AU614406B2

AU614406B2 - Video surveillance method and device

Info

Publication number: AU614406B2
Application number: AU39249/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ulrich Josef Spalthoff
Original assignee: Alcatel NV
Current assignee: Alcatel Lucent NV
Priority date: 1988-08-17
Filing date: 1989-08-04
Publication date: 1991-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 2009-08-04
Also published as: DE3827928C2; DE3827928A1; AU3924989A

Description

00 0 04~ 0 0 *0~ 0 o oo ~o 0 0 00 o 0 000 0 O 0 0 0 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-1969 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED "VIDEO SURVEILLANCE METHOD AND DEVICE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:lot I I tO I Il 0

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This invention relates to area surveillance using a television camerab It is known to provide surveillance arrangements using a television camera which focuses on an area under surveillance, such as, for example, the entrance to a building, and continually transmits pictures of the area to a remote monitoring screen.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and arrangement for providing video surveillance of an area.

The invention is particularly, though not exclusively, suitable for adaptation to a video telephone, using the telephone's video camera.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a 0 o 0 method of providing surveillance of an area, comprising the steps of focus- 0~0 0.0 ing a television camera means on said area, storing picture information 00 0 0 a produced by said camera means in a first memory means, comparing in compar- 0 0 0 00 0 ison means picture information presently produced by said camera means to 00 00 0 0 0 stored picture information previously produced by said camera means, and provide an alarm means if the picture information presently produced and the said stored picture information differ by a predetermined measure.

0000 0 00 00 0 00 0 According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a video surveillance arrangement for providing surveillance of an area, com- 0 00 0 0 0 020 prising a television camera means, a first memory means for storing picture information produced by said camera means focused on said area, a compar- 0000 ison means arranged to compare picture information presently produced by said camera means to stored picture information previously produced by said camera means, said comparison means producing an alarm means if the picture information presently produced and said stored picture information differ by a predetermined measure of differentiation.

Preferably, said camera means is incorporated in a video telephone arrangement.

Preferably, the arrangement further includes a second memory means in which a destination message and dialling information of the remote station 2 are stored. An automatic selection means which, in the event of an alarm, selects the remote station and causes the transmission of picture information which initiated the alarm and the dialling information.

In case the picture processing is analogue in the video telephone set, the monitor circuit will exhibit an analogue picture memory storage, in which characteristic brightness levels of the picture transmitted by the video-camera are being stored.

The major advantages of the invention are that: by fitting less supplementary circuit modules, the possible applications of the video telephone arrangement is considerably enhanced. Additionally, surveillance is 0o o much more economical with the video telephone arrangement constructed in 00 accordance with the specifications of the present invention, than with a 00 0 o0 o conventional screen monitoring equipment.

0..4 0 00 00 0 In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, an em- 00 00 00 0 0 bodiment thereof will now be described in relation to the single drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the video telephone arrangement 1 comprises a video telephone section 2, (which largely conforms to the known video 000 0 a 0 0 00 telephone), and a supplementary monitor circuit 3.

0 00 Video telephone section 2 includes a video camera 4, a screen 5, a O 00 °o oo0 transmission system 6, for video and audio signals, and a control circuit 8 by which the video elephone arrangement's functions are controlled.

00.0 The monitor circuit 3 includes a digital video memory store 10 for digital video processing. A picture initiated at the time of an alert is recorded in memory store 10. The video memory store is additionally used in picture processing clarification that follows. Should the video telephone arrangement be provided with a digital video memory store, it can then be used for the monitor circuit as well.

In an electronic comparer circuit 11, the picture transmitted by video camera 4 will be compared with a stored picture of a previous store. Based on this comparison an alarm signal will be given, should both pictures dif- 3 L_ I_ i -1 fer beyond the prescribed limits. The decision to emit an alarm signal will be taken in a discriminator circujt 12. A minimal differentiation between two pictures is desirable in order to avoid interpreting changes in illumination and the like, as movements. False alarms are thus eliminated.

In a memory store 13 a forward message will be stored, which in case of an alert will be sent to a check point. The call number of the check point is also stored there. Through an automatic selection system 14, the check point is selected and assigned the transmission of the alarm initiated picture and of the stored message. The message and the picture will be sent by way of a transmission system 67 through a connecting lead 15, o 0 o"o e.g. through a stand-by equipment or a telephone system to the check oaoo 0000 0,0 point.

The foregoing described operation relates to an arrangement with digoo ital picture processing. The invention can, however, also be applied to an 00 00 0 arrangement with analogue picture processing. In this case video memory storer 10 is designed as an analogue memory store and within it particularly brightness levels are stored. The evaluation circuits, i.e. the 0 00 00 0 comparer circuit 11, and the discriminator circuit 12, are likewise designed in analogue technology. They recognise and evaluate changes in pic- 0 00 0°oo0 ture brightness. When the change becomes sufficient an alarm signal is emitted, indicating a movement. The memory store 13, for transmitting a 0 message in case of an alarm, and the automatic selection system 14, correspond to those of the first design example.

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Claims

1. A method of providing surveillance of an area, comprising the steps of focus- ing on said area a television camera incorporated in a video telephone, storing picture information produced by said camera in a first memory means, comparing in com- parison means picture information presently produced by said camera to the stored picture information previously produced by said camera providing an alarm signal from alarm means if the picture information presently produced and the said stored picture information differ by a predetermined measure, and in response to the alarm signal, dialling a predetermined telephone number of a remote station and transmit- ting an intrusion signal to the remote station.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of transmitting to the re- mote station picture information which initiated the alarm signal.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further including the step of storing o 0 the telephone number in a second memory means 00 0 15

4. A video surveillance system for providing surveillance of an area, comprising 00ooo00 o0 a a video telephone including a television camera, a first memory means for storing o oo 0O00 picture information produced by the camera focused on said area, a comparison 0 00o o00 means arranged to compare picture information presently produced by the camera to oo 0o0 0 the stored picture information previously produced by the camera, the comparison means producing an alarm signal if the picture information presently produced and said stored picture information differ by a predetermined measure of differentiation, the system including transmission means and a dial memory containing the telephone o 'o number of a remote station, the dial memory and transmission means being respon- 00 o sive to the alarm signal to transmit an intrusion signal to the remote station. 0 0. 25

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein picture information which initiated said alarm signal is transmitted to the selected remote station.

06. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said dial memory means is associated with an automatic selection means arranged to assign the alarm initiated picture in- 000000 0o formation to a selected remote station.

7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, including a discrimination circuit arranged to provide the predetermined measure of differentiation. :i -s:l 6 I

8. A vidco survillance systcrn, substantially as hcrcin described with rcfcencc to the figure of the drawing, DATED THIS TWELFTH DAY OF JUNE 1991. ALCATEL N.V. 0 00 a0 0 9000 00 0 90* 209 254