JP2005117229A - Image transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image transmitter which can detect occurrence of abnormality instantaneously through the transmission of an abnormality occurrence signal and can record an image of a moment of the occurrence of abnormality. <P>SOLUTION: The image transmitter for processing an image picked up with an image sensor and transmitting the processed image is provided with a motion detection means, allows the motion detection means to generate the abnormality occurrence signal when a change in the image exceeds a threshold value, and transmits the abnormality occurrence signal not through the circuit for processing the image. Consequently, the abnormality occurrence signal is transmitted earlier to a receiver side and then a delayed image signal on the occurrence of abnormality is transmitted to the receiver side. Operations similar to the above can be performed also by an external trigger. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image transmission apparatus used in a monitoring apparatus using a network camera, and more particularly to an image transmission apparatus capable of recording an image from the time when an abnormality is detected.

  Devices for recording images captured by a surveillance camera are used in various directions for monitoring and recording of outpatients. Systems that transmit compressed images using the Internet and record the transmitted image signals are also widely used.

  FIG. 2 shows an image transmission apparatus using a conventional network camera using an image compression technique such as JPEG. An image detected by the CMOS image sensor (1) is recorded in the frame memory (3) via the motion detection circuit (2), and the image is compressed by the compression circuit 4 and recorded in the buffer memory (5). The image signal recorded in the buffer memory is transmitted by the Internet interface 6. On the side of receiving the signal, the image signal is sequentially recorded in the memory, read out and displayed. If necessary, it is recorded in an external storage device.

In systems using conventional network cameras that use JPEG compression technology, delays occur, and visitors' recordings and image recordings at the time of anomalies are delayed, and these instantaneous images can be recorded. There wasn't. This is due to the fact that the conventional network surveillance camera sends a delayed image as it is, so that the monitoring side is delayed in capturing the moment when the abnormality occurs.
JP 2002-27434 A JP 2002-34025 A

  The present invention provides an image transmission apparatus capable of transmitting an image of 30 frames / second at a frame rate by providing an image compression function to a network camera and transmitting an abnormality occurrence signal immediately to a monitoring side without going through a signal processing circuit. It is to provide. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image transmission apparatus capable of quickly detecting an abnormality and recording an image at the moment when the abnormality occurs by transmitting the abnormality occurrence signal.

  The present invention transmits the abnormality occurrence signal as a command signal to the monitoring server so as not to cause a delay time, and enables the image signal to be recorded from the frame before the moment of occurrence of the abnormality by this command signal. It solves the problem.

  That is, an image transmission apparatus that processes and sends out an image by an image sensor includes a motion detection means, and generates an abnormality occurrence signal when the amount of change in the image exceeds a threshold value, and the abnormality occurrence signal processes the image. The abnormality occurrence signal is transmitted to the reception side first, and the image signal at the time of the abnormality occurrence is transmitted after that. The same operation may be performed by an external trigger.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to record an image signal immediately before the occurrence of an abnormality without using a special delay memory or the like by using a compression / delay circuit on the transmission side.

  The abnormality occurrence signal is detected from the external trigger signal or the change amount of the input image signal. For example, in the case of a door phone, it can be obtained by using a doorbell signal from a visitor, and if it is from the amount of change in the input image signal, a difference signal between images of the input image and a threshold for change in volume should be set. Can be obtained by: These signals are immediately sent to the network without passing through the processing circuit.

  The image signal (including sound) is compressed and sent to the network. In this case, even if no special delay circuit is provided, a delay occurs due to the buffering circuit for processing the compressed signal and sending it to the transmission circuit. By utilizing this delay, the image signal (including sound) at the time of abnormality can be recorded immediately before the occurrence by the abnormality occurrence signal.

  Less than. Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. An external trigger (7) and a control circuit (8) are added to the conventional circuit configuration shown in FIG. The video signal from the CMOS image sensor (1) is subjected to motion detection by the motion detection circuit (2). It is determined that there is a motion when the pixel difference value (difference for each pixel) between the current frame image fn and the previous image fn-1 exceeds a threshold value. This signal is immediately transmitted to the Internet interface (6) via the control circuit (7) and preferentially incorporated in the image data or sent out by UDP (user datagram protocol).

The video signal from when this (abnormal) detection signal is generated reaches the interface circuit (6) via the frame memory (3), the compression circuit (4) and the buffer memory (5). During this time, a delay time of several frames occurs due to processing in the compression circuit (4) and the buffer memory (5). Therefore, the video immediately before the motion is transmitted after the motion detection signal is transmitted. As a result, on the receiving side, it is possible to record the video at the moment of occurrence of the abnormality received after starting the recording after receiving the abnormality occurrence signal.

  Note that the same recording can be performed by inputting a signal when the doorbell is pressed from the external trigger (8) to the control circuit and sending it as an abnormality occurrence signal from the Internet interface (6). There are various modifications to the above circuit configuration. For example, the image sensor may use another type, and the compression circuit may use a circuit / system other than JPEG.

  The present invention configured as described above can be widely used in monitoring and recording devices such as remote monitoring devices. In particular, there is an advantage that the moment of occurrence of abnormality can be recorded reliably and recording can be started automatically.

The block diagram which shows the Example of this invention Block diagram of a conventional image transmission device

Explanation of symbols

1: CMOS image sensor 2: Motion detection circuit 3: Frame memory 4: Compression circuit 5: Buffer memory 6: Internet interface 7: External trigger 8: Control circuit

Claims (3)

In an image transmission device that processes and sends out an image by an image sensor,
Comprising a motion detection means, when an image change amount exceeds a threshold value, an abnormality occurrence signal is generated and the abnormality occurrence signal is transmitted without passing through a circuit for processing the image;
An image transmission apparatus, wherein an abnormality occurrence signal is transmitted to a receiving side first, and then a delayed image signal is transmitted. In an image transmission device that processes and sends out an image by an image sensor,
Provided with an external abnormality detection means, an abnormality occurrence signal is generated by the means, and the abnormality occurrence signal is transmitted without passing through a circuit for processing an image,
An image transmission apparatus, wherein an abnormality occurrence signal is transmitted to a receiving side first, and then a delayed image signal is transmitted.   3. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein recording is started from an image signal before the image signal at the time of occurrence of an abnormality on the receiving side, and images before and after the occurrence of the abnormality are recorded.

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