Patent application EP20169189A (EP), filed 2020-04-10
Publication number: EP3736734A1
Title: TRACKING DEVICE, TRACKING METHOD AND TRACKING SYSTEM
Abstract: A tracking device includes an interface connectable to cameras, each acquiring an image and determining an object location within the image, a distance therefrom, and a time; a memory storing first coordinates indicating a camera location with respect to a reference point in a facility, and a first direction towards which each camera faces; and a processor, upon receipt of the location, the distance, and the time, calculating a second direction from the camera to the object, calculating second coordinates indicating an object location with respect to the camera location, calculating and storing with the time third coordinates indicating an object location with respect to the reference point. When locations calculated from the images acquired by the first and second cameras are associated with the same time, the processor calculates a distance therebetween, and when the distance falls within a predetermined range, recalculates the object location based on the locations.
IPC codes: G06K   9/    00            A I
G06T   7/    20            A I
G06T   7/    50            A I
G06T   7/    70            A I
G06T   7/   292            A I
G06T   7/   246            A I
G06V  20/    52            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A tracking device for tracking a location of an object within a facility, comprising:
number: 2
text: The tracking device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to recalculate the location of the object by calculating an intermediate position of the first and second locations.
number: 3
text: The tracking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second coordinates are polar coordinates indicating the location of the object in the facility with respect to the location where each of the cameras is installed.
number: 4
text: The tracking device according to claim 3, wherein
number: 5
text: The tracking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the object is a person, and the location of the object determined by each of the cameras is a location where a head of the person is located within the image.
number: 6
text: The tracking device according to claim 5, wherein the facility is a sales room of a store.
number: 7
text: The tracking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processor is configured to:
number: 8
text: The tracking device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to, upon determining that the second direction is erroneous, correct the calculated second coordinates using a previous second direction acquired by the camera, and recalculate the third coordinates using the corrected second coordinates.
number: 9
text: The tracking device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the processor is configured to repeat a process of the calculation of the second direction, the second coordinates, and the third coordinates, and the storage thereof as long as the object is located within the image acquired by each of the cameras.
number: 10
text: The tracking device according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to:
number: 11
text: A method for tracking a location of an object within a facility using a plurality of cameras including a first and a second camera, the method comprising:
number: 12
text: The method according to claim 11, wherein the recalculated location of the object is an intermediate position of the first and second locations.
number: 13
text: The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the second coordinates are polar coordinates indicating the location of the object in the facility with respect to the location where each of the cameras is installed.
number: 14
text: The method according to claim 13, wherein
number: 15
text: The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, further comprising:
Office action: search_report, dated 2020-11-11
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: US2014064560A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2014064560
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
Final disposition: pending (2020-11-11)