US 12,094,130 B2
Systems and methods for detecting and tracking humans in captured images
Haining Liu, Dallas, TX (US); Ryan B. Reagan, Fort Worth, TX (US); and Zhichun Xiao, Plano, TX (US)
Assigned to Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed by Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed on Jul. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/389,154.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/058,981, filed on Jul. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/058,998, filed on Jul. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0036568 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G06T 7/246 (2017.01); G06F 16/583 (2019.01); G06Q 10/0631 (2023.01); G06Q 30/0201 (2023.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01); H04N 7/18 (2006.01)
CPC G06T 7/248 (2017.01) [G06F 16/5838 (2019.01); G06Q 10/06311 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0201 (2013.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01); G06V 40/103 (2022.01); H04N 7/183 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30196 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30232 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30242 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for detecting and tracking humans from one image to another image captured by a camera at a retail store, the system comprising:
a camera configured to capture, at a first time, a first image of an area at a retail store;
a control circuit coupled to the camera, the control circuit configured to:
receive the first image;
detect a plurality of key body joints of a first human captured on the first image, wherein each of the plurality of key body joints is a point of interest along a skeletal anatomy of the first human;
in response to the detection of the plurality of key body joints, determine segmentations of the plurality of key body joints of the first human to determine one or more body parts of the first human;
determine a color distribution map of aggregate pixels associated with each body part of the one or more body parts of the first human on the first image, wherein each color distribution map is used by the control circuit to differentiate between the first human and another human in the first image;
cause a database to store the color distribution map for each body part of the first human in the first image; wherein the database coupled to the control circuit, the database comprising one or more color distribution map sets each associated with a detected human in a captured image of the camera;
the camera is further configured to capture, at a second time, a second image of the area;
the control circuit is further configured to:
receive the second image;
determine a color distribution map of aggregate pixels associated with each body part of one or more body parts of a second human in the second image;
calculate a correlation value for each color distribution map associated with each body part of the first human with each color distribution map associated with each corresponding body part of the second human;
determine that the first human in the first image is the second human in the second image based on at least one of: a determination that each calculated correlation value is equal to at least a correlation threshold and a determination that a threshold number of calculated correlation values is equal to at least the correlation threshold; and
the control circuit is further configured to cause the database to update a previously stored color distribution map sets associated with the first human by merging the previously stored color distribution map sets with another color distribution map sets of the second human in the second image in response to the determination that the first human in the first image is the second human in the second image.