System to distinguish between visually identical objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9754630-B2
Application number	US-201615075253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2016
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A method to include an identifier as metadata associated with a captured image is provided. The method may include receiving, by a device, an image and a unique identifier associated with the image, wherein the received image is a frame associated with a video stream. The method may also include storing the unique identifier as metadata associated with the received image, whereby the metadata is linked to a specific frame in the video stream according to a plurality of parameters, and whereby the unique identifier is received from a unique ID reader which reads a tag attached to an object included in the image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to include an identifier as metadata associated with a captured image, the method comprising:
receiving an image and a unique identifier associated with the image, wherein the received image is a frame associated with a video stream;
storing, in a repository, an association linking a sensor associated with the received unique identifier to a camera associated with a unique ID reader that read a tag attached to an object included in the image; and
storing the unique identifier as metadata associated with the received image, wherein the metadata is linked to a specific frame in the video stream according to a plurality of parameters, and wherein the unique identifier is received from the unique ID reader which reads the tag attached to the object included in the image, and wherein the stored metadata includes the camera associated with the unique ID reader and a timestamp indicating a time when the unique ID reader read the tag attached to the object included in the image.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received image is captured by a video camera.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises at least one of a time of day, a location, a movement, and a boundary crossing.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein a unique ID reader is either integrated as part of the video camera or separate from the video camera.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique ID reader can send the unique identifier to the video camera or to a backend video system, wherein the backend video system can make an association to the video stream associated with a video camera.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata is derived from a tag selected from a group consisting of a Passive RFID and Active RFID, an ultrasonic tag, and an Acoustic tag.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parameters include at least one of a specific timestamp, a timecode, a frame number, and an offset.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored unique identifier is used to distinguish a plurality of visually identical objects.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hanis Thomas T
• Hyre Bruce H

Classifications

• H04N9/8205 Primary

  involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal · CPC title

• H04N7/181 Primary

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title

• G11B27/28

  by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording {(G11B27/22 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G06K7/10297

  arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 (cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00) · CPC title

• G11B27/19 Primary

  by using information detectable on the record carrier · CPC title