IP Library Granted Patent US 9,946,948
Granted Patent B2
US 9,946,948 · App. 15/007,793 · Granted Apr 17, 2018

Article delivery system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,946,948
App. No.
15/007,793
Granted
Apr 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

When monitoring a logistics line and outputting a video image on a display, a privacy-protected video image processor uses an image of a first specific region corresponding to an area of the logistics line as it is among an original image captured by a capture, and performs mask processing on a person detected in an image of a region other than the first specific region.

Claims (25)

1. An article delivery system, comprising:

a camera positioned adjacent to a conveyor and configured to capture an image of the conveyor and an area surrounding the conveyor, wherein the conveyor is configured to move articles placed thereon;

at least one display; and

a processor coupled to the camera and the display, wherein the processor, in operation:

extracts a first image of the conveyor out of the image captured by the camera;

in a second image other than the first image out of the image, detects a person included in the second image and applies mask processing to the person in the second image;

extracts a third image of a location at which a person is continuously present out of the second image and applies mask processing to the location; and

outputs a composite image of the first image, the second image minus the third image, and the third image to the display, where the first image shows the conveyor, the second image minus the third image shows the area surrounding the conveyor in which the person is masked, and in the third image the location at which a person is continuously present is masked.

2. The article delivery system of claim 1 further comprising:

a storage device that stores the image output from the camera.

3. A method of monitoring an article delivery system which includes a camera, at least one display, and a processor coupled to the camera and the display, the method comprising:

positioning the camera

adjacent to a conveyor configured to move articles thereon;

operating the camera to capture an image of the conveyor and an area surrounding the conveyor and forwarding the image to the processor;

extracting, in the processor, a first image of the conveyor out of the image captured by the camera;

in a second image other than the first image out of the image, detecting a person included in the second image and applying mask processing to the person in the second image;

extracting a third image of a location at which a person is continuously present out of the second image and applying mask processing to the location; and

outputting a composite image of the first image, the second image minus the third image, and the third image from the processor to the display, where the first image shows the conveyor, the second image minus the third image shows the area surrounding the conveyor in which the person is masked, and in the third image the location at which a person is continuously present is masked.

4. A camera device used in an article delivery system, the camera device comprising:

a camera positioned adjacent to a conveyor and configured to capture an image of the conveyor and an area surrounding the conveyor, wherein the conveyor is configured to move articles placed thereon, and

an image processor coupled to the camera and which, in operation:

extracts a first image of the conveyor out of the image captured by the camera;

in a second image other than the first image out of the image, detects a person included in the second image and applies mask processing to the person in the second image;

extracts a third image of a location at which a person is continuously present out of the second image and applies mask processing to the location; and

outputs a composite image of the first image, the second image minus the third image, and the third image to a display, where the first image shows the conveyor, the second image minus the third image shows the area surrounding the conveyor in which the person is masked, and in the third image the location at which a person is continuously present is masked.

Assignments (7)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: I-PRO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063101/0966 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: I-PRO CO., LTD.
To: I-PRO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063102/0075 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 054883/0248 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PSP HOLDINGS CO., LTD
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 054883/0234 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: PSP HOLDINGS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 054883/0201 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2019
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 051369/0172 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2016
From: YAZAKI, HIROSHI; OKADA, MIHOKO; TSUKAHARA, SHINICHI; KUWAHARA, MARIE; NODA, JUNKO
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 037900/0627 →