JP2005136777A - Network-monitoring camera system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain high precision extraction of a monitor video, by performing movement detection suitable for the movement characteristics of an object to be monitored. <P>SOLUTION: This network-monitoring camera system is configured by connecting a camera device 1 which performs simple movement detection to an image pickup video, a video analyzing device 2 which performs further high precision movement analysis to the video whose simple movement detection has been performed, a video recording device 3 which records the video data to be outputted from the camera device 1 and a monitoring device 4, which selectively selects a source from the video data to be outputted by the camera device 1 and the video data recorded in the video recording device 3 via a network 6. This network-monitoring camera system is also configured, by connecting a video display device 5 which displays the extracted monitor video on a screen to the monitor device 4. Thus, the system can be so set only the monitor video whose high precision movement analysis has been performed by the video analyzing device 2 can be recorded. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a network-compatible monitoring camera system in which one or more monitoring camera devices and a monitoring terminal are connected to a network.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the conventional surveillance camera system includes a camera unit 91 that images a monitoring object, a recording unit 92a that records the captured image, and a display unit 92b that displays the recorded image. In general, the unit 92 is connected to a signal line 93 such as a coaxial cable, and the recording method of the captured image is all the images captured by the camera unit 91 or every predetermined time interval. In general, the intermittent images are recorded in the recording unit 92a.

  However, the recording unit 92a uses, for example, a VTR or a hard disk device (HDD). However, since the recording capacity is limited, it is necessary to detect and monitor the movement of the subject imaged by the camera unit 91. A monitoring apparatus having a motion detection function for the purpose of efficiently recording only video information has also been realized.

Further, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-83241, there is also known a network monitoring system using a monitoring camera device provided with motion detection means. This network monitoring system has a function of generating an alarm when motion is detected by the motion detection means and displaying the video at this time on a display unit of a monitoring terminal connected via the network.
JP 2000-83241 A

  However, the motion detection means installed in the surveillance camera system as described above is originally monitored because a cheap microcontroller with a small processing capability is installed in the camera unit 91 or the recording unit 92a to detect the motion in the video. There is a problem in that not only the movement of the object itself to be detected but also movements other than the object are detected, and even a video unnecessary for the monitoring video is recorded in the recording unit 92a. In order to improve such a problem, there is also means for improving the processing performance of the microcontroller so as to improve the accuracy of motion detection, but in that case, the equipment becomes expensive, and a plurality of surveillance camera devices and recording devices are installed. The monitoring system to be arranged has a problem that it leads to a significant cost increase.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an image provided with a more accurate motion analysis means apart from a camera device provided with a simple motion detection means at a low cost. By using the analysis device, it is possible to perform motion detection with higher accuracy than in the past, and in the video analysis device, the motion characteristics of the monitoring object can be selected from one or more motion analysis means. It is an object of the present invention to provide a network surveillance camera system that can efficiently extract only the video to be monitored by selecting and adapting a suitable motion analysis means.

  In addition, a network surveillance camera system that can keep the system price low by extracting only the necessary surveillance video for the user, without using an LSI such as a microcontroller with higher performance and cost than necessary. The purpose is to do.

The present invention comprises the following means (1) and (2) in order to achieve the above-mentioned problems.
(1) In a network monitoring camera system in which one or more camera devices, a video analysis device, a video recording device, and a monitoring device to which a video display device is connected are connected to each other via a communication network. The camera device includes a motion detection unit that detects the motion of the captured subject, an encoding unit that encodes the image of the captured subject, and a video storage unit that temporarily stores the encoded data. The video analysis apparatus includes: a decoding unit that decodes the encoded data; a video analysis unit that analyzes a motion of a subject with respect to the decoded data; and the encoded data is recorded based on the analysis result A motion determination unit that determines whether or not to perform the operation, and the video recording apparatus is supplied with corresponding encoded data from the video storage unit based on a determination result of the determination unit. A recording unit for recording, and the monitoring device selectively selects the encoded data supplied from the camera device or the recorded encoded data recorded in the video recording device; A decoding unit that decodes the selected encoded data; a video mixing unit that mixes the decoded data and text information associated with the camera device identified from the selected encoded data; and the motion detection Alternatively, a network surveillance camera system comprising an operation unit for designating a screen area of a subject for performing the motion analysis.

(2) The network surveillance camera according to claim 1, wherein the video analysis unit is provided corresponding to a plurality of types of motion characteristics, and the plurality of types of video analysis units are selected as desired. system.

  As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a video analysis device capable of high-precision motion analysis, which is independently provided, is used separately from the camera device having simple motion detection means. As a result, the video with simple motion detection from one or more camera devices is analyzed with higher accuracy by the video analysis device, and only the really necessary video is recorded in the video recording device. This reduces the amount of unnecessary video recording and reduces the video storage capacity.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, it is possible to extract the monitoring object with higher accuracy by selecting and adapting the motion analysis means suitable for the motion characteristic of the monitoring object. This has the effect of further enhancing the effects of the described invention.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 1 or claim 2, it is not necessary to mount a high-performance microcontroller in the camera device, and it becomes easy to construct a low-cost monitoring system as the entire network monitoring camera system. There is an effect.

  Examples of the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below.

  First, FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a network monitoring camera system in the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, 1 is one or more camera devices for performing simple motion detection while imaging a monitoring object, and 2 is an image output as a result of the simple motion detection from the camera device 1. Video analysis apparatus 3 for performing more accurate motion analysis on the encoded data of No. 3, it was determined that the video analysis apparatus 2 needs to perform the high-accuracy motion analysis and record the encoded data. A video recording device 4 for recording per case is selected by decoding the encoded data supplied from the camera device 1 or the recorded encoded data recorded in the video recording device 3 by a program process or the like. A monitoring device 5 for outputting as a signal is a video display device for displaying the video signal supplied from the monitoring device 4, and the other devices 1 to 4 other than the video display device 5 are mutually connected. It is connected via a communication network capable 6.

  In the network monitoring camera system having the above-described configuration, each device connected via the network 6 is controlled by a system program installed in the monitoring device 4, and the entire system operates in an integrated manner.

  In the network surveillance camera system, a motion detection mode adapted to the motion characteristics of the monitored object is preset in the monitoring device 4 by the user in advance. In this case, the movement characteristics of the monitoring object indicate the characteristics of the movements peculiar to the object such as the type of the monitoring object, for example, a person walking on a passage, an article placed on a shelf, or a dangerous spot near a cliff. is there. The motion detection mode set in the monitoring device 4 is transmitted to the video analysis device 2 by the system program.

  Further, a means for selecting one of a video source imaged by the camera device 1 and a recorded video source recorded in the video recording device 3, and 1 for displaying on the video display device 5 from the selected source. The means for selecting one video may be an automatic control means based on the system program or a control means based on a user input operation.

  The network monitoring camera system having the above configuration will be described in more detail with reference to the block diagram of each block. First, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the camera device 1. In FIG. 2, the camera apparatus 1 includes a lens unit 21 for inputting video, an imaging unit 22 such as a CCD element for converting the input video into digital video data, and the digital video data for at least two frames. An image storage unit 23 that can store the motion, a motion detection unit 24 that detects a motion of the stored video data and supplies a storage instruction to a video storage unit 26 to be described later, and the image storage unit 23 that stores the image data. The encoding unit 25 that encodes video data using a high-efficiency encoding method suitable for video compression such as the MPEG standard or the JPEG standard, and the encoded data generated by the encoding unit 25 from the motion detection unit 24 A video storage unit 26 that records based on the instruction, a video storage unit 26, an encoding unit 25, a motion detection unit 24, or a camera information setting unit 28 described later. The data, a network connection section 27 which forms an interface for transmitting and receiving to and from the external device via the network 6, and a camera information setting unit 28 for controlling data relating to the encoded data.

  Next, the operation of the camera device 1 having the above configuration will be described. First, video data captured by the imaging unit 22 through the lens unit 21 is stored in the image storage unit 23 for at least two frames and supplied to the motion detection unit 24 while being supplied to the encoding unit 25. . The motion detection unit 24 performs motion detection of the video data stored in the image storage unit 23 based on a monitoring target area (described later) set in the camera information setting unit 28, and while the motion is detected. The storage instruction is output to the video storage unit 26 and the network connection unit 27. In this case, the motion detection unit 24 is a part that is executed as one of the processes of the microcontroller mounted on the camera apparatus 1, and includes the microscopic change of the luminance in the monitoring target region or the extraction of the motion. The processing load is such that it can be executed within the processing capacity range of the controller. In the process of the motion detection unit 24, the monitoring target area does not necessarily need to be set, and instead, the entire screen may be the target area.

  On the other hand, the encoding unit 25 encodes the supplied video data and outputs the encoded video data to the video storage unit 26 and simultaneously to the network connection unit 27.

  Next, the video storage unit 26 stores the encoded data supplied from the encoding unit 25 while the storage instruction from the motion detection unit 24 continues to be supplied. In this case, the encoded data may be stored in the video storage unit 26 continuously at all times without using the storage instruction as a trigger in order to leave the video before the time when the motion occurred. Since the video storage unit 26 has a limited storage capacity, after all the capacity is stored, the overwrite process is sequentially performed.

  The encoded data supplied to the network connection unit 27 is output to the network 6 after adding header data (described later) controlled by the camera information setting unit 28. In addition, control data input from the monitoring device 4 described later through the network 6 is supplied to the camera information setting unit 28. Furthermore, recording notification information from the video analysis device 2 to be described later is input to the network connection unit 27, and description of these incoming data will be described later.

  Here, an example of a data structure related to video data exchanged between the devices via the network 6 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the encoded data of the surveillance video communicated via the network 6 is composed of header data 31 and encoded data 32 subjected to high efficiency encoding. Furthermore, the header data 31 includes at least a camera ID 31a, a monitoring target type 31b, and parameters of the monitoring target area 31c. The camera ID 31a is a unique ID number assigned to the camera device 1 and is information necessary for specifying the camera device when a plurality of camera devices are used. The type 31b of the monitoring object is obtained by classifying the movement characteristics of the monitoring object into several categories. For example, a video in which the moving direction of the object is predicted to some extent like a person walking on a road, a shelf, Are classified into the types of videos with relatively little movement such as presence / absence of products. The type 31b of the monitoring object is set by the user as a motion detection mode from the monitoring device 4, and is used as information for selectively selecting a plurality of video analysis units equipped in the video analysis device 2 described later. The The monitoring target area 31c is information for determining a region where motion detection or motion analysis is performed in the captured screen. For example, the monitoring target area 31c includes the start point (X0, Y0) and the size (Xl, Yl). It is good also as information on 31c. The header data 31 and the encoded data 32 related to the header data 31 are defined as monitoring video data.

  The camera information setting unit 28 stores the parameters of the camera ID 31 a, the monitoring object type 31 b, and the monitoring target region 31 c supplied from the network connection unit 27, and the monitoring target region 31 c is supplied to the motion detection unit 24. .

  Next, the video analysis device 2 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the video analysis device 2. According to this, the video analysis apparatus 2 uses the network connection unit 41 that separates the monitoring video data of FIG. 3 input from the network 6 into the header data 31 and the encoded data 32, and the separated header data 31. A data analysis unit 42 for extracting each parameter, a decoding unit 43 for decoding the separated encoded data 32 into video data, and one or more videos configured corresponding to the type 31b of the monitoring target Based on the analysis result of the analysis unit 44 (video analysis unit 1 to video analysis unit N, N is a natural number) and the motion analysis of the decoded video data by the video analysis unit 44, the encoded data 32 is stored in the video recording device 3. It is comprised from the motion determination part 45 which determines whether it should record.

  Next, the operation of the video analysis device 2 having the configuration shown in FIG. 4 will be described in detail. First, the monitoring video data output from the camera device 1 to the network 6 is input to the network connection unit 41 of the video analysis device 2, separated into header data 31 and encoded data 32, and both are sent to the data analysis unit 42. Passed. Based on the contents of the header data 31, the data analysis unit 42 first sets the camera ID 31 a in the motion determination unit 45, and then sends a monitoring target region 31 c to the video analysis unit 44 associated with the monitoring target type 31 b in advance. The area set to is set and a motion analysis command is issued. Also, the encoded data 32 is supplied to the decoding unit 43.

  Here, the reason why a plurality of video analysis units 44 are provided is that the optimal motion analysis method differs depending on what the monitoring target is. This is, for example, that the processing necessary for motion detection differs between the case where only a person passing through a certain place is detected and the case where the person is identified. For this reason, it is possible to extract a video to be monitored with high accuracy by installing a plurality of video analysis units 44 having different motion analysis processes in advance and selecting the video analysis unit 44 most suitable for video analysis. Become. If it is not necessary to use the video analysis unit 44 for the above reasons, only one video analysis unit 44 may be provided.

  In the data decoding unit 43, the encoded data 32 is decoded into video data and supplied to one video analysis unit 44 specified by the data analysis unit 42. Subsequently, the one specified video analysis unit 44 performs highly accurate motion analysis on the decoded video data, and the motion determination unit 45 determines whether or not the corresponding encoded data needs to be recorded. This result is output to the network 6 through the network connection unit 41 as recording notification information together with the camera ID 31a, and notified to the target camera device 1. The camera device 1 that has received the recording notification information transmits the encoded data stored in the video storage unit 26 to the network 6 through the network connection unit 27 when the content of the recording notification information needs to be recorded. The video recording apparatus 3 receives the video and records it.

  Here, a specific example of motion analysis of video data in the video analysis unit 44 and determination in the motion determination unit 45 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 shows one screen of the monitoring video imaged by the camera device 1, and illustrates a scene where the mother and the child are walking in a passage from the upper left to the lower right of the screen. In this case, the monitored object is a mother and child on the passage, but based on the motion prediction that can normally be assumed that the person on the passage moves in an oblique direction in this example, the monitored object has the optimum detection effect for the oblique movement. The type 31b is set in advance. Further, it is assumed that the monitoring target area 31c is set to the start point (X0, Y0) and the size (Xl, Yl) as shown in FIG. Based on such setting of the header data 31, the data analysis unit 42 generates a motion analysis command to the selected video analysis unit 44, while the video data supplied from the decoding unit 43 is included in the monitoring target area. The motion of the video data is analyzed. The motion analysis of the video data includes a method of measuring the amount of movement of the monitored object, for example, and determining that there has been movement when a predetermined amount of movement exceeds a preset value. In the case of this example, when the mother and child are walking in the aisle, measure the amount of movement in the diagonal direction per unit time, and determine whether there is movement by whether the amount of movement exceeds a predetermined threshold Good. That is, the movement amount is measured by the video analysis unit 44 and the movement amount per unit time is compared with the threshold value by the motion determination unit 45.

  Next, the monitoring device 4 will be described in detail. The monitoring device 4 has a function of controlling the entire network monitoring camera system and a function of switching the source of the monitoring video to be displayed on the video display device 5, and the user can set a motion detection mode, a motion detection area designation, and the like. It has an input interface function for inputting information from the outside. Although these motion detection modes or setting information are input from the outside in advance at the start of the network surveillance camera system, they are re-input by the user during the operation of the system and set by the system program. It may be done. The motion detection mode is reflected in the monitoring object type 31b of the header data 31, and the motion detection area designation is reflected in the monitoring target area 31c.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the monitoring device 4. The monitoring device 4 includes an operation unit 61 that is an interface unit for a user to input setting information such as the motion detection mode and motion detection area designation from the outside, and a real-time video from the camera device 1 or a video recording device. 3, a data selection unit 62 that selects any one source from the recorded video recorded in 3, a network connection unit 63 that is an interface unit with the network 6, and a decoding unit that decodes the encoded data 32 into video data. 64 and a video mixing unit that mixes the decoded video data and text data associated with the camera ID 31a and outputs the mixed video data as a video signal. The data selection unit 62 includes a CPU 62a, which is controlled by a system program that controls the entire network monitoring camera system.

  Next, the operation of the monitoring device 4 will be described. The means for selecting the source of the monitoring video described above is controlled by the system program that controls the CPU 62a. The control by this system program is, for example, as follows. When there are a plurality of camera devices 1, in a normal monitoring state, the real-time video from the camera device 1 is switched and controlled at predetermined time intervals, and the video analysis device 2 outputs the recording notification information described above to output the video recording device 3. When a video is recorded on the recording medium, control is performed to switch to playback of the recorded video. Note that the switching control by the system program may include means for forcibly switching by an input from the outside of the user.

  The monitoring video data specified by the data selection unit 62 and input via the network 6 is separated into the header data 31 and the encoded data 32 by the network connection unit 63, and the encoded data 32 is the monitoring target area of the header data 31. Based on 31c, the decoding unit 64 decodes the video data and supplies the video data to the video mixing unit 65. On the other hand, the camera ID 31 a of the header data 31 is supplied to the data selection unit 62, and the text information associated with the camera ID 31 a is supplied to the video mixing unit 65. The video mixing unit 65 mixes the supplied text information and the decoded video data, converts them into a video signal, and outputs the video signal to the video display device 5. An output example of this is shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows the display screen of the video display device 5 in addition to the monitoring video, the number for identifying the camera device 1 that is capturing the monitoring video at the upper left of the screen, the information on the location where it is installed, and the like. It is displayed superimposed as text.

  Next, although the internal configuration of the video recording device 3 is not illustrated, the video recording device 3 is a device having a recording unit such as an HDD and a network interface unit, for example, a personal computer having these configurations. This may be configured as follows.

  Although the internal configuration of the video display device 5 is not shown, the video display device 5 is a device for receiving and displaying a video signal supplied from the monitoring device 4. As a display method, for example, the NTSC method is used. Or a broadcasting system such as the PAL system, or may be adapted to a display format of a personal computer such as a VGA.

  An operation flow of the network monitoring camera system described above will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the network monitoring camera system. First, one monitoring video is usually selected from the video of the camera device 1 or the video recorded in the video recording device 3 by the monitoring device 4 and is output to the video display device 5 (step S1). When a motion is detected from the captured image by the motion detection unit 24 of one or more camera devices 1 (step S2), the highly efficient encoded data starts to be recorded in the video storage unit 26 (step S3). While recording in the video storage unit 26, the video analysis device 2 performs highly accurate motion analysis on the encoded data from the camera device 1 (step S4). As a result of this highly accurate motion analysis, when the motion determination unit 45 determines that the encoded data needs to be recorded (step S5), the video analysis device 2 instructs the corresponding camera device 1 to record ( Recording notification information), and the encoded data recorded in the video storage unit 26 of the corresponding camera device 1 is sent to the video recording device 3 and recorded (step S6). When the recording to the video recording device 3 is completed, the process proceeds to the normal video selection monitoring step (step S7).

  As described above in detail, according to the network monitoring camera system of the present embodiment, the video analysis apparatus provided with the high-precision motion analysis means independent of the camera apparatus 1 provided with the conventional simple motion detection means. 2 is used, it is possible to select an optimal motion analysis means according to the motion characteristics of the monitored object, so that it is possible to extract only the video to be monitored or recorded with high accuracy.

  In addition, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, since it is not necessary to mount a high-performance microcontroller in the camera device itself, when a network surveillance camera system using a plurality of camera devices is constructed, compared to the conventional case. This makes it possible to build a low-cost monitoring system.

  As described above, since the network surveillance camera system according to the present invention can perform highly accurate motion analysis adapted to the motion characteristics of the monitored object, it can be used for monitoring systems such as premises, public places, and dangerous places. The present invention has great applicability as an academic video surveillance system that needs to capture images of sudden movements in situations where it should be monitored for a long time.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the network monitoring camera system based on Example 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the camera apparatus in Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure in Example 1 of this invention which shows the data structure of the monitoring video data bidirectionally communicated on a network. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the video monitoring apparatus in Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the image | video imaged with the camera apparatus used in order to demonstrate concretely the motion analysis of the video data of a video-analysis part, and the determination process of a motion determination part in Example 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the monitoring apparatus in Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure of the example which displayed the monitoring image | video and text information on the video display apparatus in Example 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of system operation | movement in Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the conventional surveillance camera system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera apparatus 2 Image | video analysis apparatus 3 Image | video recording apparatus 4 Monitoring apparatus 5 Image | video display apparatus 6 Network

Claims (2)

In a network monitoring camera system in which one or more camera devices, a video analysis device, a video recording device, and a monitoring device to which a video display device is connected are connected to each other via a communication network,
The camera device includes a motion detection unit that detects a motion of a captured subject, an encoding unit that encodes the image of the captured subject, and a video storage unit that temporarily stores the encoded data. Prepared,
The video analysis device includes: a decoding unit that decodes the encoded data; a video analysis unit that analyzes a motion of a subject for the decoded data; and whether the encoded data should be recorded based on the analysis result A motion determination unit for determining whether or not
The video recording apparatus includes a recording unit that receives and records corresponding encoded data from the video storage unit based on a determination result of the determination unit,
The monitoring device selectively selects the encoded data supplied from the camera device or the recorded encoded data recorded in the video recording device, and the selected encoded data. A decoding unit for decoding, a video mixing unit for mixing the decoded data and text information related to the camera device specified from the selected encoded data, and performing the motion detection or the motion analysis An operation unit for specifying the screen area of the subject for
A network surveillance camera system characterized by comprising each of the above. 2. The network surveillance camera system according to claim 1, wherein the video analysis unit is provided corresponding to a plurality of types of motion characteristics, and the plurality of types of video analysis units are selected as desired.

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