Stationary Camera Layout Mapping Through Human Movement Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mapping systems, such as SLAM, are ineffective for environments where the camera is stationary and the camera's positional parameters are unknown, leading to inaccurate identification of landmarks and dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that iteratively map an environment using a stationary camera by monitoring individuals' paths, updating environmental dimensions based on their height and movement speed, and adjusting camera positional parameters to generate an accurate layout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If SLAM algorithms are used to map environment layout, then detailed layout measurements can be obtained, but the camera must move along a path which increases system complexity and cannot be applied to stationary cameras
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the camera to map the environment (SLAM approach), the patent inverts the problem by keeping the camera stationary and using moving objects (persons) within the field of view to infer environmental dimensions. The movement of persons becomes the reference for measuring environment size rather than camera movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces persons as an intermediary element between the stationary camera and the environment mapping task. By tracking persons' movements and using their known physical characteristics (height, walking speed), the system can calculate environmental dimensions without the camera needing to move.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If a stationary camera is used for security monitoring, then continuous monitoring is achieved, but the camera's positional parameters remain unknown making layout mapping ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from tracking multiple persons' movements to iteratively refine and update the estimated environmental dimensions and camera positional parameters. By continuously monitoring how persons move through the scene and comparing with expected movement patterns, the system gradually converges to accurate measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The stationary camera serves itself by using the visual information it already captures to determine its own positional parameters and the environment's dimensions. The system processes the visual stream it receives to extract calibration information without requiring external calibration equipment or manual parameter input.
3Loss of information
If simple image classification is used to identify landmarks, then object identification is achieved, but accurate measurements of walkways and doors cannot be determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional image classification to three-dimensional spatial reasoning by incorporating depth information derived from person movement. By analyzing how persons move through space and occlude landmarks, the system infers three-dimensional environmental structure and measurements, not just two-dimensional object presence.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods for iteratively mapping a layout of an environment. The implementations include receiving a visual stream from a camera installed in the environment, wherein the visual stream depicts a view of the environment, and wherein positional parameters of the camera and dimensions of the environment are set to arbitrary values. The implementations include monitoring a plurality of persons in the visual stream. For each person in the plurality of persons, the implementations further includes identifying a respective path that the person moves along in the view, updating the dimensions of the environment captured in the view, based on an estimated height of the person and movement speed along the respective path, and updating the positional parameters of the camera based on the updated dimensions of the environment. The implementations further includes mapping a layout of the environment captured in the view of the camera.