IP Library Granted Patent US 7,995,843
Granted Patent B2
US 7,995,843 · App. 11/404,894 · Granted Aug 9, 2011

Monitoring device which monitors moving objects

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,995,843
App. No.
11/404,894
Granted
Aug 9, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A monitoring device includes: a moving object image generation unit which receives, on a frame-by-frame basis, an overall image captured by a camera and performs inter-frame differential processing on the overall image or background differential processing between the overall image and a background image that is previously prepared; a density calculation unit which transforms the differential processed image into one-dimensional information and calculates a density indicating a degree of density of moving objects or of a crowd through frequency analysis; a model generation unit which calculates a reference density of the moving objects or of the crowd based on the density of a predetermined date and time; and a situation determination unit which compares between the density at the current time and the reference density, determines whether or not the density at the current time is different from the reference density, and generates a determination result.

Claims (21)

1. A monitoring device which monitors a region to be monitored, said device comprising:

an image-capturing unit to capture an image within the monitored region, and to generate an input image;

a moving object image generation unit to generate, from the input image generated by said image-capturing unit, a moving object image that is an image of moving objects or of a crowd; and

a density calculation unit to calculate, based on the moving object image generated by said moving object image generation unit, a degree of density of the moving objects or of the crowd, as a density that is parameterized by a function approximation or a frequency transformation,

wherein said moving object image generation unit generates the moving object image by performing differential processing on the input image,

wherein said density calculation unit transforms the moving object image on which the differential processing has been performed, into one-dimensional information, and calculates the density based on the transformed one-dimensional information, and

wherein said density calculation unit transforms the moving object image on which the differential processing has been performed, into one-dimensional information, by: binarizing each of a plurality of pixel values of the moving object image on which the differential processing has been performed, through conversion into either a first value or a second value; scanning the binarized moving object image in a direction of a vertical axis from a top part of the moving object image for each of a plurality of values on a horizontal axis of the moving object image; and projecting, to the horizontal axis, detected vertical axis values each of which is a maximum value on the vertical axis of a pixel which has been detected first in the scanning and has the first value.

2. A monitoring method for monitoring a region to be monitored, said method comprising:

capturing, using an image-capturing unit, an image within the monitored region and generating an input image;

generating, from the input image generated in said capturing of the image, a moving object image that is an image of moving objects or of a crowd; and

calculating, using a computer, a degree of density of the moving objects or of the crowd based on the moving object image, as a density that is parameterized by a function approximation or a frequency transformation,

wherein said generating the moving object image comprises generating the moving object image by performing differential processing on the input image,

wherein said calculating comprises transforming the moving object image on which the differential processing has been performed, into one-dimensional information, and calculating the density based on the transformed one-dimensional information, and

wherein said transforming the moving object image on which the differential processing has been performed, into one-dimensional information, comprises: binarizing each of a plurality of pixel values of the moving object image on which the differential processing has been performed, through conversion into either a first value or a second value; scanning the binarized moving object image in a direction of a vertical axis from a top part of the moving object image for each of a plurality of values on a horizontal axis of the moving object image; and projecting, to the horizontal axis, detected vertical axis values each of which is a maximum value on the vertical axis of a pixel which has been detected first in the scanning and has the first value.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program stored thereon for monitoring a region to be monitored, said program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

capturing, using an image-capturing unit, an image within the monitored region and generating an input image;

generating, from the input image generated in said capturing of the image, a moving object image that is an image of moving objects or of a crowd; and

calculating, using a density calculation unit, a degree of density of the moving objects or of the crowd based on the moving object image, as a density that is parameterized by a function approximation or a frequency transformation,

wherein said generating the moving object image comprises generating the moving object image by performing differential processing on the input image,

wherein said calculating comprises transforming the moving object image on which the differential processing has been performed, into one-dimensional information, and calculating the density based on the transformed one-dimensional information, and

wherein said transforming the moving object image on which the differential processing has been performed, into one-dimensional information, comprises: binarizing each of a plurality of pixel values of the moving object image on which the differential processing has been performed, through conversion into either a first value or a second value; scanning the binarized moving object image in a direction of a vertical axis from a top part of the moving object image for each of a plurality of values on a horizontal axis of the moving object image; and projecting, to the horizontal axis, detected vertical axis values each of which is a maximum value on the vertical axis of a pixel which has been detected first in the scanning and has the first value.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 19, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021858/0958 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2006
From: IWASAKI, MASAHIRO; IMAGAWA, TARO
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 017819/0684 →