Crowd Icon Placement Using Regional Density Arrays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods struggle to accurately place icons representing individuals on images of crowded areas, leading to unnatural representations that do not align with the actual congestion status.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves dividing a target region into multiple areas, detecting the proportion of individuals in each area, transforming this data into an array, and determining the placement of individuals based on this array to create a natural representation of congestion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a placement method for placing icons representing people on background images is not established, then privacy protection is achieved, but the naturalness and accuracy of crowd status representation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of congestion status representationVSAvoidcomplexity of placement method

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The target region is divided into multiple division regions, and the proportion of people is detected for each division region separately. This segmentation allows for more accurate local crowd status representation while maintaining overall privacy protection through icon placement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The proportion of people in each division region is transformed into array information, changing the parameter representation from continuous proportion data to discrete array indices. This enables deterministic placement of icons that accurately reflects local crowd density while maintaining privacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If icons are placed without knowing the placement method, then privacy is protected, but the naturalness of the crowd image deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenaturalness of crowd imageVSAvoidloss of placement information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of displaying actual person images, the system creates copy representations in the form of icons placed on background images. The placement positions are determined by transforming proportion data into array indices, ensuring the copy accurately represents the original crowd distribution without revealing personal information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

Array information serves as an intermediary between the detected proportion data and the final icon placement. This intermediary structure preserves the essential spatial distribution information needed for natural crowd representation while preventing direct access to sensitive placement details.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12500991B2Placement method

Publication Date: 2025.12.16 NEC CORP

AI summary

A placement apparatus according to the present invention includes: a detecting unit configured to detect a proportion of an existing person for each of division regions obtained by dividing a target region into a plurality of regions; a transforming unit configured to transform information representing the proportion of the person of each of the division regions into an array; and a determining unit configured to determine placement of the individual person in the division region based on the array.