Methods and apparatus to detect people

Abstract

Example apparatus disclosed herein includes a grouper to generate a first presence indication based on a threshold number of segments of image data including patterns of light values corresponding to a first human pulse. Disclosed example apparatus also include a face identifier to identify a first location associated with a human face in an environment associated with the image data based on thermal imaging data from a thermal imaging device, and output the first location associated with the human face in the environment associated with the image data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a grouper to generate a first presence indication based on a threshold number of segments of image data including patterns of light values corresponding to a first human pulse; and   a face identifier to:
 identify a first location associated with a human face in an environment associated with the image data based on thermal imaging data from a thermal imaging device; and 
 output the first location associated with the human face in the environment associated with the image data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further including an adjustor to adjust a first people count based on a comparison of the first location associated with the human face and a second location associated with the first presence indication. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the adjustor is to decrement the first people count based on the first location not corresponding to the second location. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , further including a non-face identifier to identify a third location in the environment associated with a non-face body part based on the thermal imaging data, the adjustor to decrement the first people count when the third location corresponds to the second location. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , where the grouper is to generate a second people count of presence indications, the presence indications based on respective threshold numbers of segments of the image data including respective patterns of light corresponding to respective human pulse waveforms, the face identifier is to generate a third people count of faces in the environment associated with the image data based on the thermal imaging data, and the adjuster is to adjust the first people count when the second people count of presence indications does not correspond to the third people count of faces. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the adjustor is to increment the first people count when the first location associated with the face does not correspond to locations of any of the presence indications. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the segments of the image data represent respective vertical strips spanning across the environment associated with the image data. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer readable processor medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
 generate a first presence indication based on a threshold number of segments of image data including patterns of light values corresponding to a first human pulse;   identify a first location associated with a human face in an environment associated with the image data based on thermal imaging data from a thermal imaging device; and   output the first location associated with the human face in the environment associated with the image data.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to adjust a first people count based on a comparison of the first location associated with the human face and a second location associated with the first presence indication. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to decrement the first people count based on the first location not corresponding to the second location. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 identify a third location in the environment associated with a non-face body part based on the thermal imaging data; and   decrement the first people count when the third location corresponds to the second location.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 generate a second people count of presence indications, the presence indications based on respective threshold numbers of segments of the image data including respective patterns of light corresponding to respective human pulse waveforms;   generate a third people count of faces in the environment associated with the image data based on the thermal imaging data; and   adjust the first people count when the second people count of presence indications does not correspond to the third people count of faces.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to increment the first people count when the first location associated with the face does not correspond to locations of any of the presence indications. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the segments of the image data represent respective vertical strips spanning across the environment associated with the image data. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 generating, by executing an instruction with a processor, a first presence indication based on a threshold number of segments of image data including patterns of light values corresponding to a first human pulse;   identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a first location associated with a human face in an environment associated with the image data based on thermal imaging data from a thermal imaging device; and   outputting, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first location associated with the human face in the environment associated with the image data.   
     
     
         16 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , further including adjusting a first people count based on a comparison of the first location associated with the human face and a second location associated with the first presence indication. 
     
     
         17 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the adjusting includes decrementing the first people count based on the first location not corresponding to the second location. 
     
     
         18 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , further including:
 identifying a third location in the environment associated with a non-face body part based on the thermal imaging data; and   decrementing the first people count when the third location corresponds to the second location.   
     
     
         19 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , further including:
 generating a second people count of presence indications, the presence indications based on respective threshold numbers of segments of the image data including respective patterns of light corresponding to respective human pulse waveforms;   generating a third people count of faces in the environment associated with the image data based on the thermal imaging data; and   adjusting the first people count when the second people count of presence indications does not correspond to the third people count of faces.   
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the adjusting includes incrementing the first people count when the first location associated with the face does not correspond to location of any of the presence indications.