JP2004282644A - Method of controlling surveillance camera system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of controlling a surveillance camera system which can display a notification of delay concurrently with an image when displaying data having been received late. <P>SOLUTION: The data of an image 5 transmitted by a surveillance camera arrives late at the communicating section of a personal computer due to network congestion. A control section periodically receives image expansion data from an image expanding section and the data is received in synchronization with data reception from the surveillance camera. When data is not received for one second, the control section processes display data 4 corresponding to the data of image expansion 4 that has been received immediately before. For example, the control section adds a frame around a display screen or a message of "image pauses" in the display screen. The processed data is display data 4'. Thereafter, a video signal of an image 4' is repeatedly outputted from the display control section until the arrival of subsequent image expansion data 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a control method for a surveillance camera system, and more particularly, to a control method for a surveillance camera system that converts a captured video into digital data, transmits the digital data, and displays the received digital data on a screen.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a surveillance camera system is configured, for example, as shown in an explanatory diagram of FIG.
In this system, four surveillance cameras 1a to 1d that convert captured video into digital data and transmit the digital data are connected to a personal computer 20 via a hub 2 that relays a network. A display monitor 25 such as a liquid crystal display device or a CRT display is connected to the personal computer 20, and the personal computer 20 and the display monitor 25 constitute a display device of a monitoring system.
[0003]
As shown in the control block diagram of FIG. 5, these surveillance cameras convert an image input from a lens unit 10 into an analog electric signal by a CCD (Charge-Coupled Devices) 11 and then convert the image into an A / D converter 12. Is converted from an analog signal to a digital signal. Then, the digital signal of the video is data-compressed by the image compression unit 13 and transmitted to the network via the communication unit 14 according to an instruction of the control unit 15.
[0004]
The transmitted data is received by the personal computer 20, and the screen is displayed as a 4-split screen corresponding to the video of each monitoring camera, for example, as shown in FIG. The video of surveillance camera 1a corresponds to a in FIG. 7B, and the other surveillance cameras also correspond.
As shown in FIG. 5, the personal computer 20 includes a communication unit 21 for receiving data from the network, an image expansion unit 22 for expanding the received data, and a control unit 23 for writing the expanded image data to the display control unit 24. And a display control unit 24 that converts the written image data into a video signal. The video signal output from the display control unit 24 is input to a display monitor 25.
[0005]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flow of image data of the surveillance camera system, and shows a process until the image data transmitted from the surveillance camera is finally displayed on the display monitor. Here, the vertical line represents the time axis, and the lower the time, the more time passes. Here, arrows indicate data transmission by the monitoring camera and transmission and reception of data by the communication unit, the control unit, the display control unit, and the display monitor on the personal computer side. One arrow is, for example, a group of packetized image data for one screen.
[0006]
When data is transmitted from the surveillance camera to the network in the order of Image 1, Image 2, Image 3,..., The communication unit 21 of the personal computer 20 receives the data in order, and the image decompression unit 22 decompresses the image. The data of 2, 3,... Is sent to the control unit 23. The control unit 23 writes these data as display data 1, 2, 3,... To the display control unit 24, for example, a video memory of a graphic board. The display controller 24 sends a video signal to the display monitor 25 in the order of the written data. The display monitor 25 displays this video signal (for example, see Patent Document 1).
In such a system using a personal computer, even if the reception of data after image 5 from the surveillance camera is temporarily delayed, the display control unit 24 converts the data of image 4 displayed immediately before to the next image. Until the image data 5 arrives, it is repeatedly displayed, so that the display screen is not disturbed.
[0007]
However, since the video from the surveillance camera is written to the video memory of the display control unit 24, even if the control unit stops writing the display data, the display control unit 24 continues to display the last displayed data. In other words, in the case of surveillance subjects with little movement, such as houses, safes, and corridors with little traffic, the person in charge sometimes did not notice this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the same monitoring target house is monitored by four monitoring cameras, the network is congested and only the data of the monitoring camera 1b to the personal computer 20 is delayed. And arrive.
If a fire occurs in the monitored house during this delay, the surveillance cameras other than the surveillance camera 1b can display a real-time image (fire situation) as shown in FIG. The screen of the camera 1b displays the state before the occurrence of the fire, and if this is not noticed, there is a problem that the response to the fire is delayed.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-50235 (pages 8-9, FIG. 3)
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems and to provide a control method for a surveillance camera system capable of displaying, at the same time as displaying an image when data received with a delay is being displayed.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a surveillance camera comprising: a surveillance camera that converts a photographed video into digital data and sends the digital data to a network; In the control method of the camera system,
The display device, when the image data that has been continuously received is interrupted for a predetermined time or more, until the next received data arrives, displays an indication that the image has not been updated to the image data immediately before the interruption. Add and display.
[0011]
The display indicating that the image has not been updated is obtained by adding characters on the corresponding display screen with the characters superimposed.
[0012]
The indication that the image has not been updated is obtained by adding a frame around the corresponding display screen.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a control method of the surveillance camera system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The configuration of the system is the same as that of the conventional example, and has been described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flow of image data of the surveillance camera system according to the present invention, and shows a process until image data transmitted from the surveillance camera is finally displayed on a display monitor. Here, the vertical line represents the time axis, and the lower the time, the more time passes. Here, transmission and reception of data by the surveillance camera, the communication unit on the personal computer side, the control unit, the display control unit, and the display monitor are indicated by arrows. One arrow is, for example, a group of packetized image data for one screen.
[0014]
When data is transmitted from the surveillance camera to the network in the order of Image 1, Image 2, Image 3,..., The communication unit 21 of the personal computer 20 receives the data in order, and the image decompression unit 22 decompresses the image. The data of 2, 3,... Is sent to the control unit 23. The control unit 23 writes these data as display data 1, 2, 3,... To the display control unit 24, for example, a video memory of a graphic board. The display controller 24 sends a video signal to the display monitor 25 in the order of the written data. The display monitor 25 displays this video signal.
Here, for example, assuming that the reception of the data after image 5 from the monitoring camera is temporarily delayed, the display control unit 24 replaces the data of the image 4 displayed immediately before with the next image data as in the conventional example. Display is repeated until 5 arrives.
A feature of the present application is that when image data that has been continuously received is interrupted for a predetermined time, for example, one second, a message that the image is not updated is displayed on the image of the received data that is repeatedly displayed, Or, a mark is added and displayed.
[0015]
For example, in FIG. 1, the data of the image 5 transmitted by the monitoring camera arrives at the communication unit 21 of the personal computer 20 with a delay due to network congestion. The control unit 23 periodically receives the image expansion data from the image expansion unit 22, and the reception timing is synchronized with the data reception from the monitoring camera.
If there is no received data for one second, the control unit 23 processes the display data 4 corresponding to the data of the image decompression 4 received immediately before, and, for example, processes the image shown by b in FIG. In this way, a frame is added around the display screen, or a message “image is stopped” is added to the display screen as in the image shown in FIG. 2B.
The processed data is the display data 4 ′, and thereafter, the video signal of the image 4 ′ is repeatedly output from the display control unit 24 until the next image expansion data 5 comes.
[0016]
As described above, even if the transmission data from the surveillance camera arrives at the personal computer 20 with a delay on the network, a message or a mark to that effect is displayed on the display screen. Can be encouraged.
[0017]
Next, the operation of the control unit will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the flowchart, ST represents a step, a number following ST represents a step number, Y represents Yes, and N represents No in a determination step.
When the control is started, the control unit 23 receives the data of the expanded image from the image expansion unit 22 (ST1). Then, this is changed to display data to be passed to the display control unit 24 (ST2). Next, the display data is temporarily stored (ST3). Further, the display data is output to the display control unit 24 (ST4).
[0018]
Then, it waits for the data of the next expanded image from the image expansion unit 22 (ST5). When data comes (ST5-Y), the process is repeated from ST1. If not (ST5-N), it is determined whether a predetermined time, for example, one second, has elapsed since the last data reception (ST6). If it has not elapsed (ST6-N), repeat from ST5. When a predetermined time has elapsed (ST6-Y), the stored previous display data is extracted, and a message or mark indicating that the image has not been updated is added to this data (ST7).
[0019]
Next, the processed display data is output to the display control unit 24 (ST8). Then, it waits for the data of the next expanded image (ST9). When data comes (ST9-Y), the process is repeated from ST1. If not (ST9-N), wait until it comes.
[0020]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the control method of the surveillance camera system according to the present invention, the invention according to claim 1 is provided when the display device determines that the continuously received image data is interrupted for a predetermined time or more. , By adding an indication that the image has not been updated to the image data just before the interruption until the next received data arrives,
Even if the transmission data from the surveillance camera arrives at the personal computer with a delay on the network, the fact is displayed on the display screen, so that the person in charge of the monitoring can be alerted.
[0021]
Also, the invention according to claim 2 is that the display indicating that the image is not updated is a display in which characters are added to the corresponding display screen by superimposing, so that the current display state can be accurately and anyone can know. Can communicate in an understandable way.
[0022]
Further, according to the invention according to claim 3, the display that the image is not updated is a display in which a frame is added around the corresponding display screen, so that the current state can be intuitively detected from the displayed image. Can tell. In addition, since the peripheral part of the screen, which has almost no meaning, is used in the monitoring operation, the original monitoring operation is not hindered.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a flow chart of image data showing an embodiment of a control method of a surveillance camera system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an embodiment of a surveillance screen display according to the control method of the surveillance camera system according to the present invention, wherein (A) shows an example in which the relevant screen is surrounded by a frame, and (B) shows an example in which characters are displayed on the relevant screen It is.
FIG. 3 is a control flowchart showing one embodiment of a control method of the surveillance camera system according to the present invention.
FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a surveillance camera system configuration, and FIG. 4B is an example of a surveillance image display at that time.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a monitoring camera and a personal computer.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart of image data showing an embodiment of a control method of a conventional surveillance camera system.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d Surveillance camera 2 Hub 10 Lens unit 10a Aperture mechanism 11 CCD (Charge-Coupled Devices)
12 A / D conversion unit 13 Image compression unit 14 Communication unit 15 Control unit 20 Personal computer 21 Communication unit 22 Image decompression unit 23 Control unit 24 Display control unit 25 Display monitor

Claims (3)

In a control method of a surveillance camera system including a surveillance camera that converts a captured image into digital data and sends it to a network, and a display device that displays digital data received from the network on a screen,
The display device, when the image data that has been continuously received is interrupted for a predetermined time or more, until the next received data arrives, displays an indication that the image has not been updated to the image data immediately before the interruption. A control method for a surveillance camera system, characterized by adding and displaying. The control method for a surveillance camera system according to claim 1, wherein the display indicating that the image has not been updated is obtained by adding a character on a corresponding display screen in a superimposed manner. 2. The surveillance camera system control method according to claim 1, wherein the display indicating that the image has not been updated is obtained by adding a frame around a corresponding display screen.

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