A method and an apparatus for detecting the number of persons in which the differential pictures are converted into binary signals being affected neither by the color of the hair of the persons to be detected nor by the change in the intensity of illumination even when the contrast is small over the background floor. The shape of the picture is corrected, and the area of the picture becomes nearly uniform irrespective of the positions of the persons in the visual field of the TV camera. Moreover, a correlation value relative to the pattern of a predetermined size and a center of gravity of the picture are found while compressing the number of pixels, making it possible to detect the number of persons within a very short period of time maintaining high precision.
A smoke supervisory system comprising a visible image processor for calculating a differential image between a reference image and an input image and calculating parameters in the differential image; an address overlap detector for detecting whether the differential images overlap each other; an image element number change detector for detecting a change in the image element number of the differential image; and an address ratio change detector for calculating an address ratio of the differential image; or an equipment supervisory system comprising an image fetch device for fetching a reference image and an input image from an infrared image pick up device; a mask control device for masking the reference image and the input image; a differential operation device for calculating a differential image of an unmasked dividing image; a temperature distribution difference detector for detecting a maximum temperature and a mean temperature of a temperature distribution from the differential image and calculating a temperature distribution difference; and when the calculated temperature distribution difference is more than a predetermined level, detecting an abnormal sign. By using this invention, in any environmental conditions, early detection of smoke generation is automatically executed and early and accurate detection of an abnormal temperature can be realized.
The invention relates to a method and device for detecting and analyzing the reception behavior of people in at last one reception room according to visual, audiovisual and/or auditory messages, actions and/or to the guiding of flows of customers. The method should be able to be realized with a lower degree of complexity than that of prior art methods. The invention is characterized in that, from the moment each person enters the reception room until their departure, their location coordinates, body coordinates, turning movements and rotating movements of their body and/or of parts of their body, as well as the posture of their body and/or the position of their extremities are detected with a frequency that is greater than one.
A method for monitoring a field of view for visible changes is disclosed. A first image is taken in a predetermined manner of the field of view to be monitored, and then an array divides the first image into a plurality of cells. A second image is taken in the predetermined manner of the field of view to be monitored. The array is also applied to the second image, dividing the second image into the plurality of cells. Predetermined groups of cells of the second image are then compared to the same groups of cells of the first image, and the number of the groups of cells that changed from the first image to the second image is computed. In some situations only certain groups of cells are compared. In one form of the method, each cell of the first image is given a numerical value based upon the information in each cell, and each cell of the second image is also given a numerical value based upon the information in each cell. Each group of cells is also given a numerical value based on the numerical value of the cells within the group, such as the sum of the numerical values of the cells within the group. In one arrangement, each cell is a single picture element, known as a pixel. The numerical value of each group of cells is the sum of the brightness for the pixels in the group. In one such arrangement, the predetermined groups of cells comprises a single group. In one method, the number of the groups of cells which changed in numerical value by more than a predetermined amount is also computed.
An automated teller machine (10) or a home banking system (32) is operated to provide, during the delays associated with authorizing and acting upon a user instruction, a sales presentation related to a financial product. The type of presentation is selected by matching a profile of the user, obtained from a central information store (20), with profiles of target customers for a number of financial products.
The invention provides a method and apparatus for remote sensing of livestock, using a thermographic image sensing system, in order to determine one or more of the number, weight, location, temperature, carcass pH, etc., of animals in a surveillance area. A thermographic image comprising pixels of the area is sent to a digitizing board in a microcomputer, where the image is converted into a number array. The numbers are then interpreted by software to provide the desired information in a decipherable form.
