of the plurality of face images is of a unique face retrieved from the database; and

providing, by the video processing system, the face album to a user interface for display, wherein the plurality of face images of the face album are displayed in a thumbnail view by the user interface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the bodily characteristics further include head shape.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing within the face album an indication that a face associated with at least one of the plural images is associated with a person wanted by law enforcement.

13. A non-transitory tangible computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer cause the computer to perform a method, comprising:

receiving, by a video processing system, video captured by a video source at a predetermined location, wherein the video source captures video containing people passing through a field of view of the video source at the predetermined location;

processing the video, by the video processing system, to determine at least one bodily characteristic of each person passing through the field of view of the video source, wherein the at least one bodily characteristic includes hair;

storing, by the video processing system, a face image of each person in a database, the facial image being from the video, wherein the image is stored in the database in accordance with the at least one bodily characteristic;

determining, by the video processing system, if each person is a customer or store associate based upon the at least one bodily characteristic;

creating, by the video processing system, a face album comprising a plurality of face images, wherein each of the plural face images is of a unique face retrieved from the database; and

providing, by the video processing system, the face album to a user interface for display, wherein the plurality of face images of the face album are displayed in a thumbnail view by the user interface.

14. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the at least one bodily characteristic includes head shape.

15. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for differentiating customers from the store associates using knowledge of the profiled associates.

16. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for tracking movement of the customer.

17. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for determining if the customer is part of a shopping group, wherein the shopping group comprises a family of two of more customers.