Automatic video indexing via object motion analysis

To assist human analysis of video data, a technique has been developed to perform automatic, content-based video indexing from object motion. Moving objects are detected in the video sequence using motion segmentation methods. By tracking individual objects through the segmented data, a symbolic representation of the video is generated in the form of a directed graph describing the objects and their movement. This graph is then annotated using a rule-based classification scheme to identify events of interest, e.g., appearance/disappearance, deposit/removal, entrance/exit, and motion/rest of objects. One may then use an index into the motion graph instead of the raw data to analyse the semantic content of the video. Application of this technique to surveillance video analysis is discussed. (C) 1997 Pattern Recognition Society.