Omnidirectional Camera Region-Based Resolution Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional video-recording devices in law-enforcement vehicles face limitations such as a limited field of view, mechanical reliability issues, and excessive data storage requirements due to capturing large areas, including irrelevant images.
Innovation Solution
An omnidirectional camera system with a digital processor that captures and compresses images, identifying regions of interest and storing them at higher resolution while discarding or compressing less relevant areas, using signal-detection, gaze-estimation, and object-detection algorithms to focus on specific areas like law enforcement officers or objects of interest.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional cameras are used in police vehicles, then the device complexity is low, but the field of view is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The omnidirectional camera system segments the captured scene into multiple regions of interest (ROIs) based on detected objects, people, or events. Only these segmented regions are stored at high resolution, while other areas are stored at lower resolution or discarded, thereby expanding the effective field of view without proportionally increasing data storage requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the resolution parameter for different regions of the captured image. High-resolution capture is applied only to regions containing objects of interest (detected via object detection, facial recognition, or event triggers), while other regions use lower resolution, effectively expanding the usable field of view without linearly increasing storage demands.
2Area of stationary object
If mechanical panning and tilting mechanisms are used to achieve 360-degree coverage, then the field of view is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical panning and tilting mechanisms with a stationary omnidirectional camera that captures 360-degree views simultaneously. This eliminates moving parts and mechanical failures while maintaining comprehensive field of view coverage through optical design rather than mechanical movement.
3Area of stationary object
If omnidirectional cameras capture full 360-degree images, then the field of view is improved, but the data storage requirements increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different quality levels (resolution) to different regions of the omnidirectional image based on their importance. Regions containing detected objects, people, or events of interest are stored at high resolution, while empty or less important regions are stored at lower resolution or discarded entirely, optimizing storage efficiency while maintaining comprehensive surveillance coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards or stores at low resolution the portions of omnidirectional images that do not contain regions of interest, and recovers full detail only for areas containing detected objects, people, or significant events. This selective discarding approach dramatically reduces storage requirements while preserving all potentially useful evidence.
4Area of stationary object
If omnidirectional cameras capture all areas, then the field of view is improved, but the loss of information increases due to recording large amounts of irrelevant images
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary object detection, facial recognition, or event detection on the omnidirectional image before final storage. This preliminary action identifies regions of interest that require full detail preservation, allowing the system to maintain high quality where needed while reducing storage elsewhere, thereby preventing loss of critical information without storing irrelevant data.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for an omnidirectional camera for use in recording events around a police vehicle is disclosed. The system and method include an omnidirectional camera and a digital processor for processing the omnidirectional images captured by the omnidirectional camera. The digital processor may be operable to locate one or more regions of interests disposed within the omnidirectional images. A recordable medium is also disclosed for storing at least some of the captured images.