Content-based retrieval and real time detection from video sequences acquired by surveillance systems

In this paper, a surveillance system devoted to detect abandoned objects in unattended environments is presented to which image processing content based retrieval capabilities have been added for making easier inspection task from operators. Video-based surveillance systems generally employ one or more cameras connected to a set of monitors. This kind of systems needs the presence of a human operator, who interprets the acquired information and controls the evolution of the events in a surveyed environment. During the last years efforts have been performed to develop systems supporting human operators in their surveillance task, in order to focus the attention of operators when unusual situations are detected. Image sequences databases are also managed by the proposed surveillance system in order to provide operators with the possibility of retrieving in a second time the interesting sequences that may contain useful information for discovering causes of an alarm. Experimental results are shown in terms of the probability of correct detection of abandoned objects and examples about the retrieval sequences.