Patent Application
20050271266
The present invention relates to the field of water safety at public swimming beaches.
Lifeguards warn people about rip tides at public swimming beaches, such as along ocean beaches. Based upon experience they are trained to visually spot rip tide flows, since rip tides have three basic characteristics that are different from normal waves.
First, rip tide wave patterns are perpendicular to the shore, which is why they rush out to sea so fast and endanger swimmers caught within the pulling power of the rip tide. In contrast, normal ocean waves strike the shore obliquely, and this cushions their impact. Therefore normal ocean waves bounce off the sand at an opposite oblique angle in a flow rate that is rather slow. Lifeguards are trained to spot rip tide water flows going back perpendicular to the shore, as opposed to the oblique configuration of normal ocean beach waves.
Second, the coloration is different. Rip tide waters are generally darker than normal waters.
Third, rip tides may have more surface ripples and texturing.
Related art in non-analogous fields include “Kidnappers beware! New software can nab you”, Machine Design, May 3, 2001 issue, page 48, wherein there is discussed a computerized system which mimics human analysis of handwriting samples; using recognizable features such as shapes and spaces. Furthermore, in “Face identifier uses neural network”, Laser Focus World, May, 2001 issue, page 90, a system is described for training a computer with many examples of images of faces entered into the system with a digital camera, to assist the computer in identifying specific human faces.
There have been several studies directly related to rip currents (or “rip tides”). A sampling of four such studies is mentioned to illustrate the diversity of methods. The Navy-funded RIPEX program (“The Peril in the Surf”, Charles W. Petit, U.S. News & World Report v130 no22 p51 Je 4 2001) involved the use of an instrumented Yamaha personal watercraft off the coast of California's Monterey Bay. Instruments to measure water depth, current velocity, and temperature indexed by GPS (global positioning system) positioning were used. 12-foot-high instrumented towers in the surf were also part of the data collection phase. “Modulation of surf zone processes on a barred beach due to changing water levels; Skallingen, Denmark.” (Troels Aagaard, Journal of Coastal Research v. 18 no 1 (Winter 2002) p. 25-38) is another field experiment using cross-shore arrays of electromagnetic current meters, pressure sensors, and optical backscatter sensors. “Flow Kinematics of Low-Energy Rip Current Systems” (Robert W. Brander, Journal of Coastal Research v. 17 no2 (Spring 2001) p. 468-81) involved hydrodynamic measurements during two separate field trips at Palm Beach, NSW, Australia. The study concluded that at shorter time scales (hours) rip current velocity is inversely related to changes in water depth and is modulated by tide. Evidence of pulsatory rip flow behavior was found in certain environments. While field measurement studies such as these can establish some quantitative or statistical relationships, they tend to be location sensitive and idiosyncratic. The fourth study, “A Rip Current Model Based on a Hypothesized Wave/Current Interaction” (A. Brad Murray, Journal of Coastal Research v. 17 no3 (Summer 2001) p.517-30) is more nomothetic in nature using a cellular numeric model to extract plausible explanations for some dynamic behaviors of rip currents.
None of the studies purport to constitute the basis for a commercially viable hazard system for detecting rip currents.
Furthermore, it is not known to use computer analysis of common ocean rip tide characteristics to predict the presence of an ocean rip tide.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to assist experienced lifeguards in detecting rip tides in their vicinity by computerized image analysis of a number of telltale traits, to differentiate rip tides from normal ocean waves
It is also an object of the present invention to utilize video camera images to supplement human vision in spotting rip tides.
It is yet another object of the present invention to analyze computer-generated images to detect the presence of rip tides.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a computerized video detector for rip tides which mimics the manner in which a human observer would perform the detection.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a surveillance of a shore swimming area by a video camera for detecting rip tides.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide enhanced differentiation between hazardous rip currents and those of slower velocities.
It is also an object of the present invention to incorporate multi-sensor data from one or more sources, such as satellites, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) or watercraft, and off-shore towers to enhance detection, differentiation, and prediction of hazardous rip currents.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a central station linked by a remote data collection entity, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN) that coordinates activities related to rip currents and other hazards at a number of separate beaches in a locality.
In keeping with these objects and others which may become apparent, the present invention includes a system to assist lifeguards in detecting rip tides at an ocean beach, by visually capturing and analyzing common repetitive features of rip tides. For example, rip tide waves are different from normal ocean waves because rip tides strike the shore in a generally perpendicular fashion and bounce back sharply, as opposed to normal waves, which contact the beach shore at a slanted angle and return after dissipating much energy.
The system also detects rip tide waters which may be darker and which may have more surface texture, such as ripples, than surrounding water.
In the present invention, camera images are substituted for human vision, and computer analysis of these images is used to detect the presence of rip tides. The analysis involves some image pre-filtering that enhances the telltale signs of rip tides.
In one embodiment, the computer analysis of the system utilizes expert systems of analysis, which mimic how a human observer would perform the detection.
Alternatively, in another embodiment, the computer analysis of the system utilizes a neural network, which trains the system with many examples of images of common rip tide patterns, and then allows the network to decide whether a digitally captured image of a wave pattern is a rip tide wave or a common wave.
While the described system will provide adequate rip current hazard warning in most beach environments, better differentiation between hazardous rip currents and those of lesser velocity would reduce the annoying instances of alarms being sounded unnecessarily, and also reduce instances of undetected hazardous conditions.
To sharpen the situation analysis either by expert system or neural networks, additional data from multiple sensors may be used besides the local camera-derived image data. These image detecting and processing sensors can also include radar images, and visual as well as infrared images from cameras or radar in earth orbit satellites, UAV's, watercraft, or on towers off-shore, channel markers, bouys or other image collection recorders known to those skilled in the art.
For example, if one envisions a networked system of satellites not unlike NAVSTAR (GPS), continuous monitoring of currents at a beach can be obtained. Even fly-by data by satellite or UAV can provide potentially helpful evolutionary or hourly time-scale data predicting the likelihood of hazardous rip currents; these supplementary data can be used as decision tie-breakers in the computer analysis of the detection of hazardous rip currents. Other useful data recording systems for monitoring potentially hazardous rip currents include coherent continuous monitoring of temperature, current velocity, and optical backscatter in fixed off-shore locations is also helpful. Experience will show which data elements are predictively or analytically important, or merely redundant. System evolution will then eliminate the marginally useful data types or sources.
The first enhanced system embodiment includes a multi-channel telemetry receiver at each instrumented lifeguard perch to field the remote data streams directly.
A second enhanced system embodiment moves all data telemetry from remote sensors to a central station where it is more cost-effective. To make use of the remote data, each computer at a lifeguard perch is connected to the central station via a remote communications means such as a WLAN receiver. The central station sends the relevant data to each particular perch via a remote communications means such as a WLAN transmitter. In this way, a more elaborate master multi-channel telemetry receiver with optimal antennas can be implemented at one central site.
A third enhanced system embodiment moves all data analysis and alarm condition determination to a central master analysis computer. Each instrumented lifeguard perch now would only have a small controller and a image recorder and processor, such as a camera, an alarm, a microphone, a smaller battery or photovoltaic power source, and a WLAN transceiver. This provides a cost-reduced perch system while providing enhanced centralized analysis. A WLAN transceiver communicates with each perch to receive camera data, to send alarm signals, and to receive digitized voice communications from a lifeguard reporting sightings of other hazards such as sharks or red tide conditions or other contamination or objects.
The present invention can best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
It is well known that experienced lifeguards can detect rip tides in their vicinity by a number of telltale traits. They differentiate rip tides from normal ocean waves because rip tides strike the shore directly and bounce back sharply, as opposed to normal waves which hit the shore obliquely and dissipate their energy before bouncing back. Also, rip tide waters may be darker and may have more surface texture than surrounding water.
In this invention, camera images are substituted for human vision, and computer analysis of these images is used to detect the presence of rip tides. The analysis involves some image pre-filtering that enhances the telltale signs of rip tides before the digital data is processed for classification as NORMAL or RIP TIDE. The classification itself can proceed along either of two lines.
One well known method is expert systems which mimic the manner in which a human observer would perform the detection. The subtle rules used by a human are codified and used as the basis for classification software. The Machine Design publication reference noted above relates to such an approach to determining authorship of handwritten documents by a program written at the University of Buffalo. Like an expert handwriting analyst, the software extracts features such as individual character shapes, descenders, and spaces between the lines and words.
A second well known method is to build a neural network, train it with many examples of images with known classification, and then let the network determine its own classification criteria. In practice, most neural networks are simulated in software on digital computers such as PC's. The Laser Focus World publication reference noted above relates to such a system at the University of Tsukuba that uses neural networks to distinguish images of faces which are entered into the system using a digital camera.
The physical hardware is shown in
Although a commercially available laptop computer is used, it is modified to accept external cooling via direct impingement from fan tray 26 which obtains its inlet air through replaceable filter 31 and exhausts heated air through outlet louvers 24.
A large capacity external battery module 25 is also used to power the entire system. In operation, a freshly charged battery is exchanged with the depleted one every morning at the start of the surveillance shift. Attachment brackets 19 with key lock retainer 20 provide easy attachment to the life guard perch 2. An annunciator module 27 contains a bright red flashing warning light with strobe 28 and an audio amplifier with loudspeaker 29.
An alternative is to use a high resolution megapixel camera such as a model CV-M7 which is available from JAI America of Laguna Hills, Calif. This has a native digital interface which dispenses with the need for an external frame grabber 40; it is connected directly to laptop computer 41 via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or Firewire interface.
Laptop computer 41 can be any one of a wide variety of powerful commercially available types such as a Compaq series 1800 featuring an Intel Pentium III processor module. Large capacity battery module 25 supplies power to camera 4, laptop 41, fan tray 42, visual annunciator module 43, and audio power amplifier 44. Laptop computer 41 has on/off control over visual module 43 and provides the audio alarm or vocal message to audio amplifier 44.
While a laptop computer is preferable, standard desktop computers (not shown) may be utilized by remote wireless or cable connections to the camera module 4.
For example, color or darkness, surface texture, wave patterns, and interactions of these characteristics are all elements which enter into the rules defined. The actual visual image is subjected to a number of pre filters to highlight each of the characteristics of interest. Each filter can define a “layer” outlining spatially different characteristics. Brightness mapping or color mapping is of use. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis creates another layer outlining areas of enhanced surface texture. Duration or sustainability of these features as well as registration of regions on the different layers are other factors manipulated by the rules defined. While normally it may be considered to be too high a computation task for a lap top computer, but it must be realized that a frame rate of about at least three per second is all that is required for this analysis. Also, the analysis may not be continuous. There can be breaks in the actual frame sampling, if necessary, to permit the computer to catch up with computations of a series of consecutive frames.
After the rules are initially compiled, they are used to classify the video tapes as if they were live camera surveillance frames. If the accuracy of classification is not up to pre-established standards (both false negative and false positive rates), the rules are modified and refined in an iterative manner. Testing on a second batch of tapes not used in defining the rules is the last step. Once this process is finished, software for both the pre-filters as well as the rules is now available and can be replicated and deployed to each system of this invention to perform live beach surveillance of rip tide episodes.
In an alternative embodiment of this invention, as shown in
In the Laser Focus World publication reference noted above, a self organizing map (SOM) was the type of network used for identifying human faces. A similar technique may or may not be applicable. The network is trained by the training set and then used to classify the first test set. If the pre-established criteria is met or exceeded, the task is finished. Otherwise more training is done with the first test set and then the network is tested with a second test set. If criteria is still not met or exceeded, the image filters and/ or neural network are modified in an iterative manner until criteria is met. At this point, software for both the neural net and pre filters is available for replication and deployment to field units.
The overhead beach scene of
It is further noted that other modifications may be made to the present invention, in conjunction with the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended Claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/872,031, filed on Jun. 1, 2001 and claims priority therefrom.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09872031 | Jun 2001 | US |
| Child | 11203771 | Aug 2005 | US |
