JP2005286619A - Monitoring camera system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a monitoring camera system capable of flexibly coping with a change in the state of a photographing object without the need for the determination and operation by the administrator of the monitoring camera system in the case of arranging cameras. <P>SOLUTION: The system comprises: a camera group 101A comprising a plurality of cameras arranged in a shop; a POS register 107A for performing accounting of articles. A camera side display section 105 displays still picture data to urge the cameras to move to new monitoring positions on the basis of the camera monitoring positions assigned by the POS register 107A. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a surveillance camera system.

  Reflecting recent social unrest, demand for surveillance camera systems is expanding. In particular, in convenience stores and supermarkets, an increasing number of stores have installed surveillance camera systems for crime prevention and security.

  A basic surveillance camera system includes a camera that captures a surveillance video and a monitor that monitors the video captured by the camera. When a plurality of cameras are installed, a switcher is used that sequentially displays images and switches the images of each camera. An increasing number of systems have storage devices that use recording media such as analog tapes, hard disks, and recordable DVDs. In particular, in a surveillance camera system including a storage device, recorded video data can be used as evidence in case of an emergency. Since the recorded video data can be viewed and confirmed later, it is not necessary to always watch the monitor, and it is highly effective for small stores where it is difficult to provide a dedicated monitor.

  In addition, POS (Point of Sales) systems have been widely introduced at convenience stores and supermarkets. The POS system is a system that manages various information generated by activities such as sales information, purchase, and delivery for each product by a computer by means of a product information automatic reading method register rather than a conventional key input method. According to this POS system, it is possible to quickly determine the total amount paid by a customer by specifying a product by reading a barcode attached to the product with a barcode reader. Also, it is possible to input the age group and gender of the customer who purchased the product from input means such as a keyboard, and collect marketing information such as what age group / sex customer is purchasing the product for each item. it can.

By the way, these systems have been operated separately in the past, but recently, a technology for fusing these systems has also been released.
For example, an apparatus for displaying a camera image using a screen of a cash register display is disclosed (see Patent Document 1). According to this apparatus, a dedicated supervisor is not required, and it is suitable for a store with limited personnel. Furthermore, there is no need to install a dedicated monitor for monitoring, and space saving is realized.

In addition, a security system using a video photographed by a camera arranged in a store is disclosed (see Patent Document 2). According to this system, since the customer's face is photographed by the camera and the image data is recorded together with the sales data, the customer's face can be included in the marketing information. Therefore, in the marketing information such as the share of each product and the sales amount, the customer's face can be seen realistically, not just the gender and age group data, which can be used for sales promotion and marketing strategy. Furthermore, since both the customer image data and the sales data are recorded, it is assumed that only a specific person can be searched and reproduced from the recorded monitoring video data. For example, it is possible to specify the time and file name of video data in which the person was photographed by a search expression such as “○ month x person who bought △ on the day”, display it in a list, and play it back. It is done.
JP 2000-76546 A JP 2001-118146 A

  However, even with the devices and systems disclosed as described above, the current situation is that the arrangement of the camera is still left to the judgment of the administrator (store manager or supplier) of the surveillance camera system.

  When installing the surveillance camera system, the administrator installs a limited number of cameras in consideration of blind spots and priority surveillance points. Once installed, the camera continues to send video to the monitor without moving from that location. However, sales floor conditions change from moment to moment. For example, the customer base may be different in the morning and at night during the day. The same can be said for time units such as days of the week and months. If the customer base changes, the place where people gather in the store may change. For example, if there is a time zone where only students visit the store, there is a high possibility that people will gather near the sales floor of products that students like. Moreover, the customer base and the number of customers may change depending on conditions such as the purchased goods and the weather, as well as the time zone. Furthermore, there may be a case where a product with a lot of shoplifting occurs suddenly.

  It is considered that the surveillance camera system can be used more effectively by flexibly changing the position of the camera and the shooting direction in response to such changes in the situation of the sales floor. For example, during the time when only men visit the store, cameras are placed near the sales floor where men's favorite products or men-only products are displayed. It is possible. As part of the marketing strategy, there is also a method of using the method of monitoring the vicinity of new products with priority and confirming customer responses to newly introduced products.

  However, at the present time, it is an administrator (or an experienced clerk) who can appropriately determine the placement of the camera, and a general clerk places the camera at an appropriate monitoring position in a busy business. It was difficult. Therefore, it is not realistic to change the camera arrangement in the absence of an administrator or during busy hours, and it has not been possible to cope with changes in the situation of the sales floor. The same applies to the surveillance camera system that can move the camera using the driving means.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and does not require the judgment or operation of the administrator of the monitoring camera system when arranging the camera, and can monitor flexibly responding to changes in the situation of the shooting target. An object is to provide a camera system.

In order to solve the conventional problem, a surveillance camera system according to claim 1 of the present invention includes at least one imaging unit that captures an image of a monitoring target, a display unit that displays an image captured by each imaging unit, Based on the information managed by the information management means, the information management means for managing information related to the imaging target of each imaging means, and any one of the plurality of monitoring positions divided according to the information. And an information notification means for notifying movement information for urging the imaging means to move to the placement destination determined by the placement determination means. Each imaging unit for which the arrangement destination is determined is arranged at one of the plurality of monitoring positions based on the movement information.
Accordingly, it is possible to provide a surveillance camera system that can flexibly cope with a change in the situation of the photographing target without requiring the judgment and operation of the supervisor of the surveillance camera system when arranging the camera.

The surveillance camera system according to claim 2 of the present invention is the surveillance camera system according to claim 1, wherein the information notification means notifies the movement information to the imaging means. A data output unit that outputs movement information from the information notification unit, and a user places each of the imaging units at a required monitoring position based on the movement information output from the data output unit. is there.
This eliminates the need for judgment and operation by the administrator of the surveillance camera system, and based on the movement information indicated by the imaging means, the imaging means can be placed at a required monitoring position, which changes the situation of the subject to be photographed. It can respond flexibly.

In the surveillance camera system according to claim 3 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 2, the movement information notified by the information notification unit is video data, and the imaging unit outputs the data output As a unit, a monitor for displaying the video data is provided, and based on the video data displayed on the monitor, the user places each of the imaging means at a required monitoring position.
This makes it possible to arrange the imaging unit at a required monitoring position based on the video data displayed on the monitor of the imaging unit, without requiring the judgment and operation of the administrator of the surveillance camera system, and It can respond flexibly to changes.

The surveillance camera system according to claim 4 of the present invention is the surveillance camera system according to claim 2, wherein the movement information notified by the information notification means is sound data, and the imaging means is configured to output the data. As a unit, a speaker that outputs the sound data is provided, and based on the sound data output from the speaker, the user places each of the imaging means at a required monitoring position.
This makes it possible to place the imaging unit at a required monitoring position based on the sound data output from the speaker of the imaging unit without requiring the judgment and operation of the administrator of the monitoring camera system, and It can respond flexibly to changes.

In the surveillance camera system according to claim 5 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 2, the movement information notified by the information notification means is data for causing a light emitter to emit light, and the imaging The means includes, as the data output unit, a light emitter that emits light according to the data, and a user arranges each imaging means at a required monitoring position based on data emitted by the light emitter. .
This makes it possible to place the imaging means at a required monitoring position based on the data displayed on the light emitter of the imaging means without requiring the judgment and operation of the administrator of the surveillance camera system, and It can respond flexibly to changes.

The surveillance camera system according to claim 6 of the present invention is the surveillance camera system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the imaging means is capable of reading an identifier assigned to a subject to be photographed, and An identifier reading unit capable of transmitting the read identifier to the information management unit is provided, and the information management unit specifies a monitoring position of the imaging unit based on the identifier received from the imaging unit.
Thereby, after the image pickup means is moved, it can be confirmed by the information management means whether the image pickup means is correctly arranged.

The surveillance camera system according to claim 7 of the present invention is the surveillance camera system according to claim 6, wherein the information management means is based on a monitoring position of the imaging means specified by an identifier received from the imaging means. Further, display control means for changing the display of the monitoring video on the display means is provided.
Thereby, since the display position and display color can be changed corresponding to the monitoring position of each imaging means, the video data from each imaging means can be optimized and displayed.

According to claim 8 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 6 or 7, the identifier is a bar code.
Thereby, the barcode given to goods can be used.

Further, the surveillance camera system according to claim 9 of the present invention is the surveillance camera system according to claim 1, further comprising: a drive unit that moves the imaging unit; and a guide unit that serves as a guide for the drive unit, The drive means is driven based on movement information of the information notification means.
Thereby, an imaging means can be automatically arrange | positioned in a required monitoring position.

A surveillance camera system according to claim 10 of the present invention is the surveillance camera system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the information management means is a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal. is there.
Thereby, the arrangement of the monitoring camera can be determined based on the marketing information collected by the POS system.

The surveillance camera system according to claim 11 of the present invention is the surveillance camera system according to claim 10, wherein the video data displayed by the display means is displayed on a display device of the POS terminal. It is intended.
Thereby, since the monitoring video can be viewed together with the management of the marketing information, a monitoring camera system suitable for a store with a limited number of personnel can be provided without requiring a dedicated monitoring staff.

  The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 of the present invention relates to at least one imaging unit that images a monitoring target, a display unit that displays an image captured by each imaging unit, and a shooting target of each imaging unit. An information management unit that manages information, and an arrangement that determines, based on the information managed by the information management unit, which of the plurality of monitoring positions that are divided corresponding to the information is to be arranged. Determining means, and information notifying means for notifying movement information for urging movement of the imaging means to the placement destination determined by the placement determining means, and each placement destination determined by the placement determining means Since the imaging means is arranged at any one of the plurality of monitoring positions based on the movement information, when the camera is arranged, the judgment and operation of the monitoring camera system administrator Not required, there is an effect that it is possible to provide a surveillance camera system that can respond flexibly to changes in the status of the imaging target.

  According to the surveillance camera system of claim 2 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 1, the information notification unit notifies the imaging unit of the movement information, and the imaging The means includes a data output unit that outputs movement information from the information notification unit, and the user places each imaging unit at a required monitoring position based on the movement information output from the data output unit. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the imaging unit at a required monitoring position based on the movement information indicated by the imaging unit without requiring the judgment and operation of the administrator of the monitoring camera system, and to flexibly change the situation of the imaging target. There is an effect that can cope with.

  According to the surveillance camera system of claim 3 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 2, the movement information notified by the information notification means is video data, and the imaging means As the data output unit, a monitor for displaying the video data is provided. Based on the video data displayed on the monitor, the user arranges each imaging unit at a required monitoring position. Based on the video data displayed on the monitor of the image pickup means, it is possible to arrange the image pickup means at a required monitoring position and flexibly cope with a change in the situation of the shooting target without requiring an administrator's judgment and operation. There is an effect that can be done.

  According to the surveillance camera system of claim 4 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 2, the movement information notified by the information notification means is sound data, and the imaging means As the data output unit, a speaker that outputs the sound data is provided, and each imaging unit is arranged at a required monitoring position by the user based on the sound data output from the speaker. Based on the sound data output from the speaker of the image pickup means, it is possible to arrange the image pickup means at a required monitoring position and flexibly respond to changes in the situation of the shooting target without requiring the administrator's judgment and operation. There is an effect that can be done.

  Moreover, according to the surveillance camera system according to claim 5 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 2, the movement information notified by the information notification means is data for causing a light emitter to emit light, The image pickup means includes a light emitter that emits light according to the data as the data output unit, and the image pickup means is arranged at a required monitoring position by a user based on the data emitted by the light emitter. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the imaging unit at a required monitoring position based on the data displayed on the light emitter of the imaging unit, without requiring the judgment and operation of the administrator of the monitoring camera system, and to change the situation of the imaging target. There is an effect that can respond flexibly.

  Moreover, according to the surveillance camera system according to claim 6 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the imaging means is capable of reading an identifier given to a subject to be photographed, And an identifier reading unit capable of transmitting the read identifier to the information management unit, and the information management unit identifies the monitoring position of the imaging unit based on the identifier received from the imaging unit. After moving, there is an effect that it can be confirmed by the information management means whether or not the imaging means is arranged at a required monitoring position.

  Further, according to the surveillance camera system according to claim 7 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 6, the information management means is the monitoring position of the imaging means specified by the identifier received from the imaging means. The display control means for changing the display of the monitoring video on the display means is provided on the basis of the above, so that the video from each imaging means can be changed by changing the display position and display color corresponding to the monitoring position of each imaging means. There is an effect that data can be optimized and displayed.

  According to the surveillance camera system according to claim 8 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 6 or 7, since the identifier is a barcode, imaging is performed using the barcode attached to the product. There is an effect that the monitoring position of the means can be confirmed.

  According to the surveillance camera system of claim 9 of the present invention, the surveillance camera system according to claim 1, further comprising: a drive unit that moves the imaging unit; and a guide unit that serves as a guide for the drive unit. The driving means is driven based on the movement information of the information notifying means, so that there is an effect that the imaging means can be automatically arranged at a required monitoring position according to the situation of the photographing target.

  According to the surveillance camera system of claim 10 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the information management means is a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal. There is an effect that the arrangement of the monitoring camera can be determined based on the marketing information collected by the system.

  According to the surveillance camera system of claim 11 of the present invention, in the surveillance camera system according to claim 10, the video data to be displayed by the display means is displayed on a display device of the POS terminal. Therefore, it is possible to provide a monitoring camera system suitable for a store with a limited number of personnel without the need for a dedicated monitoring person as well as managing the marketing information and watching a monitoring video.

Embodiments of the surveillance camera system of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
First, a surveillance camera system according to the present invention will be described as a first embodiment with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a monitoring camera system 100A according to the first embodiment.

  In the figure, the monitoring camera system 100A is mainly composed of a camera group 101A and a POS register 107A. The camera group 101A is installed in a store, and a plurality of cameras 102 that capture an image of a shooting target and output video data are collected. There are various objects to be photographed, such as a product, its vicinity, a passageway, a store entrance and exit. Note that the number of cameras 102 is inevitably determined by conditions such as the size of the store, the number of blind spots that are not monitored by the store clerk, the type of product to be handled, the budget, and the like, and is not limited. However, it goes without saying that the number of blind spots decreases as the number increases.

Each camera 102 in the camera group 101A has 103 to 106 components.
The camera side antenna 103 is an antenna for performing wireless communication with the POS register 107A side. The camera establishes wireless communication with a POS register 107A, which will be described later, via the camera-side antenna 103, and mainly transmits monitoring video data. At the time of data transmission, video data stored in an internal memory (not shown) is packetized by a MAC (Media Access Control) unit and sent out from the camera side antenna 103 via a modem unit. When data such as control information of the camera 102 is received, the data is received via the camera-side antenna 103, converted into a baseband signal by the internal modulation / demodulation unit, and input to the MAC unit. The MAC unit identifies the packet and stores the data in the internal memory. The wireless communication connection method in the present embodiment is a communication method defined in IEEE 802.11, but is not necessarily limited to this.

  The imaging unit 104 includes an imaging lens, an optical system (not shown), a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and an electronic circuit (CCD driving circuit, signal processing circuit, etc.), and performs imaging of an imaging target. The captured video signal undergoes A / D conversion internally, is subjected to compression processing, and is stored in the internal memory as video data. The accumulated video data is transmitted to the POS register 107A side at a predetermined timing. The compressed signal processing format is MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), which is a moving image format, but is not limited to this, and even JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), which is a still image format, is used. Good or other formats may be used.

  The camera-side display unit 105 is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display that displays still image data, which is movement information for urging the movement of the camera, transmitted from the POS register 107A. The still image data displayed here will be described later.

  The camera mounting base 106 is a base for mounting the camera at a desired position in the store. A magnet is mounted on the bottom surface of the table, and it can be attached to a display shelf of iron products installed in the store. In addition to the magnet, it may be attached with an adhesive sheet, a magic tape, a dedicated fixing tool, or the like.

  The camera 102 configured as described above can be moved to any place in the store by being carried by the store clerk. It is assumed that a dedicated battery is built in the power source of the camera 102 and that the battery is periodically replaced and charged. Note that the power source is not limited to this, and power may be supplied via an AC adapter that is plugged into an outlet.

  On the other hand, the POS register 107A is a terminal for managing merchandise sales and merchandise inventory in addition to the settlement of merchandise purchased by the customer, and has components 108 to 111.

  The POS register side antenna 108 is an antenna used for wireless communication with the camera 102. The operation related to wireless communication is the same as that of the camera-side antenna 103 described above.

  The POS register display unit 109 is an LCD display for checking out a product and confirming sales. Also, video data transmitted from the camera and recorded in an internal HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is reproduced. Although the monitoring video is displayed on the POS register display unit 109 in the first embodiment, the video data reproduction is not necessarily displayed on the POS register display unit 109. For example, it may be configured to output to a monitor prepared in a separate room.

  The keyboard 110 operates as an input device for inputting various information when the product is settled. Various keys are laid out such as “number” key, “receipt paper feed”, “discount”, and the like.

  The barcode reader 111 is a device for scanning a barcode attached to a product and converting it to a specific code. Although there are several reading methods, a CCD method is adopted in which an LED is used as a light source to irradiate a barcode, and the reflected light is received by a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). Therefore, the LED, mirror, lens, CCD, amplifier, and CPU (not shown) are included inside. The reading method is not limited to this, and a pen method in which scanning is performed manually or a laser method using laser light may be used. In the figure, the barcode reader 111 is connected by wire, but may be wirelessly connected by an infrared communication standard, IrDA (Infrared Data Association). In the figure, the barcode reader 111 is a handheld type that can be held by hand, but it may be attached directly to the POS register 107A main body.

  Other components include a receipt printer that prints receipts, a cash drawer that stores and manages cash, and a customer display for the customer to check the total amount at the time of payment.

  The operation and action of the monitoring camera system 100A configured from the camera group 101A and the POS register 107A as described above will be described below.

  First, an arrangement example of the monitoring camera system 100A assumed in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the schematic plan view of FIG. In FIG. 2, eight cameras (# 1 to # 8) having the above-described configuration are arranged at a sales floor in the store. Each camera is uniformly arranged in the store in consideration of blind spots, traffic, and the like. For the sake of explanation, a male-only display shelf 112 and a female-specific display shelf 113 are shown. The male display shelf 112 is a shelf that displays products that are usually purchased only by men. For example, merchandise includes cosmetics for men, underwear, medicines, shavings, and the like. Similar to the male-only display shelf 112, the female-only display shelf 113 is a shelf for displaying products that are usually purchased only by women. Hereinafter, description will be made based on this arrangement example.

  The customer performs payment at the POS register 107A shown in FIG. When the customer brings the product to the POS register 107A, the store clerk reads the barcode attached to the product using the barcode reader 111. The POS register 107A calculates the total amount and displays it on the customer display. Upon receiving the total amount, the customer pays the fee, receives the change, and the series of processes is completed. Incidentally, in the POS register 107A, various customer information can be collected in this series of processing.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a key layout of the keyboard 110. The male key 121 is a dedicated key that is pressed when the customer is a male, and the number shown is the customer's age group. Similarly, the female key 122 is a dedicated key provided for female customers.

  By providing such a key on the keyboard 110, the store clerk can make a judgment and input by looking at the gender and age group of the customer. For example, when a student-like male purchases a product, the key corresponding to the teenager or the twenties of the male key 121 is pressed at the end of the checkout. This operation is performed in the flow of checkout, and data relating to the customer can be input without particularly giving the customer a sense of incongruity. In addition, since the store clerk judges and inputs from the customer's appearance, a slight error occurs, but the average level is satisfactory. In this key layout example, numbers representing the age group are printed on the keys, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is preferable to distinguish by a mark reminiscent of an age group, color coding, or the like so that the customer does not feel uncomfortable even if an input operation is seen. Further, the keyboard 110 may be covered with a dedicated cover to hide the hand of the store clerk.

  Further, it is not always necessary to provide a dedicated key on the keyboard 110, and information may be input by operating a GUI (Graphical User Interface) displayed on the POS register display unit 109.

  The customer information input by the store clerk is stored as a management information table in the HDD inside the POS register 107A. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management information table for a certain time.

  The date / time column describes the year, month, day, day of the week, and time zone when this table was created. This table can be created at various timings, but here it is created for each time zone. For example, one day is morning (6 to 10), noon (11 to 15), evening (16 to 18), night (19 to 23), midnight (24 to 24) The time is divided every several hours, and a new table is created when the time comes.

  Below the date / time column, the number of customers, sales, and customer unit price are described. Each is a numerical value indicating how many customers have made a purchase, how much sales have been made, and how much the customer unit price is. Moreover, since these numerical values are classified based on the customer information (gender, age group) input in the above-described product settlement, it is possible to know customer trends in more detail. Based on the information in this management table, the POS register 107A can display the graph on the POS register display unit 109 to grasp the gender and age group of the customer, and can be used as a reference for the purchase and display of products. it can.

  Note that the use method of the management information table is not limited to this, and the management information table is collected on the store computer side that manages a plurality of POS registers in the store, so that the purchase of goods and the management of inventory are managed in an integrated manner. A management information table may be sent to the head office.

  For the sake of explanation, the information included in the management information table has been described above, but in actuality, it is linked with information such as classification, sales, unit price, etc. for each product read and recorded by the barcode reader 111. Managed.

  Next, an arrangement determination unit that automatically determines the monitoring position of each camera based on information in the information management table, and an information notification unit that notifies movement information that prompts the movement of each camera will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining surveillance camera system 100A according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In the figure, in the POS register 107A, based on the information management table as shown in FIG. 4, for example, monitoring positions divided according to sex, age, customer unit price, etc. (for example, in the case of gender, male And the female) to determine which of the cameras # 1 to # 8 is to be arranged, and information for notifying the movement information for urging the camera to move to the decided arrangement destination by the arrangement determining means 501. Notification means 502 is provided.

  In the first embodiment, the movement information is notified by the information notification unit 502 to the camera 102. The movement information is transmitted via the antenna 108 of the POS register 107A and the antenna 103 of the camera 102. It is output to the camera side display unit 105.

Next, the operation for determining the camera arrangement by the arrangement determining means 501 will be described.
In the first embodiment, the arrangement determining unit 501 determines at which monitoring position each camera is arranged by allocating the number of cameras for each monitoring position divided based on the information management table. Shall.

  First, in the case where the placement determination unit 501 allocates cameras for each monitoring position, the administrator of the monitoring camera system 100A once performs settings relating to camera distribution as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of the camera distribution setting menu output to the POS register display unit 109. The distribution method 601 is an item for setting which information is allocated to the camera based on which information in the management information table shown in FIG. In the above example, it is gender, age, and unit price of customers. In this figure, it is assumed that the administrator selects gender as an example. In addition, camera distribution can be performed based on information that can be managed by the POS register 107A. For example, popular products, new products, expiration dates, shoplifting products, sales floors, product unit prices, and the like.

The distribution rate 603 is an item for setting whether to perform camera distribution automatically or manually. When set to automatic, the camera distribution is automatically determined by the method set in the distribution method 601.
In this figure, it is assumed that the administrator selects automatic as an example.

  In the distribution result 603, the number of currently operating cameras (total number of cameras 604) and a bar graph 605 are displayed. The total number of cameras 604 is the number of camera groups 101A that are currently communicating with the POS register 107A. The allocation of the cameras by the arrangement determining unit 501 is performed with respect to the total number of cameras. In this figure, as an example, the distribution is made in direct proportion to the number of customers shown in FIG. The camera distribution rate for men can be calculated by the number of male customers divided by the total number of customers, and the total number of cameras 604 can be multiplied by the calculated distribution rate to calculate the number of cameras.

  In a store with many male customers on a regular basis, cameras are always allocated to men, and the camera arrangement may be too biased. Therefore, the number of cameras to be distributed may be adjusted by multiplying the number of customers by a certain constant. In addition, the method of obtaining the number of distributions is not limited to a method using a direct proportional relationship, and an inverse proportional relationship may be used so as to focus on monitoring a sales floor with few customers or an unpopular product sales floor. It is preferable that the constant and the number of distributions can be set for each distribution method 601.

  The bar graph 605 is a distribution result displayed for each method selected by the distribution method 601. In this figure, as an example, the camera distribution results for men and women as monitoring positions are displayed in graphs and numerical values. . This distribution result 605 automatically changes in accordance with the change in the management information table shown in FIG. 4 when the distribution rate 602 is set to automatic. On the other hand, when the setting is manual, the administrator slides the slider 606 to manually determine the camera distribution. In this case, once the distribution is determined, the distribution result does not change until the setting is performed again.

  The camera distribution result distributed as described above is held in the internal memory of the POS register 107A.

  Next, an operation for notifying movement information for urging movement of each camera based on the camera distribution result by the above-described arrangement determining means 501 will be described.

  Each camera 102 and the POS register 107A exchange information by wireless communication. Here, a wireless communication method will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the POS register 107A in more detail.

  In the POS register 107A, the CPU 701 executes a program stored in the ROM 702 via a bus, and the MPEG Decoder 705 for decompressing MPEG data as video data and other devices including the above-described components via the controller. It is configured to control.

  At the start of communication with the camera, the CPU 701 controls the wireless LAN controller 703 which is a block including a modem unit and a MAC unit so as to start communication with the camera. The wireless LAN controller 703 transmits a beacon signal to the periphery via the POS register side antenna 108. The beacon signal is a signal that the wireless LAN controller 703 transmits to start communication with the camera. The beacon signal supports the MAC address, time stamp, transmission interval, SSID (Service Set Identifier) managed by the wireless LAN controller 703. It includes information such as the transfer rate. The reach of this beacon signal varies depending on the installation position of the POS register 107A and the situation such as an obstacle (person or display shelf) in the store, but at least communication with the camera in the store is possible here. And

  The camera receives a beacon signal, waits for a DIFS (Distributed Frame Space) period, and waits for a time according to a random number (Random Back Off Time), and then performs carrier sense. If the channel is idle, packet data is transmitted to the POS register 107A. When the wireless LAN controller 703 receives this packet data, communication between the camera 102 and the POS register 107A is established.

  When communication is established, each camera 102 transmits the captured video data to the POS register 107A at a predetermined timing. The transmitted video data is held in the temporary RAM 704 and recorded in the HDD 706 as a storage device at a predetermined timing.

  As described above, the camera 102 transmits video data to the POS register 107A by wireless communication. However, the POS register 107A has a case where the camera distribution result changes in the camera distribution performed by the arrangement determining unit 501. Is transmitted to the camera 102 from the POS register 107A to the camera 102 using the information notification unit 502, and the camera-side display unit 105 of the camera 102 transmits the still image data. Display image data. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for transmitting still image data from the POS register 107 </ b> A to the camera 102.

  First, it is determined whether or not there is a change in the camera arrangement (step S801). This determination is performed by polling to check whether there is a change in the distribution result held in the internal memory of the POS register 107A. The check is also made when the information management table changes at the end of the checkout of the customer's product, or when the setting is changed using the menu shown in FIG.

  If there is a change in the distribution of the number of cameras, the still image data is read out to the RAM 704 (step S802). The still image data read at this time is still image data stored in the ROM 702 or the HDD 706 in advance. This still image data is data for instructing the store clerk as a new camera placement location determined by the camera distribution result. The number of sheets corresponding to the distribution method 601 shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that gender is selected as an example of the distribution method 601. In this case, however, the still image data includes a total of two data indicating the male (sale floor) and female (sell floor) that are the monitoring positions. Still image data.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of this still image data. Example 1 is a still image on which a character string for giving a specific instruction such as “Please move to a men-only store” is drawn. Example 2 is a still image on which a mark reminiscent of a man is drawn. Example 3 is a still image on which a product (shaving) for a men-only store is drawn.

  In addition to this, it is only necessary that the new location of the camera is made clear to the store clerk, such as the product number, encryption that can only be understood by the store clerk, and the sales floor number. It is assumed that still images for women (sales floors) are the same.

The data read to the RAM 704 is transmitted to each camera via the wireless LAN controller 703 (step S803). When transmission for the total number of cameras is repeated, the transmission procedure is terminated (step S804).
The still image data transmitted to the camera in this way is displayed on the camera side display unit 105.

FIG. 10 shows an example of still image data display.
As shown in this figure, of the two cameras arranged at the same sales floor, the camera 102a displays a mark indicating a male sales floor, and the camera 102b displays a mark indicating a female sales floor. A store clerk who has passed near the camera for display, replenishment, cleaning, etc. of the product knows that the camera needs to be moved to a new monitoring position by checking this mark. For example, if the product display shelf shown in this example is for a women-only sales floor, the camera 102a displaying a mark indicating a male-only sales floor is moved by the store clerk to the monitoring position of the male-only sales floor. .

  As a result, the camera is optimally repositioned by the store clerk. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing an example after the camera arrangement is changed. As shown in the figure, with respect to FIG. 2, the camera # 7 and the camera # 8 are moved by the store clerk and gathered in the vicinity of the men-only sales area.

  In the first embodiment, the still image data is transmitted from the POS register 107A to the camera 102 so as to reduce the communication load. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the moving image data is transmitted. Playback may be performed on the camera side. It is not always necessary to prepare transmission data on the POS register 107A side. Still image data is prepared in advance in the internal memory of the camera, and a number, file name, and specific identifier for identifying still image data are prepared from the POS register 107A. Etc. may be sent.

  Furthermore, as a data output unit that outputs movement information from the information notification unit 502, the camera may be configured as shown in FIG. 12, and the movement destination of the camera may be notified by voice or a sign of a light emitter. The camera 1201 has a configuration in which a speaker 1202 is provided on the side surface of the main body instead of the camera-side display unit 105. The POS register 107A transmits audio data for prompting the camera to move instead of the above-described still image data. The audio data may be a notification of a sales floor number or a product name to a store clerk in addition to a specific instruction such as “Please move the camera to a male-only sales floor”.

  In addition, the camera 1203 has an electronic bulletin board 1204 using a plurality of LEDs on the side surface of the main body. The POS register 107A transmits data for causing the bulletin board to emit light instead of the still image data. This data is character data indicating a sales floor number such as “3”, for example.

  Note that the camera may be configured so that still image data, audio data, and character data can be used in combination. For example, it is more effective to notify the store clerk of audio data while displaying still image data on the display unit. In addition, it is desirable to notify the timing of notifying the store clerk of movement using still image data, audio data, and character data only when the store clerk desires. For example, the movement destination may be notified only when there is a sensor response or a button operation using a human sensor, a motion sensor, or a new dedicated button.

  Still image data may be transmitted to each camera, and the POS register display unit 109 may display that the camera distribution has changed.

  As described above, the monitoring camera system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention obtains camera distribution for each monitoring position based on the information management table managed by the POS register 107A, and the distribution result for the camera. Based on the data, various data for urging the user to move to the location is transmitted, and the camera instructs the store clerk to move the monitoring position based on that data. It is possible to provide a surveillance camera system that can be moved and that can easily cope with changes in the sales floor in the store without requiring the judgment and operation of the supervisor of the surveillance camera system.

(Embodiment 2)
The surveillance camera system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides a bar code for each camera in order to confirm whether or not each camera has been placed at the correct monitoring position after determining the camera placement described in Embodiment 1. A code reading unit is provided, and product information from each camera is received by a POS register.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the surveillance camera system 1300B in the second embodiment, and the description of the same parts as those in FIG. 1 is omitted.

  The second embodiment is different from the configuration of the first embodiment in that the camera 1302 is newly provided with a barcode reading unit 1303 for specifying the monitoring position of the camera. Similar to the barcode reader 111, the barcode reading unit 1303 operates as a barcode reader capable of reading a barcode assigned to a product in the store. The barcode reading method is the CCD method like the barcode reader 111, but is not limited to this. The operation and action of the surveillance camera system 1300B configured as described above will be described below.

  First, a method for the store clerk to determine whether each camera 1302 has been placed at the correct placement destination will be described. The store clerk moves the camera in accordance with the contents displayed on the camera side display unit 105 as described in the above embodiment. When the camera is placed at a new monitoring position, the barcode read by the barcode reading unit 1303 reads the barcode assigned to the product displayed nearby. The read product information (country code, manufacturer code, product code, etc.) is automatically transmitted to the POS register 1304B by wireless communication.

  The transmitted product information is processed inside the POS register 1304B. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the POS register 1304B. First, the POS register 1304B specifies the number of the camera that transmitted the product information (step S1401). This identification is performed based on an identifier such as a MAC address or an IP address of the camera transmitted by wireless communication. Alternatively, the payload part (video data is stored) transmitted by the camera may be transmitted including the camera number or other identifier.

  When the camera number is specified in step S1401, it is confirmed whether the camera corresponding to the camera number has previously been instructed to be placed in the store (step S1402). In the above-described embodiment, still image data indicating the monitoring position such as male (sales floor) and female (sales floor) is transmitted to the camera, and the store clerk is instructed to move the camera to the monitoring position. A transmission history of still image data may be held and referred to.

  Next, a product is specified from the transmitted product information (step S1403). Information such as the product name, price, classification, and expiration date is individually managed in the POS register 1304B for the products displayed in the store. Therefore, by specifying the product, it is possible to specify the monitoring position at which the camera is currently located. For example, if the specified product is classified as confectionery, the camera has moved to the confectionery store. In addition, it is possible to specify a place such as “a product counter in the XX yen range” depending on the price of the product.

  In this way, it is determined whether or not the camera has moved to the correct monitoring position from the monitoring position specified from the product information and the previously specified monitoring position (step S1404). For example, if the specified product is “male shaving” and the indicated monitoring position is a male-only sales area, it can be determined that the product has been moved to the correct monitoring position as indicated.

  If it is determined in step S1404 that the camera has moved to the correct monitoring position, the camera is set as moved (step S1405). With this setting, the movement status of the camera can be displayed on the POS register display unit 106. Also, when a store clerk misses a still image displayed on the camera side display unit 105 or when the camera cannot be moved due to busy work, a time-out value for a predetermined time is provided and the time-out value is reached. May output a warning such as “camera is not moving” using audio or video.

  If it is determined in step S1404 that the store clerk has moved the camera to the wrong position, a warning message such as “Destination is different” using audio or video is output (step S1406). This warning message may be output on the camera side or on the POS register B side. Further, the above-described still image data may be displayed following the warning message.

  Next, a method of optimizing and displaying video data displayed on the POS register display unit 109 according to the specified camera position will be described. Note that this display of video data is optimized by the display controller 708 in FIG.

  First, an administrator or a store clerk makes settings for optimizing and displaying video data. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a camera video display setting menu displayed on the POS register display unit 109.

  The optimization 1501 is an item for setting whether to optimize and display the video data of the camera. In this figure, as an example, it is assumed that the administrator or the store clerk has set the optimization 1501 item to ON.

  The optimization method 1502 is an item for setting which information among product information associated with the camera is to be used to optimize the display of video data. In this figure, gender is selected as an example. In addition, information that can be managed by the POS register 1304B can be an item. For example, popular products, new products, expiration dates, shoplifting products, sales floors, product unit prices, and the like.

  A display method 1503 is an item for setting how to optimize the display of video data. In this figure, sorting is selected as an example. Based on the setting input on such a setting screen, the display position of the video data of the camera is optimized. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of optimization of video data displayed on the POS register display unit 109. A display example 1601 is a display example before optimization. The hatched rectangle is an image of a camera arranged at a men-only sales area, and the other image is an image of a camera arranged at a women-only sales area. However, for the sake of explanation, it is assumed that there are only a male-only sales floor and a female-only sales floor. In general multi-screen display, the images between the cameras are not related as described above, and are displayed in the order of camera numbers. A display example 1602 is a display example after optimization. Based on the camera arrangement specified as described above, the display position of the camera is optimized and displayed. In this example, since sorting is selected in the display method 1503, the cameras are displayed in order from the cameras arranged in the male-only sales area.

  Although the barcode read by the barcode reading unit 201 is a barcode assigned to a product, the barcode is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, a special barcode may be given to a display shelf of goods.

  In addition, the barcode given to the product is read in order to specify the location of the camera, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a product is provided with a storage medium using a non-contact IC chip and an RF (Radio Frequency) tag embedded with an antenna, an RF reader may be provided in the camera to read product information.

  As described above, the surveillance camera system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention is provided with a barcode reading unit in the camera, and the product information by the barcode read from the camera is transmitted to the POS register and received by the POS register. Since the monitoring position is specified from the merchandise information, the store clerk can check whether or not each camera is correctly arranged.

  In addition, since the display controller can change the display of the monitoring video based on the arrangement of the cameras, the video data of each camera can be optimized and displayed.

(Embodiment 3)
In Embodiments 1 and 2, the surveillance camera system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention moves the camera to the location determined by the store clerk according to the information displayed on the camera after determining the location of the camera. However, the camera is automatically moved by providing a driving means for the camera.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a surveillance camera system 1700C according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and the description of the same parts as those in the first embodiment is omitted.

  A difference from the configuration of the first embodiment is that a camera 1702 is provided with a camera driving unit 1703 and a rail 1704 as a guide for the camera driving unit 1703 instead of the camera side display unit 105 and the camera mounting base 106. It is. The camera driving unit 1703 enables the camera to move on the rail 1704 as shown in the drawing. The rails 1704 are attached to the ceiling and side surfaces of the store and the product display shelf.

  In the camera arrangement described above, when the camera arrangement is changed, the POS register 1705C notifies the driving unit 1703 of each camera of movement information so as to move to a new arrangement destination. Upon receiving the notification, the camera driving unit moves the camera to a new location.

  As described above, in the third embodiment, a camera driving unit for moving the camera is newly provided in 1703 and the camera driving unit 1703, and the camera is automatically moved to a new monitoring position by the camera distribution. It becomes possible.

  According to the surveillance system of the present invention, it is possible to provide a surveillance camera system that can flexibly cope with a change in the situation of an object to be photographed without requiring the judgment and operation of the supervisor of the surveillance camera system when arranging the camera. Therefore, it is useful as a surveillance camera system for stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores.

The figure which shows the structure of the surveillance camera system 100A in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The figure which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the surveillance camera system 100A in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the key layout of the keyboard 110 which the POS register | resistor 107A has. The figure which shows an example of the management information table managed by the POS register 107A Conceptual diagram for explaining surveillance camera system 100A according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows an example of a camera distribution setting menu Block diagram showing the configuration of the POS register 107A A flowchart showing a procedure for transmitting still image data from the POS register 107A to the camera 102. Figure showing an example of still image data Figure showing an example of still image data display Schematic plan view showing an example of camera placement after placement change The figure which shows an example of the camera provided with the speaker and the light-emitting body The figure which shows the structure of the surveillance camera system 1300B in Embodiment 2 of this invention. A flowchart showing the processing procedure of the POS register 1304B Figure showing an example of the display setting menu Diagram showing an example of video data optimization The figure which shows the structure of the surveillance camera system 1700C in Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100A, 1300B, 1700C Surveillance camera system 101A, 1301B, 1701C Camera group 102, 102a, 102b, 1302, 1702 Camera 103 Camera side antenna 104 Imaging unit 105 Camera side display unit 106 Camera mount 107A, 1304B, 1705C POS register 108 POS Register-side antenna 109 POS register display unit 110 Keyboard 111 Bar code reader 112 Male-only display shelf 113 Female-only display shelf 121 Male key 122 Female key 501 Arrangement determination unit 502 Information notification unit 601 Distribution method 602 Distribution rate 603 Distribution result 604 Total number of cameras 605 Bar graph 606 Slider 701 CPU
702 ROM
703 Wireless LAN controller 704 RAM
705 MPEG Decoder
706 HDD
707 HDD controller 708 Display unit controller 1201 Camera 1202 configured with speaker 1202 Speaker 1203 Camera configured with electronic bulletin board 1204 Electric bulletin board 1303 Barcode reading unit 1501 Optimization 1502 Optimization method 1503 Display method 1601 Before optimization Display example 1602 Display example after optimization 1703 Camera drive unit 1704 Rail

Claims (11)

At least one imaging means for imaging a monitoring target;
Display means for displaying the video imaged by each imaging means;
Information management means for managing information related to the imaging target of each imaging means;
Based on the information managed by the information management means, an arrangement determining means for deciding which of the plurality of monitoring positions to which the respective imaging means are arranged corresponding to the information;
An information notification means for notifying movement information for urging the movement of the imaging means to the arrangement destination determined by the arrangement determination means;
Each imaging unit whose arrangement destination is determined by the arrangement determining unit is arranged at any of the plurality of monitoring positions based on the movement information.
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1,
The information notifying unit notifies the imaging unit of the movement information,
The imaging unit includes a data output unit that outputs movement information from the information notification unit,
Based on the movement information output by the data output unit, the user arranges each imaging means at a required monitoring position,
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to claim 2,
The movement information notified by the information notification means is video data,
The imaging means includes a monitor that displays the video data as the data output unit,
Based on the video data displayed on the monitor, each imaging means is arranged at a required monitoring position by a user.
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to claim 2,
The movement information notified by the information notification means is sound data,
The imaging means includes a speaker that outputs the sound data as the data output unit,
Based on the sound data output from the speaker, the user arranges each imaging means at a required monitoring position.
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to claim 2,
The movement information notified by the information notification means is data for causing a light emitter to emit light,
The imaging means includes, as the data output unit, a light emitter that emits light according to the data,
Based on the data emitted by the light emitter, each imaging means is arranged at a required monitoring position by a user.
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The imaging unit includes an identifier reading unit that can read an identifier assigned to a subject to be imaged and can transmit the read identifier to the information management unit,
The information management means specifies a monitoring position of the imaging means based on the identifier received from the imaging means;
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to claim 6, wherein
The information management means includes a display control means for changing the display of the monitoring video on the display means based on the monitoring position of the imaging means specified from the identifier received from the imaging means.
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to claim 6 or 7,
The identifier is a barcode;
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1,
Driving means for moving the imaging means;
A guide portion serving as a guide for the driving means;
The driving means is driven based on movement information of the information notifying means;
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The information management means is a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal.
A surveillance camera system characterized by that. The surveillance camera system according to claim 10, wherein
The video data displayed by the display means is displayed on a display device of the POS terminal.
A surveillance camera system characterized by that.

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