Time-in store estimation using facial recognition

A system for monitoring time spent in a location by an individual, the system comprising:

• an image processing module configured to:
• receive an image of an entrance location from a first camera,
• process the received image of the entrance location using a face detection algorithm to detect faces within the received image of the entrance location,
• create an entrance image of each face detected in the image of the entrance location,
• timestamp each entrance image with an entrance time that corresponds to when an individual in the entrance image passed the entrance location,
• store each entrance image and the corresponding entrance time in a database,
• receive an image of an exit location from a second camera,
• process the received image of the exit location using the face detection algorithm to detect faces within the received image of the exit location,
• create an exit image of each face detected in the image of the exit location;
• timestamp each exit image with an exit time that corresponds to when an individual in the exit image passed the exit location, and
• store each entrance image and the corresponding entrance time in the database;
• an image matching module configured to compare an exit image stored in the database to one or more of the entrance images stored in the database using a facial recognition algorithm to identify a matching entrance image containing the same face as an exiting individual oft exit image;
• and
• a stay time calculator module configured to calculate a stay time for a matched exiting individual by determining the difference between the entrance time stored in the database corresponding to the matching entrance image and the exit time stored in the database corresponding to the exit image.

A method of monitoring the amount of time spent in a specified area by an individual, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of entrance images, each entrance image from one or more cameras containing a face of an entering individual who entered a location;
• timestamping each entrance image with an entrance time corresponding to when the entering individual entered the location and storing each entrance image in a database along with the corresponding entrance time;
• receiving an exit image containing a face of an exiting individual exiting the location;
• timestamping the exit image with an exit time corresponding to when the exiting individual exited the location and storing the exit image in the database along with the corresponding exit time;
• identifying a matching entrance image containing the same face as the exit image by at least comparing the exit image stored in the database to the entrance images stored in the database;
• and
• calculating a stay time for the exiting individual by at least determining the difference between the entrance time stored in the database corresponding to the matching entrance image and the exit time stored in the database corresponding to the exit image.