Method of Adaptive Array Comparison for the Detection and Characterization of Periodic Motion

1 . A system for analyzing periodic motions comprising:

a device for acquiring video files;

a data analysis system including a processor and memory;

a computer program to automatically analyze the video images, identify an area in the images where periodic movements may be detected and quantified using an Adaptive Array Comparison method; and,

an interface to provide an output signal related to at least one parameter characteristic of said periodic movement.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein said device for acquiring video files is selected from the group consisting of: video cameras, optical sensors, IR sensors, smart phones, webcams, digital microscopes, telescopes, and memory devices having video files recorded therein.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein said computer program detects said periodic movements by an adaptive array comparison procedure in which:

starting with a first frame [F 0 ], the intensity at each respective pixel in the frame is subtracted from its intensity in frame [F 0+x ], where x is an integer, the intensities in frame [F 0+x ] are subtracted from those in frame [F 0+2x ], . . . until reaching a selected end point at frame [F 0+n x ] where n is an integer and the product nx is less than the total number of frames in said video file;

the resulting frame differences are summed for each pixel;

the process is repeated for at least two unique values of x, so that an optimal frame spacing x yielding the greatest difference may be found; and,

a selected number of pixels having the greatest frame-to-frame intensity difference are monitored to determine the rate of said periodic movements.

4 . The system of claim 3 wherein said program repeats the adaptive array comparison procedure with other selected starting frames, to determine the phase of said periodic movement.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein said interface comprises a Graphical User Interface (GUI).

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein said GUI displays data corresponding to said parameter characteristic of said periodic movement.

7 . The system of claim 6 wherein said GUI further displays an image from said video file.

8 . The system of claim 5 wherein said GUI further includes an output selected from the group consisting of:

still images containing phase information;

still images containing frequency information;

still images containing edge enhancement;

moving images displaying motion amplification; and,

audio recordings.

9 . The system of claim 5 wherein said GUI allows a user to replay data starting at a selected time so that said user may simultaneously view the video stream and the corresponding calculated data.

10 . The system of claim 9 wherein said GUI allows a user to define a perimeter within the video frame and said data analysis system monitors movements within said user-defined perimeter.

11 . A method for characterizing periodic motions using video data comprises:

acquiring a video file of a selected object;

providing a data analysis system including a processor and memory operating a computer program to analyze the acquired video file by an adaptive array comparison procedure and calculate a parameter characteristic of the physical displacement of the object as a function of time and determine the periodicity thereof;

time-stamping the video file and the determined periodicity associated therewith; and,

archiving the time stamped images and the associated physical displacement data in a data storage system for later retrieval.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein said video file is acquired using a means selected from the group consisting of: video cameras, optical sensors, IR sensors, smart phones, webcams, digital microscopes, telescopes, memory devices having video files recorded therein, and downloading from a server.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein said computer program detects said periodic movements by an adaptive array comparison procedure in which:

starting with a first frame [F 0 ], the intensity at each respective pixel in the frame is subtracted from its intensity in frame [F 0+x ], where x is an integer, the intensities in frame [F 0+x ] are subtracted from those in frame [F 0+2x ], . . . until reaching a selected end point at frame [F 0+n x ] where n is an integer and the product nx is less than the total number of frames in said video file;

the resulting frame differences are summed for each pixel;

the process is repeated for at least two unique values of x, so that an optimal frame spacing x yielding the greatest difference may be found; and,

a selected number of pixels having the greatest frame-to-frame intensity difference are monitored to determine the rate of said periodic movements.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein said program repeats the adaptive array comparison procedure with other selected starting frames, to determine the phase of said periodic movement.

15 . The method of claim 11 wherein said interface comprises a Graphical User Interface (GUI).

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein said GUI displays data corresponding to said parameter characteristic of said periodic movement.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein said GUI further displays an image from said video file.

18 . The method of claim 15 wherein said GUI further includes an output selected from the group consisting of:

still images containing phase information;

still images containing frequency information;

still images containing edge enhancement;

moving images displaying motion amplification; and,

audio recordings.

19 . The method of claim 15 wherein said GUI allows a user to replay data starting at a selected time so that said user may simultaneously view the video stream and the corresponding calculated data.

20 . The method of claim 19 wherein said GUI allows a user to define a perimeter within the video frame and said data analysis system monitors movements within said user-defined perimeter.