# US 2020/0394902 A1 · Comprehensive video/sensor based artwork protection system

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- Number: US 2020/0394902 A1
- Document ID: US20200394902A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/899,911
- Filed: 2020-06-12
- Published: 2020-12-17
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-14
- Assignees: Acuity-Vct, Inc.
- Applicants: ACUITY-vct, LLC
- Inventors: Michael Lawrence Elliott; Daniel Joseph Lazuta; Randolph Allen Stankie
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200394902A1

## CPC

- G06T 7/248: {involving reference images or patches}
- G08B 29/186: {Fuzzy logic; neural networks}
- G06T 7/20: Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51)
- G08B 13/19602: {Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction}
- G08B 13/19641: {Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene}
- G08B 13/19656: {Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet}
- G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence
- G06T 2207/20081: Training; Learning
- G06T 2207/20084: Artificial neural networks [ANN]
- G06T 2207/30232: Surveillance
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS

## Abstract

A computer-implemented method for protecting objects monitors a zone in which at least one object is held. The method uses input that it acquired from at least one monitor in communication with a server computer performing the method. Subzones are determined within the zone. Each object is associated with and/or belongs to a subzone. The method monitors the zone for an incident. This monitoring is performed across a series of images. In response to an incident being detected within a subzone, the object belonging to the subzone is identified. An alarm output is generated that is unique to the object. The output is transmitted to an output device in communication with the server computer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for protecting objects, the method comprising:
at a server computer:
acquiring at least one image or measurement from at least one monitor in communication with the server computer, the at least one monitor monitoring a zone in which at least one object is held;
determining subzones within the zone, each object belonging to a subzone;
monitoring the zone for an incident;
in response to an incident being detected within a subzone, identifying an object belonging to the subzone; and
generating an alarm output unique to the object; and
transmitting the output to an output device in communication with the server computer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
acquiring a stored timetable; and
determining the subzones for a current time using the timetable;
wherein the subzones are dynamic.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
using at least one image from the monitor, determining at least one of current color and intensity from a background in the zone;
acquiring a stored color or intensity of the background;
in response to a change between the current color and background color meeting or exceeding a predetermined threshold, discarding the incident as an anticipated change of lighting condition; and
in response to a change between the current color and background color not meeting or exceeding a predetermined threshold, signaling an alarm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the background is a blank portion of a wall or ceiling.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
applying the at least one image or measurement to a classifier, the classifier classifying the incident as being one of a positive and false positive.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the positive includes a contact incident; and
wherein the false positive includes a shadow or no contact incident.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 further comprising:
in response to the image or measurement being classified as a false positive, discarding the incident as a no contact incident.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
acquiring a stored audio clip assigned to the object; and
initiating an audible alarm using the clip;
wherein each object in the zone is assigned to a different clip.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
acquiring a map rendering of a space within the zone;
highlighting the object on the map; and
transmitting the highlighted map to a computing device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
before the monitoring, building a classifier to include a training set of images, each training image belonging to a type of incident;
in response to an incident being detected within a subzone, applying the image to the classifier;
generating a category of the incident from the classifier; and
discarding the incident or signalizing the alarm based on the category.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
building a classifier using an image, wherein the building includes receiving input categorizing the incident in the image.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
building a table counting a number of incidents for each object in the zone;
generating a heat map for the zone, the heat map representing the objects based on number of incidents.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating a current digital key for an image in which the object is captured;
acquiring a stored digital fingerprint for the object;
applying the key to the digital footprint;
in response to a discrepancy between the current key and stored digital fingerprint, signaling an incident.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 further comprising:
in response to the incident being signaled, searching the image for all objects in the alarm zone;
determining if the all objects are present;
in response to at least one object being detected as missing in the at least one image, initiating an alarm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the output device is a handheld computer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the subzones are freeform zones each encompassing an object.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an object includes an artifact or artwork.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A system comprising a non-transitory storage device having stored thereon instructions for or implementing the method of claim 1.

### Claim 19

A system for protecting objects, comprising:
a non-transitory storage device having stored thereon instructions for:
acquiring at least one image or measurement from at least one monitor, the at least one monitor monitoring a zone in which at least one object is held;
determining subzones within the zone, each object belonging to a subzone;
monitoring the zone for an incident;
in response to an incident being detected within a subzone, identifying an object belonging to the subzone; and
generating an alarm output unique to the object; and
transmitting the output to an output device in communication with the server computer; and
at least one hardware processor being part of the server computer and configured to execute the instructions.