Auto-setup of a video safety curtain system

A method of calibrating a video monitoring system comprising the steps of:

• providing a calibration pattern within a field of view of camera components of said video monitoring system;
• acquiring an image of said calibration pattern;
• and
• constructing a transformation object that relates objects in physical space to locations in said image wherein the transformation object is defined by the following equations:
• C x ⁡ ( I x , I y ) = ∑ i , j ≥ 0 i + j ≤ n ⁢ ⁢ a ij ⁢ I x i ⁢ I y j C y ⁡ ( I x , I y ) = ∑ i , j ≥ 0 i + j ≤ n ⁢ ⁢ b ij ⁢ I x i ⁢ I y j
• wherein av and bv are polynomial coefficients;
• n is the degree of a polynomial transformation;
• (Ix,Iy) are the image coordinates of said calibration pattern;
• and
• (Cx,Cy) are physical coordinates of said calibration pattern.

A method of determining operating parameters for a video safety curtain comprising the steps of:

• constraining said operation parameters to depend on a 3 dimensional shape of said protection zone;
• determining a maximum distance (rmax) over which an object is capable of traveling within a protection zone prior to detection;
• and
• providing a buffer zone distance within a protection zone perimeter and contiguous to said perimeter wherein said buffer zone distance is greater than rmax.