Range Image Camera Foreground Extraction for Posture Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing computing systems that utilize multiple range image cameras for posture estimation face increased communication and processing loads due to the large quantity of range image data, requiring high-performance computers and inefficient data processing methods.
Innovation Solution
A posture estimation system that includes range image cameras capable of extracting and transmitting only foreground pixels from range images, reducing the data load and processing burden by having the cameras perform initial posture estimation and only sending relevant joint position information to a connected device for further processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If range image cameras transmit complete range image data to remote servers for posture estimation, then posture estimation accuracy is maintained, but communication load and processing load increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential foreground pixels from the complete range image data before transmission. The range image camera performs foreground extraction locally, identifying and transmitting only the pixel regions that contain actual objects of interest, thereby significantly reducing the volume of data sent to remote servers while preserving the information necessary for accurate posture estimation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary processing at the range image camera side by performing foreground extraction and initial posture estimation before data transmission. This preliminary action reduces the burden on remote servers by pre-processing the data and sending only the essential extracted information, rather than transmitting complete raw range images for all processing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple range image cameras are installed to improve monitoring coverage, then system capability increases, but communication and processing loads multiply
Solution Approach 1:
Each range image camera in the multi-camera system performs local foreground extraction, transmitting only the essential extracted data from its field of view. This approach allows the system to expand monitoring coverage with multiple cameras while keeping the data transmission volume from each camera minimized, as each camera independently extracts and sends only its relevant foreground information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the monitoring system into independent range image cameras that each perform local processing. By dividing the overall processing task across multiple distributed cameras, each camera handles its own foreground extraction and initial estimation independently, preventing the need to transmit and process complete images from all cameras centrally, thus scaling efficiently with added cameras.
3Productivity
If high-performance computers are used to process large quantities of range image data, then processing speed improves, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary foreground extraction and initial posture estimation at the range image camera side before data transmission. This preliminary processing action reduces the computational burden on remote servers, allowing standard computing equipment to handle the reduced data load efficiently, thereby reducing the need for high-performance computers while maintaining processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
By extracting and transmitting only the essential foreground pixel data rather than complete range images, the patent significantly reduces the volume of data requiring server-side processing. This extraction approach enables efficient processing with lower-performance computers, as the remote servers receive minimal processed data that requires minimal computational resources to analyze.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a posture estimation system including a range image camera for acquiring and outputting range image and an attitude estimation device connected via the network to the range image camera. The range image camera includes a range image sensor, a range image generator that extracts a region including foreground pixels from the input range image acquired from the range image sensor and generates a range image including the extracted area, a first posture estimator that estimates a first joint position from the range image, and a first communicator that transmits the range image and the estimated first joint position. The posture estimating device includes a second communicator that receives the range image from the range image camera and the first joint position, a range image receiver that receives the range image via the second communicator, a posture estimator that estimates recognizes a second joint position different from the first joint position based on the range image received by the range image receiving unit, and generates estimated posture information based on the first joint position and the second joint position, and an outputter that outputs the generated estimated attitude information, wherein the first communicator sends a range image used for extracting the second joint position to the network.