JP2002077887A - Automatic monitoring method and device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the need for a control device for central control and to provide an automatic monitoring method and an automatic monitoring device which exhibits a high degree of freedom of system construction by the exchange of image information among several video cameras and the independent control of the transmission of image data. SOLUTION: Image data of a moving subject to be tracked is obtained by an image input means 1 of a video camera C1. The feature amount of the moving subject is extracted by a moving subject detecting means 2 and is transmitted as moving subject data to a network 9. On the other hand, moving subject data from the other video cameras C2-Cn and its own moving subject data is processed by a moving subject data processing means 4, and the transmission of the image is controlled by an image transmission controlling means 3 as necessary.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic monitoring method and an automatic monitoring apparatus for automatically tracking a moving object with a plurality of video cameras, and more particularly to an automatic monitoring method applied to a security camera system installed in a convenience store or the like. The present invention relates to a monitoring method and an automatic monitoring device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a surveillance system having an automatic tracking function using such a video camera generally has a form in which a single control device centrally manages video / control information of a plurality of video cameras. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-331520 discloses an automatic tracking system in which a single control device controls the cooperation of a plurality of video cameras so that automatic tracking is not interrupted.

FIG. 6 shows a configuration of a surveillance camera system having an automatic tracking function disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-331520. In FIG.
Is a plurality of video cameras, 22 is a control device, 23 is a video signal switching device, 24 is a camera data output switching device, 25 is a camera control signal switching device, 26 is a storage device, 27 is a monitoring monitor, 28 is a video signal cable, 29
Is a control signal cable.

Next, the operation will be described. In FIG. 6, the storage device 26 has a video camera 2 installed in advance.
The coordinates of 1 and the tracking range are stored as a database. The control device 22 controls the video signal switching device 23 to display the image of the video camera 21 on which the tracking object is reflected on the monitoring monitor 27. The control device 22 is a storage device 2
6, the installation coordinates of the video camera 21 and the distance between the video camera 21 and the tracking object output from the camera data output switching device 24, the video camera 21
The coordinates of the tracking object are calculated from the pan angle and the tilt angle.

At the same time, the controller 22 calculates a motion vector of the tracked object from the difference between the position of the tracked object immediately before and the position of the video camera 21. Tracking object is video camera 2
1, the position of the tracked object is estimated from the motion vector of the tracked object, the video camera 21 having the coordinates in the tracked range is selected, and the video signal switching device 2 is selected.
3. A switching signal is output to the camera data output switching device 24 and the camera control signal switching device 25, and tracking of the object is continued by the switched video camera 21.

As described above, the surveillance camera system according to the related art realizes automatic tracking of a moving object by cooperative control of a plurality of video cameras.

[0007]

Since the conventional automatic monitoring method and automatic monitoring apparatus are configured as described above,
Since the video signals, output data, and video camera control signals of a plurality of video cameras are all centrally managed by a single control device, the load on the control device becomes extremely high. The upper limit of the number of cameras that can be controlled by the control device is determined by the specifications of the control device.

For example, the upper limit of the number of connectable cameras is four.
Assuming that there are up to five control devices, two or more control devices must be used when connecting five or more video cameras. As the number of cameras to be connected increases, the number of control devices must be increased accordingly. When a plurality of control devices are provided, another system for controlling the plurality of control devices is required, and there has been a problem that the control system becomes complicated at an accelerating rate as the number of cameras increases. To solve this problem, a control device that can be connected to many video cameras can be prepared from the beginning, but the price of the control device is high, and it is suitable for small-scale systems that do not require many cameras. It would be an over-investment to hire. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare various variations of the control device according to the scale of the monitoring system, and there is a problem that the cost is wasted.

A video signal cable for a video camera;
Since all control signal cables are concentrated on the control device,
There is a problem that cables around the control device become complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. A plurality of video cameras exchange image information with each other and independently control transmission of image data. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic monitoring method and an automatic monitoring device which do not require a control device for centralized management and have a high degree of freedom in system construction.

[0011]

An automatic surveillance method according to the present invention acquires image data of a monitoring range of a video camera, detects a moving object in the monitoring range from an input image, and converts the moving object data of the own camera. Transmitting, multiplexing the image data and the mobile data, transmitting the multiplexed data to a network, processing the own camera mobile data and other camera mobile data input from the network, and processing The transmission of image data is controlled based on the result, and only the switched image is displayed.

An automatic monitoring method according to the present invention removes unnecessary moving object data from received moving object data from a plurality of video cameras.

In the automatic monitoring method according to the present invention, priorities are assigned to the moving object data of the video cameras, and the priorities are arbitrarily changed.

In the automatic monitoring apparatus according to the present invention, the video camera includes image input means for obtaining image information of a monitoring range, and moving object detecting means for detecting moving object information based on image data from the image input means. Multiplexing means for multiplexing the image data obtained from the image input means and the moving body data outputted from the moving body detecting means; a communication interface for sending the multiplexed data to a network; Moving object data processing means for processing moving object data output from the body detecting means and other camera moving object data inputted from another video camera via the network and the communication interface; and Image transmission control means for controlling transmission of image data to the communication interface based on an output result, and a display for displaying the image data It is that a stage.

[0015] In the automatic monitoring apparatus according to the present invention, the video camera includes moving object data filtering means for removing unnecessary data from the received moving object data.

[0016] In the automatic monitoring apparatus according to the present invention, the video camera includes a priority adding means for adding a priority to moving object data, and the network has a priority changing means for changing the priority. Means are connected.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Embodiment 1 FIG.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an automatic monitoring apparatus for automatically tracking a moving monitoring object according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, C1 to Cn are monitoring video cameras, and the video cameras C1 to Cn
Each comprises an image input means 1, a moving body detecting means 2, an image sending control means 3, a moving body data processing means 4, a multiplexing means 5, and a communication interface 6. Reference numeral 7 denotes display means connected to the network 9. Although not shown in the figure, it is assumed that all the other video cameras C2 to Cn have the same configuration as the video camera C1 and are connected to the network 9.

Next, the operation will be described. It is assumed that a moving object to be tracked (for example, a suspicious person) appears in the shooting range of the video camera C1. Moving object detecting means 2 of video camera C1
Processes the image data obtained from the image input means 1 to extract features such as the position, shape, and motion vector of the moving object, and generates moving object data.

The operation of generating mobile data will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 shows an example of 4
This shows a state where the imaging ranges S1 to S4 are being imaged by the video cameras C1 to C4. FIG. 5 shows a frame structure of the generated moving object data.

The video camera C1 (another video camera C2)
To C4) transmits its own ID (camera number), its own installation coordinates (absolute position coordinates), and its own imaging range (absolute position coordinates). These are known fixed values.
The coordinate data of the moving body 16 on the screen 15 of the video camera C1 is obtained from the image, and the distance data between the video camera C1 and the moving body 16 is obtained from the focus position of the video camera C1. The absolute coordinates of the moving body 16 are calculated from the coordinate data, the distance data, the above-described own installation coordinates, and the imaging range, and are transmitted from the moving body detecting means 2 as time variables. The transmission frequency of this data may be a fixed interval,
It can be made variable according to the speed of the moving body 16.

The mobile data generated as described above is input to the multiplexing means 5 and the own mobile data processing means 4. On the other hand, the image data itself is sent to the multiplexing means 5 through the image sending control means 3. Multiplexing means 5
Multiplexes the moving object data and the image data sent from the moving object detecting means 2. The multiplexed data is transmitted to the network 9 via the communication interface 6. The moving object data of the video camera C1 transmitted via the network 9 is received by all of the other video cameras C2 to Cn connected to the network 9. That is, all the moving object data of the video cameras C1 to Cn are received by all the video cameras C1 to Cn other than the own camera.

A video camera C1 showing the moving body 16
The other video cameras C2 to Cn process the moving body data received from the video camera C1 to calculate the coordinates of the moving body, determine that the moving body is present in the shooting range of the video camera C1, and determine their own image data. Stop sending.

The moving object is an imaging range S1 of the video camera C1.
, The information is transmitted to the other video cameras C2 to Cn as moving object data. Each of the video cameras C2 to Cn processes the received moving body data by the moving body data processing means 4 to calculate the coordinates of the moving body, and determines which video camera the moving body is within the imaging range of. On the other hand, as a result of processing the own moving object data by the own moving object data processing means 4, the video camera C 1, which has determined that the moving object has deviated from its own photographing range S 1, sends the image to the network 9 by the image sending control means 3. To stop.

If, for example, the moving object enters the shooting range S2 of another video camera C2, the video camera C2 recognizes this and controls the image transmission control means 3 to start transmitting image data. On the other hand, other video cameras in which the moving object is not in the imaging range continue to stop transmitting images.

As described above, the data of the moving object in the shooting range is exchanged between the video cameras, and the video camera sends the image to the network only when the moving object enters the shooting range of the video camera. Only the video that tracks the moving body while the plurality of video cameras are being switched is sent to the display means 7 connected to.

As described above, in the first embodiment, data of a moving object to be tracked is transmitted and received by communication between the plurality of video cameras C1 to Cn, and each of the video cameras C1 to Cn is autonomous based on the data. In this configuration, the conventional control device becomes unnecessary, and therefore, the disadvantage that the load on the control device increases with the increase in the number of connected video cameras as in the related art is eliminated. From a system to a large-scale system, there is an effect that a low-cost automatic monitoring method and an automatic monitoring device can be realized.

Embodiment 2 In the first embodiment, all mobile data of the video cameras C1 to Cn connected to the network 9 are received and processed. In the second embodiment, unnecessary mobile data is filtered. It is provided with.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an automatic monitoring device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a mobile data filtering means provided between the communication interface 6 and the mobile data processing means 4. In addition,
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and therefore the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation will be described. Embodiment 1
The following description focuses on the differences from FIG. Other video cameras (C2 to C2 in this example) received through the communication interface 6
The moving object data of Cn) increases in proportion to the number of video cameras connected. Therefore, unnecessary moving object data is removed in advance by the moving object data filtering means 10.

The observer knows in advance the position of the video camera and the imaging range, and uses only the camera ID (camera number) as the filter condition of the mobile object data filter means 10.
The observer can manually set which video camera to select from in advance.

For example, assuming that video cameras are installed on a plurality of floors of a building, and that a moving person is to be tracked, the video cameras on the first floor are transmitted from the video cameras on the second and third floors. Body data is unnecessary.
In this way, the mobile data filtering means 10 filters the mobile data from the video camera which is apparently unrelated to the installation area, and filters only the necessary mobile data into the mobile data processing means 4.
To enter.

As described above, in the automatic monitoring method and the automatic monitoring apparatus according to the second embodiment, unnecessary moving object data is filtered in advance and only necessary data is input to the moving object data processing means 4. However, even if the number of cameras increases, the load on the mobile data processing means 4 does not increase. That is, even if the number of cameras increases, there is an effect that a delay in image switching time does not occur.

Embodiment 3 In the first and second embodiments, it has been assumed that the priorities of the moving object data transmitted from the respective video cameras C1 to Cn are all the same, but in the third embodiment, the priorities are assigned to these moving object data. The control device is provided with means for adding, and the control device is provided with means for arbitrarily changing its priority.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an automatic monitoring apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 8 denotes control means connected to the network 9, reference numeral 11 denotes priority addition means provided next to the moving body detection means 2, reference numeral 12 denotes priority change means provided in the control means 8, and reference numeral 13 denotes This is a communication interface provided in the control unit 8. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation will be described. Embodiment 1
The description will focus on the differences from the above. When arranging a plurality of video cameras, the shooting ranges of the video cameras may overlap. In such a situation, when the moving object passes through a position where the shooting ranges overlap, a plurality of video cameras try to send out images. At this time, priorities for selecting camera images are determined in advance and input to the priority adding means 11. The priority data of the video camera is added to the transmitted mobile data.

For example, it is assumed that a moving object appears at a position where the shooting ranges of the two video cameras C1 and C2 overlap, and the two video cameras C1 and C2 send out moving object data.
The priority of the video camera image is added to the moving object data by the priority adding means 11 of each video camera. Two video cameras C1, C2
Receive each other's moving object data, and if the received moving object data is from a video camera having a higher priority than itself, the transmission of the image is stopped by a command from the control means 8.
If the control unit 8 determines that the own moving body data has the highest priority, the transmission of the image is started.

The prioritization of the video camera images is performed by the priority changing means 12 built in the control means 8.
Can be changed arbitrarily by the monitor. The control means 8 may be provided with a means that can be used when inputting initial data such as installation coordinates to the video camera, or when a video camera malfunction requires manual operation by a supervisor. It is possible.

As described above, in the automatic monitoring method and the automatic monitoring device according to the third embodiment, by adding the priority order information of each video camera to the moving object data, even if the video cameras whose shooting ranges overlap each other exist. One switching image is always sent out without any conflict between the images.

Further, by making it possible to arbitrarily change the priority order of the video cameras, it is possible to preferentially select the video images of the video cameras that the observer considers important. Further, since the control means (control device) 8 is connected to the video cameras C1 to Cn via the network 9, only the network 9 is connected to the control device. Even if the number increases, there is an effect that the wiring around the control device does not become complicated.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention, data of a moving subject is exchanged between a plurality of video cameras.
Since the video camera is configured to independently control the transmission of the image based on the data, a control means for controlling the tracking of the moving object is not required, and the control device is increased as the number of cameras increases as in the related art. This eliminates the inconvenience of increasing the load on the system. As a result, there is an effect that, regardless of the number of video cameras connected via the network, an automatic monitoring method and an automatic monitoring device which are low in cost and have a high degree of freedom in system construction can be configured.

According to the present invention, since unnecessary moving body data is filtered in advance and only necessary data is inputted to the moving body data processing means,
Even if the number of cameras increases, the load on the mobile data processing means does not increase, and even if the number of cameras increases, there is an effect that a delay in image switching time does not occur.

According to the present invention, the priority information of each video camera is added to the moving object data. Therefore, even if there are video cameras having overlapping shooting ranges, the images do not conflict with each other. One switching image is always transmitted. In addition, since the priority order of the video cameras can be arbitrarily changed by the control device, there is an effect that the video image of the video camera which the observer considers important can be preferentially selected. Furthermore, since data of a moving subject is exchanged between a plurality of video cameras, and the video cameras are configured to independently control image transmission based on the data, the number of video cameras increases. Accordingly, the load on the control device does not increase, so that the control device can be realized at a low price, and the system can be configured with the same control device no matter how many video cameras are connected.

Further, since the control device is connected to the video camera via the network, only the network is connected to the control device. Even if the number of video cameras to be connected increases, the wiring around the control device is not affected. Has the effect of not becoming complicated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an automatic monitoring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an automatic monitoring device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an automatic monitoring device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a monitoring state by a plurality of video cameras.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a frame structure of moving object data.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a conventional automatic monitoring device.

[Explanation of symbols]

C1-Cn video camera, 1 image input means, 2
Moving object detecting means 3 image sending control means, 4 moving object data processing means, 5 multiplexing means, 6 communication interface, 7 display means, 8 control means, 9 network, 10 moving object data filtering means, 11 priority order adding means, 12 Priority changing means.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Kondo 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsui Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tadashi Otsuki 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 3 Inside Ryo Denki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shinji Shigesu 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo San-Bi Electric Co., Ltd. Rishi Electric Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5C054 CC00 CE16 CF05 CG03 CH08 DA06 EF06 FC12 HA18 HA31

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An automatic surveillance method using a plurality of video cameras for automatically tracking a moving surveillance object, wherein image data of a surveillance range of the video camera is acquired, and a moving object in the surveillance range is detected from an input image. Sends own camera mobile data, multiplexes the image data and the mobile data, sends the multiplexed data to a network, and outputs the own camera mobile data and other camera mobile data input from the network. And controlling the transmission of image data based on the processing result, and displaying only the switched image. 2. The automatic monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein unnecessary moving object data is removed from the received moving object data from the plurality of video cameras. 3. The automatic monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein priorities are assigned to the moving object data of the video camera, and the priorities are arbitrarily changed. 4. An automatic surveillance apparatus using a plurality of video cameras for automatically tracking a moving surveillance object, wherein the video camera is based on image input means for obtaining image information of a monitoring range and image data from the image input means. Moving body detecting means for detecting moving body information, and multiplexing means for multiplexing image data obtained from the image input means and moving body data output from the moving body detecting means,
A communication interface for sending the multiplexed data to a network; a mobile data output from the mobile detection means; and a mobile camera data input from another video camera via the network and the communication interface. Mobile data processing means for processing, image transmission control means for controlling transmission of image data to the communication interface based on an output result of the mobile data processing means, and display means for displaying image data, An automatic monitoring device having a configuration provided with the automatic monitoring device. 5. The automatic monitoring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the video camera includes a mobile data filter unit that removes unnecessary data from the received mobile data. 6. The video camera further comprises priority adding means for adding priority to moving object data, and control means having priority changing means for changing the priority is connected to the network. The automatic monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein: