Image recognition audience measurement system and method

A method of identifying predetermined individual members of a viewing audience in a monitored area:

• storing a plurality of pattern image signatures, each of said pattern image signatures corresponding to one of the predetermined individual members;
• scanning the monitored area and generating a temperature representative signal of the monitored area;
• processing said generated temperature representative signal and providing individual members direction signals;
• capturing a video image responsive to each of said individual members direction signals in the monitored area;
• sequentially comparing each said captured video image with each of said stored pattern image signatures to identify each of the predetermined individual members.

An image recognition system for identifying predetermined individual members of a viewing audience in a monitored area:

• memory means for storing a plurality of pattern image signatures, each of said pattern image signatures corresponding to one of the predetermined individual members;
• scanner means for scanning the monitored area;
• infrared sensing means carried by said scanner for providing a temperature representative signal of the monitored area;
• means responsive to said temperature representative signal for generating a direction signal for each located individual member in the monitored area;
• infrared video camera means carried by said scanner means and responsive to said direction signal for capturing an image of each of said located individual members in the monitored area;
• means for comparing each said captured image with said stored pattern image signatures to identify each of said located individual members of the predetermined individual members.