IP Library Granted Patent US 9,292,736
Granted Patent B2
US 9,292,736 · App. 14/136,748 · Granted Mar 22, 2016

Methods and apparatus to count people in images

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,292,736
App. No.
14/136,748
Granted
Mar 22, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to count people in images are disclosed. An example method includes analyzing frame pairs of a plurality of frame pairs captured over a period of time to identify a redundant person indication detected in an overlap region, the overlap region corresponding to an intersection of a first field of view and a second field of view; eliminating the identified redundant person indication to form a conditioned set of person indications for the period of time; grouping similarly located ones of the person indications of the conditioned set to form groups; analyzing the groups to identify redundant groups detected in the overlap region; and eliminating the redundant groups from a people tally generated based on the groups.

Claims (34)

1. A method, comprising:

Analyzing, with a processor, frame pairs of a plurality of frame pairs captured over a period of time to identify a redundant person indication detected in an overlap region, the overlap region corresponding to an intersection of a first field of view and a second field of view;

eliminating, with the processor, the identified redundant person indication to form a conditioned set of person indications for the period of time;

grouping, with the processor, similarly located ones of the person indications of the conditioned set to form groups;

analyzing, with the processor, the groups to identify redundant groups detected in the overlap region; and

eliminating, with the processor, the redundant groups from a people tally generated based on the groups.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , further including eliminating a first one of the groups having less than a threshold amount of members from the people tally.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the redundant person is indicated by comparing first image data captured by a first image sensor in the first field of view to second image data captured by a second image sensor in the overlap region.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 , further including generating a correlation score based on the comparison of the first image data to the second image data.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 , further including, when the correlation score is greater than a threshold, designating the person indication corresponding to the second image data as redundant.

6. A method as defined in claim 4 , further including, when the correlation score is greater than a threshold, calculating first and second locations of the first and second image data and storing the first and second locations in a correlated pair history.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 , further including associating the people tally with media identifying information detected in a media exposure environment.

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

analyze frame pairs of a plurality of frame pairs captured over a period of time to identify a redundant person indication detected in an overlap region, the overlap region corresponding to an intersection of a first field of view and a second field of view;

eliminate the identified redundant person indication to form a conditioned set of person indications for the period of time;

group similarly located ones of the person indications of the conditioned set to form groups;

analyze the groups to identify redundant groups detected in the overlap region; and

eliminate the redundant groups from a people tally generated based on the groups.

9. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computer to eliminate a first one of the groups having less than a threshold amount of members from the people tally.

10. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computer to identify the redundant person indication by comparing first image data captured by a first image sensor in the first field of view to second image data captured by a second image sensor in the overlap region.

11. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computer to generate a correlation score based on the comparison of the first image data to the second image data.

12. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computer to, when the correlation score is greater than a threshold, designate the person indication corresponding to the second image data as redundant.

13. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computer to calculate first and second locations of the first and second image data and storing the first and second locations in a correlated pair history.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor to analyze frame pairs of a plurality of frame pairs captured over a period of time to identify person indications detected in an overlap region, the overlap region corresponding to an intersection of a first field of view and a second field of view;

a first eliminator to eliminate a redundant one of the identified person indications to form a conditioned set of person indications for the period of time;

a grouper to group similarly located ones of the person indications of the conditioned set to form one or more groups, each of the one or more groups being indicative of a person in an environment during the period of time, wherein the processor is to analyze the one or more groups to identify a redundant group detected in the overlap region; and

a second eliminator to eliminate the redundant groups from a people tally generated based on the one or more groups.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the second eliminator is to eliminate a group having less than a threshold amount of members from the people tally.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the first eliminator is to identify the redundant person indication by comparing first image data captured by a first image sensor in the first field of view to second image data captured by a second image sensor in the overlap region.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the first eliminator is to generate a correlation score based on the comparison of the first image data to the second image data.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17 , wherein the first eliminator is to, when the correlation score is greater than a threshold, designate the person indication corresponding to the second image data as redundant.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 17 , wherein the first eliminator is to, when the correlation score is greater than a threshold, calculate first and second locations of the first and second image data and store the first and second locations in a correlated pair history.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the environment is a media exposure environment, and further including an audience measurement device to associate the people tally with media identifying information detected in the media exposure environment.

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 13, 2014
From: SRINIVASAN, VENUGOPAL; SOUNDARARAJAN, PADMANABHAN
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 031951/0864 →