Audience measurement system and method

A system for identifying a predetermined individual in a monitored area comprising:

• means for capturing first and second current images of the monitored area at different times;
• means for storing a reference facial image signature corresponding to the predetermined individual;
• means for extracting, from the first and second current images of the monitored area, corresponding first and second current facial image signatures and for comparing the first and second current facial image signatures with the reference facial image signature to form corresponding first and second facial image identification records corresponding to the predetermined individual;
• means for tracking a tracked individual from the first current image to the second current image;
• and,
• means for identifying the predetermined individual based on the first and second facial image identification records and based upon tracking the tracked individual from the first current image to the second current image.

A method for identifying individuals within a monitored area comprising the following steps:

• a) constructing reference facial image signatures, each of the reference facial image signatures corresponding to individuals who may be in the monitored area;
• b) counting the individuals within the monitored area;
• c) locating an individual in the monitored area;
• d) computing a quantitative estimate that the located individual is one of the individuals who may be in the monitored area;
• e) performing steps c) and d) a number of times equal to the counted individuals in the monitored area to thereby form a set of quantitative estimates;
• f) determining a maximum quantitative estimate of the set of quantitative estimates;
• g) comparing the maximum quantitative estimate with a predetermined threshold;
• h) assigning an identity label of "guest" to an individual in the monitored area who has a corresponding quantitative estimate which is less than the threshold value;
• and,
• i) identifying an individual in the monitored area who has a corresponding quantitative estimate which is greater than the threshold value;
• j) repeating steps f) through i) until all quantitative estimates in the set of quantitative estimates have been so processed.

A method of adaptively identifying a predetermined individual whose appearance changes between a first time and a second time that the predetermined individual is in a monitored area, the method comprising the following steps:

• a) storing a reference facial image signature wherein the reference facial image signature corresponds to the predetermined individual;
• b) capturing a first current image of the predetermined individual in the monitored area at a first time;
• c) extracting a first current facial image signature from the first current image;
• d) comparing the first current facial image signature with the reference facial image signature to thereby generate a first score representing a degree of agreement between the first current facial image signature and the reference facial image signature;
• e) capturing a second current image of the predetermined individual in the monitored area at a second time;
• f) extracting a second current facial image signature from the second current image;
• g) comparing the second current facial image signature with the reference facial image signature to thereby generate a second score representing a degree of agreement between the second current facial image signature and the reference facial image signature;
• h) comparing the first and second scores to determine a difference therebetween;
• and,
• i) replacing the reference facial image signature corresponding to the predetermined individual with the second current facial image signature if the difference between the first and second scores exceeds a predetermined value.

An image recognition apparatus for identifying a predetermined individual from a set of unknown individuals who may be in a monitored area comprising:

• means for storing a first library of image signatures formed from a first set of images, each image signature of the first library of image signatures relating to a set of known individuals;
• means for generating reference identification parameters from the first library and from a set of initial video images, each of the reference identification parameters corresponding respectively to a member of the set of known individuals, the reference identification parameters being generated according to a first methodology;
• means for generating reference facial image signatures from the set of initial video images, each of the reference facial image signatures corresponding respectively to a member of the set of known individuals, the reference facial image signatures being generated according to a second methodology;
• means for storing the reference identification parameters and the reference facial image signatures;
• means for capturing a current image of unknown individuals in the monitored area;
• means for generating a current identification parameter related to an unknown individual in the current image, the current identification parameter being generated according to the first methodology;
• means for comparing the current identification parameter with the reference identification parameters 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 identification parameter and a corresponding one of the reference identification parameters;
• means for generating a current facial image signature related to the unknown individual in the current image, the current facial image signature being generated according to the second methodology;
• means for comparing the current facial image signature with the reference facial image 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 facial image signature and a corresponding one of the reference facial image signatures;
• means for forming a set of composite scores from the first and second sets of scores wherein each composite score is a single score derived from a score of the first set of scores and a corresponding score of the second set of scores;
• and
• means for selecting which of the composite scores has a maximum value to identify the predetermined individual.

An apparatus for identifying an individual in a monitored area comprising:

• image capturing means for capturing a video image of the monitored area;
• first means for providing a first identity-indicating score relative to the individual in the video image, the first identity-indicating score being based upon a face recognition methodology;
• means for interrogating the individual and for requiring the individual to supply a manually supplied identity datum;
• manual input means for manually supplying the manually supplied identity datum;
• first fusing means for fusing the identity-indicating score and the manually supplied identity datum;
• second means for providing a second identity-indicating score relative to the individual, the second identity-indicating score being based upon a second recognition methodology which is different from the face recognition methodology;
• and
• second fusing means for fusing the first and second identity-indicating scores to form a composite passive identity-indicating score to be operated on by the first fusing means.