Apparatus and method of monitoring moving objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016019764-A1
Application number	US-201414773278-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 8, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a monitoring apparatus, a monitoring area is scanned by an area sensor device to detect objects. Moving objects are identified among the detected objects, and, among the identified moving objects, a moving object which is the closest to a priority monitoring object which is preset in the monitoring area is set as a tracking target. The object which is set to be tracked is automatically tracked by a camera device. As a result, even if there are present a plurality of moving objects in the monitoring area, tracking targets are switched from one to another, so that it is possible to set a moving object desired by an observer.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method of monitoring a moving object within a predetermined monitoring area, wherein the method comprises steps of:
detecting objects by scanning the monitoring area by an optical distance meter; identifying moving objects among the detected objects; setting, as a tracking target being tracked, among the identified moving objects, a moving object closest to a priority monitoring object which is preset in the monitoring area; and automatically tracking, using a camera device, the moving object which is set to the tracking target, wherein, when a count showing that a tracking period becomes lower sequentially than a lower limit value becomes larger than a lower determination count, the same moving object being automatically tracked during the tracking period, a preset priority monitoring area including the priority monitoring object is enlarged for fixed-point monitoring performed by the camera device.

3 . A method of monitoring a moving object within a predetermined monitoring area, wherein the method comprises steps of:
detecting objects by scanning the monitoring area by an optical distance meter; identifying moving objects among the detected objects; setting, as a tracking target being tracked, among the identified moving objects, a moving object closest to a priority monitoring object which is preset in the monitoring area; and
automatically tracking, using a camera device, the moving object which is set to the tracking target,
wherein, when a count showing that the tracking target has been switched to other tracking targets in a predetermined determination period has exceeded a predetermined upper determination count, a priority monitoring area including the priority monitoring object is enlarged for fixed-point monitoring performed by the camera device.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein, when a count showing that a tracking period becomes lower sequentially than a lower limit value becomes larger than a lower determination count, the same moving object being automatically tracked during the tracking period, a preset priority monitoring area including the priority monitoring object is enlarged for fixed-point monitoring performed by the camera device.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the priority monitoring area is set to be an area in which, at least, a plurality of the moving objects are able be imaged.

6 . A method of monitoring a moving object within a predetermined monitoring area, wherein the method comprises steps of:
detecting objects by scanning the monitoring area by an optical distance meter; identifying moving objects among the detected objects; setting, as a tracking target being tracked, among the identified moving objects, a moving object closest to a priority monitoring object which is preset in the monitoring area; automatically tracking, using a camera device, the moving object which is set to the tracking target; determining whether or not a plurality of the moving objects are identified in the monitoring area; determining whether or not a predetermined tracking release condition, which is set for releasing the automatic tracking using the camera device has been met when it is determined that the plurality of the moving objects are identified in the monitoring area; and monitoring, in fixed-point monitoring, preset priority monitoring areas including the priority monitoring object present in the monitoring area at a wide angle with use of the camera device, when it is determined that the tracking release condition is met.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the method comprises steps of:
determining whether or not a plurality of the moving objects are identified in the monitoring area, determining whether or not a predetermined tracking release condition, which is set for releasing the automatic tracking using the camera device has been met when it is determined that the plurality of the moving objects are identified in the monitoring area, and enlarging and monitoring, in fixed-point monitoring, preset priority monitoring areas including the priority monitoring object present in the monitoring area with use of the camera device, when it is determined that the tracking release condition is met.

8 . The method of claim 6 wherein the tracking release condition is set such that a count showing that a tracking period becomes lower sequentially than a lower limit value becomes larger than a lower determination count, the same moving object being automatically tracked during the tracking period.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the tracking release condition is set such that a count showing that the tracking target has been switched to other tracking targets in a predetermined determination period has exceeded a predetermined upper determination count.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the whole monitoring area is set as the priority monitoring area.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the tracking release condition is set such that a response time required to automatically track a moving object newly set as a tracking target is longer than a predicted time necessary for the newly set moving object to reach the priority monitoring object.

12 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the tracking release condition is set such that the number of identified moving objects exceeds a predetermined upper number.

13 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the tracking release condition is set such a period of time during which the priority monitoring object or the priority monitoring area is not continuously monitored is over a predetermined upper limit.

14 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the priority monitoring area is set as an area in which, at least, a plurality of the moving objects are able to be imaged.

15 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the fixed-point monitoring step is set such that when the priority monitoring area is positionally fixedly monitored at a wide view using the camera device and, during the monitoring, any of the moving objects in the priority monitoring area is selected, the selected moving object is set to the tracking target and automatically tracked.

16 . A method of monitoring a moving object, by which a monitoring area is scanned by an optical distance meter to detect moving objects, a moving object is identified among the detected moving objects, and the identified moving object is set to a tracking target for automatic tracking by a camera device, the method is wherein
when a plurality of the moving objects are identified in the monitoring area and it is determined that a tracking release condition is met which is preset for releasing the automatic tracking performed using the camera device, the camera device monitors, in fixed-point monitoring, a priority monitoring area at a wide view angle, the priority monitoring area being preset in the monitoring area to contain a priority monitoring object present in the monitoring area.

17 . An apparatus for monitoring a moving object in a preset monitoring area, wherein the apparatus comprises
means for detecting objects by scanning the monitoring area using an optical distance meter; means for identifying moving objects among the detected objects; means for setting, as a tracking target, among the specified moving objects, a moving object which is the closest to a priority monitoring object which is preset in the monitoring area; and means for automatically tracking the moving object which is set as the tracking target being automatically tracked, by an camera apparatus; and means for, when a count showing that a tracking period

Assignees

• Denso Wave Inc
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Takiguchi Masahiro
• Iwasaki Tetsuya
• Tsubone Kenji

Classifications

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• 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

• G01S17/04

  Systems determining the presence of a target · CPC title

• G01S17/66

  Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• H04N7/188

  Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position (signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253) · CPC title