Activity topology estimation for large networks of cameras

Abstract

Estimating the paths that moving objects can take through the fields of view of possibly non-overlapping cameras, also known as their activity topology, is an important step in the effective interpretation of surveillance video. Existing approaches to this problem involve tracking moving objects within cameras, and then attempting to link tracks across views. In contrast we propose an approach which begins by assuming all camera views are potentially linked, and successively eliminates camera topologies that are contradicted by observed motion. Over time, the true patterns of motion emerge as those which are not contradicted by the evidence. These patterns may then be used to initialise a finer level search using other approaches if required. This method thus represents an efficient and effective way to learn activity topology for a large network of cameras, particularly with a limited amount of data.