Methods, computer program products, and systems for providing automated video tracking via radio frequency identification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9767336-B2
Application number	US-201615283945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2016
Priority date	Oct 21, 2008
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

Methods, computer program products and systems for providing video tracking. The method includes receiving a first signal from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. A location of the RFID tag is determined in response to the first signal. An image that includes the location of the RFID tag is recorded. The location of the RFID tag is marked on the image, resulting in a marked image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing a marked image, the method comprising:
recording, by an image recorder, an image that includes a location of a radio frequency identification tag; and
marking, by the image recorder, the location of the radio frequency identification tag on the image, resulting in the marked image, wherein the marking is performed by overlaying the location of the radio frequency identification tag identified on the image, wherein the image recorder recognizes a first signal emitted from the radio frequency identification tag, wherein the first signal comprises an ultraviolet signal and the marking is performed by the image recorder based on the first signal, wherein the radio frequency identification tag is attached to an object and the first signal includes data about the object, the data comprising a type of the object, wherein the first signal is emitted by the radio frequency identification tag when the radio frequency identification tag receives a radio frequency signal from a radio frequency identification emitter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data about the object further comprises a size of the object.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the marking further includes overlaying an image of the object on the image at the location, wherein the overlaying at the location of the radio frequency identification tag is responsive to the data about the object.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining prior to the recording if a field of view of the image recorder includes the location of the radio frequency identification tag; and
positioning the image recorder so that the field of view of the image recorder includes the location of the radio frequency identification tag in response to determining that the field of view of the image recorder does not include the location of the radio frequency identification tag.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
focusing the image recorder on the object.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an additional signal from an additional radio frequency identification tag, the radio frequency identification tag and the additional radio frequency identification tag making up a constellation; and
determining a location of the additional radio frequency identification tag, wherein the image that is recorded further includes the location of the additional radio frequency identification tag.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining prior to the recording if a field of view of the image recorder includes the location of the radio frequency identification tag and the additional radio frequency identification tag; and
positioning the image recorder so that the field of view of the image recorder includes the location of the radio frequency identification tag and the additional radio frequency identification tag in response to determining that the field of view of the image recorder does not include the location of the radio frequency identification tag and the additional radio frequency identification tag.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image recorder is a video camera.

9. A system for providing a marked image, the system comprising:
an image recorder for recording an image that includes a location of a radio frequency identification tag and for marking the location of the radio frequency identification tag on the image, resulting in the marked image, wherein the marking is performed by overlaying the location of the radio frequency identification tag identified on the image, wherein the marking is performed in response to receiving a signal from the radio frequency identification tag, wherein the signal is an ultraviolet signal, wherein the radio frequency identification tag is attached to an object and the signal includes data about the object, the data comprising a type of the object, wherein the signal is emitted by the radio frequency identification tag when the radio frequency identification tag receives a radio frequency signal from a radio frequency identification emitter.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the radio frequency identification tag is a passive tag and the system further comprises:
the radio frequency identification emitter to activate the radio frequency identification tag, the activating causing the radio frequency identification tag to transmit the signal to the image recorder.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the data about the object further comprises a size of the object.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the marking further includes overlaying an image of the object on the image at the location, wherein the overlaying at the location of the radio frequency identification tag is responsive to the data about the object.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a positioning mechanism for determining prior to the recording if a field of view of the image recorder includes the location of the radio frequency identification tag; and
positioning the image recorder so that the field of view of the image recorder includes the location of the radio frequency identification tag in response to determining that the field of view of the image recorder does not include the location of the radio frequency identification tag.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the radio frequency identification tag is attached to the object, for causing the image recorder to focus on the object.

15. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
the image recorder for receiving an additional signal from an additional radio frequency identification tag, the radio frequency identification tag and the additional radio frequency identification tag making up a constellation; and
the image recorder for determining a location of the additional radio frequency identification tag, wherein the image that is recorded further includes the location of the additional radio frequency identification tag.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
the image recorder for determining prior to the recording if a field of view of the image recorder includes the location of the radio frequency identification tag and the additional radio frequency identification tag, and for positioning the image recorder so that the field of view of the image recorder includes the location of the radio frequency identification tag and the additional radio frequency identification tag in response to determining that the field of view of the image recorder does not include the location of the radio frequency identification tag and the additional radio frequency identification tag.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the image recorder is a video camera.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor of an image recorder, cause the processor to perform operations for providing a marked image, the operations comprising:
recording an image that includes a location of a radio frequency identification tag; and
marking the location of the radio frequency identification tag on the image, resulting in the marked image, wherein the marking is performed by overlaying the location of the radio frequency identification tag identified on the image, wherein the image is recorded by the image recorder that recognizes a first signal emitted from the radio frequency identification tag, wherein the first signal comprises an ultraviolet signal and the marking is performed by the image recorder based on the first signal, wherein the radio frequency identification tag is attached to an object and

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Kreiner Barrett
• Reeves Jonathan L

Classifications

• G06K7/1097 Primary

  Optical sensing of electronic memory record carriers, such as interrogation of RFIDs with an additional optical interface · CPC title

• G06K2017/0045

  Physics · mapped topic

• G11B27/02

  Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers · CPC title

• G11B27/10

  Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel · CPC title

• G06K7/10079

  the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions · CPC title