Patent ID: 8665329

Claim:
An apparatus that performs method steps for automatically ignoring cast self shadows to increase the effectiveness of video-based surveillance systems comprised of: a. video capture equipment; wherein the video capture equipment captures images of an object; b. a memory comprising software; wherein the software processes the captured video image; wherein the software creates a boundary box around the captured image; wherein the software adjusts the height and the width of the image within the boundary box; said software adjustment of height and width eliminates soft shadows; said boundary box is rectangular; said boundary box has a certain defined shape; wherein an initial vertical line is placed in the boundary box; wherein the software edits the boundary box to produce an edited boundary box; said software produces a drop histogram; said drop histogram is comprised of a series of vectors; said vectors extend from the top line of the boundary box to predetermined points on the captured image; wherein the software reconfigures the image within the boundary box based on the drop histogram; wherein the software reconfigures the width of the boundary box based on the drop histogram; wherein the software creates a vertical line through the approximate center of a desired image in the edited boundary box; wherein the software creates a line through the approximate center of a shadow; wherein a line is placed on the bottom line of the boundary box to create an edited boundary box; wherein said bottom line, said vertical line through the desired image, and said line through shadow meet at one common vertex; wherein the software determines an angle between said lines; said angle determines the angle of the shadow; said software eliminates the shadow.