JP2002281488A - Video monitor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display significant images on one screen among images from a plurality of surveillance cameras. SOLUTION: A condition setting part 32 sets an image significance condition according to inputs from an inputting part 31 and an external I/F 39, and transmits the image significance condition to a surveillance camera part 1a, and the image significance condition is stored in a first memory part 13. Images from respective cameras 11 are inputted to respective first significance discriminating parts 14, a significance rank is discriminated by comparing the images with the condition read from the first memory part to be discriminated, in the case the significance rank is significant, the significance rank is transmitted together with the respective images from an I/F 12 through a communication network 12, inputted to the I/F 34 of a server computer 3, and inputted to a display controlling part 36 through a first controlling part 38, and the respective images are made to be a size corresponding to their significance ranks and are subjected to multidisplay on a displaying part 37. Otherwise, the image significance condition is stored in a second memory part 33, images are transmitted from the cameras of all surveillance camera parts, inputted to the second significance discriminating part 35 of the server computer, and compared with a condition read from a second memory part to be discriminated, and significant images are displayed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video surveillance apparatus, and more particularly to a video surveillance apparatus for judging the importance of an image from a surveillance camera and displaying an image with a higher importance larger than other images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a surveillance camera (hereinafter abbreviated as a camera) is provided at a plurality of locations, images from the cameras are displayed on a monitor screen provided for each camera, or images from the cameras are displayed at appropriate time intervals. To sequentially display the images on a single monitor screen, or, as shown in the example of FIG. 4, display multiple images from a plurality of (eight) cameras on a single screen. However, when the number of cameras is large, it is expensive to provide a monitor for each camera, and the number of monitors is one, and when switching and displaying cameras, an image from a camera in which an abnormality has occurred may not be displayed immediately. Further, in the case of multi-display of multiple images, there is a problem in that each screen is small, so that it is difficult to recognize the abnormality on the screen.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, when images from a plurality of cameras are monitored by a single monitor, when there is any change in the monitoring visual field, the degree of importance is determined from the state of the change, and the importance is determined. An object of the present invention is to enhance monitoring performance by displaying a high-quality image larger than others.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, in a video surveillance apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of cameras are connected to a server computer via a predetermined communication network, and images from the cameras are transmitted to the server computer. In what is displayed on the screen, the server computer is provided with a condition setting unit in which a predetermined condition of importance of an image is set via an input unit, and a first control unit that controls the condition setting unit. For each of the cameras, a first memory unit for storing a condition of the importance set by the condition setting unit, and an image from the camera is applied to a condition read from the first memory unit to determine the importance of the image. A first importance discrimination unit for discriminating, and a second control unit for controlling the camera, the first memory unit, and the first importance discrimination unit; When The image from the camera is sent to the server computer, to be displayed on the screen, important as the image determined it is to make if there are multiple multi display.

Further, the first camera is provided to the plurality of cameras.
A set of a memory unit, a first importance determination unit, and a second control unit may be provided to determine the importance of the image from each camera, and transmit the image determined to be important from the camera. .

In the condition setting section, the condition of the importance of the image is set to a plurality of ranks according to the degree of importance.
The first importance determining unit determines the rank of the importance of the image, assigns the rank to the image, and transmits the image.
In the server computer, a display control unit for controlling the size of each image to be multi-displayed is provided, and when a plurality of images are input to the server computer, the size of the image with a higher importance rank is increased, Multi-display is performed by reducing the size of an image having a low rank of importance.

Alternatively, in the server computer, a condition setting section in which a predetermined condition of importance of the image is set via an input section, and a second memory for storing the condition of importance set in the condition setting section. Unit, a second importance determining unit that determines the importance of the image by applying the image from each camera to the condition read from the second memory unit, and the condition setting unit, the second memory unit, and the second important unit. A first control unit for controlling the degree of importance discrimination, wherein the image determined to be important by the second importance degree discrimination unit is displayed on the screen, and when there are a plurality of images determined to be important, multi-display is performed. You may do so.

In the condition setting section, the condition of the importance of the image is set to a plurality of ranks according to the degree of importance.
The second importance determination unit determines the rank of the importance of the image, and the server computer has a display control unit for controlling the size of each image to be multi-displayed. Is input, the size of an image with a higher importance rank is made larger, and the size of an image with a lower importance rank is made smaller so that multiple images are displayed.

In the display control unit, a layout table for displaying a plurality of images on a single screen to the maximum extent in a multi-view mode and changing the size of each image in accordance with the rank of importance is set. In addition, the layout is switched to a corresponding layout pattern in accordance with the number of images input to the server computer and the degree of importance of each image, so that the images are displayed in a multi-display manner.

[0010] The image importance condition set by the condition setting unit is input by a personal computer connected to an external interface provided in the server computer instead of the input unit. Further, the condition setting unit ranks the rank of the importance of the image, the magnitude of the amount of change in the image, the magnitude of the volume collected by the microphone attached to the camera, or the continuation of the abnormality when the abnormality of the image is detected. Set according to the length of time.

The server computer is provided with a third memory unit for storing a plurality of images, and an image from the designated camera is stored in the third memory unit at a designated time, and the third memory unit is provided. The plurality of read images may be multi-displayed by the display control unit.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on embodiments with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of an embodiment of a video monitoring apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1a to 1n denote a monitoring camera unit, 2 denotes a communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), 3 denotes a server computer 11 such as camera section 1a
Is a monitoring camera, 12 is an I / F (interface) for outputting an image from the camera 11 and inputting a condition of importance of the image from the server computer 3, and 13 is an importance of the image set by the condition setting unit 32. A first memory unit for storing a degree condition;
Reference numeral 14 denotes a first importance determination unit that determines the importance of an image from the camera 11, and reference numeral 15 denotes a second control unit that controls each unit of the monitoring camera unit 1a. Reference numeral 31 of the server computer 3 is an input unit for inputting conditions of image importance, etc., 32 is a condition setting unit for setting conditions of image importance, and 33 is a condition of image importance set by the condition setting unit 32. , An I / F for inputting an image from the surveillance camera unit 1a and outputting the conditions set by the condition setting unit 32, and 35 an importance of the image from the surveillance camera unit 1a and the like , A display control unit, 37 a display unit, 38 a first control unit for controlling each unit of the server computer 3, and 39 a personal computer connected to determine a condition of image importance. An external I / F 40 for inputting is a third memory unit for storing a plurality of images from the camera 11.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main part of another embodiment of the video surveillance device according to the present invention.
Reference numeral 41 such as the monitoring camera unit 4a denotes an I / F for outputting an image from the camera 11. 5 is a camera control unit, 51 is a condition setting unit 32
A first memory unit 52 for storing an image importance condition set in the step (1) is a first memory unit 52 for determining the importance of an image from the camera 11 or the like.
An importance determination unit 53 is a second control unit that controls each unit of the camera control unit 5 and controls the I / F 41 of the monitoring camera unit 4a and the like. The other reference numerals are the same as those in FIG.

Next, the operation of the video monitoring device according to the present invention will be described. First, in the case of FIG. 1, the condition of the importance of the image is input by the input unit 31 or the personal computer connected to the external I / F 39 of the server computer 3, and the importance is set by the condition setting unit 32 via the first control unit 38. Set the degree condition. The setting of the condition of the importance of the image can be performed, for example, in the case of using the amount of change in the image (due to the invasion of a person or the like) as a large, medium, or small rank according to the amount of change, or in each rank. Similarly, according to the loudness of the sound collected by the microphone attached to the camera 11 or the like, three ranks or the like, or, if an image abnormality is detected, a long, medium, or short according to the duration of the abnormality. Set to three ranks. The importance condition set by the condition setting unit 32 is transmitted from the I / F 34 via the first control unit 38 to the communication network 2.
Then, the data is sent to the monitoring camera units 1a to 1n, input to the first memory unit 13 via the second control unit 15 via the I / F 12, and stored. Images from the cameras 11 of the monitoring camera units 1a to 1n are transmitted to the second control unit 15
Is input to the first importance discriminating unit 14 via the first memory unit 13 and compared with the importance condition read out from the first memory unit 13. The data is transmitted from the I / F 12 to the server computer 3 via the communication network 2 under the control.

The image transmitted from the I / F 12 is input to the server computer 3 via the I / F 34, and is input to the display control unit 36 via the first control unit 38. When a plurality of images are input, the display control unit 36 performs multi-display on the screen of the display unit 37 such that the size of an image with a high importance rank is increased and the size of an image with a low importance rank is reduced. FIG.
(A) is an example in which a camera (corresponding to any one of the cameras 11 of the monitoring camera units 1a to 1n, the same applies hereinafter), and four images are input. This is the case when the camera is next highest and the camera and the camera's importance rank are low. For this reason, the display control unit 36 displays a plurality of images on a single screen as much as possible in a multi-display mode, and displays each image with a different image size in accordance with the rank of importance. (For one image to n images) is set, and the pattern is switched to a corresponding layout pattern in accordance with the number of input images and the level of the importance rank of each image, so that multiple images are displayed. As shown in FIG. 3B, the images input to the server computer 3 (four images in the figure) may be displayed on the display unit 37 in the same size as much as possible.

Alternatively, images are transmitted from the cameras 11 of all the monitoring camera sections 1a to 1n, and these are input to the second importance discriminating section 35 via the first control section 38 of the server computer 3, Each of them is compared with the condition of importance read out from the second memory unit 33, and only the image determined to be important is input to the display control unit 36, and the display unit 37 is displayed by any of the methods described above.
May be displayed.

Also, as shown in the example of FIG.
4n may be collectively controlled by the camera control unit 5. That is, all the images from each camera 11 are input to the first importance determining unit 52 via the second control unit 53, and are compared with the importance condition read from the first memory unit 51, and are determined to be important. In this case, the importance level is assigned, and the images from the cameras 11 of the corresponding monitoring camera units 4a to 4n are transmitted to the server computer 3 via the I / F 41 via the communication network 2 via the second control unit 53. In this case, the operation of each unit of the server computer 3 is the same as that in FIG.

The server computer 3 is provided with a third memory unit 40 so that a plurality of images can be stored, and the images from the cameras 11 of the designated monitoring camera units 1a to 1n or 4a to 4n can be stored at the designated time. (Images from the same camera at a specified time or images from different cameras at a specified time) and display control of a plurality of images read from the third memory unit 40 via the first control unit 38 The information may be input to the unit 36 and multi-displayed on the display unit 37 so that the status of the change over time can be checked. Display unit
The image displayed on 37 is sent out from the external I / F 39,
An image may be displayed on a screen of a personal computer or the like connected to the external I / F 39.

[0019]

As described above, according to the video surveillance apparatus of the present invention, when a plurality of monitoring cameras are installed and images from these cameras are displayed on one screen and monitored, the monitoring is performed. When an abnormality (change) occurs in the visual field, the importance is determined from the amount of change in the image, the volume of the sound collected by the microphone attached to the camera, or the length of time during which the abnormality is detected, and is determined to be important. Display only the displayed image to the maximum on one screen, or change the image size according to the degree of importance, and cut unnecessary images for monitoring, and make important images as large as possible Since the information is displayed, it is easy to confirm the abnormality that has occurred in the monitoring visual field, and the monitoring performance is improved. In addition, the operability is improved because the importance condition setting can be set by using an externally connected personal computer in addition to the input unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a main part block diagram of an embodiment of a video monitoring device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main part of another embodiment of the video monitoring device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an example of a multi-display screen of the video monitoring device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an example of a multi-display screen of a conventional video monitoring device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a-1n, 4a-4n Surveillance camera unit 2 Communication network (LAN) 3 Server computer 5 Camera control unit 11 Camera 12, 34, 41 I / F (interface) 13, 51 First memory unit 14, 52 First importance Judgment unit 15, 53 Second control unit 31 Input unit 32 Condition setting unit 33 Second memory unit 35 Second importance judgment unit 36 Display control unit 37 Display unit 38 First control unit 39 External I / F 40 Third memory unit

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued from the front page F term (reference) BB74 DD05 DD27 EE05 FF01 FF02 FF04 FF19 GG02 GG07

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A method of connecting a plurality of surveillance cameras to a server computer via a predetermined communication network and displaying images from the surveillance cameras on a screen of the server computer. A condition setting unit for setting a condition of importance via an input unit; and a first control unit for controlling the condition setting unit. The importance set by the condition setting unit for each of the monitoring cameras is provided. A first memory unit that stores the conditions of the monitoring camera, a first importance determination unit that determines the importance of the image by applying an image from the surveillance camera to the condition read from the first memory unit, 1 memory unit and a second control unit that controls the first importance determination unit. When the first importance determination unit determines that the image data is important, the server computer transmits an image from the surveillance camera to the server computer. A video surveillance device that sends the images to a monitor and displays the images on a screen, and when there are a plurality of images determined to be important, displays the images in a multiple manner. 2. A method in which a plurality of surveillance cameras are connected to a server computer via a predetermined communication network, and images from the surveillance cameras are displayed on a screen of the server computer. A condition setting unit for setting a condition of importance via an input unit; a first control unit for controlling the condition setting unit; and a first unit for storing the condition of importance set by the condition setting unit. A memory unit; a first importance determination unit configured to determine the importance of the image by applying an image from the surveillance camera to a condition read from the first memory unit; and the monitoring camera, the first memory unit, and the first importance unit. A set of a second control unit for controlling the degree of discrimination unit is provided for each of the plurality of surveillance cameras, and when the first importance degree discrimination unit determines that the images are important, an image from the surveillance camera is transmitted to the server control unit. A video surveillance device that sends the images to a computer and displays them on a screen, and displays multiple images when there are a plurality of images determined to be important. 3. The condition setting unit sets a condition of importance of an image to a plurality of ranks according to the level of importance, and determines the rank of importance of the image by the first importance determination unit. In addition to ranking the images and sending the images, the server computer is provided with a display control unit for controlling the size of each image to be multi-displayed, and a plurality of images are input to the server computer. 3. The video surveillance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the image is displayed, the size of an image having a high importance rank is increased, and the size of an image having a low importance rank is reduced, so that the image is multi-displayed. 4. A method in which a plurality of surveillance cameras are connected to a server computer via a predetermined communication network, and images from the surveillance cameras are displayed on a screen of the server computer. A condition setting unit in which a condition of importance is set via an input unit; a second memory unit for storing the condition of importance set in the condition setting unit; and a second memory for storing images from the respective monitoring cameras. A second importance judging section for judging the importance of the image by applying the condition read from the section, a condition setting section, a second memory section, and a first control section for controlling the second importance judgment. An image monitoring apparatus configured to display, on the screen, an image determined to be important by the second importance determination unit, and to display multiple images when there are a plurality of images determined to be important. 5. The condition setting section sets a condition of importance of an image to a plurality of ranks according to the degree of importance, and determines the rank of importance of the image by the second importance determination section. In addition, the server computer is provided with a display control unit for controlling the size of each image to be multi-displayed, and when a plurality of images are input to the server computer, the size of an image having a high importance rank 5. The video surveillance apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the multi-display is performed such that the size of an image having a low importance rank is reduced and the size of an image having a low importance rank is reduced. 6. A layout table for maximally displaying a plurality of images on one screen and changing the size of each image in accordance with the rank of importance in the display control unit. 6. A multi-display of images according to claim 3 or 5, wherein the display is switched to a corresponding layout pattern in accordance with the number of images input to the server computer and the degree of importance of each image. Video surveillance equipment. 7. The image importance condition set by the condition setting unit is input by a personal computer connected to an external interface provided in the server computer instead of the input unit. The video monitoring device according to any one of the above. 8. The condition setting unit determines the rank of the importance of the image when a magnitude of a change amount of the image, a magnitude of a volume collected by a microphone attached to the surveillance camera, or an abnormality of the image is detected. The video monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the video monitoring device is set in accordance with the duration of the abnormality. 9. A third memory unit for storing a plurality of images in the server computer, wherein an image from the specified monitoring camera is stored in the third memory unit at a specified time. 5. The video monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of images read from the unit are multi-displayed by the display control unit.