IP Library Granted Patent US 9,465,999
Granted Patent B2
US 9,465,999 · App. 14/281,104 · Granted Oct 11, 2016

Methods and apparatus to count people in images

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,465,999
App. No.
14/281,104
Granted
Oct 11, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to count people in images are disclosed. An example method includes maintaining a history of instances in which a person is detected by a first image sensor and by a second sensor different than the first image sensor at approximately a same time, respective ones of the instances including a first coordinate at which a first person was detected via the first image sensor, and a second coordinate at which the first person was detected via the second image sensor; and, in response to first image data captured by the first image sensor including a second person at the first coordinate, determining whether second image data captured by the second image sensor includes the second person without comparing the first image data to the second image data.

Claims (31)

1. A method, comprising:

Maintaining, with a processor, a history of instances in which a person is detected by a first image sensor and by a second sensor different than the first image sensor at approximately a same time, respective ones of the instances including:

a first coordinate at which a first person was detected via the first image sensor; and

a second coordinate at which the first person was detected via the second image sensor; and

in response to first image data captured by the first image sensor including a second person at the first coordinate, determining, with a processor, whether second image data captured by the second image sensor includes the second person without comparing the first image data to the second image data; and

eliminating, with the processor, the second person from a count of people.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether the second image data includes the second person without comparing the first image data to the second image data includes determining whether a person indication is included at the second coordinate of the second image data.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first coordinate corresponds to a location relative to the first image sensor, and the second coordinate corresponds to a same location relative to the second image sensor.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first image data is captured at approximately a same time as the second image data.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including determining the first person detected via the first image sensor and the first person detected via the second image sensor at approximately the same time are a same person via image comparison.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second person is detected in an overlap region corresponding to an intersection of a first field of view associated with the first image sensor and a second field of view associated with the second image sensor.

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

maintain a history of instances in which a person is detected by a first image sensor and by a second sensor different than the first image sensor at approximately a same time, respective ones of the instances including:

a first coordinate at which a first person was detected via the first image sensor; and

a second coordinate at which the first person was detected via the second image sensor; and

in response to first image data captured by the first image sensor including a second person at the first coordinate, determine whether second image data captured by the second image sensor includes the second person without comparing the first image data to the second image data; and

when the second image data includes the second person, eliminate the second person from a tally of people.

8. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to, determine whether the second image data includes the second person without comparing the first image data to the second image data by determining whether a person indication is included at the second coordinate of the second image data.

9. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the first coordinate corresponds to a location relative to the first image sensor, and the second coordinate corresponds to a same location relative to the second image sensor.

10. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the first image data is captured at approximately a same time as the second image data.

11. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to perform image comparison to determine whether the first person detected via the first image sensor and the first person detected via the second image sensor at approximately the same time are a same person.

12. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the second person is detected in an overlap region corresponding to an intersection of a first field of view associated with the first image sensor and a second field of view associated with the second image sensor.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

memory to store a history of instances in which a person is detected by a first image sensor and by a second sensor different than the first image sensor at approximately a same time, respective ones of the instances including:

a first coordinate at which a first person was detected via the first image sensor; and

a second coordinate at which the first person was detected via the second image sensor; and

an overlap eliminator to, in response to first image data captured by the first image sensor including a second person at the first coordinate, determine whether second image data captured by the second image sensor includes the second person without comparing the first image data to the second image data, and, the overlap eliminator is to eliminate the second person from a count of people.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein the overlap eliminator is to determine whether the second image data includes the second person indication without comparing the first image data to the second image data by determining whether a person indication is included at the second coordinate of the second image data.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein the first image data is captured at approximately a same time as the second image data.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein the first person detected via the first image sensor and the first person detected via the second image sensor at approximately the same time are determined to be a same person via image comparison.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein the second person is detected in an overlap region corresponding to an intersection of a first field of view associated with the first image sensor and a second field of view associated with the second image sensor.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: GRACENOTE, INC.; A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, 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 May 19, 2014
From: SRINIVASAN, VENUGOPAL; SOUNDARARAJAN, PADMANABHAN
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 032924/0692 →