Methods and systems for enhanced motion detection

1 . A video surveillance system comprising:

a pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly; and

a processor configured to control the pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly to:

generate a panoramic reference image of a selectable motion detection area;

acquire images of the motion detection area;

mask out user defined areas where motion detection is not required; and

determine a motion in the motion detection area using a comparison of the acquired images of the motion detection area and the panoramic reference image.

2 . A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to:

acquire images of a plurality of respective adjacent views of a motion detection area;

combine the images to form a panoramic image of the motion detection area; and

determine which portions of the panoramic image are to be included in motion detection calculations.

3 . A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to at least one of pan, tilt, and zoom the pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly to select the motion detection area.

4 . A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to register images of a plurality of respective adjacent views of the motion detection area edge to edge.

5 . A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to register images of a plurality of respective adjacent views of the motion detection area using portions of each image that overlap.

6 . A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to associate each view of the reference image to an address.

7 . A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to at least one of pan, tilt, and zoom the pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly automatically along a selectable scan path.

8 . A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to compare the image acquired at an address associated with the image to the view of the reference image at substantially the same address.

9 . A pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly comprising:

a video camera;

a pan/tilt assembly configured to rotate said video camera about a substantially vertical pan axis and a substantially horizontal tilt axis; and

a processor configured to control said pan/tilt assembly and said video camera assembly to:

generate a panoramic reference image of a selectable motion detection area;

acquire images of the motion detection area; and

determine a motion in the motion detection area using a comparison of the acquired images of the motion detection area and the panoramic reference image.

10 . A method of operating a pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly comprising:

generating a panoramic reference image of a selectable motion detection area;

acquiring images of the motion detection area; and

determining a motion in the motion detection area using a comparison of the acquired images of the motion detection area and the panoramic reference image.

11 . A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein generating a panoramic reference image comprises:

acquiring images of a plurality of respective adjacent views of a motion detection area; and

combining the images to form a panoramic image of the motion detection area.

12 . A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein generating a panoramic reference image comprises at least one of panning, tilting, and zooming to select the motion detection area.

13 . A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein generating a panoramic reference image comprises registering images of a plurality of respective adjacent views of the motion detection area edge to edge.

14 . A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein generating a panoramic reference image comprises associating each view of the reference image to an address.

15 . A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein panning, tilting, and zooming to acquire images for use by a user is limited by the user's visual perception to a first speed and wherein acquiring images of the motion detection area comprises panning, tilting, and zooming at a speed greater than the first speed.

16 . A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein panning, tilting, and zooming at a speed greater than the first speed comprises panning, tilting, and zooming at a speed approximately ten times greater than the first speed.

17 . A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein acquiring images of the motion detection area comprises automatically panning, tilting, and zooming the pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly along a selectable scan path.

18 . A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein automatically panning, tilting, and zooming the pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly comprises automatically panning, tilting, and zooming the pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly along a random scan path.

19 . A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein automatically panning, tilting, and zooming the pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly comprises automatically panning, tilting, and zooming the pan/tilt/zoom video camera assembly such that the scan path is selectable to be the shortest time duration scan path from the available scan paths.

20 . A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein determining a motion in the motion detection area comprises comparing the image acquired at an address associated with the image to the view of the reference image at substantially the same address.