IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,406,465
Granted Patent B2
US 12,406,465 · App. 17/795,605 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Queue analysis apparatus, control method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Inventor: Hiroo Ikeda (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
G06V10/62G06T7/70G06V20/53G06T2207/30196
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,406,465
App. No.
17/795,605
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A queue analysis apparatus ( 2000 ) estimates a position and an orientation of each object ( 20 ) included in a target image ( 10 ). The target image ( 10 ) is generated by a camera ( 50 ) that captures the object ( 20 ). The queue analysis apparatus ( 2000 ) generates a queue line ( 40 ) that expresses, by a linear shape, a queue included in a queue region ( 30 ) being a region representing a queue in the target image ( 10 ), based on a position and an orientation being estimated for each object ( 20 ) included in the queue region ( 30 ).

Claims (56)

1. A queue analysis apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory configured to store instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:

estimating a position and an orientation of an object included in a target image;

generating, for a queue region being a region including a queue of an object in the target image, a queue line representing a queue included in the queue region by a line, based on the position and the orientation being estimated for the object included in the queue region; and

generating output information including a result image in which the queue line is included, wherein

the result image is acquired by superimposing the queue line on any one of the target image, a background image in which a same range as that of the target image is included, and a map image in which a same range as that of the target image is included, and

the operations further comprise:

estimating a time change in a queue line, based on the queue line generated from the target image and a queue line generated in the past for a queue represented by the queue line;

generating a future queue line for the queue, based on the estimated time change in the queue line; and

including the generated future queue line in the result image.

2. The queue analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:

performing, on a direction vector representing a position and an orientation of each object constituting the queue, ordering based on an adjacent relationship between direction vectors; and

generating the queue line, based on the direction vector of the each object constituting the queue and an order of the direction vector.

3. The queue analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the operations comprise:

generating, for each direction vector, a line connecting an end point of the direction vector and a starting point of another direction vector located right in front of the direction vector; and

generating the queue line by the generated each line and the each direction vector.

4. The queue analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the operations comprise

generating the queue line by performing linear approximation or non-linear interpolation on the ordered direction vector.

5. The queue analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:

estimating, for a queue represented by the queue line, any one or more of a front and an end of the queue, based on a position and an orientation of an object in a queue region in which the queue is included; and

including, in the result image, a display representing any one or more of the estimated front and the estimated end.

6. The queue analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:

computing a distance along the queue line between a front of the queue line and another position on the queue line;

computing a waiting time of the queue in the another position, based on the computed distance; and

including the computed waiting time in the output information.

7. The queue analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise

including, in the result image, a queue line generated in the past for a queue represented by the queue line generated from the target image.

8. A control method executed by a computer, the control method comprising:

estimating a position and an orientation of an object included in a target image;

generating, for a queue region being a region including a queue of an object in the target image, a queue line representing a queue included in the queue region by a line, based on the position and the orientation being estimated for the object included in the queue region; and

generating output information including a result image in which the queue line is included, wherein

the result image is acquired by superimposing the queue line on any one of the target image, a background image in which a same range as that of the target image is included, and a map image in which a same range as that of the target image is included, and

the control method further comprises:

estimating a time change in a queue line, based on the queue line generated from the target image and a queue line generated in the past for a queue represented by the queue line,

generating a future queue line for the queue, based on the estimated time change in the queue line; and

including the generated future queue line in the result image.

9. The control method according to claim 8 , further comprising,

performing, on a direction vector representing a position and an orientation of each object constituting the queue, ordering based on an adjacent relationship between direction vectors, and generating the queue line, based on the direction vector of the each object constituting the queue and an order of the direction vector.

10. The control method according to claim 9 , further comprising,

generating the queue line by performing linear approximation or non-linear interpolation on the ordered direction vector.

11. The control method according to claim 8 , further comprising,

estimating, for a queue represented by the queue line, any one or more of a front and an end of the queue, based on a position and an orientation of an object in a queue region in which the queue is included, and including, in the result image, a display representing any one or more of the estimated front and the estimated end.

12. The control method according to claim 8 , further comprising,

computing a distance along the queue line between a front of the queue line and another position on the queue line, computing a waiting time of the queue in the another position, based on the computed distance, and including the computed waiting time in the output information.

13. The control method according to claim 8 , further comprising,

including, in the result image, a queue line generated in the past for a queue represented by the queue line generated from the target image.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a control method, the control method comprising:

estimating a position and an orientation of an object included in a target image;

generating, for a queue region being a region including a queue of an object in the target image, a queue line representing a queue included in the queue region by a line, based on the position and the orientation being estimated for the object included in the queue region; and

generating output information including a result image in which the queue line is included, wherein

the result image is acquired by superimposing the queue line on any one of the target image, a background image in which a same range as that of the target image is included, and a map image in which a same range as that of the target image is included, and

the operations further comprise:

estimating a time change in a queue line, based on the queue line generated from the target image and a queue line generated in the past for a queue represented by the queue line;

generating a future queue line for the queue, based on the estimated time change in the queue line; and

including the generated future queue line in the result image.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2022
From: IKEDA, HIROO
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060638/0503 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230048567A1 · Feb 16, 2023
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