Monitoring System

Abstract

A monitoring system includes a first sensor and a second sensor, at least one of which is a camera. A computer system coupled to the first and second sensors includes a memory and stored object types and associations between objects of the object types. The computer system is configured to infer a first association between a first and second object by retrieving an input from at least one of the sensors, determining the object types of the first and second objects and inferring a specific interaction at a monitored location based on the sensor inputs.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A monitoring system comprising:
 a first sensor;   a second sensor, at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor being a camera;   a computer system coupled with the first sensor and the second sensor;   a memory associated with the computer system, the memory storing (1) a first object type (2) a second object type, (3) a plurality of potential interactions between objects of the first object type and the second object type, and (4) a plurality of associations between objects of the first object type and the second object type;   the computer system being configured to infer a first association between a first object of the first object type and a second object of the second object type by:
 receiving an input from at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor; 
 determining that the first object corresponds to the first object type and that the second object corresponds to the second object type based on the received sensor inputs; 
 inferring at least one specific interaction from among the plurality of potential interactions between the first object and the second object, the step of inferring occurring at a first time based on the received sensor inputs directed to a monitored space; and 
 inferring the first association between the first object and the second object based on the determined first object type, the determined second object type, and the inferred at least one specific interaction; 
 wherein the inferred first association indicates that the second object is carried or is possessed by the first object. 
   
     
     
         2 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the first object is a person. 
     
     
         3 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the first object is a vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further stores a plurality of access control rules and further wherein at least one access control rule from among the plurality of access control rules is applied based on the inferred first association. 
     
     
         5 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the inferred first association is further associated with an access control action. 
     
     
         6 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the inferred first association is associated with at least one semantic. 
     
     
         7 . The monitoring system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one semantic is associated with a semantic weight. 
     
     
         8 . The monitoring system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one semantic is associated with a semantic time management rule. 
     
     
         9 . The monitoring system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one semantic is associated with a semantic weight rule. 
     
     
         10 . The monitoring system of  claim 6 , wherein the system is configured to invalidate the at least one sematic after an interval of time and further invalidate the inferred first association based on the invalidation of the at least one semantic. 
     
     
         11 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the specific interaction is associated with at least one semantic. 
     
     
         12 . The monitoring system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one semantic is associated with a semantic time management rule. 
     
     
         13 . The monitoring system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one semantic comprises a semantic weight. 
     
     
         14 . The monitoring system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one semantic is associated with a semantic weight rule. 
     
     
         15 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the inferred first association is further based on a disappearance of at least one of the first object and the second object at a location within the monitored space within an interval of time. 
     
     
         16 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the received sensor inputs are associated with two different locations within the monitored space. 
     
     
         17 . The monitoring system of  claim 16 , wherein the processor determines, based on the first association, that the second object is checked out by the first object. 
     
     
         18 . A monitoring system comprising:
 a first sensor;   a second sensor, at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor being a camera;   a computer system coupled with the first sensor and the second sensor;   a memory associated with the computer system, the memory storing (1) a first object type (2) a second object type, (3) a plurality of potential interactions between objects of the first object type and the second object type, and (4) a plurality of associations between objects of the first object type and the second object type;   the computer system being configured to infer a first association between a first object of the first object type and a second object of the second object type by:
 receiving an input from at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor; 
 determining that the first object corresponds to the first object type and that the second object corresponds to the second object type based on the received sensor inputs; 
 inferring at least one specific interaction from among the plurality of potential interactions between the first object and the second object, the step of inferring occurring at a first time based on the received sensor inputs directed to a monitored space; and 
 inferring the first association between the first object and the second object based on the determined first object type, the determined second object type, and the inferred at least one specific interaction; 
 wherein the inferred first association indicates that the first object has possession and carries the second object. 
   
     
     
         19 . The monitoring system of  claim 18 , wherein the system further stores a plurality of access control rules and further wherein at least one access control rule from among the plurality of access control rules is applied based on the inferred first association. 
     
     
         20 . The monitoring system of  claim 18 , wherein the inferred first association is further associated with an access control action. 
     
     
         21 . The monitoring system of  claim 18 , wherein the inferred first association is associated with at least one semantic. 
     
     
         22 . The monitoring system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one semantic is associated with a semantic time management rule. 
     
     
         23 . The monitoring system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one semantic is associated with a semantic weight rule. 
     
     
         24 . The monitoring system of  claim 21 , wherein the system is configured to invalidate the at least one sematic after an interval of time and further invalidate the inferred first association based on the invalidation of the at least one semantic. 
     
     
         25 . The monitoring system of  claim 18 , wherein the specific interaction is associated with at least one semantic. 
     
     
         26 . The monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one semantic is associated with a semantic time management rule. 
     
     
         27 . The monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one semantic comprises a semantic weight. 
     
     
         28 . The monitoring system of  claim 18 , wherein the inferred first association is further based on a disappearance of at least one of the first object and the second object at a location within the monitored space and further, wherein the inferred first association is updated based on a reappearance of the at least one of the first object and the second object at a location within the monitored space within an interval of time. 
     
     
         29 . The monitoring system of  claim 18 , wherein the received sensor inputs are associated with two different locations within the monitored space. 
     
     
         30 . The monitoring system of  claim 29 , wherein the processor determines, based on the first association, that the first object checks out the second object.