Audience measurement system and method

An image recognition system for identifying an individual in a monitored area comprising:

• means for storing a plurality of reference facial image signatures and a plurality of reference body shape signatures, each stored reference facial image signature and each reference body shape signature corresponding to a predetermined individual;
• video camera apparatus adapted to capture a current image of an individual in the monitored area;
• means responsive to the video camera apparatus for extracting a current facial image signature from the current image, for extracting a current body shape signature from the current image, for comparing the current facial image signature with the stored reference facial image signatures to thereby generate a first set of scores wherein each score of the first set of scores represents a degree of agreement between the current facial image signature and a corresponding stored reference facial signature, for comparing the current body shape signature with the stored reference body shape signatures to thereby generate a second set of scores wherein each score of the second set of scores represents a degree of agreement between the current body shape signature and a corresponding stored reference body shape signature, for forming a composite set of scores from the first and second sets of scores, and for selecting a maximum score from the composite set of scores.

A system for identifying predetermined persons in a monitored area, the persons having established viewing or listening habits during past days, the system comprising:

• an historical record of the viewing or listening habits of the predetermined persons during past days;
• means for forming, from the historical record, a first probability estimate that predetermined persons are present in the monitored area;
• means for storing a plurality of reference facial image signatures wherein each of the reference facial image signatures corresponds to a predetermined person;
• means for capturing a current image of the monitored area;
• means for extracting a current facial image signature from the current image;
• means for comparing the current facial image signature with the reference facial image signatures to form a second probability estimate that predetermined persons are present in the monitored area;
• and,
• means for identifying predetermined persons from the first and second probability estimates.

A method for determining that a predetermined individual is present in a monitored area during a predetermined time interval, the method comprising the following steps:

• a) forming a first set of reference facial image signatures wherein each reference facial image signature of the first set is extracted from an initial image of a plurality of individuals according to a first methodology:
• b) forming a second set of reference facial image signatures wherein each reference facial image signature of the second set is extracted from an initial image of the plurality of individuals according to a second methodology which is different from the first methodology;
• c) capturing a current image of the monitored area;
• d) locating a face of an individual from the current image;
• e) extracting a first current facial image signature from the located face by use of the first methodology;
• f) comparing the first current facial image signature with the first set of reference facial image signatures to generate a first set of scores;
• g) extracting a second current facial image signature from the located face by use of the second methodology;
• h) comparing the second current facial image signature with the second set of reference facial image signatures to generate a second set of scores;
• i) combining the first and the second sets of scores to form a composite set of scores;
• j) determining if the predetermined individual is present in the monitored area from the composite set of scores.

A method for tracking an individual within a monitored area comprising the following steps:

• a) forming a first reference facial image signature related to the individual according to a first methodology:
• b) forming a second reference facial image signature related to the individual according to a second methodology which is different from the first methodology;
• c) obtaining a current image and a set of subsequent images of the monitored area;
• d) locating a current facial image of the individual in the current image;
• e) extracting a first current facial image signature from the current facial image by use of the first methodology;
• f) comparing the first current facial image signature with the first reference facial image signature to generate a first score;
• g) extracting a second current facial image signature from the current facial image by use of the second methodology;
• h) comparing the second current facial image signature with the second reference facial image signature to generate a second score;
• i) identifying the individual from the first and second scores;
• and,
• j) tracking the identified individual from the current image through at least some of the subsequent images.