IP Library Granted Patent US 8,761,442
Granted Patent B2
US 8,761,442 · App. 13/434,319 · Granted Jun 24, 2014

Methods and apparatus to count people in images

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,761,442
App. No.
13/434,319
Granted
Jun 24, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to count people in images are disclosed. An example method includes, in response to determining that a first person indication of a first frame obtained via a first image sensor is redundant to a second person indication of a second frame obtained via a second image sensor, storing a first coordinate of the first person indication in connection with a second coordinate of the second person indication in a database; and in response to detecting a third person indication in a third frame obtained via the first image sensor, querying the database with a third coordinate of the third person indication to determine whether the third coordinate matches the first coordinate.

Claims (26)

1. A method, comprising:

in response to determining that a first person indication of a first frame obtained via a first image sensor is redundant to a second person indication of a second frame obtained via a second image sensor, storing a first coordinate of the first person indication in connection with a second coordinate of the second person indication in a database; and

in response to detecting a third person indication in a third frame obtained via the first image sensor, querying the database with a third coordinate of the third person indication to determine whether the third coordinate matches the first coordinate.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising, when the third coordinate matches the first coordinate, determining whether a fourth frame includes a fourth person indication at the second coordinate.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising marking the third person indication as redundant when the fourth frame includes the fourth person indication at the second coordinate.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein a first frame pair formed by the first and second frames is captured at a first time, and wherein a second frame pair formed by the third frame and a fourth frame is captured at a second time later than the first time.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first person indication is determined to be redundant to the second person indication by comparing first image data of the first person indication to second image data of the second person indication.

6. A method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the comparison of the first image data and the second image data is triggered by a detection of the first person indication in an overlap region associated with fields of view of the first and second image sensors.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising detecting human faces to generate the first and second person indications.

8. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

in response to determining that a first person indication of a first frame obtained via a first image sensor is redundant to a second person indication of a second frame obtained via a second image sensor, store a first coordinate of the first person indication in connection with a second coordinate of the second person indication in a database;

in response to detecting a third person indication in a third frame obtained via the first image sensor, query the database with a third coordinate of the third person indication to determine whether the third coordinate matches the first coordinate.

9. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to, when the third coordinate matches the first coordinate, determine whether a fourth frame includes a fourth person indication at the second coordinate.

10. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to mark the third person indication as redundant in the second frame pair when the fourth frame includes the fourth person indication at the second coordinate.

11. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein a first frame pair formed by the first and second frames is captured at a first time, and wherein a second frame pair formed by the third frame and a fourth frame is captured at a second time later than the first time.

12. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first person indication is determined to be redundant to the second person indication by comparing first image data of the first person indication to second image data of the second person indication.

13. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 12 , wherein the comparison of the first image data and the second image data is triggered by a detection of the first person indication in an overlap region associated with fields of view of the first and second image sensors.

14. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to detect human faces to generate the first and second person indications.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a database to store a first coordinate of a first person indication of a first frame in connection with a second coordinate of a second person indication of a second frame, the first person indication obtained via a first image sensor being redundant to the second person indication obtained via a second image sensor; and

a searcher to, in response to detecting a third person indication in a third frame obtained via the first image sensor, query the database with a third coordinate of the third person indication to determine whether the third coordinate matches the first coordinate.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 , further comprising an analyzer to, when the third coordinate matches the first coordinate, determine whether a fourth frame includes a fourth person indication at the second coordinate.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the analyzer is to identify the third person indication as redundant in the second frame pair when the fourth frame includes the fourth person indication at the second coordinate.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein a first frame pair formed by the first and second frames is captured at a first time, and wherein a second frame pair formed by the third frame and a fourth frame is captured at a second time later than the first time.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 , further comprising a comparator to determine that the first person indication is redundant to the second person indication by comparing first image data of the first person indication to second image data of the second person indication.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19 , wherein the comparison of the first image data and the second image data is triggered by a detection of the first person indication in an overlap region associated with fields of view of the first and second image sensors.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063605/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 053473 / FRAME 0001) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063603/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063574/0632 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063561/0381 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 31, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063560/0547 →
RELEASE (REEL 037172 / FRAME 0415) Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 061750/0221 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENTS LISTED ON SCHEDULE 1 RECORDED ON 6-9-2020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053473 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 7, 2020
From: A.C. NIELSEN (ARGENTINA) S.A.; A.C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A
Reel/Frame 054066/0064 →
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NIELSEN UK FINANCE I, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053473/0001 →
SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 30, 2015
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY ((US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT FOR THE FIRST LIEN SECURED PARTIES
Reel/Frame 037172/0415 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2013
From: SRINIVASAN, VENUGOPAL; SOUNDARARAJAN, PADMANABHAN
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 029614/0515 →