Using Plural Cameras Patents (Class 348/153)
  • Patent number: 8203609
    Abstract: Embodiments include a system, a device, an apparatus, a method, and a computer program product. An embodiment provides a system that includes an imaging device operable to capture an image depicting a member of a class of subjects that may have a temporal presence in an area. The system also includes an anonymization device having a selector circuit operable to select an anonymization policy. The anonymization policy includes obscuring a property of the class of subjects depicted in the captured image. The system further includes a broadcast device operable to display a human-perceivable indication of the selected anonymization policy to at least a portion of the area. The system also includes an anonymization circuit operable to generate an anonymized image by applying the selected anonymization policy to an image captured by the imaging device and depicting a member of the class of subjects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, William Henry Mangione-Smith, John D. Rinaldo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8199009
    Abstract: A remote area monitoring system is configured to detect movement in a disallowed direction through a space. The system monitors two volumetric spaces that are established by the system, both of which spaces are defined with respect to depth, width and height. In one embodiment, the system includes one or more stereoscopic sensors for capturing image information of the space, a processor processing the image information to detect movement of humans or objects in a disallowed direction through the space, and an alarm indicator. The system may also include workstation configured to display and store the image information. The workstation may have multiple levels of access, such as basic user, supervisor and technician level access. The workstation may display a log of alarm or related events and permit selection of events and viewing of image information associated with the events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: BAS Strategic Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Sam F. Brunetti
  • Patent number: 8199195
    Abstract: A surveillance system and method having at least one wireless input capture device ICD(s) and a corresponding digital input recorder (DIR) and/or another ICD, and a security key for ensuring or denying access, including the steps of providing base system; at least one user accessing the DIR via user interface either directly or remotely; the DIR and/or ICD searching for signal from the ICD(s) and establishing communication with them, permitting or prohibiting data transmission and/or access if the security key is connected to the system components, thereby providing a secure surveillance system having wireless communication for monitoring a target environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Inventor: Martin Renkis
  • Patent number: 8193909
    Abstract: A method and a system for calibrating a camera in a surveillance system. The method and system use a mathematical rotation between a first coordinate system and a second coordinate system in order to calibrate a camera with a map of an area. In some embodiments, the calibration can be used to control the camera and/or to display a view cone on the map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Intergraph Technologies Company
    Inventors: Andrew D. Estes, Johnny E. Frederick
  • Patent number: 8189046
    Abstract: A communication system for multiple users whereby an automatic indication of away status is prompted immediately upon a user's departure from the vicinity of a computer or other medium. In a preferred embodiment, this is accomplished, in an instant messaging environment, via a video camera arrangement whereby, upon there being a detection of a user's absence from the immediate vicinity, an automatic prompt is made to indicate away status for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John T. Robinson, Michael E. Wazlowski
  • Patent number: 8184157
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for the analysis of scenarios where there are dynamically occurring objects capable of occluding each others. Application of the method in vision systems is also disclosed. Methods for incorporating visibility constraints for occluding scenarios are provided in a multi-camera setting. Other static constraints such as image resolution and field-of-view, and algorithmic requirements such as stereo reconstruction, face detection and background appearance are also addressed. A generic framework for sensor planning is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Corporation
    Inventor: Anurag Mittal
  • Patent number: 8179439
    Abstract: A security system includes at least first and second monitoring units, each having a motion sensor for detecting motion, a camera for obtaining visual data, a transmitter, a receiver, and a processor in data communication with the motion sensor, camera, transmitter, and receiver. The security system includes means for outputting visual data from the first unit camera when the first unit motion sensor detects motion more recently than the second unit motion sensor detects motion. The security system includes programming for outputting the visual data from the second unit camera when the second unit motion sensor detects motion more recently than the first unit motion sensor detects motion. The system includes a telephone interface for transmitting visual data captured by a respective camera. A unit's camera is only activated when its associated motion detector detects motion and is deactivated when another unit's motion detector detects motion more recently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventors: Christopher T. Resch, Amy R. Resch
  • Patent number: 8169481
    Abstract: A multi-perspective context sensitive behavior assessment system includes an adaptive behavior model builder establishing a real-time reference model that captures intention of motion behavior. It operates by modeling outputs of multiple user defined scoring functions with respect to multiple references of application specific target areas of interest. The target areas have criticality values representing a user's preference regarding the target areas with respect to one another. The outputs of the scoring functions are multiplied by the critically values to form high level sequences of representation that are communicated to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hasan Timucin Ozdemir, Hongbing Li, Lipin Liu, Kuo Chu Lee, Namsoo Joo
  • Patent number: 8171516
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to methods, systems, and storage mediums for providing multi-viewpoint, media-sharing activities related to proximity-centric media content associated with an event whereby the media-sharing activities are performed via portable communications devices. The method includes identifying an alternate feed of media content by a first portable communications device that was captured by a second portable communications device at the event. The method also includes performing real-time auditioning of the media content by the first portable communications device for assessing a vantage point of the media content with respect to the event. The method further includes receiving the alternate feed of media content at the first portable communications device in response to a request transmitted by the first portable communications device. The first portable communications device and the second portable communications device are in geographic propinquity of the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Steven Tischer
  • Patent number: 8159537
    Abstract: A video surveillance equipment for detecting a change of an object in a monitoring area based on input images captured by an image capturing device, the equipment comprising: an area detection apparatus for detecting a second image area being stationary for a predetermined time in a first image area which is an area differing between a reference image used as a reference in image processing and the input images; a memory apparatus for storing image of the detected second image area; and an image comparison apparatus for performing comparison processing a plurality of times between the stored image and image in the second image area included in the input images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Itoh, Eiji Moro, Hiromasa Fujii
  • Patent number: 8159525
    Abstract: Multiport multispectral portable imaging systems having at least two cameras with charge-coupled device sensors, a front lens unit, at least two rear lens units, a beamsplitter, and at least two bandpass filters is used to detect contaminants on food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Bosoon Park, Michio Kise, Kurt C. Lawrence, William Robert Windham
  • Patent number: 8144256
    Abstract: A repeater unit includes an input circuit having an input terminal that can be connected to output of an upstream repeater unit through a signal cable for inputting a video signal from the input terminal; an output circuit having an output terminal that can be connected to input of a downstream repeater unit through a signal cable for outputting a video signal to the output terminal; and a selection circuit that can be connected to a video signal output device for outputting a video signal and outputs the video signal input from the video signal output device to the output circuit. The input circuit and the output circuit have termination resistors matched with each other. When the repeater units are daisy-chained, termination matching is conducted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Ota
  • Patent number: 8139112
    Abstract: A smart camera device incorporates a first processing path for video display processing and a second processing path for detection and/or tracking processing. A sensor device provides input signals including first size data units to both processing paths, at least some of the same input signals are processed by both processing paths. The video display processing generates second size data units which are smaller than first size data units. First size data units provide more information to the detection/processing module than second size data units would have provided if used. IR detection capability is improved by using first size data units. Detection and/or target tracking operations generate control signals used to control the video display processing to enhance the visual perceptibility of a detected target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sightlogix, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey Alan Cleary, Danny Chin
  • Patent number: 8134595
    Abstract: An image processing system so disclosed has respective image pickup parts and respective viewpoint conversion parts configured to perform viewpoint conversion of original images captured by the respective image pickup parts to generate converted images. The image processing system also includes a display device controllable to display the converted images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruhisa Takano
  • Patent number: 8125522
    Abstract: A filter for filtering out spurious motion from a sequence of video images, for use in video image signal processing to identify objects in motion in the sequence of video images. Spurious motion is chaotic, repetitive, jittering portions of an image that constitute noise and interfere with motion detection in video signals. The filter keeps track of the location and the strengths of spurious motion, applies appropriate low pass filtering strengths according to the spurious motion strengths in real-time. Regular pixels without spurious motion will pass through the filter unaltered, while pixels with spurious motion will be “smoothed” to avoid being detected as noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventor: Zhe Fan
  • Patent number: 8125521
    Abstract: A technique of efficiently extracting and synthesizing an object image from a plurality of images captured at different image magnifications. An image processing method of the present invention includes the steps of generating a first background image corresponding to a first image captured at a predetermined image magnification, extracting a first object image from the first image, generating a second background image corresponding to a second image captured at an image magnification higher than the predetermined image magnification, based on the first background image and the first object image, and extracting a second object image from the second image and the second background image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Osamu Itokawa
  • Patent number: 8115814
    Abstract: An apparatus and method to track and to photograph a mobile object over a wide range, by a cooperative operation of multiple cameras. In addition, a mobile tracking system is provided for tracking the mobile object by the cooperation of multiple cameras, in which each camera includes a photographing device which photographs and recognizes the mobile object, a changing device which changes a view angle of the photographing device, a position deriving device which derives a position of the camera, a distance deriving device which derives the distance between the camera and the mobile object, and a communication device which transmits an identifier of the camera, a position of the camera, a moving direction of the mobile object and the distance between the camera and the mobile object to another camera and receives an identifier of the other camera, a position of the other camera, a moving direction of the mobile object and a distance between the other camera and the mobile object from the other camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Iwase, Masaaki Imaizumi
  • Publication number: 20120013744
    Abstract: A method used a security system monitoring a secure area. The method includes a first processor of the security system providing a status of the security system including an active status output and a disarmed status output signal, a video system monitoring the secured area by capturing and locally saving images, a second processor of the video monitoring system activating one or more video cameras of the video monitoring system monitoring an interior space of the secured area upon receipt of the active status output signal and deactivating the video cameras upon receipt of a disarmed status output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin G. Piel, Mike Garavuso, Piotr Romanczyk, Tom Babich
  • Patent number: 8098282
    Abstract: The present invention advantageously provides a means by which the privacy zone on a PTZ camera can be maintained so that an object in the camera's sight is always masked or covered. An algorithm which remembers the defined privacy zones as an area in space marked by four rays touching the four corners of the marked zone and having absolute Pan, Tilt angular coordinates is presented. The privacy zone is initially defined by a rectangle on the screen with known pixel co-ordinates which are translated into angular coordinates. Then, when the camera moves and prepares to display a new screen, the privacy zone is superimposed on the object to be masked. Locating the object and displaying its privacy zone is done by translating the absolute angular coordinates of the original privacy zone into pixel coordinates. Additionally, multiple privacy zones can be displayed on one camera screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Manoj Gopinath, Arathi Mariswamy
  • Patent number: 8094881
    Abstract: An action recognition apparatus includes an input unit for inputting image data, a moving-object detection unit for detecting a moving object from the image data, a moving-object identification unit for identifying the detected moving object based on the image data, a state detection unit for detecting a state or an action of the moving object from the image data, and a learning unit for learning the detected state or action by associating the detected state or action with meaning information specific to the identified moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Matsugu, Katsuhiko Mori, Mie Ishii, Yusuke Mitarai
  • Publication number: 20120002054
    Abstract: A video recording method includes: detecting an intrusion of a person into a predetermined monitoring area based on the video information from the monitoring camera; recording the intrusion time when the intrusion of the person into the monitoring area is detected; detecting a left-behind object after the person has passed through the monitoring area based on the video information from the monitoring camera; generating alarm information in response to the detection of the left-behind object; overwriting so as to record the video information by every given amount of information until the alarm information is received. The method further includes receiving and recording, of the video information recorded in the first video recording step, video information from the intrusion time of the person to a time corresponding to the alarm information in accordance with the intrusion time of the person in a case in which the alarm information is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Ohkawa, Kenichiro Sugimoto, Takahiro Yamaguchi, Takayuki Haraguchi, Kazuhisa Tsuzuki
  • Publication number: 20110317016
    Abstract: A device which can support a determination of a camera layout by automatically preparing the camera layout that satisfies a customer request based on the customer request including a surveillance layout. Specifically, a need table that is a data set of a plurality of arrangement candidate cameras satisfying the customer request is prepared from the customer request including the surveillance layout. An arrangement of the plurality of the arrangement candidate cameras on a map is calculated based on the need table using a clustering method and a temporary layout of cameras is prepared. Then, an arrangement layout of the cameras in the surveillance layout is determined based on the temporary layout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Takashi SAEKI, Ryo Yumiba, Masaya Itoh, Takao Sukegawa, Yasuhiro Suda, Masanori Miyoshi
  • Publication number: 20110292213
    Abstract: One embodiment pertains to a surveillance device having at least two video cameras contained within a housing of the surveillance device. The device is configured to couple to at least one side of a door. One of the two cameras is positioned on one side of the surveillance device in order to record video images on one side of the door while the another camera is positioned on an opposite side of the surveillance device to record video images on the other side of the door. As the door opens and closes, the two video cameras are able to record a wider, sweeping angle of the interior and exterior areas of the door. The surveillance device may be mounted onto the door at a height near the average height of a human in order to maximize image capture of people's faces as they enter or exit through the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventor: James H. Lacey
  • Patent number: 8064080
    Abstract: Upon distributing data from a first terminal apparatus to a second terminal apparatus, whether the data is to be distributed is determined in accordance with an access situation of a client to the first terminal apparatus, and, on the basis of a determined result, the data is distributed to the second terminal apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoaki Kawai
  • Publication number: 20110249121
    Abstract: A perimeter security system includes a video camera (1), an element (7) for transmitting or retransmitting a radiation lighting a scene observed by the camera (1), and a unit (4) for image analysis and processing and for driving the camera (1). The system is essentially characterized in that it includes, in order to multiply the number of shots while using a single camera (1), at least two mirrors (6, 61) partially inserted into the field of vision of the latter, each mirror having the same vertical orientation but a different horizontal orientation so that the portion of the image seen by the camera on each of the mirrors always represents the same scene relative to the lighting element (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventor: Bernard Taillade
  • Patent number: 8022987
    Abstract: A sensor node detects a plurality of information-based events. The sensor node determines whether at least one other sensor node is an information neighbor of the sensor node based on at least a portion of the plurality of information-based events. The information neighbor has an overlapping field of view with the sensor node. The sensor node sends at least one communication to the at least one other sensor node that is an information neighbor of the sensor node in response to at least one information-based event of the plurality of information-based events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Teresa H. Ko, Nina M. Berry
  • Patent number: 8010631
    Abstract: A system and method of notifying a remote client of a sensor triggering event and providing data related to the sensor triggering event to the remote client. The method has the steps of receiving a first notification signal indicating that a sensor has been triggered; identifying a data recording device associated with the triggered sensor wherein the data recording device records video data; identifying a client device designated to receive the video data when the sensor has been triggered; transmitting to the client device a second notification signal indicating that the sensor has been triggered; receiving an acknowledgement signal from the client device; and transmitting the video data to the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Tiger Ventures, LLC
    Inventors: James C. Brailean, Marshall Merrifield, Joel D. Underwood, Douglas C. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 8004561
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing fluid real-time camera control of at least one camera to at least one network user via a network including the internet. A control pad or area can be provided to camera users via an application or applet that can be calibrated to provide fluid camera control. Compressed or uncompressed analog, digital, or streaming video and audio data can also be provided to the users to allow real-time low latency continuous audio/visual feedback. Multiple camera users can obtain control of a camera using a dynamic queuing technique that can allow single user camera control for certain time intervals. An administrator can establish user camera control parameters including camera control intervals for subscriber users versus non-subscriber users, camera usurping by an administrator, elimination of camera control privileges for a user, and denial of camera control requests by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Smiths Detection Inc.
    Inventors: Peter A. Mottur, Ethan Z Zimmer
  • Patent number: 7999848
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting an object or abnormality on or near a rail track. The system comprises scanning means for scanning on and near a portion of the rail track; and detection means for determining the presence and location of the object or abnormality on or near the portion of the rail track based on information from the scanning means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Stratech Systems Limited
    Inventor: Khien Meow David Chew
  • Patent number: 7995096
    Abstract: A security alarm monitor is disclosed that uses a combination of three dimensional (3D) and two dimensional (2D) visualization to display the status of security devices and allow the operator to respond to alarms. The alarm monitor console includes 3D and 2D display areas, either in a split screen on a single monitor or on dual monitors. The 3D display area uses a photo-realistic representation of a facility and overlays iconic or 3D representations of the security devices showing their locations, coverage areas, and alarm status. The 2D display area shows a map, architectural drawing, image-based overhead view, or combination or the three for a facility and security device icons. The alarm representations in the 2D and 3D display areas are synchronized. The 3D display gives a dynamic view of the facility or compound. When an alarm occurs, the 3D display flies to preprogrammed view of the alarm location, issues a preprogrammed audio alert, and animates the alarm icon to indicate its status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Christopher Cressy, Michael Thompson, Douglas H. Cox
  • Publication number: 20110176006
    Abstract: A processing unit receives information of the intruder from a detection unit and compares the received information with the camera database stored in a storage unit, to determine a next monitored area that the intruder will enter. If the intruder remains in the current monitored area, the processing unit controls the camera of the current monitored area to capture the images of the intruder and sends the images to the detection unit. If the intruder enters an intersection area of the current monitored area and the next monitored area, the processing unit obtains the camera of the current monitored area and a camera corresponding to the next monitored area from the camera database and controls the cameras of the current monitored area and the next monitored area to capture the images of the corresponding monitored areas and sends the images to the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: CHAO-TSUNG FAN
  • Patent number: 7982634
    Abstract: A system to detect the transit of vehicles having license plates includes at least one video camera to detect license plates capable of framing the plates of said vehicles and, preferably, at least one video camera to detect vehicles capable of framing a zone of transit of said vehicles having license plates. A series of processing operations is capable, starting from the video signals generated by the video camera to detect license plates, of detecting the presence of a vehicle in transit and, starting from the video signals generated by the video camera to detect vehicles, of detecting the position and three-dimensional shape of vehicles in transit in said zone. A supervisor module aggregates the results of these processing operations to generate records of information each identifying the modality of transit in said zone of a vehicle identified by a given license plate that has been recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: KRIA S.r.l.
    Inventor: Stefano Arrighetti
  • Patent number: 7978208
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a video display processing system including a video source input component, a compositing component, and a composite video output component. The video source input component is adapted to receive video data from a plurality of video sources. The compositing component is adapted to generate a composite video image from the video data. The composite video image is based at least in part on a configuration. The configuration specifies an arrangement of the video data. The composite video output component adapted to output the composite video image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark M. Morita, Yongjian Bao
  • Patent number: 7973826
    Abstract: There is provided a program creation apparatus with improved operability in checking an operation of a created control program, including: a program generating section for acquiring a camera image from a camera based upon an image pick-up trigger signal, to extract a measurement result from the acquired camera image as a control program for the image processing controller; a simulation part for executing the control program; and a communication section for transferring the control program to the image processing controller, wherein the simulation part includes an offline simulation section for extracting a measurement result from a camera image previously held as a registration image, and an online simulation section for acquiring a camera image from the camera through the image processing controller when executing the control program, to extract the measurement result from the acquired camera image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Keyence Corporation
    Inventors: Teruhiko Maeda, Toshihiro Konaka
  • Patent number: 7969470
    Abstract: A moving object detection device accurately detects moving objects. The device includes a motion vector calculation section calculating motion vectors from an input image; a motion vector removal section removing a motion vector having high randomness from the calculated motion vectors; a motion vector accumulation section temporally accumulating each motion vector not removed by the motion vector removal section, and calculating an accumulated number of occurrences and an accumulated value of each motion vector; and a moving object detection section determining, based on the calculated accumulated value and calculated accumulated number of occurrences of each motion vector, whether each motion vector corresponds to a moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Kishida
  • Patent number: 7965313
    Abstract: An airport security system includes a scanner scanning and time stamping an article of identification of an individual passing into a secure terminal area. The system further includes security cameras generating respective video signals of overlapping zones of coverage of the secure terminal area. The video signals are recorded and received in a controller generating a seamless video signal therefrom. Reversing of the seamless video signal allows visual tracking of a security breach in the secure terminal area from the time of breach identification scan and time stamp. Faster than real time forwarding of the seamless video signal allows tracking of the security breach from the time stamp to the breacher's present location within the secure terminal area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Geoffrey Orias
  • Patent number: 7956891
    Abstract: A camera control system having a terminal device connected to a plurality of cameras via a network is provided. In response to an operation that exceeds a maximum control value (maximum control angle) of the PTZ of a camera that is the target of control, the terminal device displays peripheral camera information, which corresponds to a shooting direction in which the operation has been requested, together with video shot by the camera being controlled. The peripheral camera information includes installation camera position information, viewable angle information, control status information and peripheral map information as well as at least one item of captured video from a camera other than the camera being controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masato Uchihara
  • Publication number: 20110128382
    Abstract: A system for analyzing data generated by surveillance of a casino is provided. The system includes a plurality of cameras. Each camera is positioned with respect to a corresponding section of the casino and configured to digitally record a video segment upon detection of at least one defined trigger within the corresponding section and generate a signal indicative of the recorded video segment. A video surveillance center is in signal communication with each camera and includes a database configured to store a plurality of defined behaviors and a plurality of defined indicators that are each associated with at least one trigger. The video surveillance center is configured to receive content including the recorded video segment from at least one camera and analyze the content to identify the at least one defined trigger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Inventors: Richard Pennington, Bin Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7952609
    Abstract: A networked digital security system is disclosed that preferably includes a centralized administrator web server coupled via a communication network such as the Internet to a plurality of customer servers and-a plurality of customer work stations. The centralized web server advantageously provides a point of control and management of the networked digital security system. The customer servers and customer work stations are preferably located at the customer's monitored sites. The customer servers are coupled to one or more intelligent camera units, which are preferably fully integrated intelligent units that gather, analyze, and transmit video, audio, and associated detected alarm event information to their associated customer server and the administrator web server. The camera units also include an intelligent automatic gain controller, an encoder buffer controller, and a network bandwidth priority controller. The system supports several compression algorithm standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Axcess International, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim W. Simerly, Thomas Szo-Ho Tang, Amer M. Dutt, Philip K. Pledger, Keith D. Breton, Alan Kay
  • Patent number: 7944469
    Abstract: Rules “learn” what is typical or expected for a certain attribute of device data for a given location, premises, time period, etc. Using a rule for a standard deviation the variance between newly collected data and the data stored in a fact table is either ignored or an alert (or some action) is generated. Data in the fact table is sampled for a specific time, or time period. Newly collected data may be used to update the fact table or discarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Vigilos, LLC
    Inventor: Geoffrey T. Barker
  • Patent number: 7940301
    Abstract: In a vehicle driving assist system, an external environment recognition unit detects a 3-D obstacle inhibiting the driving direction of the vehicle based on an image captured by a stereo camera and determines whether the image ahead of the vehicle is in a condition that makes visual perception of the 3-D obstacle difficult. A controller calculates a required alarm working distance between the vehicle and the 3D obstacle, at which an alarm unit is worked when the vehicle approaches the 3D obstacle, and a required brake operating distance, at which a brake is operated by a brake applying unit, based on a vehicle traveling speed. If it is determined that an external environment is in a condition that makes visual perception difficult, the required working and operating distances are extended by predetermined values to set the working and operating timings earlier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 7925671
    Abstract: A cue sheet generation system is used to compose a cue sheet for submission to PRS from an input EDL. The system parses the EDL to extract data relating to use of musical works associated with a PRS. The system employs both local and remote databases to retrieve information relating to the extracted musical work data. The information is then used to construct a cue sheet in a form appropriate for submission to a PRS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Getty Image (US), Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Ellis, Steven Askew
  • Patent number: 7903841
    Abstract: A miniature autonomous apparatus for performing scene interpretation, comprising: image acquisition means, image processing means, memory means and communication means, the processing means comprising means for determining an initial parametric representation of the scene; means for updating the parametric representation according to predefined criteria; means for analyzing the image, comprising means for determining, for each pixel of the image, whether it is a hot pixel, according to predefined criteria; means for defining at least one target from the hot pixels; means for measuring predefined parameters for at least one target; and means for determining, for at least one target whether said target is of interest, according to application-specific criteria, and wherein said communication means are adapted to output the results of said analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Emza Visual Sense
    Inventor: Zeev Smilansky
  • Patent number: 7893959
    Abstract: An OSD circuit superimposes a mask image on a video imaged by a camera main body in a camera device. A microcomputer performs processing for changing the position where a mask image is displayed (superimposed) within a range of imaging with the camera device on the basis of a signal representing the pan/tilt position of the camera device. At this time, when the mask image is moved in the pan direction from an area where the initial position of the mask image is set, the position and the size of the mask image are corrected depending on the amount of movement of the mask image and the tilt angle of the camera device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunori Miyata
  • Patent number: 7889232
    Abstract: A surveillance system and method for vessels. The system comprises surveillance means for surveying a waterway; vessel detection means for determining the presence and location of a vessel in the waterway based on information from the surveillance means; camera means for capturing one or more images of the vessel; image processing means for processing the images captured by the camera means for deriving surveillance data; wherein the camera means captures the vessel images based on information from the vessel detection means, the surveillance data from the image processing means, or both. The images can be used to classify and identify the vessel by name and category, possibly also to compare the category with that previously registered for a vessel of this name. The vessel can be tracked, including by speed and direction until it leaves the surveyed waterway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Stratech Systems Limited
    Inventor: Khien Meow David Chew
  • Patent number: 7889229
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a security surveillance system. The security surveillance system includes an image acquisition unit, a surveillance image transmission unit, and a surveillance image reception unit. The image acquisition unit acquires captured image signals from a plurality of cameras and outputs them. The surveillance image transmission unit separates the acquired images into moving images and still images, and generates and transmits surveillance images where the still images are separated at predetermined regular intervals. The surveillance image reception unit separately stores the moving images and the still images, reads a still image near a moving image output at a time when a signal requesting the output of the still image is received, and outputs the read still image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Inventor: Myung-Hyun Chang
  • Publication number: 20110032360
    Abstract: A system for transgression detection includes a plurality of modules, each module comprising a video camera, a microphone, an electronic display, and a processor; a plurality of sensors, each sensor configured for electronic communication with at least one of the plurality of modules; and a remote device configured to allow a user to both control a module via electronic communication, and interact with a module via electronic communication; wherein at least one module of the plurality of modules is configured to be triggered by a communication from a sensor of the plurality of sensors; and wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors comprises a fiber optic line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventors: Ronald Carter, Scott Williams
  • Patent number: 7882192
    Abstract: A method for detecting undesirable emails combines input from two or more spam classifiers to provide improved classification effectiveness and robustness. The method includes obtaining a score from each of a plurality of constituent spam classifiers by applying them to a given input email. The method further includes obtaining a combined spam score from a combined spam classifier that takes as input the plurality of constituent spam classifier scores, the combined spam classifier being computed automatically in accordance with a specified false-positive vs. false-negative tradeoff. The method further includes identifying the given input email as an undesirable email if the combined spam score indicates that the input e-mail is undesirable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vadakkedathu T. Rajan, Mark N. Wegman, Richard B. Segal, Jason L. Crawford, Jeffrey O. Kephart, Shlomo Hershkop
  • Patent number: 7876352
    Abstract: Systems, methods and software are disclosed for capturing and/or importing and processing media items such as digital images or video (202) associated with a sporting event such as a marathon or bicycle race (FIG. 3). The media items are processed, including bib number or facial recognition if necessary (204, 206, 504), to associate them with an individual participant. Other input sources may include spectator uploads (506), external web sites and media sharing (508) or social networking (510) services. The system (500) aggregates, organizes and generates content, and distributes it (580) via various output channels, which may include event web sites (256), personal feeds (250), and other output channels (260, 254, 252, FIG. 4). Preferably, selected content is associated with at least one individual participant in the event, and that content is automatically distributed to channels that are associated with that individual participant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Strands, Inc.
    Inventor: Francisco J. Martin
  • Patent number: 7872593
    Abstract: A system for creating an image file including a computer subsystem configured to identify camera systems having location coordinates within a target array of location coordinates is disclosed. The computer system is further configured to retrieve image data from the identified camera systems, the image data including images of a region of interest corresponding to the target array of location coordinates. The computer system is also configured to create an image file using the image data retrieved from the identified camera systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Frank Rauscher, Carl E. Werner