US 9,317,743 B2 · System and method for automatically discovering, characterizing, classifying and semi-automatically labeling animal behavior and quantitative phenotyping of behaviors in animals

Abstract

A method for studying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area including stimulating the animal using a stimulus device; collecting data from the animal using a data collection device; analyzing the collected data; and developing a quantitative behavioral primitive from the analyzed data. A system for studying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area including a stimulus device for stimulating the animal; a data collection device for collecting data from the animal; a device for analyzing the collected data; and a device for developing a quantitative behavioral primitive from the analyzed data. A computer implemented method, a computer system and a nontransitory computer readable storage medium related to the same. Also, a method and apparatus for automatically discovering, characterizing and classifying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area. Further, use of a depth camera and/or a touch sensitive device related to the same.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for automatically discovering, characterizing and classifying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area, comprising:

(a) using a 3D depth camera to obtain a video stream having a plurality of images of the experimental area with the animal in the experimental area, the images having both area and depth information;
(b) removing background noise from each of the plurality of images to generate processed images having light and dark areas;
(c) determining contours of the light areas in the plurality of processed images;
(d) extracting parameters from both area and depth image information within the contours to form a plurality of multi-dimensional data points, each data point representing the posture of the animal at a specific time and identifying the animal's head and tail based on a derivative of the contour curvature;
(e) clustering the data points at each specific time to output a set of clusters that are segmented form each other so that each cluster represents an animal behavior;
(f) assigning each cluster a label that represents an animal behavior;
and
(g) outputting a visual representation of the set of clusters and corresponding labels.

5 more elements

An apparatus for automatically discovering, characterizing and classifying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area, comprising:

a 3D depth camera that generates a video stream having a plurality of images of the experimental area with the animal in the experimental area, the images having both area and depth information;
a data processing system having a processor and a memory containing program code which, when executed:
(a) removes background noise from each of the plurality of images to generate processed images having light and dark areas;
(b) determines contours of the light areas in the plurality of processed images;
(c) extracts parameters from both area and depth image information within the contours to form a plurality of multi-dimensional data points, each data point representing the posture of the animal at a specific time and identifies the animal's head and tail based on a derivative of the contour curvature;
and
(d) clusters the data points to output a set of clusters that each represent an animal behavior;
(e) assigns each cluster a label that represents an animal behavior;
and
(f) outputs a visual representation of the set of clusters and corresponding labels.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for automatically discovering, characterizing, classifying and semi-automatically labeling animal behavior and quantitative phenotyping of behaviors in animals

Life of this patent

System and method for automatically discovering, characterizing, classifying and semi-automatically labeling animal behavior and quantitative phenotyping of behaviors in animals

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15