# US 9,182,812 B2 · Virtual sensor systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,182,812 B2 - Document ID: US9182812B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/736,628 - Filed: 2013-01-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Granted: 2015-11-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: Ayotle - Applicants: Ayotle - Inventors: José Alonso Ybanez Zepeda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9182812B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/01: Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - G06F 3/0304: {Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042)} - G06F 3/04815: Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional [3D], e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Methods and systems for detecting activation of a virtual sensor in a scene are proposed, wherein the virtual sensor comprises data representing a geometric form, data representing a position in the scene and data representing one or several trigger conditions. A data representation of the scene is captured, and a determination of whether a virtual sensor trigger condition is fulfilled is made, based on an analysis of the captured data representation in an area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for detecting activation of a virtual sensor in a scene, wherein the virtual sensor comprises data representing a three-dimensional geometric form, data representing a position in the scene and data representing one or several trigger conditions, the method comprising: capturing a first data representation of the scene using at least one physical sensor; and determining whether one or several of the virtual sensor trigger conditions is/are fulfilled based on an analysis of the captured first data representation in a first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor, wherein the determining whether a virtual sensor trigger condition is fulfilled comprises analyzing point cloud data representing surfaces of objects detected by the at least one physical sensor in the scene, the point cloud data comprising data representing non-empty points of a second volume area corresponding to the captured first data representation and respective associated position in the second volume area and determining whether an object of the scene enters the first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor by determining whether a number of non-empty points whose position fall in the first volume area which correspond to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor is beyond a threshold specified by a trigger condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first data representation of the scene includes an image data representation of the scene. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: capturing a second data representation of the scene; configuring the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor based on an image generated from the captured second data representation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing point cloud data representing points in the first volume area which corresponds to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor comprises: detecting the points of the point cloud which are positioned in the first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor; and comparing the number of detected points to a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing point cloud data representing points in the first volume area which correspond to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor comprises: detecting the points of the point cloud which are positioned in the area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor; determining an intensity value representing intensity amounts for some of the detected points; and comparing the determined intensity value to a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising processing the captured first data representation of the scene for removing data that represent a background of the scene. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising defining and configuring one or several virtual sensors in the scene using the first data representation of the scene. ### Claim 8 A system for detecting activation of a virtual sensor in a scene, the system comprising: a scene capture sub-system configured to capture a scene using at least one physical sensor and generate a first data representation of the scene; a virtual sensor sub-system in operative communication with the scene capture sub-system, the virtual sensor sub-system comprising an interface for receiving data representing the first data representation of the scene, a processor, and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the virtual sensor sub-system is configured for detecting activation of the virtual sensor in the scene, wherein the virtual sensor comprises data representing a three-dimensional geometric form, data representing a position in the scene and data representing one or several trigger conditions, and wherein the detecting activation of the virtual sensor in the scene comprises: determining whether one or several of the virtual sensor trigger condition is/are fulfilled based on an analysis of the captured first data representation in a first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor, wherein the determining whether a virtual sensor trigger condition is fulfilled comprises analyzing point cloud data representing surfaces of objects detected by said at least one sensor in the scene, the point cloud data comprising data representing non-empty points of a second volume area corresponding to the captured first data representation and respective associated position in the second volume area and determining whether an object of the scene enters the first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor by determining whether a number of non-empty points whose position fall in the first volume area which correspond to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor is beyond a threshold specified by a trigger condition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A system according to claim 8, wherein the virtual sensor sub-system includes functionality to define and configure one or several virtual sensors in the scene using the first data representation of the scene. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for detecting activation of a virtual sensor in a scene, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for: receiving data representing a three-dimensional geometric form of the virtual sensor, data representing a position of the virtual sensor in the scene, and data representing one or several trigger conditions of the virtual sensor; receiving data representing a first data representation of the scene captured by at least one physical sensor; and determining whether one or several of the virtual sensor trigger condition is/are fulfilled based on the analysis of the received data, wherein the determining whether a virtual sensor trigger condition is fulfilled comprises analyzing point cloud data representing surfaces of objects detected by said at least one sensor in the scene, the point cloud data comprising data representing non-empty points of a second volume area corresponding to the captured first data representation and respective associated position in the second volume area and determining whether an object of the scene enters the first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor by determining whether a number of non-empty points whose position fall in the first volume area which correspond to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor is beyond a threshold specified by a trigger condition. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer program product comprising computer program code tangibly embodied in a computer readable medium, said computer program code comprising instructions to, when provided to a computer system and executed, cause said computer to perform a method for detecting activation of a virtual sensor in a scene, wherein the virtual sensor comprises data representing a three-dimensional geometric form, data representing a position in the scene and data representing one or several trigger conditions, the method comprising determining whether one or several of the virtual sensor trigger conditions is/are fulfilled based on an analysis of data representing a captured first data representation of the scene in a first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor, wherein the determining whether a virtual sensor trigger condition is fulfilled comprises analyzing point cloud data representing surfaces of objects detected by said at least one sensor in the scene, the point cloud data comprising data representing non-empty points of a second volume area corresponding to the captured first data representation and respective associated position in the second volume area and determining whether an object of the scene enters the first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor by determining whether a number of non-empty points whose position fall in the first volume area which correspond to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor is beyond a threshold specified by a trigger condition. ### Claim 12 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed, causes a system comprising a processor operatively coupled with a memory, to perform a method for detecting activation of a virtual sensor in a scene, wherein the virtual sensor comprises data representing a three-dimensional geometric form, data representing a position in the scene and data representing one or several trigger conditions, the method comprising determining whether one or several of the virtual sensor trigger conditions is/are fulfilled based on an analysis of data representing a captured first data representation of the scene in first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor, wherein the determining whether a virtual sensor trigger condition is fulfilled comprises analyzing point cloud data representing surfaces of objects detected by said at least one sensor in the scene, the point cloud data comprising data representing non-empty points of a second volume area corresponding to the captured first data representation and respective associated position in the second volume area and determining whether an object of the scene enters the first volume area corresponding to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor by determining whether a number of non-empty points whose position fall in the first volume area which correspond to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor is beyond a threshold specified by a trigger condition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual sensor and trigger condition are chosen based on a way an object of the scene is expected to enter the first volume area which corresponds to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the size of the virtual sensor is chosen based on an object of the scene which is expected to enter the first volume area which corresponds to the geometric form and position of the virtual sensor.