GB2469643A

GB2469643A - Remote monitoring security system.

Info

Publication number: GB2469643A
Application number: GB0906805A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frank Wang
Original assignee: BARVOTECH INTERNAT CO Ltd
Current assignee: BARVOTECH INTERNAT CO Ltd
Priority date: 2009-04-20
Filing date: 2009-04-20
Publication date: 2010-10-27
Also published as: GB0906805D0

Abstract

A remote monitoring security system 100 includes a monitoring device 200, a handheld device 300, which may be a mobile phone, and a display 310 electrically connected to the handheld device 300. The monitoring device 200 is positioned to monitor a place and includes a processor 210, a camera 220 and a communication module 230. The communication module 230 of the monitoring device 200 is electrically connected to the processing module 210 for transmitting an image 222 of the place, which is photographed by the camera 220, to the handheld device 300.

Description

REMOTE MONITORING SECURITY SYSTEM

S The present disclosure relates to a security system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a remote monitoring security system.

With advances in technology, people not only fulfill the needs of daily life, but also gradually place importance on life safety. Homes, office buildings, shopping malls, hospitals or other private or public places may be subjected to accidents, such as the invasion of strangers or fires, but people can not always monitor personally in various places. Moreover, people's lives become busier and busier and the elderly or young children at home are often unable to be Is care for at all times.

A traditional monitoring system has video equipment set up at a place to be monitored and imaging equipment set up at a monitoring site to receive images of the place to be monitored. The imaging equipment is often cumbersome and requires power so that the imaging equipment is subject to a certain site. In other words, a user is unable to monitor the place to be monitored at any time and anywhere. In addition, the video equipment set up at the place to be monitored is one-way driven by the user at the monitoring site.

Therefore, the user at the monitoring site should keep watch for the status of the place to be monitored.

At present, mobile phones have become an indispensable and important tool to modern life. And the function of the mobile phones is changed from black-and white text to high-pixel color images. Therefore, if the monitoring system is combined with the mobile phone, the video equipment of the monitoring system can immediately send the images of the place to be monitored to the mobile phone, the user can monitor the place to be monitored more easily from anywhere at anytime and obtain real-time image data of the place to be monitored.

A remote monitoring security system is provided. The remote monitoring security system includes a monitoring device, a handheld device and a display. The monitoring device is positioned to monitor a place and includes a processing module, a camera module and a communication module. The camera module and the communication module are electrically connected to the processing module. The camera module photographs at least one image of the place. The communication module transmits the image of the place to the handheld device. The display electrically connected to the handheld device for displaying the image of the place.

Wherein the handheld device includes a user interface, a command module and a communication module. The command module is electrically connected to the user interface for receiving a user communication signal from the user interface. The communication module is electrically connected to the command module for transmitting the user communication signal to the monitoring device.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings: Fig. I is a functional block diagram of a remote monitoring security system according to one embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of a remote monitoring security system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

Fig. I is a functional block diagram of a remote monitoring security system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The remote monitoring security system 100 includes a monitoring device 200 and a handheld device 300.

The monitoring device 200 includes a processing module 210, a camera module 220, a communication module 230 and a control module 240. The camera module 220, the communication module 230 and the control module 240 are electrically connected to the processing module 210.

The processing module 210 controls all operation processes of the monitoring device 200 in accordance with a software program. The processing module 210 is a single chip or an embedded chip.

The camera module 220 is a video camera or other equipment having the function of photography and is positioned to anywhere of the place. The communication module 230 transmits an image 222 taken by the camera module 220 to the handheld device 300. The monitoring device 200 is positioned to monitor a place, such as a home, an office building, a shop, an exhibition center, or other private or public place.

io The handheld device 300 is carried with one user, so that the user can get the newest monitoring information of the place. In other words, the monitoring device 200 transmits the image 222 of the place to the handheld device 300 immediately by a bi-direction video call mode. The bi-direction video call mode and real time communication between the monitoring device 200 and the handheld device 300 is a mobile communication technology with the function of transmitting an audio and image, such as 3rd generation mobile communications. The handheld device 300 has the function of Audio-visual communication, and the handheld device 300 and the communication module 230 of the monitoring device 200 are on-line. Accordingly, the handheld device 300 receives the image 222 transmitted by the communication module 230 to let the user get the newest image of the place to be monitored immediately.

The handheld device 300 at least has the communicational function of Short Message Service (SMS), Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) and video call. For example, the handheld device 300 provides setting instructions by Short Message Service, such as switch on or switch off. When the monitoring device 200 receives the instructions, the monitoring device 200 transmits a confirm message back to the handheld device 300. If the handheld device 300 does not receive the confirm message, the setting has failed. Alternatively, the user dials to the monitoring device 200 through the handheld device 300, and the monitoring device 200 has the function of voice prompt, so the user gives instructions according to the setting of voice prompt. The handheld device 300 may be a 3rd generation mobile phone or a 3.5th generation mobile phone.

The display 310 is electrically connected to the handheld device 300.

The display 310 shows the image 222 transmitted from the monitoring device to the user.

As shown in Fig.1, the handheld device 300 has a user interface 320, a command module 330 and a communication module 340. The command module 330 is electrically connected to the user interface 320, and the communication module 340 is electrically connected to the command module 340. The communication module 340 is a data communication module or a voice communication module.

In this embodiment, the user sends a user communication signal 302 through the user interface 320, and the user communication signal 302 is transmitted to the communication module 230 of the monitoring device 200 through the command module 330 and the communication module 340 of the handheld device 300. In detail, the command module 330 receives the user communication signal 302 from the user interface 320 and transmits the user communication signal 302 to the communication module 230. Then, the communication module 340 transmits the user communication signal 302 to the monitoring device 200 to trigger or stop the camera module 220. The control module 240 electrically connected to the monitoring device 200 triggers or stops the camera module 220 to photograph the image of the place in response to the user communication signal 302.

Alternatively, the control module 240 of the monitoring device 200 is electrically connected to an electrical equipment 400. The electrical equipment 400 is an air condition equipment, video equipment or lighting equipment, for example. Therefore, after the handheld device 300 transmits the user communication signal 302 to the monitoring device 200, the processing module 210 producing a control signal 212 to the control module 240 for controlling electrical equipment 400 in response to the user communication signal 302.

Fig. 2 is a functional block of a remote monitoring security system according to another embodiment of the present invention. The remote monitoring security system 500 includes a handheld device 600 and a monitoring device 700.

The monitoring device 700 includes a processing module 710, a camera module 720, a communication module 730, a detecting module 740, a control module 750 and an alarm unit 760. The camera module 720, the communication module 730, the detecting module 740, the control module 750 and the alarm unit 760 are electrically connected to the processing module 710 respectively. The camera module 720 and the communication module 730 in this embodiment are similar to the foregoing embodiment. The difference between two embodiments is described below.

In this embodiment, the processing module 710 includes a microprocessor 712 and a digital communication interface 714. All operational processes of the monitoring device 700 are set up in the microprocessor 712 by programming.

The detecting module 740 may detect a warning signal 742. The detecting module 740 is an interrupted infrared detector, an infrared thermal radiation detector, a magnetic switch circuit detector or a smoke detector.

According to an embodiment, a magnetic switch circuit is set on a door or a window at the place to be monitored and electrically connected with the magnetic switch circuit detector in the monitoring device. The magnetic switch circuit detector detects signals of the magnetic switch circuit to determine whether the status of the door or the window is unusual.

After the detecting module 740 receives the warning signal 742, the detecting module 740 transmits the warning signal 742 to the processing module 710. The processing module 710 transmits a starting signal 716 through the control module 750 to trigger the camera module 720 to photograph at least one image 722 of the place in response to the warning signal 742.

Images 722 taken by the camera module 720 is transmitted to the microprocessor 712, and the images 722 are sent to the handheld device 600 by the microprocessor 712 through the digital communication interface 714 and the communication module 730 of the monitoring device 700. Then, the images 722 are shown on a display 610 electrically connected to the handheld device 600. Therefore, the user gets the images 722 immediately.

In addition, after the detecting module 740 detects the warning signal 742, the detection module 740 transmits the warning signal 742 to the microprocessor 712. Then, the microprocessor 712 not only sends the starting signal 716 to the control module 750 for triggering the camera module 720 to start photographing, but also sends a signal to the alarm unit 760 to warn the user.

The alarm unit 760 is an alarm bell, an alarm light or other alarm equipment that can sound or flash. Therefore, the user can find the place to be monitored unusual and make a processing decision immediately. Besides, the microprocessor 712 can also directly send a message to the handheld device 600 to remind the user to pay attention to the unusual image of the place to be monitored.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims, as

interpreted by the description and drawings.