VideoMining Awarded Two Patents
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) awarded two new patents to VideoMining Lab the R&D Division of State College, Pa.-based VideoMining Corporation for hardware implementation of video analytics for object recognition and audience measurement.
“VideoMining is committed to bringing the very best technology to the market,” said Dr. Rajeev Sharma, Founder & CEO of VideoMining. “This development is another demonstration of our leadership in video analytics.”
The first patent is for an embedded platform for measuring audience using dynamically-configurable hardware architecture. The system provides an end-to-end solution for audience measurement that includes demographics classification, gaze estimation, emotion recognition, behavior analysis, and impression measurement. The technology has many applications such as audience analysis and content targeting for digital signage, out-of-home media, and mobile media, many of which are found in retail locations.
The second patent is for a hardware solution for object recognition including human faces. It uses an artificial neural network mathematical model and a flexible architecture. The applications of this technology range from user authentication on mobile devices and matching scene objects for mobile applications such as augmented reality to more traditional video surveillance applications using smart cameras.
Both inventions are based on FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) platform that allows the packaging of video sensor and processing unit into an extremely small form factor with a low cost of production. The technology thus enables specialized video analytics applications to be implemented on mobile devices or smart cameras. In addition to researchers at VideoMining, the project involved outside consultants including Professor Vijay Narayanan, the co-director of the Microsystems Design Lab at The Pennsylvania State University.
“VideoMining Lab will be actively seeking commercialization opportunities for these technologies particularly for the mobile devices industry,” said Namsoon Jung, VP of innovation and research. “These patents nicely complement and strengthen other patents on video analytics. We are optimistic about the successful outcome for this effort based on a series of successes with other related patents recently.”
The two patents enhance VideoMining’s intellectual property portfolio of over 50 patents related to video analytics, retail data analytics, audience measurement and other applications of video analytics.
VideoMining Corporation provides in-store intelligence for shopper marketing aimed at helping retailers and consumer product manufacturers optimize their marketing and merchandising strategies. These insights are based on the company’s breakthrough in-store measurement technology that automatically converts video into precise statistical data on the shopping process