Movement-examination system using body simulation performed with shape-examination procedure

1 . A movement-examination system for an object-movement region in which each of at least one designated physical body feature of a variable-shape zone-control body is timewise variably spaced apart from a body reference situs in a boundary-determination direction perpendicular to opposite first and second zonal boundaries of a three-dimensional variable-shape spatial zone having first and second zonal boundaries at respective temporary first and second boundary locations, the system comprising:

a boundary determiner for:

employing a variable-shape spatial-zone simulation of the zone, a reference-situs simulation of the situs, and a variable-shape body simulation of the body, the spatial-zone simulation having first and second simulated spatial boundaries that respectively simulate the first and second zonal boundaries, the body simulation having (i) a simulated feature for each body feature and (ii) a plurality of potential body shapes for the body, the simulated feature for each body feature for each potential body shape being simulated at a specified distance from the reference-situs simulation in the boundary-determination direction;

collecting whole-body data of imagery of the body; and

processing the whole-body data by a shape-examination procedure that comprises (i) comparing the imagery of the body in the whole-body data to the potential body shapes to determine a particular one of the potential body shapes as largely most closely matching the imagery of the body in shape and (ii) determining the locations of the first and second zonal boundaries as a function of the specified distance of each simulated feature of that particular closest body shape from the reference-situs simulation; and

a movement analyzer responsive to the determinations of the locations of the first and second zonal boundaries for electronically determining whether at least part of a principal object moving toward the zone entered it, the determiner and analyzer together comprising (a) electronic data-collection apparatus for examining or/and sensing the body and the object, including their locations and movement, to collect data of moving imagery of at least the body and the object and (b) electronic data-processing apparatus for processing the data of moving imagery to electronically determine (i) the locations of the first and second zonal boundaries as a function of the specified distance of each simulated feature of the particular closest body shape from the reference-situs simulation and (ii) whether at least part of the object entered the zone in response to the determinations of the locations of the first and second zonal boundaries.

2 . The system as in claim 1 wherein the whole-body data includes data of imagery of each body feature.

3 . The system as in claim 1 wherein the zone is spaced vertically apart from the situs, the first and second zonal boundaries respectively being lower and upper zonal boundaries, the simulated feature for each body feature for each potential body shape being simulated at a specified vertical distance from the reference-situs simulation.

4 . The system as in claim 1 wherein the system is programmed with size and shape characteristics of the object, compares size and shape of any moving article within the system's purview to the size and shape characteristics of the object, and treats the article as the object if the comparison indicates that the article is the object.

5 . The system as in claim 3 wherein the whole-body data includes data of imagery of each body feature.

6 . The system as in claim 3 wherein:

the zone is situated above a regional surface of the object-movement region; and

the data-collection apparatus comprises a video camera network which comprises a plurality of video cameras each having a field of view, the cameras of the video camera network including an above-surface video camera (i) situated above the regional surface opposite the body relative to the zone so as to be farther from the body than from the zone and (ii) generating moving imagery capturing the zone, the body, and the object when it is unobstructedly within the above-surface camera's field of view, the data of moving imagery collected by the data-collection apparatus comprising data of the moving imagery of the above-surface camera.

7 . The system as in claim 3 wherein the analyzer electronically determines dynamic characteristics of movement of the object from an object-movement origin along an object trajectory toward the zone, the dynamic characteristics comprising linear and angular velocities of the object at selected points along the trajectory.

8 . The system as in claim 3 wherein:

the zone is situated above a regional surface of the object-movement region; and

the data-collection apparatus comprises a video camera situated at least partly below the regional surface, the camera having a field of view originating below the regional surface and directed upward image-wise such that the camera generates moving imagery capturing the zone and the object when it is unobstructedly within the camera's field of view, the data of moving imagery collected by the data-collection apparatus comprising data of the moving imagery of the camera.

9 . The system as in claim 6 wherein the cameras of the video camera network further include an additional video camera situated at least partly below the regional surface, the additional camera's field of view originating below the regional surface and directed upward image-wise such that the additional camera generates moving imagery capturing the zone and the object when it is unobstructedly within the additional camera's field of view, the data of moving imagery collected by the data-collection apparatus further including data of the moving imagery of the additional camera.

10 . The system as in claim 6 wherein the cameras of the video camera network further include a video camera situated above the regional surface for at least tracking the object as it moves toward the zone.

11 . The system as in claim 6 wherein the analyzer processes at least the moving imagery of the above-surface camera to electronically determine within the system's purview whether at least part of the object entered the zone.

12 . The system as in claim 9 wherein the analyzer processes at least the moving imagery of the above-surface and additional cameras to electronically determine within the system's purview whether at least part of the object entered the zone.

13 . The system as in claim 9 wherein the additional camera's field of view also originates below the zone.

14 . The system as in claim 7 wherein the analyzer electronically determines mathematical attributes of the trajectory as a function of the linear and angular velocities along the trajectory at the selected points and classifies it into one of a plurality of different types of potential trajectories for the object.

15 . The system as in claim 8 wherein the camera's field of view also originates below the zone.

16 . The system as in claim 4 wherein the system is programmed with size and shape characteristics of an additional object, compares size and shape of the article to the size and shape characteristics of the additional object, and treats the article as the additional object if the comparison indicates that the article is the additional object.

17 . The system as in claim 16 wherein the system electronically determines within its purview whether the additional object contacted the principal object.

18 . The system as in claim 16 wherein the analyzer electronically determines whether at least part of the additional object entered the zone.