Security video detection of personal distress and gesture commands

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10074251-B2
Application number	US-201615197214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Nov 19, 2010
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting personal distress and gesture commands in security video are provided. Some methods can include receiving a sequence of images from a video device monitoring a secured area, analyzing the sequence of images to detect a presence of a human in the sequence of images, when the presence of the human is detected in the sequence of images, analyzing the sequence of images to detect one of a plurality of contexts that requires an action in the sequence of images, and when the one of the plurality of contexts that requires the action is detected in the sequence of images, transmitting a signal to execute the action. Each of the plurality of contexts can include a respective act performed by the human or a respective condition of the human irrespective of the human being in motion or being stationary.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a sequence of images from a video device monitoring a secured area;
analyzing the sequence of images to detect a presence of a first human and a second human in the sequence of images;
when the presence of the first human and the second human is detected in the sequence of images, analyzing the sequence of images to detect one of a plurality of contexts that requires an action in the sequence of images;
when the one of the plurality of contexts that requires the action is detected in the sequence of images and the first human or the second human is recognized as an authorized user of a security system protecting the secured area, transmitting a high priority signal to execute the action; and
when the one of the plurality of contexts that requires the action is detected in the sequence of images and neither the first human nor the second human is recognized as the authorized user of the security system protecting the secured area, transmitting a low priority signal to execute the action,
wherein each of the plurality of contexts includes a respective act performed by the first human or the second human or a respective condition of the first human or the second human, and
wherein each of the plurality of contexts is detectable independently of movement of the first human or the second human within the sequence of images.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one of the plurality of contexts includes duress, and wherein transmitting the high priority signal or the low priority signal to execute the action includes transmitting a silent alarm to a central monitoring station or providing an audio announcement through a speaker adjacent the video device.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising detecting a physical action or a threatening gesture by the first human or the second human in the sequence of images, wherein the physical action or the threatening gesture indicates the duress.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the threatening gesture indicates the duress when the threatening gesture exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
detecting a biometric parameter of the first human or the second human in the sequence of images; and
comparing the biometric parameter to a predetermined threshold value,
wherein the biometric parameter indicates the duress when the biometric parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the first human is recognized as the authorized user of the security system protecting the secured area.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising detecting a weapon carried by the second human threatening the authorized user of the security system protecting the secured area or the second human fighting with the authorized user of the security system protecting the secured area in the sequence of images, wherein the second human includes an unauthorized user.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising detecting a threatening sound captured by a microphone associated with the video device, wherein the threatening sound indicates the duress.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the threatening sound indicates the duress when the threatening sound exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
detecting multiple ones of the plurality of contexts that require the action in the sequence of images;
assigning a respective threat value to each of the multiple ones of the plurality of contexts;
identifying a total threat value by adding the respective threat value assigned to each of the multiple ones of the plurality of contexts; and
comparing the total threat value to a predetermined threshold value,
wherein the total threat value indicates the duress when the total threat value exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

11. A system comprising:
a programmable processor; and
executable control software stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium,
wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software receive a sequence of images from a video device monitoring a secured area,
wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software analyze the sequence of images to detect a presence of a first human and a second human in the sequence of images,
wherein, when the programmable processor and the executable control software detect the presence of the first human and the second human in the sequence of images, the programmable processor and the executable control software analyze the sequence of images to detect one of a plurality of contexts that requires an action in the sequence of images,
wherein, when the programmable processor and the executable control software detect the one of the plurality of contexts that requires the action in the sequence of images and the first human or the second human is recognized as an authorized user of a security system protecting the secured area, the programmable processor and the executable control software transmit a high priority signal to execute the action,
wherein, when the programmable processor and the executable control software detect the one of the plurality of contexts that requires the action in the sequence of images and neither the first human nor the second human is recognized as the authorized user of the security system protecting the secured area, the programmable processor and the executable control software transmit a low priority signal to execute the action,
wherein each of the plurality of contexts includes a respective act performed by the first human or the second human or a respective condition of the first human or the second human, and
wherein each of the plurality of contexts is detectable independently of movement of the first human or the second human within the sequence of images.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the one of the plurality of contexts includes duress, and wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software transmitting the high priority signal or the low priority signal to execute the action includes the programmable processor and the executable control software transmitting a silent alarm to a central monitoring station or providing an audio announcement through a speaker adjacent the video device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software detect a physical action or a threatening gesture by the first human or the second human in the sequence of images, and wherein the physical action or the threatening gesture indicates the duress.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the threatening gesture indicates the duress when the threatening gesture exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software detect a biometric parameter of the first human or the second human in the sequence of images and compare the biometric parameter to a predetermined threshold value, and wherein the biometric parameter indicates the duress when the biometric parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the first human is recognized as the authorized user of the security system protecting the secured area.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software detect a weapon carried by the second human threatening the authorized user of the security system protecting the secured area or the second human fighting with the auth

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Oh Eric
• Zakrewski David S
• Lee Mi Suen

Classifications

• G06K9/00389

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00885

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08B13/19613 Primary

  Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion · CPC title

• G06K9/00771

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08B13/19608 Primary

  Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position · CPC title