Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Method and System for Audience Measurement and Targeting Media
Field of Invention
This invention relates in general to the field of media displays to an
audience. In particular it
relates to a method and system for measuring audience attributes and for
providing targeted
media based upon said attribute measurements.
Background of the Invention
The use of digital display devices in both indoor and outdoor environments is
growing at a
significant rate. Digital display devices may be located almost anywhere as
they are now suited
to placement in an assortment of indoor and outdoor sites, and may be of
various sizes. As a
result, advertisers are increasingly relying upon digital display devices to
deliver their message.
However, unlike other forms of media, it is difficult to measure the
effectiveness of a particular
digital display device. In particular, it can be challenging to determine the
number of potential or
actual viewers. Yet, in order to effectively advertise, information regarding
the size, attributes
and demographics of any audience that is in the vicinity of a display device
and/or is viewing a
display device is required. One approach to measuring this information is to
manually compile
data based on human observations of the audience. However, such an approach
can be time-
consuming and costly. Additionally, manual observations cannot easily be
applied to determine
the most appropriate advertisement to display based on the audience
attributes, particularly if the
set of advertisements available for display is very large.
Prior art responses have tried to address some of the difficulties associated
with detecting people
within a crowd. For example, a single overhead camera has been applied by
prior art, such as US
Patent Application No. 2006/0269103 and US Patent Application No.
2007/0127774, but these
methods merely detect the whereabouts of people, or supply a head count.
Moreover, such
detection systems utilize simplistic means to determine the representation of
a person upon a
video feed, including mergers and splits of a region of interest, or the
identification of blobs and
the assumption that each blob represents a single person. Furthermore, such
methods recognize
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movement, rather than the attributes of individuals. For these reasons, these
methods of
identifying persons within a video feed can be prone to inaccuracies.
A further problem associated with overhead camera systems, such as those in
the patents
identified above, is that they tend to involve a single overhead camera that
is not positioned so as
to be operable to establish audience attributes. Although benefits may be
gained through the use
of overhead views supplied by overhead camera systems, the information
collected can be less
accurate than a system involving either both an overhead camera and a front
facing camera, or a
single camera, being part of a system aimed at gathering audience attributes.
Additionally, the exclusive use of a front-facing camera to review audience
attributes, as applied
in US Patent Application No. 2005/0198661 may also be limited, particularly as
the camera is
not positioned or operable to both establish audience attributes and detect
audience movement.
Furthermore, the use of multiple cameras or sensors that are not positioned to
capture both
overhead and front views of a specific region of interest, such as the
aforementioned patent
application and US Patent Application No. 2007/0271580, will provide less
accurate information
for the purpose of gathering audience attribute information than other
methods.
Prior art approaches to the gathering of audience information may also look to
traffic or heat map
information to collect data. This approach requires trajectory information,
such as is exemplified
by the method of US Patent Application No. 2007/0127774. The processing of
individual
trajectories can be inefficient to generate.
What is required to collect accurate audience data, which indicates the
response of an audience to
displayed media, is a system and method including one or more cameras that
function to permit
the evaluation of the attributes of the audience from collected visual feeds.
The camera(s) may be
positioned and operable to establish audience attributes and detect audience
movement.
Moreover, the implementation of targeted methods to improve accuracy is
required, such as two-
pass face detection, as these can decrease false positives and improve
accuracy. Additionally, the
lack of efficiency improvement facilities, such as the use of difference
images to define localized
search regions, decrease the effectiveness of present means of audience
attribute collection for
the purpose of targeting media to an audience. Furthermore, there is a need in
the art for a system
and method for detection in an anonymous manner, meaning that no information
applicable to
identifying a specific person may ever be retrieved based on the detection
process. Present face
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recognition algorithms are able to identify unique attributes between two or
more faces, to a level
of granularity where the data collected can be used to personally identify an
individual.
Summary of the Invention
In one aspect of the invention, an audience measurement and targeted media
system is provided
characterized in that it comprises: a display for the presentation of content
or media; one or more
cameras positioned and operable to capture images of targets in an area in the
proximity of the
display; and an audience analysis utility that analyzes the images or portions
thereof captured by
the one or more cameras by processing the images or image portions so as to
establish
correlations between two or more images or image portions, so as to detect
audience movement
in the area and establish one or more audience attributes.
In another aspect of the invention a method of targeting media based on an
audience
measurement is provided characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
capturing images by way
of one or more cameras of an audience within an audience area in proximity to
a display;
processing the images to identify individuals within the audience; analyzing
the individuals to
establish attributes; corresponding the established attributes to a media
presented on the display
at the time of the capture of the image; and tailoring media presented on a
display to the
attributes of an audience in the audience area.
In another aspect of the invention an audience measurement and targeted media
system is
provided characterized in that it comprises: a display for the presentation of
content or media;
one or more cameras for capturing images of an audience area in the proximity
of the display
including; a first camera position overhead of the audience area; and a second
camera position
facing outward from the display; a computer having data processor capabilities
including: a
processor for deriving information from the images of said one or more
cameras; a processor for
establishing attributes of individuals viewing the content or media of the
display using the
derived information; and a processor for controlling the display.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of targeting media based on an
audience
measurement is provided characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
positioning in proximity
to a display a first camera overhead of an audience area; positioning a second
camera forward
facing outwardly from the display to capture images of an audience area;
capturing images by
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way the first and second cameras; processing the images to identify
individuals within the
audience; analyzing the individuals to establish audience attributes;
corresponding the
established audience attributes to media presented on the display at the time
of the capture of the
image; and tailoring media presented on a display to the attributes of an
audience in the audience
area in real-time.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of targeting media based on
an audience
measurement is provided characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
positioning in proximity
to a display a camera in a moveable manner whereby it may capture images
overhead of an
audience area and in a forward direction, facing outwardly from the display;
capturing images by
way the camera; processing the images to identify individuals within the
audience; analyzing the
individuals to establish audience attributes; corresponding the established
audience attributes to
media presented on the display at the time of the capture of the image; and
tailoring media
presented on a display to the attributes of an audience in the audience area
in real-time.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in
detail, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details
of construction and to
the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or
illustrated in the
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced
and carried out
in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology employed
herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as
limiting.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention will be better understood and objects of the invention will
become apparent when
consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such
description makes
reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the display device and audience monitoring
elements of the system.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the elements of the Audience Analysis Suite.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the display device and mounted cameras.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the elements of the Visitor Detection Module.
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FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the elements of the Viewer Detection Module.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the elements of the Content Delivery Module.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the elements of the Business Intelligence Tool.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating the visitor detection method.
FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the viewer detection method.
FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the content delivery method in playlist
mode.
FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating the targeted media delivery method.
In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of
example. It is to be
expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the
purpose of illustration
and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended as a definition of the
limits of the invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for collecting data
relevant to the response
of an audience to displayed media. The present invention may apply one or more
cameras, able
to detect the movement of individuals in close proximity to a display, and
positioned to capture
images showing views of the faces of audience members in close proximity to
the display
whereby reactions to the display may be evaluated. This may be achieved by way
of multiple
cameras having varying positions or by a single camera. Depending upon the
audience area and
the targets being captured in the camera images, a single camera may be
positioned and operable
to capture one or more images permitting detection of movement of the targets
in the area; and
one or more images permitting establishment of attributes for the targets.
This may be achieved
either though the application of a camera moveable between positions or a
camera positioned in
a manner whereby the required images are captured from a single position.
In particular the present invention may evaluate whether audience members are
facing the
display, and the amount of time that audience members remain facing a display.
Further
attributes, for example those that are behavioural and demographic, may also
be evaluated by the
present invention.
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The audience analysis data may be aligned with the media on display. For
example, if females in
an audience are more attentive to particular media, and children or else
people over the age of 50
responded to other media, these audience attributes can be recorded and
thereby associated with
the specific media. The result is that audience analysis data may be utilized
to tailor a media
display to a particular audience. Alternatively, audience analysis data may be
utilized for other
audience and media correlation purposes, such as marketing of a display.
Audience analysis data may be stored in a storage medium, such as a database,
which may be an
external or internal database. Alternatively, analysis data may be transferred
to another site
immediately upon its creation and may be processed at that site.
Additionally, the present invention may function in real-time or near real-
time. Factors, such as
utilizing cameras that capture low-granularity images to derive audience data
can increase the
speed of the present invention to produce audience data in real-time or near
real-time. Real-time
function of the present invention may be advantageous, particularly if the
display is a digital
display whereby the content displayed thereon may be tailored to the audience
standing before
the display.
Another feature of utilizing cameras set to capture lower granularity images
in the present
invention is that the audience members remain virtually anonymous. This may
prevent the
present invention from infringing privacy laws.
The embodiments described in this document exemplify a method and system for
providing
business intelligence on the effectiveness of a display and for delivering
targeted media to a
display. The term "media" is intended to encompass all types of presentation,
that of artwork,
audio, video, billboard, advertisement, and any other form of presentation or
dispersion of
information.
In embodiments of the present invention, the elements may include a digital
display, an audience
of one or more people, one or more cameras for the collection of data relating
to the audience in
front of the digital display, and a computer means for processing such data
and causing the
digital display to provide media targeted to the audience.
The embodiments of elements of the system and method of the present invention
may be
implemented in hardware or software, or a combination thereof. However,
preferably, these
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embodiments are implemented in computer programs executing on programmable
computers
each comprising at least one processor, a data storage system (including
volatile and non-volatile
memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one
output device. For
example and without limitation, the programmable computers may be a mainframe
computer,
server, personal computer, embedded computer, laptop, personal data assistant,
or cellular
telephone. Program code may be applied to input data to perform the functions
described herein
and generate output information. The output information may be applied to one
or more output
devices.
In one embodiment of the invention, each program is implemented in a high
level procedural or
object-oriented programming and/or scripting language to communicate with a
computer system.
However, in other embodiments the programs can be implemented in assembly or
machine
language, if desired. A skilled reader will recognize that the language
applied in the present
invention may be a compiled, interpreted or other language form.
Computer programs of the present invention may be stored on a storage media or
a device, such
as a ROM or magnetic diskette, however any storage media or device that is
readable by a
general or special purpose programmable computer, for configuring and
operating the computer
when the storage media or device is read by the computer to perform the
procedures described
herein, may be utilized. In another embodiment of the present invention, a
computer-readable
storage medium, configured with a computer program, where the storage medium
so configured
causes a computer to operate in a specific and predefined manner to perform
the functions
described herein, may be applied.
Furthermore, the method and system of the embodiments of the present invention
are capable of
being distributed in a computer program product comprising a computer readable
medium that
bears computer usable instructions for one or more processors. The medium may
be provided in
various forms, including one or more diskettes, compact disks, tapes, chips,
wireline
transmissions, satellite transmissions, internet transmission or downloadings,
magnetic and
electronic storage media, digital and analog signals, and the like. The
computer useable
instructions may also be in various forms, including compiled and non-compiled
code.
As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention, the components
of an audience
measurement and targeted media system 10 may be used to determine and measure
the attributes
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associated with individuals situated in front of one or more displays. The
system may include a
visitor detection module, a viewer/impression measurement module, and a
content delivery
module. The term "impression" is used to describe when an individual is facing
in the general
direction of the display. Once the attributes of the individuals have been
determined, media
targeted at said individuals may be displayed upon the display.
The term "display" refers to a visual element. For example, a digital display
device is a display
that is an electronic display, whereupon the images or content that are
displayed may change,
such as digital signs, digital billboards, and other digital displays. Other
displays may include
television monitors, computer screens, billboards, posters, mannequins,
statues, kiosks, artwork,
store window displays, product displays, or any other visual media. The term
"display" is
intended to reference a source of visual media for the presentation of a
particular visual
representation or information to an audience.
For some embodiments of the present invention, the terms "media" and "content"
may be
interchangeable, depending on the type of display. For example, if the display
is a digital device
then the content may be information, advertisements, news items, warnings or
video clips
presented thereon, while the media may be the digital device. Whereas, if the
display is artwork
the content and the media may be the same, both being the artwork. The visual
element of a
display, and therefore its content or media, may also include visual elements
of a billboard, the
visually apparent aspects of a statue or mannequin, or any other such visually
recognized
information, where such information may involve audio, video, still images,
still artwork, any
combination thereof, or any other visual media. For this reason, the terms
media and content may
be read as describing the same element for some embodiments of the present
invention and as
separate entities in other embodiments depending on the type of display
utilized.
In embodiments of the present invention, a display may be located either
indoors or outdoors.
In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the
measurement system 10
may be comprised of an overhead camera 12a, a front-facing camera 12b, a
display 14, and an
audience analysis suite 16 which alternatively may be a utility. The overhead
camera 12a may be
positioned above the area in front of the display, pointing downwards, to
detect potential viewers
in the vicinity of the display 14. The vicinity of the display may also be
referenced as an
audience area. The front-facing camera 12b may be positioned above or below
the display 14 and
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may face in the same direction as the display surface to capture images of any
individuals who
look towards the respective display.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the operation of the system 10
involves a digital
display 14, where the content shown on the display may be changed. Based on
the images that
are captured by the cameras 12a and 12b, various attributes associated with
the individuals who
are in the vicinity of and viewing the digital display 14 may be determined.
Such attributes may
include the number of people passing the display, the number of viewers, and
the behaviour and
demographics of the individuals who are looking towards the display. In
alternative
embodiments of the present invention, other attributes may be included, such
as the colour of
clothing items, hair colour, the height of each person, brand logos, and other
such features which
could be detected on individuals. As a person skilled in the art will
recognize, additional
cameras to those described in this embodiment, as well as different camera
positions than those
described in the embodiment, may also be applied in the present invention.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the operation of the system 10
involves a digital
display 14, where the content shown on the display may be changed. Based on
the images that
are captured by a single camera, various attributes associated with the
individuals who are in the
vicinity of and viewing the digital display 14 may be determined. Such
attributes may include
the number of people passing the display, the number of viewers, and the
behaviour and
demographics of the individuals who are looking towards the display. In
alternative
embodiments of the present invention, other attributes may be included, such
as the colour of
clothing items, hair colour, the height of each person, brand logos, and other
such features which
could be detected on individuals. As a person skilled in the art will
recognize, the single camera
of this embodiment may be positioned in any manner that allows it to capture
the images
necessary to perform the method of the present invention, including the camera
being moveable
between two or more positions.
In embodiments of the present invention, the system 10 may be used to detect
and measure
attributes associated with various types of objects that may pass in the
vicinity of the cameras
and display, such as automobiles, baby carriages, wheelchairs, briefcases,
purses, and other
objects or modes of transportation.
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Generally, embodiments of the present invention may detect individuals who are
members of an
audience. The term audience is used to refer to the group of one or more
individuals who are in
the vicinity of a display at any moment in time. Embodiments of the present
invention may
collect data regarding the attributes and behaviour of the individuals in the
audience.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the system 10 determines the
number of individuals
that are viewing a display and the number of individuals that are in the
vicinity of the display and
who may or may not be viewing the display. Based on the attributes associated
with the
audience, customized digital content may be displayed upon the respective
digital displays 14.
In an embodiment of the invention audience attributes may be determined by
processing of the
images captured by the cameras 12a and 12b or by a single camera, that are
transmitted to the
audience analysis suite 16. The images may be transmitted by wired, wireless
methods, or other
communication networks. A communication network may be any network that allows
for
communication between a server and a transmitting device and may include: a
wide area
network; a local area network; the Internet; an Intranet, or any other similar
communication-
capable network. The audience analysis suite 16 may analyze the images to
determine the
audience size recorded in the images, as well as certain attributes of the
individuals within the
audience.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the audience analysis suite 16 may
be a set of
software modules or utilities that analyze images captured by the cameras 12a
and 12b. Based
on the analysis of the respective images captured by the cameras 12a and 12b,
various attributes
may be determined regarding the individuals who view and/or pass by the
display 14. The
attributes that are determined may be used to customize the media that is
displayed upon the
display 14.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the audience analysis suite 16
may be a set of
software modules or utilities that analyze images captured by a single camera.
Based on an
analysis of the images of the camera, various attributes may be determined
regarding the
individuals who view and/or pass by the display 14. The attributes that are
determined may be
used to customize the media that is displayed upon the display 14.
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As shown in FIG. 2, one embodiment of the present invention may include an
audience analysis
suite 16 that is an abstract representation of a set of software modules, or
utilities, and storage
mediums, such as databases, that can be distributed onto one or more servers.
These servers may
be located on-site at the same location as the display, or off-site at some
remote location. The
suite may comprise a visitor detection module 20 or utility, a viewer
detection module 22 or
utility, a content delivery module 24 or utility, and a business intelligence
tool 26. The audience
analysis suite may be a utility, as may any of the elements thereof, as
described.
The audience analysis suite 16 may also have access to an analysis database
28, a media database
30, and a playlist database 32. The analysis database 28 stores results of
analyses performed on
the respective images, including information such as the dates and times when
an individual is
within the vicinity of a display, or when an individual views a display. The
media database 30
may store the respective media that can be displayed, and the playlist
database 32 may store the
playlists used for display, made up of one or more media. The content delivery
module 24 may
optionally be a third-party software or hardware application, with remote
procedure calls being
used for communication between it and other modules and databases of the
present invention.
As shown in FIG. 3, in one embodiment of the present invention, a display
device 14 may
include multiple display elements 14a, 14b, and 14c respectively, each being
capable of
displaying different content. In some embodiments, the display elements may
represent digital
screens, advertisements upon a billboard, mannequins in a collection, an
artwork collection, or
any other segments of a whole display. As an example, in one embodiment of the
present
invention the display device 14 is segmented into three separate display
elements 14a-14c. Thus
display element 14a may be used for broadcast of a television show, whereas
display element
14b may be used for the presentation of an advertisement and display element
14c for the
broadcast of news items. It will be obvious to a skilled reader that a display
14 may incorporate
many display elements and present a range of different forms of content, the
variety of possible
combinations is dependant on the type of display utilized.
The contents of the respective display elements 14a-14c of the display device
14 may be tailored
to attributes associated with an audience in proximity of the display 14,
being an audience area.
Specifically, the attributes of the audience may allow for the targeted or
customized presentation
of the display. For example, in the case that the display is a digital
display, the presentation of a
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particular advertisement, or specific news item may be triggered in accordance
with the attributes
of the audience in proximity to the display. A person skilled in the art will
recognize the variety
of display presentations that are possible depending upon the display type.
As shown in FIG. 3, in one embodiment of the invention, the display 14 may be
a digital display,
having display elements 14a-14c that are digital screens. A person skilled in
the art will
recognize that although three display elements are shown in FIG. 3 any number
of display
elements may be incorporated into any embodiments of the present invention.
Moreover, a single
display element, such as one individual display screen may be further divided
into multiple areas,
and each area may display different presentations or information.
Visitor Detection Module
Embodiments of the present invention may generally include a visitor detection
module 20, as
shown in FIG. 4, for the purpose of accurately determining the number of
people within the
vicinity of a display. The people do not necessarily need to be viewing the
display, but merely in
its vicinity.
In one embodiment, the system may include a colour camera 12a mounted overhead
of the
desired space in the vicinity of a display. Potential viewers can be
determined within said desired
space. Additionally, other cameras or sensors may be used in conjunction with
the colour
camera, such as infrared cameras, thermal cameras, 3D cameras, or other
sensors. The camera
may capture sequential images and at the fastest rate possible, for example,
such as a rate of
15Hz or greater. The image processing techniques, as shown in FIG. 8, may be
used to detect the
pixels of shapes that represent people or other objects of interest within the
images. In another
embodiment, pre-recorded data from the environment, such as images and sounds,
may be used
as inputs to the visitor detection module, either in conjunction with the
camera input or as stand-
alone input. A person skilled in the art of the present invention will
recognize that the present
invention may involve a single camera, or two or more cameras.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the first time the system is
started, a training phase
lasting approximately 30 seconds may capture a continuous stream of images
from the camera.
These images may be averaged together. The averaged image result may be
utilized as a
background image representing the camera view without people. Ideally, during
the training
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phase no person should be present in the camera's field of view. However, the
system is capable
of configuration if there is minor activity of people moving through the
audience area the camera
focuses upon. Once the training phase is completed, the background image is
stored in the
system. In one embodiment of the present invention, if a camera, such as that
represented as 12b
in FIG. 1, is a colour camera and it is moved to a different location during
the function of the
system, the user may re-initiate the training phase manually. In another
embodiment of the
present invention, the training phase may be configured to automatically run
at a regular
frequency of time, for example, such as 24 hour intervals, or alternatively
every time the system
is restarted.
The training phase may be performed for all of the cameras utilized in an
embodiment of the
present invention.
Another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is a configuration
step. At this point a
user may define one or more regions of interest (ROI) within an image captured
by the camera
view. A ROI may be defined by interactively connecting line segments and
completing an
enclosed shape. Each ROI is assigned a unique identifier and represents a
region in which visitor
metrics may be computed.
Furthermore, during the configuration step, a user may also set the size of an
individual in the
camera's view. This can be accomplished through the application of either an
automated or
manual configuration procedure. To undertake the manual approach, a user may
define an
elliptical region over an image of a person captured by the installed camera's
view by
interactively drawing the boundaries of said region. This may be achieved by
way of a graphical
use interface and a computer mouse. Although a skilled reader will understand
that other
methods of defining an elliptical region are also possible. The defined
elliptical region can
represent the area that any individual in the image may approximately occupy.
Since the area an
individual occupies may change based upon where they are standing with respect
to the camera,
the user may be required to define multiple ellipses, for example nine
ellipses may be required.
These multiple ellipses represent the area occupied by a single person if they
move to stand in
various locations of the camera view. For example, if the person stood at the
top-left, top, top-
right, right, bottom-right, bottom, bottom-left, left, and center of the image
with respect to the
placement of the overhead camera. The area occupied by an individual area may
be
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approximated at any other location in the image by linearly interpolating
between these
calibration areas.
In one embodiment of the invention configuration may be automated. To achieve
automated
configuration at least two users must be present. One user may walk to the
different regions,
while the second user instructs the software to configure a particular region
where the first user is
positioned. Instructions may be given to the software in a variety of manners,
for example by
pressing a key on the keyboard. Although a person skilled in the art will be
aware that many
other methods of providing instructions to the computer may be utilized. The
area of the first
user in each of the regions may be extracted through a method of background
subtraction. In
another embodiment of the present invention, a single user may configure the
system using a
hand-held computing device to interface with the configuration software. This
user may walk
from region-to-region, using the hand-held computing device to instruct the
software to
configure a particular region where the user is positioned.
A further embodiment of the present invention causes two thresholds to be
defined during the
configuration. These thresholds may be used by the system and can be defined
by a user. The
first threshold tl represents an image subtraction threshold, generally to be
set between 0 and
255, where gray pixel intensity differences exceeding tl are considered to be
significant and
those less than tl are considered to be insignificant. This first threshold
may be set on an
empirical basis, in relation to the particular environment and camera type,
where lower values
increase the sensitivity of the system to image noise.
The second threshold t2 may define the maximum distance that an individual can
move between
frames, for example, as measured in pixels. This threshold may be used to
detect individuals
between frames captured by the camera. Larger values of t2 may allow for
detection of fast
movements, but such values may also increase detection of errors. Lower values
may be
desirable but they require higher capture and processing rates.
Additionally, an accumulation period, for example, one measured in seconds,
may be set during
the configuration. The accumulation period may represent the finest
granularity at which motion
data should be stored.
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As shown in FIG. 8, one embodiment of the present invention includes a visitor
detection
method 100. The steps of the visitor detection method 100 may cause processing
of each image
102 captured by the camera 12a to proceed as follows:
Each new image from the camera may be first processed by subtracting the
pixels in the
background image 40 from the pixels in the new image 104. Pixels with an
absolute difference
above the pre-configured threshold tl may be marked as foreground, and all
others may be
marked as background. This information can be stored in a foreground mask as a
binary image
consisting of black (background) and white (foreground) pixels.
Each new image may then be subtracted from the previous image 106, and pixels
with an
absolute difference above the pre-configured threshold tl can be designated as
motion boundaries
42, while all others may be designated as static or non-moving. The previous
image may be a
black image if the new image is a first image. The results of this step may be
stored in a motion
mask as a binary image, where motion areas are set to white and non-motion
areas are set to
black.
For the pixels in the foreground mask designated as foreground, connected
regions (blobs) 108
may be determined 44.
For each blob, the number of individual people represented within its
boundaries may be
estimated by dividing the area of the blob by the known area that a single
person may occupy, as
was determined during the configuration.
The pixels inside of each blob may be assigned to a single person by a k-means
clustering
algorithm 110, where k is the rounded number of people in the blob 46. Each
cluster therefore
represents a single person, and the centroid of the cluster represents its
position in the image.
Blobs that cover an area less than a single person may be ignored.
Clusters may consequently be detected 112 between images. A correspondence
between a cluster
in the current image and a cluster in the previous image may be formed if the
distance between
the centroids of each cluster is minimal and below the pre-configured
threshold distance t2. If no
such correspondence can be made for a particular cluster in the current image,
or if the new
image is the first image, the particular cluster may be considered to be a new
person and may be
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assigned a new unique visitor ID. If no such correspondence can be made for a
particular cluster
in the previous image, that cluster may be considered to be lost.
Each time a new camera image is processed, all of the detected clusters may be
checked to see if
they have crossed the boundary of any ROI 114. Any entry into a ROI results in
an increase of
the ROI's daily entry count. Similarly, any exit from a ROI results in an
increase of the ROI's
daily exit count. Each entry and exit event may be recorded 116 in the
analysis database 28.
Entry and exit event entries may include a time stamp indicating when the
event occurred, as
well as with the ROI label corresponding to the entry/exit event. In one
embodiment a log entry
may resemble the following basic format: YYYY/MM/DD, HH:MM:SS, event_type,
visitor_id,
roi_label (where event_type is either "entry" or "exit"). However, a person
skilled in the art will
recognize that log entries may include less or more information than the basic
format.
A motion accumulator image 48 may be created matching the size of the motion
image. For
every pixel in the motion image that is non-black, the corresponding value in
the motion
accumulator image may be incremented 118, for example the increment can be set
to occur by
ones. This can occur each time the motion image is updated. After each period
of accumulation
120, based upon the accumulation period value set during the configuration,
the motion
accumulator image may be stored 122 in the analysis database 28. At this point
the motion
accumulator image may be reset 124.
In various embodiments of the present invention, the steps of the visitor
detection module may
occur in various orders and are not restricted by the ordering presented
above.
Viewer Detection Module
In one embodiment of the present invention, the viewer detection module 22, as
shown in FIG. 5,
may analyze images captured by the camera 12b to determine the various
attributes associated
with individuals positioned in front of the display. Other cameras or sensors
may be used in
conjunction with the colour camera, such as infrared cameras, thermal cameras,
or 3D cameras,
or other sensors. A skilled reader will recognize that a single camera may be
applied to capture
images necessary for both the visitor and viewer detection aspects of the
present invention.
In another embodiment of the invention, in order to establish a wide field of
view with minimal
image distortion, two or more cameras may be used. The multiple cameras may be
positioned
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such that an overlap zone occurs between the field of view of the cameras. The
amount of
overlap can either be fixed at a percentage, for example 20%, or can be
specified during a
configuration step. One method of defining the overlap may be for a user to
interactively
highlight the overlap regions using a graphical user interface to generate an
overlap mask for
each camera. Although a skilled reader will understand that other methods of
defining the
overlap are also possible.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a user may also specify a
set of at least 4
corresponding points in each of the two camera images to establish the
transformation between
the two cameras. This may be undertaken through the application of the
approach of Zhang, Z.
(2000), IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence,
22(11): 1330-1334,
which describes a flexible technique for camera calibration. Once the overlap
region and
transformation have been established, correspondences for individuals in the
overlapping region
may be established. This may prevent the system from double-counting audience
members when
they appear in multiple camera views.
In one embodiment of the invention, sequential images may be captured from the
camera at the
fastest rate possible, for example 15Hz or greater, and image processing
techniques may be used
to extract attributes from the images. The attribute results may be stored in
the analysis database
28.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, pre-recorded data from the
environment, for
example images or video, may be used as inputs to the viewer detection module.
It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that while the modules of
the present invention
are described with respect to the detection of attributes associated with
individuals, they may
also be used to detect various attributes associated with other objects
detected in the images
captured by the system 10, such as automobile colours, logos on clothing, or
food items being
consumed.
An embodiment of the present invention encompassing the components associated
with the
viewer detection module 22 is shown as FIG. 5. The viewer detection module 22
may include a
people detection module 50, a face detection module 52, a behaviour detection
module 54, and a
demographic detection module 56. The people detection module 50 may be used to
detect heads
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and shoulders of individuals that may not be looking towards the display,
including back views
and side profile views. The people detection module thereby can provide a
coarse estimate of
overall visitors. The face detection module 52 can function in regards to an
image recorded by a
camera positioned to capture faces, such as camera 12b. As one image may
capture multiple
individuals who are part of the audience, the face detection module 52 may be
used to analyze
the image to detect the various individuals that are part of the image and
which individuals are
looking towards the display.
Once an individual has been detected in the image, and has been determined to
be looking
towards the display, attributes of the individual may then be determined by
the behaviour
detection module 54 and the demographics detection module 56. The behaviour
detection
module 54 may determine for each detected individual: the position of the
individual with
respect to the display; the direction of the gaze of the individual; and the
time that the individual
spends looking towards the display, which is referred to as the viewing time.
The camera which
may continuously capture images while the system is functioning, may operate
at a fast speed,
for example at 15 Hz or greater, and the images may be processed by the
visitor detection
module at fast rates close to camera capture rates, for example rates of 15 Hz
or greater.
The demographic information that may be determined by the demographic
detection module 56,
includes several elements, such as the age, gender, and ethnicity of each
individual that is a
member of the audience and is captured in an image. A person skilled in the
art will recognize
that additional demographic information may also be determined by the
demographic detection
module.
The behaviour and demographic information associated with each individual are
also referred to
as "attributes".
In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 9, a viewer
detection method 250
may be applied. The viewer detection method may be used to detect the presence
of one or more
individuals viewing a display device 14. In another embodiment of the present
invention, during
an optional configuration step, a user has the option of defining a minimum
and maximum face
size that may be detected by the system. These minimum and maximum values may
be specified
either in pixels, metric units, or based on the desired minimum and maximum
face detection
distances.
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In another embodiment of the present invention, the viewer detection method
250 may function
in accordance with default values for minimum and maximum face size, derived
from the
analysis of specific scenarios. For example, the user may be asked for basic
inputs including
approximately how far from the screen the minimum and maximum distance will be
to find a
face. This minimum and maximum face size can optionally be configured
automatically by
storing the most common face sizes across a specified time range, such as a
twenty-four hour
period. A statistical analysis of the stored face sizes can then be used to
extract the optimal
minimum and maximum face size values to help minimize processing time. Minimum
and
maximum head sizes may also be computed by doubling the minimum and maximum
face sizes
respectively. This function and establishment of default values may be based
on the assumption
that the head/shoulder of a human occupy twice the area of the face.
In an embodiment of the invention, once maximum and minimum face sizes are
determined,
images captured by the camera may be processed 252 as follows:
A difference image result may be computed 254 by subtracting a new image from
a previously
captured image. If the new image is a first image, then the previously
captured image may be a
black image. The subtraction function can be achieved through the
identification of pixels within
the new and the previously captured images and the subtraction of pixels of
the new image from
those of the previously captured image. The absolute difference for each pixel
may be compared
against a threshold, so that only pixel differences above the pre-determined
threshold value may
be set to white, while all other pixels may be set to black.
A search box 256 may be centered around all pixels in the difference image
result set to white.
The size of each search box may be set to a multiple of the face size. For
example, the search box
size may be set to two times the maximum face size in the x and y dimensions.
Additional search boxes may be centered around frontal faces 258 detected in a
previous image.
These additional search boxes may be a size that is a multiple of the face
size. For example, the
additional search boxes may be set to two times the dimension of the face in
both the x and y
directions.
Overlapping search boxes may be merged together 260.
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A people detection algorithm 262 may be performed which looks for regions
within each search
box that resemble the head and shoulders of a human body. The search may be
performed for all
head sizes between the minimum and maximum head sizes. Each search box may be
scanned
from the top left to the bottom right, although other scan directions may also
be applied.
All individuals detected by the people detection algorithm may be added to a
current active
people list. The current active people list may be stored in a temporary
storage area in system
memory. The list may be used to maintain the status of detected' people across
all images.
Information stored in the current active people list may include information
such as, an
anonymous image signature, a unique id, a start time, an end time, a position
in the image, for
example, expressed as x and y pixel coordinates. However, the current active
people list entries
may include other information, and thereby include either more or less
information than
suggested herein.
People detected in a previous image and recorded in the previous active people
list may be
corresponded with the people in the current active people list. Correspondence
may be
recognized by way of a search for a person with a maximum amount of
overlapping data.
If a previous active people list record is found to correspond to a current
active people list record,
then the unique person ID associated with the current active person list
record may be assigned
to be the same as that of the corresponding previous active people list
record.
If no current active person list record is found to correspond with a previous
active person list
record, the person represented by the previous person list record may be
considered to be lost.
An entry may be stored in the analysis database to denote the end of the
detection of a person.
The entry may resemble the following basic format: YYYY/MM/DD, HH:MM:SS,
person_end,
person_id. However, the analysis database entry may include other information,
and thereby
include either more or less information than suggested herein.
If no previous active person list record is found to correspond with a current
active person list
entry, the person represented by the current person list entry may be
considered to be a new
person. A new unique person ID may be assigned to the person and included in
the current active
person list record. A new person entry may also be made in the analysis
database. The entry may
resemble the following basic format: YYYY/MM/DD, HH:MM:SS, person_start,
person_id.
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However, the analysis database entry may include other information, and
thereby include either
more or less information than suggested herein.
A primary frontal face detection algorithm 264 may be performed for all face
sizes between the
pre-configured minimum and maximum dimensions within each search box. Face
detection may
be accomplished by scanning each search box from the top-left to the bottom-
right, although
other scan directions may also be applied.
All frontal faces detected by the frontal face detection algorithm may be
added to a current active
face list. The current active face list may be stored in a temporary storage
area in system
memory. The list may be used to maintain the status of detected faces across
all images.
Information stored in the current face people list may include information
such as, a unique id, a
start time, an end time, a position in the image, for example, expressed as x
and y pixel
coordinates. However, the current active face list entries may include other
information, and
thereby include either more or less information than suggested herein.
For each face recorded in the current active face list, a secondary face
detection algorithm 266
may be performed. Faces that fail the secondary detection process may be
removed from the
current active face list.
Behaviour data 268 may be determined for all faces in the current active face
list, such as gaze
direction, expressions, and emotions. Although, a person skilled in the art
will recognize that
other behaviour data may also be obtained. Behaviour data may be stored in the
corresponding
current active face list record.
Faces detected in a previous image and recorded in the previous active face
list may be
corresponded 270 with the faces in the current active face list.
Correspondence may be
recognized by way of a search for a face with a maximum amount of overlapping
data. A similar
procedure is applied to people in order to compute correspondences between
people in the
current active people list and the previous active people list.
If a corresponding previous active face list entry is located for a current
active face list entry, the
viewing time 272 for the current active face list entry may be set to the
viewing time of the
previous active face list entry plus the amount of time that has elapsed since
the previous image
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was captured. Furthermore, the viewer IDs associated with both entries, the
corresponding
previous and current entries, may be the same.
If no current active face list record is found to correspond with a previous
active face list record,
the face from the previous active face list record may be considered to be
lost 274. Behaviour
information from the previous active face list record may be utilized to
produce behaviour
averages for each face. For example, behavioural data may be utilized to
calculate an average
viewing direction or an average expression. An entry may be stored in the
analysis database to
denote the end of the viewing time. The entry may resemble the following basic
format:
YYYY/MM/DD, HH:MM:SS, impression_end, viewer_id, demographic_data,
behaviour_data.
However, the analysis database entry may include other information, and
thereby include either
more or less information than suggested herein.
Any time a change is made in behaviour for a particular face, an event may be
stored in the
analysis database. For example, an entry may be made in the analysis database
to denote the
change in viewing direction of the viewer. The entry may resemble the
following basic format:
YYYY/MM/DD, HH:MM:SS, impression_update, viewer_id, demographic_data,
behaviour_data. However, the analysis database entry may include other
information, and
thereby include either more or less information than suggested herein.
If no previous active face list record is found to correspond with a current
active face list entry,
the face from the current active face list entry may be considered to be a new
viewer 276. A new
unique viewer ID may be assigned to the face and the initial viewing time be
set at zero.
Demographics may also be determined at this time. A new viewing entry may also
be made in
the analysis database 278. The log entry may resemble the following basic
format:
YYYY/MM/DD, HH:MM:SS, impression_start, viewer_id, demographic_data,
behaviour_data.
However, the analysis database entry may include other information, and
thereby include either
more or less information than suggested herein.
In various embodiments of the present invention, the steps of the viewer
detection module may
occur in various orders and are not restricted by the ordering presented
above.
In one embodiment of the present invention, head and shoulder detection may be
used to detect
visitors located in front of the display, who are not necessarily facing the
display. The shape of
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the head and shoulders of humans is unique and facilitates a detection process
applying statistical
algorithms, such as the one described in Viola, P., Jones, M., (2004) "Robust
Real-time Face
Detection", International Journal of Computer Vision, 2004 57(2):137-154.
Other approaches
based on background subtraction, contour detection and other workable
methodologies may also
be applied.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the results of the viewer
detection process using
the front facing camera 12b can be susceptible to significant occlusions.
Therefore, the resulting
count of individuals may not be as accurate as that of the visitor detection
module, which uses an
overhead camera 12a or a position-adjustable single camera. However, the
results of the viewer
detection process may be useful to provide visitor-to-viewer statistics.
Furthermore it may
provide opportunities-to-see (OTS) estimates when used with the business
intelligence tool in
scenarios where an overhead detection system is not feasible. A person skilled
in the art will
recognize that OTS estimates may be achieved by a system applying a single
front-facing camera
or two or more cameras applied in a non-overhead position.
In one embodiment of the present invention, frontal face detection may be used
to detect viewers
facing a display. This detection may be based on the assumption that viewers
looking towards
the display will also be front facing towards the camera, if the camera is
placed directly above or
below the display. It is a feature of the present invention that faces may be
detected in an
anonymous manner, meaning that no information applicable to identifying a
specific person may
ever be retrieved based on the detection process. In this manner, the present
invention differs
from face recognition algorithms applied in other methods and systems, which
are able to
identify unique attributes between two or more faces, to a level of
granularity where the data
collected can be used to personally identify an individual.
In another embodiment of the invention, search boxes may be utilized to
improve face detection
efficiency, causing detection to occur in real-time or near real-time, being
at, or close to, the
capture rate of the camera. Real-time performance may avoid the need to store
images over long-
periods of time for processing at a later time, and therefore may aid in
ensuring that any potential
for a violation of privacy laws is avoided. Additionally, real-time detection
can be utilized to
cause a display to present targeted media to an audience, whereby the media
presented may be
based on the aggregate attributes of an audience. Traditional approaches that
scan each image
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fully cannot achieve this type of targeting, because they are inefficient and
have difficulty
scaling up to higher-resolution image streams.
Although, long-term information may not be stored for any particular face, in
one embodiment of
the present invention short-term memory of statistical information may be
maintained in the
system memory for any detected face in order to account for individuals that
may look at the
display, look away for a few seconds, and then look back at the display. This
statistical
information may consist of a weight vector using the EigenFaces algorithm of
Turk, M.,
Pentland, A., (1991), "Eigenfaces for Recognition", Journal of Cognitive
Neuroscience 3(1): 71-
86. However, a person skilled in the art will recognize that other
information, such as colour
histograms, may also be used.
In one embodiment a two-pass approach to frontal face detection may be used in
order to
improve accuracy and reduce the number of false detections. Any frontal face
detection
algorithm can be used in this phase, although it may be preferable that the
chosen algorithm be as
fast as possible. The face detection algorithm applied may be one based on the
Viola-Jones
algorithm (2004), but other approaches, for example, such as an approach based
on skin
detection, or an approach based on head shape detection, may be used as well.
The secondary
face detection algorithm may be slower than the first face detection
algorithm, and may
consequently also be more precise, since it will be performed less frequently.
A suitable
secondary face detection algorithm may be based on the EigenFaces approach,
although other
algorithms may also be applied.
In one embodiment of the invention, behaviour detection may primarily include
determining
gaze direction, but other facial attributes can be detected as well, such as
expressions or
emotions. Once a rectangle around an individual's face has been determined
using the two-pass
face detector described earlier, the rectangular region in the image can be
further processed to
extract behaviour information. A statistical approach such as EigenFaces or
the classification
technique described by Shakhnarovich, G., et al., (2002) "A Unified Learning
Framework for
Real-Time Face Detection and Classification", IEEE International Conference on
Automatic
Face and Gesture Recognition, pp. 14-21, may be applied. Both of these
algorithms use a
training set of sample faces for each of the desired classifications, which
can be used to compute
statistics or patterns during a one-time pre-processing phase. These
statistics or patterns can then
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be used to classify new faces at run-time by processing regions, such as the
rectangular face
regions. However, other approaches to the extraction of behaviour information,
besides those
computing statistics or patterns during a one-time pre-processing stage, may
also be applied. Use
of a difference image created by a using the two-pass face detector, combined
with localized
search boxes, can improve detection speed, compared to systems that scan the
entire image to
find a face. Furthermore, this aspect of the present invention can be critical
to the achievement of
real-time performance.
In one embodiment of the invention a gaze direction detector may be utilized
to allow for more
precise estimates of frontal faces. Greater precision may be achieved through
the categorization
of each face as being directly front-facing, facing slightly left, or facing
slight right with respect
to the display. Expressions such as smiling, frowning, or crying may also be
detected in order to
estimate various emotions such as happiness, anger, or sadness. Behaviour data
may be detected
for each face in every image, and each type of behaviour may be averaged
across the viewing
time for that particular face.
In another embodiment of the present invention, demographics may be determined
using
statistical and pattern recognition algorithms similar to those used to
extract behaviour, such as
that of EigenFaces or alternative classification techniques, such as
Shakhnarovich (2002). Of
course, algorithms other than those related to statistical and pattern
recognition may also be
applied. The algorithms may require a pre-processing phase that involves the
presentation of a
set of training faces representing the various demographic categories of
interest to establish
statistical properties that can be used for subsequent classifications. The
gaze direction detector
may allow for more precise estimates of frontal faces by categorizing each
face as being directly
front-facing, facing slightly left, or facing slightly right with respect to
the display.
In embodiments of the present invention, demographic detection may include
many elements,
such as age range (e.g. child, teen, adult, senior, etc.), gender (e.g. male,
female), and ethnicity
(e.g. Caucasian, East Asian, African, South Asian), height, weight, hair
colour, hair style,
wearing/not wearing glasses, as well as other elements. Demographic data may
only be
computed when a face is first detected and a new viewer ID is established for
said face. In the
event that demographics cannot be determined accurately due to low image
quality or large
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distances between the camera and a face, such attributes may be categorized as
unknown for the
current face.
Content Delivery Module
In one embodiment of the present invention, the content delivery module 24 may
be used to
determine the content or media to be displayed. For example, if the display is
a digital display
device, the content may be video feeds shown upon the respective digital
display segments 14a-
14c. If the display is artwork, the content will be the particular piece of
art or collection of
artwork that is displayed. The content delivery module 24 may operate in
various modes, such as
a mode whereby media provided to a display device 14 may be predetermined, or
a mode
whereby the media may be selected based on the attributes of the individuals
that are either
viewing the media presently or in the vicinity of the display device 14.
Additionally, content can
be targeted based on various inputs including temperature sensors, light
sensors, noise sensors,
and other inputs. A person skilled in the art will recognize that other modes
are also possible.
Additionally, a skilled reader will recognize that content can be obtained
from many sources. In
particular digital content may be stored internally within the system, it may
also be obtained
from an external source and may be transferred to the system in the form of a
video feed,
electronic packets, streaming video, by DVD and any other external source
capable of
transferring digital content to the system.
As shown in FIG. 6, one embodiment of the present invention includes a content
delivery
module 24 having several modules therein, such as an aggregation module 60, a
media scoring
module 62, and a media delivery module 64. The content delivery module 24 may
be used to
select media for display upon the display device 14. The content delivery
module 24 may also
continuously ensure that the display device 14 is provided with appropriate
media, meaning
media that has either been pre-selected, or may be selected in real-time or
near real-time based
on the attributes of an audience.
One mode of operation, referred to as a playlist mode may provide media for
display by
choosing media from a list, the order of which has been predetermined. The
various media
provided to the display devices may be part of what are referred to as
playlists. Playlists may
include one or more instances of variant media, such as advertisements, video
clips, painted
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canvasses, or other visual presentations or information for display. Each
media may be
associated with a unique numerical identifier, and descriptive identifiers.
Playlists may be
generated through many processes, such as: manual compilation whereby a user
specifies the
order of a playlist; ordering based on a determination of compiled demographic
information; or
categorization by day segment, such that different content plays at different
times of the day.
Other means of playlist generation may also be applied.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a media identifier may reference
specific media and
may also be used to index media. A media identifier may be a 32-bit numerical
key. However, in
alternative embodiments identifiers of alternative sizes and forms may be
used, such as string
identifiers that provide a description of the underlying media. Each media may
have several
descriptive tags, for example meta tags that are associated with the media
content. Each meta tag
will have a relative importance weighting - in one embodiment of the invention
the weighting
for all meta tags for each unique media must add up to 1Ø As individual
media is shown on the
display, timestamped start and stop events may be stored in the analysis
database 28. A business
intelligence tool may utilize this information to establish correlations
between displayed media
and the audience size and viewer attributes while the media was shown.
In another embodiment of the present invention the content delivery module 24
may operate in a
targeted media delivery mode, where the display 14 is used to present media or
content targeted
to a specific audience determined to have particular attributes, the content
delivery module 24
operates in a targeted media delivery mode. The targeted delivery mode may
collect audience
data, or other time-specific information, such as temperature, lighting
conditions, noise, and
other inputs, and customize the media or content displayed based on such data.
As has been
described, each instance of media that is stored in the media database 30 may
have media
identifiers associated with it that may be used to determine which media
instance should be
displayed upon the respective display device based on collected data, such as
audience attributes.
Media attributes may also be associated with media or content, including:
desired length of
viewing; demographics; target number of impressions; and scheduling data. For
example, where
it is determined that the individuals are viewing a display device for an
average length of time in
minutes, where possible, media that takes that information into account may be
displayed. For
example, if the display is a digital device and the content is a sports
broadcast, the length of a
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clip shown may be chosen in accordance with the viewing length information.
Further, where the
average gender profile of the audience is determined, this demographic
information may be used
to target media to the audience. Demographic information may be collected
through the analysis
of an audience, as produced by the viewer detection module.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the mode of operation, such as
playlist mode or
targeted media mode, may be specified at more than one possible point. For
example, the mode
may be chosen when at time the system 10 is configured, or it may be switched
during operation
of a display by way of a control activated by an authorized user, or the mode
may be switched
automatically based on the time of day, or day of week. A skilled reader will
recognize that
additional choices for switching the mode of operation may be utilized.
Playlist Mode
An embodiment of the present invention including the content delivery method
150 in playlist
mode is shown at FIG. 10. The content delivery method 150 may be used to
deliver media or
content to one or more specific display devices 14. The content delivery
method 150 may
undertake several steps. Step 152 allows for playlists to be retrieved from a
playlist database. At
step 154, the current date and time may be determined. The date and time may
be relevant as the
playlist delivery method has associated media that should be displayed at
specific events or
times. For example, certain media may be displayed in a food court at
lunchtime, or an
advertisement may be displayed on a screen of a specific restaurant in a food
court. Step 156,
allows for a determination as to whether a new media item is required based on
several factors:
the playlist schedule; the current date/time; or if the previous media has
ended. If new media is
required in accordance with the playlist, step 158 may record a media end
event in the analysis
database 28 at the end of media display occurring in step 156.
Step 160 may indicate or start the next media to be displayed. The business
intelligence tool can
analyze data collected during the playlist mode to evaluate the effectiveness
of certain media by
correlating the media start/end events with the audience and impression events
stored by the
visitor detection module and viewer detection module. The steps of the method
are cyclical and
will continuously recycle as long as the playlist mode is chosen and the
system is functioning.
Targeted Media Mode
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An embodiment of the present invention including a targeted media delivery
method 200 is
shown at FIG. 11. The targeted delivery method 200 indicates or causes
targeted media to be
delivered to a respective display device 14. The media to be displayed upon
the display device
may be selected by querying the viewer detection module and visitor detection
module for real-
time, or near real-time, audience attributes, and choosing media identified as
corresponding to
these attributes stored in the media database. Step 202 allows for an
identification of the current
date and time. Step 204 determines if new media is required to be displayed on
the display
device 14. New media may be required if there is no existing media displayed,
or if the existing
media has expired. When media concludes a media end event may be stored in the
analysis
database. Optionally, for media that has ended, accumulated audience
information during the
playback of the ended media may be sorted into the media database in order to
adjust future
targeting parameters. For example, if a particular media identifier wanted to
display an
advertisement to only ten females, and this was achieved, then this
information can be fed back
to the media database in order to update the media identifier and alter future
targeting
parameters.
If new media is deemed to be required, step 208 may involve an extraction of
aggregate audience
size, behaviour and demographic information through querying of the visitor
and viewer
detection modules. The query can be made either as a local or remote procedure
call from the
content delivery module. Optional environmental sensor values, at step 210,
may also be
extracted at this point, for example pertaining to light, temperature, noise,
etc. The resulting data,
for example audience data, may consist of instantaneous audience information
or aggregate
audience information across a time range specified in the procedure call, for
example ten
seconds. These attributes may be then compared against the desired audience
and environmental
attributes associated with each media to compute a score for the media at step
212. The media
having the highest score may be indicated or displayed 214, and a media start
event may be
stored in the analysis database 216. A skilled reader will recognize that the
score may be
computed through a variety of methodologies.
In one embodiment of the present invention, attributes associated with each
media, may include
several elements, such as: the number of desired viewings of the display
device over a certain
time frame; a desired gender that the media is targeted towards; the premium
media price for
media corresponding to a certain set of audience characteristics; a media
quota that defines a
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daily limit on the number of displays a specific media content will receive;
or other
demographic, attribute or behavioural data.
The media quota is an option whereby a party may pay a specific fee for the
display of media in
association with particular audience attributes, or other elements such as
time of day, etc., during
a specific period of time. In an embodiment of the present invention, a media
quota and an
auction-style bidding system may be utilized to determine which media to
display. The media
quota may consist of a combination of factors, including a maximum daily
playback count, a
maximum bid price per impression, a total daily maximum price that a party is
willing to pay, or
other factors. In this auction-style bidding system, parties may specify their
desired audience
characteristics and quota parameters for specific media. The media that is
chosen for playback at
any given time is therefore the one which has the closest match to the active
audience
characteristics as well as the highest impression bid price. Moreover, the
media will only be
played if it does not violate the daily maximum playback count and the total
daily price that the
owner party has assigned for that particular media. To ensure fairness to all
parties that have
input their bids for the maximum premium price, a balancing system may be
utilized to prevent a
single media from monopolizing the display and to ensure an equitable
distribution of media.
The desired gender in an exemplary embodiment may be 0 for males and 1 for
females, and the
average gender may be set to 0 if the majority of the audience within a
certain predetermined
time frame, such as, for example, thirty seconds, were men, or 1 if the
majority of the audience
members in the predetermined time frame were women. A media score may be
calculated for
each media item stored in the respective media database, and the media with
the highest score
may be chosen for display. The equation used to determine the media score may
change based
on the desired attributes associated with the media that should be displayed.
Meta tags may also be taken into consideration when determining what media to
display to a
given audience. For example, if time of day is more important than gender for
some particular
media, the system may take this into consideration using the weight
parameters.
Other factors may also be taken into account when determining which media is
to be displayed,
such as the last time the particular media was displayed, the premium media
price for a media
corresponding to particular set of audience characteristics, or whether any
media quota has been
reached (e.g. once a media quota is reached the specific media content
corresponding to the
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media quota may not be displayed additional times during the media quota time
period, unless
the party increases the media quota). As discussed above, in one embodiment of
the invention,
camera 12b may continuously capture images. Method 200 may ensure that the
audience size,
behaviour and demographic information are repeatedly extracted from the
visitor and viewer
detection modules. This continuous determination can allow for the continuous
display of what
is determined to be the most appropriate media, taking into account the
attributes of the
audience.
If new media is not required, in step 212 a similar algorithm is applied to
that of step 206 to
determine the media from the media database that is most suitable for display
based on the
aggregate audience size, behaviour and demographic information and any
environmental sensor
information. At the earliest moment when new media is required the best
matched media may be
indicated or displayed 214.
For media that has been displayed, step 216 may store a media start event in
the analysis
database so that audience attributes can be associated with the displayed
media for processing by
the business intelligence tool. Method 200 then repeats the process from step
202.
In situations where no audience members are present in front of the display,
the system can
either display a blank screen, a default image, or random media selection.
This display choice
can be specified during a configuration step by a user.
Alternative means of choosing media content to be displayed upon a display may
be applied that
correspond to particular audit, analysis, or reports generated, as described
below. Furthermore,
premium media fees may be imposed upon the display of particular media or
particular periods
of display time. Premium media fees may be established by way of a number of
means,
including, but not limited to the following: application by the controller of
the display; setting.the
fee in accordance with the output of audit, analyses or reports; bidding by
advertisers or other
media providers, as described in more detail below; or other means of
establishing premium
costs for the display of either particular media or the display of media
during particular time
periods. A skilled reader will recognize that the means of establishing and
imposing premium
media fees may vary and a number of variables may be involved. The payment of
a premium
media fee provides an alternative means of establishing content display.
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Business Intelligence Tool
An embodiment of the present invention includes a business intelligence tool
26 and may use
this tool to generate reports detailing the attributes of audiences. FIG. 7
shows an embodiment of
the invention including business intelligence tool components: an interface
module 70, a data
module 72, a data correlation module 74, and a report generation module 76.
The interface module 70 may communicate with the audience analysis suite 16.
More
specifically, the interface module 70 may allow for communication where
information pertaining
to the display of media and attribute measurements associated with each
display are provided.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the interface module 70 may
provide for remote
access to reports associated with the display of the media upon display
devices. For example,
web-based access may be provided, whereby users may access the respective
reports via the
World Wide Web. As will be obvious to a skilled reader, other forms of remote
access may also
be applied.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the data module 72 may compute
averages for use
in a report. The data module 72 may also specify other totals associated with
the specific
individuals in an audience. The data correlation module 74 may receive
external data 75 from
other sources, such as point-of-sale data, and use this to perform
correlations between the
external data and the data in any databases employed in the present invention.
External data may
be input to the system through the interface module 70.
The report generation module 76 may be based on the output of the data module
and any
optional correlations provided by the correlation module. Reports generally
provide visual
representations of requested information, and include many formats, such as
graphs, text or
tabular formats. Reports may also be exported 73 into data files, such as
comma-separated values
(CSV), or electronic documents, for example such as, PDF files, or Word files,
that can be
viewed at any time in the future using standard document viewers without
requiring access to the
business intelligence tool.
In one embodiment of the present invention, users may request reports based on
all available
data, which may include data, such as, any combination of display device
segments, type of
media, and any audience attributes. Other additional options may also be
available in other
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embodiments. Based on the report requests, data from relevant databases may be
extracted and
presented to the user. As will be obvious to a skilled reader, a variety of
databases and data
sources may be applied in the present invention to produce robust reports.
The elements of the business intelligence tool may additionally be applied to
facilitate an audit
function. Audits may reflect the attributes of viewers drawn by particular
media, the attributes of
viewers facing a display device during specific media content, the attendance
of particular
viewers to a display device during certain times of day, or other information
relating to media
shown or the attributes of viewers attending a display device. The audit
function may be built so
that its output and/or its source information cannot be modified. For example,
this information
may be stored in a separate database, or in a particular segment of a
database. Providing non-
modifiable audit results, or basing the audit upon an information source that
cannot be modified,
is a means of supporting the reliability of the audit, as well as its
applicability as a source of
comparison for future audits, analysis, and reports. The audit function may
utilize input from
remote access sources.
In embodiments of the present invention various reports and audits may be
generated to produce
a range of information, and analysis, including those that reflect the
effectiveness of particular
media or content. For example, embodiments of the invention may include any or
all of the
following functions:
Visitor Counts
Using the entry/exit data, the business intelligence tool may query the
analysis database to
generate reports regarding the number of people in any ROI for any desired
time frame. A
resulting report may be used to provide an assessment of the number of people
in the vicinity of
the display. Visitor counts may also be extracted from the analysis database
based on individual
media identifiers to determine the potential audience size for a particular
media.
Dwell Time
The amount of time between the entry and exit of a cluster from a ROI may
represent a dwell
time. The business intelligence tool may query the entry/exit events in the
analysis database to
evaluate the average dwell time across any desired time range for a particular
ROI. Additionally,
dwell times across a number of ROIs may be combined to estimate service times,
such as in a
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fast food outlet. For example, if it is the goal of a user to determine the
average time it takes to
travel from various locations, for example, such as ROIa that represents a
lineup to ROIb that
represents an order/payment counter, and then from ROIb to ROIc that
represents an item pick-
up counter, this can be computed using the entry/exit events in the analysis
database.
Queue Length
If a ROI is defined to represent a queue, the business intelligence tool may
report on the number
of people within the ROI by extracting the entry/exit events from the analysis
database for any
desired time range. Queues can be defined by interactively specifying the ROI
around a real-
world queue using the image capture by the overhead-mounted camera 12a as a
guide.
Traffic Heat Map
A motion accumulator image may be used to generate a traffic/heat map showing
the relative
frequency of activity at every pixel in an image. The business intelligence
tool may generate the
colour heat map image from the motion accumulator image as follows:
Compute the global minimum and maximum values in the motion accumulator image,
and
compute the range as maximum-minimum value.
Set pixels in the motion accumulator image that are 0 to black in the colour
image.
Set pixels in the motion accumulator image that are between the minimum value
and less than
minimum+0.25range to an interpolated gradient colour in the colour image
between blue and
cyan.
Set pixels in the motion accumulator image that are between the
minimum+0.25range and the
minimum+0.50range to an interpolated gradient colour between cyan and green.
Set pixels in the motion accumulator image that are between minimum+0.50range
and
minimum+0.75range to an interpolated gradient colour between green and yellow.
Set pixels in the motion accumulator image that are between minimum+0.75range
and
minimum+ 1. Orange to an interpolated gradient colour between yellow and red.
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The result may produce a traffic/heat map that shows infrequently visited
parts of the scene as
"cooler" colours, for example, such as blue or other cooler colours, while
more frequently visited
parts of the scene are shown as "warmer" colours, for example, such as red or
other warmer
colours. The business intelligence tool may generate and display a
traffic/heat map by analyzing
the motion accumulator images for any desired time range, whereby granularity
may be defined
by the maximum accumulation period of each stored motion accumulator image.
Viewing by Display
The viewing events stored in the analysis database may be aggregated for any
desired time range
using the business intelligence tool. This may be accomplished by parsing the
impression events
in the database and generating average viewer counts, viewing times,
behaviours, and
demographics for any desired time range. Therefore, for any given display, the
total number of
views may be determined for any time range. The impression events can also be
used to
determine the average viewing time for any particular display and time range.
Additionally, total
impressions and average viewing time may be compared across two or more
displays for
comparative analyses. In all cases, reports may be generated that segment out
behaviour and
demographic information.
Viewing by Media Identifier
The business intelligence tool may generate reports showing the number of
views or average
viewing time that a particular media received during any desired time range.
This may be
accomplished using the associations between media identifiers and audience
attributes.
Demographic information may also be segmented out for the generated reports.
Visitor-to-Viewer Conversion Rates
The combination of the visitor detection module based on images from an
overhead camera and
the viewer detection module based on images from a front-facing camera, as
applied in some
embodiments of the present invention, can allow the business intelligence tool
to report visitor-
to-viewer conversion rates for any desired time range. The reports may also be
segmented based
on demographics. In embodiments of the present invention which do not use the
overhead
detection module, the opportunities-to-see (OTS) features of the front-facing
camera image
directed viewer detection module can provide an estimate of the visitor
counts.
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Viewing by Time-of-Day or Day-of-Week
The business intelligence tool may aggregate viewing data, for example the
total views and/or
average viewing time, by time-of-day or day-of-week. Comparative analyses may
also be
performed to determine trends relating to a specific time-of-day or day-of-
week during a set
period of time.
A person skilled in the art will recognize that the aforementioned examples of
its functions do
not represent all of the possible functions of the business intelligence tool,
but are merely
presented as representative of its capabilities.
General Use Instances
For the purpose of further describing the present invention, examples of
general use instances,
such as those that apply to high-traffic environments, including for example,
retailers, shopping
malls, and airports, or that apply to captive audience environments, including
for example,
restaurants, medical centres, and waiting rooms, are provided. Other high-
traffic and captive
audience environments may also be applied as general use instances. A person
skilled in the art
will recognize that these general use instance examples do not limit the scope
of the present
invention, but provide further examples of embodiments of the invention.
In an embodiment of the present invention, for general use instances, a front
facing camera may
be embedded into or placed upon a display. An additional overhead camera may
be positioned
near the display, having a view over an audience area as determined by the
user.
In another embodiment of the present invention, for general use instances,
internet protocol (IP)
network cameras may be connected to an on-site computer server located nearby,
such as in a
backroom. A PoE (Power over Ethernet) switch may be utilized to provide both
power and a data
connection to the network cameras concurrently. Another embodiment may involve
connecting
USB cameras to a server using USB-Ethernet extender devices to extend the
range of standard
USB cameras. The server may process the camera feeds through the audience
analysis suite
applications, to extract audience measurement data and to store the data in
the analysis database.
The database, in the form of a log file, may be uploaded through an Internet
or Intranet
connection to a web-based business intelligence tool in accordance with a
customizable
schedule, such as nightly.
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In yet another embodiment of the present invention, for general use instances,
the content
delivery subsystem may present content on the displays that is deemed
appropriate based on user
requirements. User requirements may be determined by way of an audit function.
Moreover,
such content may either be based on a playlist, or will be shown using a
targeted media delivery
method. Playlist and targeted content media data may be provided by the user
and populated into
the playlist and media databases. In one embodiment of the invention, the
content delivery
subsystem may be a third party system that interfaces with the audience
analysis suite by means
of an Application Programming Interface (API). Through these methods, in
particular the API,
third-party applications may access real-time audience information from the
system of the
present invention. Using this audience information the third-party
applications may trigger media
playback based on audience characteristics. In one embodiment, this can be
achieved without
requiring the third-party application to have access to the software code of
the present invention.
Regardless of whether content targeting is a required feature, according to a
user, audience
measurement data may be aggregated to provide media effectiveness information.
Users may view audience measurement information by logging into the business
intelligence tool
through the Internet or Intranet. The web-based access tool can allow users to
view reports that
showcase the audience measurement data in various formats, such as in
graphical and tabular
formats, or any other formats.
Applications of embodiments of the present invention may serve different
purposes in different
environments where the invention is applied. The following information
identifies some of those
purposes. A skilled reader will recognize that additional purposes and
benefits may be achieved
by other embodiments and locations of the invention than those indicated in
the following
examples and therefore these examples do not limit the scope of the invention.
Queues:
In locations such as fast-food restaurants, grocery stores, and banks, where
people form queues
while waiting to complete their transactions, an overhead camera of the
present invention may
serve the dual purpose of analyzing both the potential audience size of a
display, as well as the
speed and efficiency of the movement of the queue of people. Additionally, the
formation of
queues is synonymous with the formation of captive audiences. In these
environments,
embedding a camera into displays may allow for targeted content to be shown to
either help
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alleviate the perceived wait time of customers, or to help promote products
and services based on
the audience member profiles.
Kiosks:
In certain retail environments, the effectiveness of kiosks to engage audience
attention may
require monitoring. In a kiosk location one embodiment of the invention may
use a digital USB
camera embedded in a kiosk, which is plugged directly into a computer system
housed within the
kiosk running the audience analysis suite applications. The camera may be
positioned and
operable to capture one or more images permitting detection of movement of the
targets in the
area; and one or more images permitting establishment of attributes for the
targets.
In another embodiment, an analog camera may be plugged into USB digitizers,
which in turn
plug into the computer system running the audience analysis suite
applications. The computer
system housed within the kiosk may process all of the camera images, and may
upload the
aggregated data at a regular interval, such as daily, to a web-based analysis
database. A user may
be able to review the audience measurement data by logging into the web-based
business
intelligence tool.
Auction-based Advertising Network:
An action-based advertising network approach is one application wherein
premium media fees
may be utilized to establish media content display. For example, a system
using advertising-
based digital signage networks, may have an auction-style approach applied to
determine the
content to be shown to specific audience members. This approach aims to
display content
specific to the audience members in accordance with their characteristics.
Each piece of media
content for display on such a network may have associated with it a bidding
price, which an
advertiser is willing to pay to reach viewers having a specific set of
audience characteristics.
Multiple advertisers may bid for the same set of particular audience
attributes or other factors.
When the audience profile in front of the screen(s) matches that of the target
of the media
content, the media with the highest associated bidding price would be selected
for display. This
selection process may be utilized to determine the content to be displayed on
screens at varying
granularity levels, for example, by country, city, street address, location or
individual screen. For
example, to illustrate this method, an advertiser may want to display an
advertisement for an
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automobile in accordance with certain criteria: to men; between the hours of 3
to 5 p.m.; on
every Saturday; for the month of May; in a chain of computer stores; on
digital screens; the
screens being located in the car audio section of the computer stores. The
advertiser may
associate a price bid for every person fitting the demographic profile
identified as looking at the
digital signs within the confines of the set criteria. Thus, when the criteria
are met the relevant ad
would be displayed and the advertiser would be charged the bid price per
qualified viewer. In the
event that two (2) or more advertisers had wanted to target the same audience
characteristics, the
media content associated with the highest bidder would be shown.
Additionally specific advertisements may have a media quota associated
therewith. The media
quota sets a limit on the number of times that the advertisement will be shown
within a set period
of time, along with a maximum bid price and a maximum daily total dollar
amount that the
advertiser is willing to spend. Once the parameter of number of plays of the
media quota is
reached the advertisement will not be displayed additional times during the
specified time period.
Pay-Per-Qualified View Model
A pay-per-qualified view model may also be applied. In this model an
advertiser may only be
billed for the display of specific media content, such as an advertisement,
when target audience
members view the advertisement. Thus, certain advertisements may have target
audience
attributes associated therewith, such as males, adults, etc. A digital display
may display
advertisements based upon a schedule, however, an advertiser will only be
charged for the
display of certain identified advertisements when specific audience members
view the
advertisement on the display. In this model the advertiser may not pay for the
display of an
advertisement to non-target audience members. Therefore, when target audience
members view
the advertisement a premium fee may be charged to the advertiser for the
display. The result is
that an advertiser may be charged for each display of an advertisement to an
audience including
target audience members, and may not be charged when the advertisement is
displayed to
audience that are devoid of target audience members. Thus, the advertised is
not necessarily
charged every time the advertisement is displayed.
It may be possible to set a media quota upon the display of the advertisement
or other media
content in this embodiment. The media quota may limit the number of times
media is displayed
and may correspond to the fee charged to the advertiser, so as to set a
maximum total fee. Once
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the media quota is reached, the advertisement will not be displayed any
additional times, unless
the advertiser increases the quota.
Shopping Malls/Airports/Large Stores
In a shopping mall or airport setting, where there are many displays dispersed
throughout a large
area, network cameras may be installed onto monitored displays. These network
cameras may all
connect to a series of on-site computers, for example computers located in a
back room. One
group of computers may be responsible for controlling the content delivery
modules, and a
separate group of computers may have the full responsibility of analyzing all
the camera data.
This can allow for the distribution of the computing processing load over a
number of computers,
which may allow the system to maintain high performance levels. In one
embodiment of the
present invention, the content delivery modules and audience analysis suite
modules may operate
on the same computer, for example a high performance computer, although other
computers may
also be utilized. The analyzed data may be uploaded to a web-based analysis
database, thereby
allowing a user to access the audience measurement data by means of a web-
based business
intelligence tool.
Viewer/Visitor Detection Focus
In certain environments, or to meet user requirements, an embodiment of the
invention may be
applied whereby only viewer audience data or visitor audience data is
accessible. In such an
embodiment, configurations such as the following may be applied: a front-
facing camera may be
embedded into displays, without a corresponding overhead camera. The visitor
detection module
may be disabled in this embodiment, while the balance of the system remains
functional; or an
overhead camera may be embedded over a ROI, without a corresponding front-
facing camera
being setup. The viewer detection module may be disabled in this embodiment,
while the balance
of the system remains functional. A person skilled in the art will recognize
that other
embodiments of the invention may be applied to produce similar results,
whereby elements of
the invention are made the focus of the invention, while others may be deemed
unnecessary.
Utilizing existing cameras
In environments where an existing camera infrastructure is in place, such as a
system of security
cameras in a museum, the existing cameras may be utilized as inputs to the
audience analysis
~'" 40
CA 02687348 2009-11-13
WO 2008/138144 PCT/CA2008/000938
suite if the image quality and camera angles are sufficient for the function
of the present
invention.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variations of
the embodiments
described herein may also be practiced without departing from the scope of the
invention. Other
modifications are therefore possible. For example, any method and system steps
presented may
occur in an order other than that described herein. Moreover, a variety of
displays, media and
content may be applied.
~ . , 41
