AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF CHANGES IN OBJECTS

摘要

The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software related product (e.g., a computer readable memory or a storage device) for automatic timely finding of deficiencies in objects such as automobiles, railcar, airplane tractor trailer, intermodal containers and the like, by automatically monitoring the object's appearance changes while they are moving in a course of normal operation using their camera pictures/images, e.g., during passing through a check point.

主权项

1. A method for automatically monitoring objects at a facility, comprising:
storing, via a computing device, baseline picture data comprising baseline pictures of each of a plurality of objects at the facility, the baseline picture data including a unique identification associated with a corresponding object; receiving, from one or more cameras located at a check point of the facility and configured to take pictures of objects moving therethrough, further picture data comprising pictures of some objects of the plurality of objects taken automatically during movement of the some objects through the check point in a course of normal operation; identifying on each taken picture the corresponding object and the unique identification associated with the corresponding object; storing, via the computing device, the received further pictured data including the taken pictures and corresponding unique identification of the some objects; comparing at least a latest picture of each object taken during each of one or more predefined time intervals with the corresponding stored baseline picture of the object; and determining whether a difference between at least the latest picture of the each object and the corresponding stored baseline picture of the each object exceeds a corresponding threshold or a plurality of thresholds set for each of the one or more predefined time intervals: and providing, in response to a determination that a threshold or plurality of thresholds has been exceeded, indication of a corresponding object which requires a corrective action or multiple correction actions.