Camera Motion Trails From Low-Power Composite Frames
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surveillance cameras face a tradeoff between capturing smooth video and conserving power and storage resources, with lower frame rates leading to choppier video for fast-moving subjects, and reviewing recorded video over extended periods is inefficient for quickly identifying relevant events.
Innovation Solution
Generate long exposure composite image (LECI) frames by combining a sequence of image frames using pixel-wise weighted averaging, with a dedicated low-power processor operating independently from the main processor to conserve power and summarize activity in a single image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the frame rate is reduced to conserve power and storage resources, then power consumption and storage usage are reduced, but video quality becomes choppier and less smooth for fast-moving subjects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the video processing task into two parts: a low-power processor captures and initially processes frames at a reduced frame rate, while a separate main processor periodically generates LECI frames by combining multiple captured frames. This segmentation allows the system to maintain acceptable video quality for power-efficient operation by distributing processing responsibilities between two processors with different power characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple individual image frames into a single LECI (Long Exposure Composite Image) frame by combining information from multiple frames. This merging process creates a composite representation that preserves important visual information while reducing the overall data volume and processing requirements, thereby maintaining video quality while enabling power-efficient operation at lower frame rates.
2Quantity of substance
If the frame rate is reduced to conserve storage resources, then storage usage is reduced, but the ability to capture fast-moving subjects is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The low-power processor performs preliminary capture and processing of video frames at a reduced frame rate, storing only essential data. The main processor then performs preliminary analysis to determine when LECI frame generation is necessary, acting in advance to preserve important events while maintaining storage efficiency during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its operation mode based on activity detection. The main processor periodically analyzes captured frames to detect motion or events, and only triggers full LECI generation when activity is detected. This dynamic approach ensures storage efficiency during static periods while maintaining capture capability when fast-moving subjects or events occur.
3Reliability
If the main processor is used continuously to generate LECI frames, then video quality and event detection are improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The main processor operates periodically rather than continuously, dedicating specific time intervals to analyze captured frames and generate LECI images. Between these periodic intervals, the low-power processor handles continuous frame capture independently. This periodic operation pattern enables the main processor to maintain high event detection accuracy while significantly reducing overall power consumption compared to continuous operation.
4Reliability
If video is reviewed over extended periods to identify relevant events, then comprehensive event detection is achieved, but time efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The main processor extracts and prioritizes only the most relevant frames or time periods from the continuous video stream for LECI generation and review. By analyzing captured frames periodically and selecting only significant events for detailed LECI processing, the system achieves comprehensive event detection while minimizing the time required for human review, as users only need to examine generated LECI frames rather than entire video sequences.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are system, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for generating a long exposure composite image (LECI) frame, wherein the LECI frame provides a summary of activity in a monitored environment over a duration of time. An embodiment captures, using an image-capturing device, a sequence of image frames over the duration of time using an optical sensor of the image-capturing device. The embodiment then generates the LECI frame, using an embedded low-power processor coupled to the optical sensor and dedicated to generating LECI frames, by combining the sequence of image frames. The embodiment then transmits the LECI frame to a network device using a transceiver coupled to the low-power processor.