JP2006295396A - Monitoring camera, monitoring camera system and method of controlling monitoring - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure high reliability against failures and breakages of some apparatuses and deterioration in the communication state, and to inexpensively realize a monitoring system, when the system is to be configured by a plurality of monitoring cameras. <P>SOLUTION: The monitoring camera 100 is provided with a master processing unit 3 for applying at least any one of information processing and information accumulating to data, including images to be collected in each of communications terminals providing functions as a slave set; a slave processing unit 2 including an imaging means and transmitting the data containing images photographed by the imaging means, to a specific communication terminal providing functions as a master set to a sub-network; and a function conversion processing unit 1 for switching between providing the functions of the master set by own terminal to another communications terminal on the sub-network by utilizing the master processing unit, and providing the functions of the slave processing unit to another communications terminal connected over the sub-network as a master set. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a monitoring camera connected as one of the communication terminals to a network to which a plurality of communication terminals each having an imaging means are connected via a predetermined communication line, a monitoring camera system using the same, and The present invention relates to the monitoring control method.

  For example, when an image of a specific place is photographed using a surveillance camera for the purpose of crime prevention or the like and surveillance is performed using the photographed image, the range that can be monitored is large only by using one fixed surveillance camera. Limited. Therefore, in order to monitor a relatively wide range, it is necessary to configure a surveillance camera system using a plurality of surveillance cameras. Further, when configuring such a system, for example, in order to enable centralized monitoring and control, or to simplify the configuration by sharing resources such as specific hardware, the local area network (Local LAN) It is desirable to connect a plurality of surveillance cameras to each other via a communication network such as an area network or a wired LAN.

  As a conventional technique for connecting a plurality of communicable devices to a network, for example, a technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The communication system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured as shown in FIG.

  In this communication system, a gateway 203, a large number of non-independent devices 204 (non-independent # 1 to #M), and a large number of independent devices 205 (independent # 1 to #M) are connected in a subnet 201. The gateway 203 has a function as a master that manages all the non-independent devices 204 and independent devices 205 in the subnet 201. In addition, each of the non-independent device 204 and the independent device 205 includes a communication interface having a relatively simple configuration for performing communication with the fixed gateway 203 serving as a master so as to follow instructions from the gateway 203. That is, it controls to operate as a slave device.

  Therefore, for example, assuming that a terminal of a monitoring camera is connected as each slave device, information such as images and sounds collected by all the monitoring cameras is once aggregated by the gateway 203 which is a master device. It is transmitted to the network 200 outside the subnet 201 via the line 220.

  In this communication system, since the role of the master is fixed to only one device (gateway 203), it is not necessary for other devices to assume the role of the master. That is, each slave device is not required to have intelligence like a master device, and therefore, the slave device does not need to be equipped with special hardware and software for realizing an expensive and complicated function.

  On the other hand, when configuring a known Bluetooth standard communication system, all devices connected to the network (piconet) need to have a function as a master and a function as a slave. Expensive and complicated hardware and software must be installed.

  Assuming the case where a plurality of surveillance cameras are connected using a communication system as shown in Patent Document 1 to configure a surveillance camera system, only one device in which a master function is assigned as a master in advance is used. Since it is concentrated, the following problems occur.

  If a failure occurs in one master device, the information collected by each camera cannot be transmitted outside the subnet, even if the operation of all other devices is normal, and the entire monitoring system stops functioning. become.

  In addition, if the communication quality of the network around the master device deteriorates even without failure, the information collected by each camera cannot be transmitted outside the subnet. Will stop.

  In general, in a surveillance camera system, the reliability of photographing such as reliably capturing a suspicious person with a surveillance camera is required. However, if the master is fixed to one device, even if all the other slave devices are fully operational, it is possible that monitoring by cameras in the subnet will not be possible from the outside due to a failure of one master device. There is a risk, and there is also a danger and reliability as a surveillance camera system.

  In particular, if a malicious person intentionally destroys the master device or disconnects the network around the master device, the entire monitoring system cannot be communicated. Will not work and there is a big risk. That is, only one master device takes the risk of information transmission in the subnet.

  On the other hand, when a communication system is configured in accordance with the Bluetooth standard, all devices connected to the network have a function as a master, so that one device operating as a master is destroyed or failed. However, other devices will perform the master function instead, and it is difficult for the malfunction of the entire system to stop. However, in the case of configuring such a communication system, it is necessary to install advanced hardware and software for realizing a function as a master in all devices connected to the network. It is inevitable that the increase will be significant.

  When a large-scale surveillance camera system is configured to monitor a relatively wide range, a large number of surveillance cameras must be connected via a network. However, if the device cost per surveillance camera is high, Since the total system cost will increase in proportion to the number of connected surveillance cameras, it is necessary to reduce the number of connected surveillance cameras in order to reduce the overall system cost. It becomes difficult.

JP-T-2003-519943 (paragraphs 0026 to 0028)

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when a plurality of surveillance cameras are connected via a network to constitute a surveillance system, some devices fail, break down, deteriorate communication state, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide a surveillance camera, surveillance camera system, and surveillance control method capable of ensuring high reliability.

The surveillance camera of the present invention is a surveillance camera to be connected to each other on a network.
A slave processing unit that has a photographing unit that outputs a video signal and exchanges information with another monitoring camera via the network, and information on the other monitoring camera based on information from the slave processing unit And a function conversion unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit.

  Accordingly, when a monitoring system is configured using a monitoring camera, a monitoring camera that actually provides a master function can be selected from a plurality of monitoring cameras as necessary. In the case where a failure occurs in the surveillance camera that provides the network, the device is destroyed, or the communication state deteriorates, the other surveillance camera can be switched to provide the master function instead. Therefore, high reliability can be ensured for the entire system.

  The surveillance camera of the present invention includes a master diagnostic unit that communicates with the other surveillance camera via the network and diagnoses the operation of the master processing unit of the other surveillance camera. .

  This allows communication between multiple monitoring cameras connected to the network, and the monitoring camera providing the slave function confirms the response of the other monitoring camera providing the master function. The operating state can be diagnosed.

  In the surveillance camera of the present invention, at least one of the master processing unit and the function conversion unit is provided with a connector that is detachably supported on the surveillance camera body.

  Accordingly, when a monitoring system is configured using monitoring cameras, modules corresponding to the master processing unit and the function conversion processing unit can be added later to each monitoring camera as necessary. Therefore, for example, even when a large-scale monitoring system in which a large number of monitoring cameras are connected is configured, the entire system needs to have at least one relatively expensive monitoring camera including a master processing unit and a function conversion processing unit. The initial investment cost of the system can be minimized.

  The surveillance camera system of the present invention is a surveillance camera system in which at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between a master operation and a slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs a master operation and one of which performs a slave operation. The two monitoring cameras have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal, a slave processing unit that exchanges information with another monitoring camera via the network, and information from the slave processing unit Based on the master processing unit that manages the information of the other monitoring camera, the function conversion unit that switches the master processing unit and the slave processing unit, and communicate with the other monitoring camera via the network A master diagnosis unit for diagnosing the operation of the master processing unit of the other monitoring camera, and a master diagnosis unit of the monitoring camera operating as a slave , When diagnosing the operation of the master processor of the surveillance camera that master operation as abnormal, in which functional transformation of the surveillance camera that slave operation gives an instruction to switch to master operation.

  As a result, when a malfunction or communication error occurs in the monitoring camera that provides the master function to the network, the monitoring camera operating as a slave detects this error and the monitoring camera operating as a slave Can be switched to provide a master function instead of a surveillance camera operating as a master. For this reason, even when an abnormality occurs, monitoring of the monitoring camera group in the network can be continued.

  In the surveillance camera system of the present invention, at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between master operation and slave operation and a surveillance camera fixed to slave operation are connected on a network, one of them performs master operation, and two of them In the surveillance camera system performing the slave operation, the two surveillance cameras capable of switching between the master operation and the slave operation have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal and communicates with other surveillance cameras via the network. A slave processing unit for exchanging information between them, a master processing unit for managing information of the other monitoring camera based on information from the slave processing unit, and a function conversion unit for switching between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit The surveillance camera fixed to the slave operation includes the network for the surveillance camera performing the master operation. And a master diagnostic unit for diagnosing the operation of the master processing unit of the monitoring camera performing a master operation, the master diagnostic unit including a master processing unit of the monitoring camera performing a master operation. When the operation is diagnosed as abnormal, the function conversion unit of the monitoring camera operating as a slave gives an instruction to switch to the master operation.

  As a result, even if the monitoring camera that detects the abnormality of the monitoring camera performing the master operation is a fixed slave monitoring camera that does not have a master function, the master processing unit and the function conversion unit are installed. By giving an instruction to the surveillance camera performing the slave operation, the surveillance camera performing the master operation can be switched.

  The surveillance camera system of the present invention is a surveillance camera system in which at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between a master operation and a slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs a master operation and one of which performs a slave operation. The two monitoring cameras have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal, a slave processing unit that exchanges information with another monitoring camera via the network, and information from the slave processing unit A master processing unit that manages information of the other monitoring camera, and a function switching unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit, and the network processing unit is connected to either of the two monitoring cameras. For each connected surveillance camera, at least one of presence / absence of response, response delay, error rate, jitter, S / N ratio, and error retransmission rate is detected. Accordingly, a network state measurement means to grasp the communication state of the network, based on a measurement result of the network state measurement means is for determining a monitoring camera to the master operation from the surveillance camera.

  As a result, it is possible to perform control so that the master function is not entrusted to a specific surveillance camera that is inferior due to lack of bandwidth or noise superposition by measuring the state of the network around each surveillance camera and using the result. it can. Therefore, overall optimization based on network quality can be achieved in advance, and monitoring image delays, processing, and transmission failures can be prevented.

  The surveillance camera system of the present invention is a surveillance camera system in which at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between a master operation and a slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs a master operation and one of which performs a slave operation. The two monitoring cameras have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal, a slave processing unit that exchanges information with another monitoring camera via the network, and information from the slave processing unit A master processing unit that manages information of the other monitoring camera, and a function switching unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit, and the network processing unit is connected to either of the two monitoring cameras. Each connected monitoring camera is provided with load measuring means for measuring the processing load, and based on the measurement result of the load measuring means, It is to determine the surveillance camera to the Luo master operation.

  As a result, it is possible to grasp the load factor for each monitoring camera and determine the monitoring camera that performs the master operation by reflecting the result. For example, processing such as shooting and tracking of suspicious persons, storage and transmission of images, etc. occurs, and control is performed so that the master function is not left to a surveillance camera with heavy processing load on the device. Can be optimized, and it is possible to prevent delay and processing of the monitoring image and failure of transmission.

  The surveillance camera system of the present invention is a surveillance camera system in which at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between a master operation and a slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs a master operation and one of which performs a slave operation. The two monitoring cameras have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal, a slave processing unit that exchanges information with another monitoring camera via the network, and information from the slave processing unit A master processing unit that manages information of the other monitoring camera, and a function switching unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit, and the network processing unit is connected to either of the two monitoring cameras. Each connected surveillance camera has a position detection means for detecting the position of the target detected from the photographed image, and is detected by the position detection means. Based on the number of position information and the imaging unit mounted on the layout, it is what determines the surveillance camera to the master operation from the surveillance camera.

  Thereby, the position of the target such as the suspicious person and the position of each monitoring camera can be grasped, and the monitoring camera that performs the master operation can be determined by reflecting the result. For example, by performing control that does not leave a master function that can be used by surveillance cameras that are likely to become heavy or heavy due to tracking or recognition of suspicious persons, or surveillance cameras that are likely to be destroyed. Therefore, it is possible to perform overall optimization in advance, and prevent delays, processing, and transmission failure of monitoring images.

  According to the control method of the surveillance camera system of the present invention, at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between master operation and slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs master operation and one of which performs slave operation. In the surveillance camera system control method, the two surveillance cameras output a video signal and exchange information with another surveillance camera via the network, and the slave processing step A master processing step for managing information on the other monitoring camera based on the received information, a function switching step for switching between the master processing and the slave processing, and communication with the other monitoring camera via the network. A master diagnosis step for diagnosing the master processing operation of the other surveillance camera If the operation of the master process of the monitoring cameras have been diagnosed as abnormal, and switches the monitor camera that slave operation to the master operation.

  Accordingly, when a monitoring system is configured using a monitoring camera, a monitoring camera that actually provides a master function can be selected from a plurality of monitoring cameras as necessary. In the case where a failure occurs in the surveillance camera that provides the network, the device is destroyed, or the communication state deteriorates, the other surveillance camera can be switched to provide the master function instead. Therefore, high reliability can be ensured for the entire system.

  In addition, the present invention provides a program for causing a computer to realize each process of any one of the monitoring cameras.

  In addition, the present invention provides a program for causing a computer to realize each process of any one of the monitoring camera systems.

  According to the present invention, when a plurality of surveillance cameras are connected via a network to constitute a surveillance system, high reliability is ensured against failure, destruction, deterioration of communication state, etc. of some devices. Can be provided, a surveillance camera system and surveillance camera system, and a surveillance control method.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a surveillance camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the surveillance camera system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a communication procedure necessary for starting communication between a plurality of surveillance cameras in the first embodiment. 4 and 5 are block diagrams showing a specific example of the usage environment of the surveillance camera system in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication procedure required when a plurality of monitoring cameras switch between a master and a slave in the monitoring camera system according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the surveillance camera system according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of surveillance cameras 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E,. The plurality of monitoring cameras 100 are connected to each other via a wireless communication line to form a wireless network. This wireless network is a subnet (that is, a local network) used for communication inside the system.

  In order to centrally manage a plurality of surveillance cameras 100, this surveillance camera system requires one master camera. In the example shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the monitoring camera 100A is connected as a master camera, and the other monitoring cameras 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E,... Are connected as slave cameras.

  In this surveillance camera system, the functions of the master camera and the slave camera are not fixed, and the specific surveillance camera 100 can be changed from the slave camera to the master camera or from the master camera to the slave camera as necessary. . However, only one monitoring camera 100 provides the master camera function for one subnet at each time point, and the other monitoring cameras 100 provide the slave camera functions.

  A surveillance camera operating as a master camera manages all slave cameras connected to the same subnet, processes information collected by each slave camera, and communicates with external networks Can do.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the monitoring camera 100 </ b> A that is a master camera can communicate with the access point 200. That is, by using the access point 200, the master camera can be connected to the external network device (for example, server) 202 via the access point 200 and the wide area network 201.

  For each of the monitoring cameras 100 connected to the monitoring camera system of FIG. 2, a slave dedicated camera having only the slave camera function can be connected, but at least one of the monitoring cameras 100 to be connected, preferably two or more. For the camera, it is necessary to provide a special camera that has the functions of a master camera and a slave camera and can switch the functions of the master and the slave.

  The configuration and operation of this special camera will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the surveillance camera 100 includes a function conversion unit 1, a slave camera function unit 2, a master camera function unit 3, a master diagnosis unit 4, a camera group information storage memory 23, an interface unit 24, and an antenna 25. ing.

  The slave camera function unit 2 includes an imaging unit 11, a microphone 12, a speaker 13, an image signal processing unit 14, an audio signal processing unit 15, an encoding unit 16, a decoding unit 17, and a slave camera controller 18. The master camera function unit 3 includes a recognition unit 20, an information server 21, and a master camera controller 22. The recognition unit 20 includes an image recognition processing unit 20a and a voice recognition processing unit 20b, and the information server 21 includes a hard disk 21a and a memory 21b.

  The slave camera function unit 2 is a module of an electric circuit that combines functional elements specialized in sensor functions for collecting monitoring information such as shooting and sound collection and transmitting / receiving information.

  The imaging unit 11 provided in the slave camera function unit 2 is a unit in which, for example, a two-dimensional CCD image sensor, a lens, or the like is combined, and continuously or periodically captures an image of a monitoring target area. The video signal of each image captured by the imaging unit 11 is analog / digital converted by the image signal processing unit 14 and then input to the encoding unit 16 to be encoded.

  The audio signal processing unit 15 performs analog / digital conversion on the audio (acoustic) signal around the monitoring area collected using the microphone 12 and outputs the signal to the encoding unit 16, and the audio data input from the decoding unit 17 Is digital / analog converted and output to the speaker 13.

  The slave camera controller 18 performs control related to communication with other monitoring cameras 100 according to the protocol of the communication method used by the subnet to which the interface unit 24 is connected, and communicates with other monitoring cameras 100 via the subnet. Information is exchanged between them, AV multiplexed data (data in which sound and images are multiplexed) transmitted from the encoding unit 16 is transmitted to another monitoring camera 100, or input from another monitoring camera 100 The audio encoded data is received and output to the decoding unit 17.

  The slave camera controller 18 may be configured using an electronic circuit, a relay circuit, or the like, and is preferably an electronic circuit that is particularly compact and can be configured easily. As the electronic circuit, an arithmetic component that performs arithmetic processing of digital information, such as a microprocessor or a digital signal processor, or an arithmetic circuit or computer including them may be used.

  The communication method used by the subnet may be a wired method or a wireless method, but is preferably a wireless network in view of the flexibility of network connection and the ease of installation work. As the wireless network, a wireless network based on a local area wireless standard such as wireless LAN or Bluetooth, or a public wireless line standard such as PDC, PHS (registered trademark), or W-CDMA can be used. As the wireless LAN standard, standardized standards such as IEEE802.11a, IEEE802.11b, IEEE802.11g, and proprietary standards can be used. In recent years, so-called “LAN-compatible” office buildings and apartment houses in which LAN wiring is laid in buildings and apartment buildings are increasing, so that connection by wired LAN is also possible. The interface unit 24 only needs to be capable of signal transmission with other devices in a connection form that matches the communication method used by the subnet. The antenna 25 is used when the interface unit 24 performs wireless communication.

  On the other hand, the master camera function unit 3 is an electric circuit module configured to realize a function as a master camera. The master camera controller 22 provided in the master camera function unit 3 performs the following control. That is, based on the protocol of the communication method used by the subnet to which the interface unit 24 is connected, control is performed regarding communication with slave cameras and access points in the subnet, or master cameras belonging to other subnets. Then, the master camera controller 22 collects information such as AV data sent from the slave cameras, analyzes the information in the recognition unit 20 or stores the information in the information server 21 as necessary, and stores the information in the interface unit 24. The information from the cameras in the subnet is transmitted to the external network device 202 via the network. In the case of a wireless system, the master camera controller 22 also determines the frequency and timing for hopping.

  As the master camera controller 22, an electronic circuit, a relay circuit, or the like may be used, and an electronic circuit that is particularly compact and can be configured easily is preferable. As the electronic circuit, an arithmetic component that performs arithmetic processing of digital information, such as a microprocessor or a digital signal processor, or an arithmetic circuit or computer including them may be used.

  An image recognition processing unit 20a provided in the recognition unit 20 of the master camera function unit 3 performs a process of recognizing image information obtained by photographing with each monitoring camera. In addition, the voice recognition processing unit 20b performs voice recognition processing related to voice information collected by each monitoring camera.

  The recognition unit 20 can also be configured by using an electronic circuit, a relay circuit, or the like, and it is particularly preferable to use an electronic circuit that is small in size and easy to configure. As the electronic circuit, an arithmetic component that performs arithmetic processing of digital information, such as a microprocessor or a digital signal processor, or an arithmetic circuit or a computer including them is used.

  The information server 21 is a device for accumulating a large amount of information collected by each monitoring camera. The information server 21 may be configured by combining a hard disk 21a and a memory 21b as shown in FIG. May be. It is necessary to use a rewritable recording / reading medium as the memory.

  As a rewritable recording / reading medium, for example, a semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, or the like can be used. In particular, a hard disk drive is preferable because it has a large capacity and can store a large amount of information. A semiconductor memory is preferable because it can be read at high speed and is small. Further, a device such as a card type or a removable medium may be used as the memory, and the device may be configured to be detachable from the monitoring camera 100.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the slave camera function unit 2 and the master camera function unit 3 are configured as independent modules, but may be configured integrally. In addition, if the module of the master camera function unit 3 is configured to be detachable via a predetermined connector or the like, the mounting of the master camera function unit 3 can be omitted and it can be added later. When the mounting of the master camera function unit 3 is omitted, the monitoring camera 100 dedicated to the slave camera can be realized at low cost. As a result, when the number of connected surveillance cameras is large, the initial investment cost of the entire surveillance system can be reduced.

  The camera group information storage memory 23 stores and manages the following information in association with each monitoring camera for each of its own terminal (one monitoring camera 100) and other monitoring cameras 100 connected in the subnet. Used for

(1) Address assigned to each surveillance camera (2) Attribute information indicating device type of each surveillance camera (3) Individual identification information of each surveillance camera (4) Status information (current status of each surveillance camera) Information)
(5) Information representing the function possessed by each surveillance camera (6) Information representing the installation position of each surveillance camera

  The individual identification information is ID information that can be identified by each camera, such as an IP address or a camera individual number, and it is desirable to use a PIN (Personal Identification Number) code. The status information includes master / slave information indicating whether each camera is currently operating as a master camera or a slave camera. Further, the information on the possessed function includes identification information indicating whether each camera has a master function or only a slave function.

  The camera group information storage memory 23 is constituted by a memory. A rewritable recording / reading medium is used as the memory. As a rewritable recording / reading medium, for example, a semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, or the like can be used. In particular, a semiconductor memory is preferable because it can be read at high speed and is small. Further, the memory may be configured to be detachable from the monitoring camera 100 like a card type or a removable medium.

  Based on the information held in the camera group information storage memory 23, the master diagnosis unit 4 identifies the master camera (one monitoring camera 100) functioning as the current master in the subnet, and the master camera ID. A status confirmation signal is transmitted to the surveillance camera 100 having the above, and the response of the master camera is checked to check the status of the master camera. If there is a problem with the result of this inspection, a switching instruction is issued to the function conversion unit 1.

  An arithmetic device is used as the master diagnosis unit 4. As the arithmetic unit, an electronic circuit, a relay circuit, or the like is used, and an electronic circuit that is particularly small and can be easily configured is preferable. As the electronic circuit, an arithmetic component that performs arithmetic processing of digital information such as a microprocessor or a digital signal processor, a comparator using analog components such as a comparator, or an arithmetic circuit or computer including them is used.

  The function conversion unit 1 operates as a slave camera on a system in which the own terminal (monitoring camera 100) is connected to the subnet in accordance with an instruction output from the master diagnosis unit 4 provided on the terminal of the own station or another monitoring camera 100. Switching between functioning and functioning as a master camera is performed. As the function conversion unit 1, a switching circuit using an electronic circuit, a relay circuit, a mechanical relay circuit, a switch circuit, or the like is used, and a configuration using an electronic circuit that is particularly compact and can be configured easily is preferable. Electronic circuits include electronic switches and switches, logic switching circuits, arithmetic components that perform digital information processing such as microprocessors and digital signal processors, or arithmetic circuits and computers that include them. Used.

  The master diagnosis unit 4 diagnoses the state of a specific monitoring camera 100 connected to the subnet and currently functioning as a master camera based on a response from the terminal, and there is an abnormality in the master camera as in the case where there is no response. If one of the monitoring cameras other than the current master camera is detected, one monitoring camera having the master camera function unit 3 (currently functioning as a slave camera) 100 is selected. Then, an instruction is given to the function conversion unit 1 in the monitoring camera 100 so that the slave camera newly provides a function as a master camera to the subnet.

  In the surveillance camera system shown in FIG. 2, information such as images and sounds acquired by each surveillance camera 100 included in this system is sent to a specific surveillance camera 100 that currently provides a function as a master camera via a subnet. Sent.

In this example, the master camera has a function having intelligence as shown below.
(1) Manage each slave camera connected in the subnet and manage network traffic and status.
(2) The information sent from each slave camera is accumulated as necessary.
(3) Perform image processing and voice recognition processing on information sent from each slave camera.
(4) The information collected from each slave camera or the information obtained after processing is transmitted to the external network device 202 outside the subnet via the wide area network 201.

  The master camera has a role of managing slave cameras in the subnet, and the slave camera can be said to have a role of being managed by the master camera. The master camera may have a sensor function (slave camera function unit 2) of the slave camera as in the monitoring camera 100 shown in FIG. Since the slave camera can be specialized in the sensor function, it can be configured at a lower cost than the master camera. The master camera may be configured to use the access point 200 for information transmission / reception outside the subnet.

  Next, the operation of the surveillance camera system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, the surveillance cameras 100 are described as having the same functions as those in FIG. 1. However, for some slave cameras, the master camera function unit 3 and the function conversion unit 1 are used. And the master diagnostic part 4 can also be abbreviate | omitted.

[Procedure for starting camera communication within a subnet]
When each surveillance camera 100 communicates within a subnet, it is necessary to first operate according to the communication procedure as shown in FIG. 3 and establish a connection with the master camera. In this example, it is assumed that the monitoring camera 100A establishes a connection with the other monitoring cameras 100B, 100C, and 100D as a master camera in the subnet.

  (A) The camera that starts communication first among the monitoring cameras 100 having the master function (master camera function unit 3) is the master camera. In the example of FIG. 3, the monitoring camera 100A becomes the master camera, and the master camera controller 22 in the monitoring camera 100A transmits an inquiry message to the other monitoring cameras 100B, 100C, and 100D in the vicinity.

  (B) In the monitoring cameras 100B, 100C, and 100D that are slave cameras, in response to an inquiry from the master camera, attribute information such as the address of the own terminal and the type of the device is obtained from the camera group information storage memory 23 in the own terminal. The read information is returned to the monitoring camera 100A, which is the master camera, under the control of each slave camera controller 18.

  (C) The monitoring camera 100A that is a master camera calls a specific monitoring camera 100B that is a slave camera. Specifically, the master camera controller 22 in the monitoring camera 100A transmits the address of the monitoring camera 100B and requests a response.

  (D) The slave camera controller 18 in the monitoring camera 100B that has received a call from the master camera returns a response indicating that the address of its own terminal has been received from the master camera to the monitoring camera 100A that is the master camera.

  (E) The monitoring camera 100A that is a master camera transmits a communication channel and a communication start time to the monitoring camera 100B that is a slave camera. In response to this, the slave camera controller 18 in the monitoring camera 100B as the slave camera responds, thereby establishing a connection between the monitoring camera 100A as the master camera and the monitoring camera 100B as the slave camera. In this communication, a PIN (Personal Identification Number) code is used to authenticate each other between the monitoring camera 100A as a master camera and the monitoring camera 100B as a slave camera. Using a similar procedure, the monitoring camera 100A that is the master camera also performs mutual authentication with the other monitoring cameras 100C and 100D that are slave cameras.

  (F) When the connection is established by the above processing, information (device address and clock) such as the hopping procedure of the monitoring camera 100A as the master camera is backed up in the camera group information storage memory 23 of each slave camera.

[Operation of Master Diagnostic Unit 4]
Next, the master diagnosis unit 4 will be described. Here, according to the above procedure, a connection is established between the surveillance camera 100A as the master camera and the surveillance cameras 100B to 100D as the slave cameras, and a connection is established between the slave camera 100E. Assume the case. The monitoring camera 100E functioning as a slave camera also includes a master camera function unit 3, a master diagnosis unit 4, and a function conversion unit 1.

  (A) Based on a predetermined communication protocol, the master diagnosis unit 4 in the monitoring camera 100E functioning as a slave camera sends a status confirmation request signal to the address of the monitoring camera 100A that is the master camera.

  (B) When the master camera controller 22 in the monitoring camera 100A, which is the master camera, receives a status confirmation request signal addressed to the address of its own terminal, it returns a response to the monitoring camera at the transmission source address based on a predetermined protocol. To do.

  (C) When the master diagnosis unit 4 in the monitoring camera 100E functioning as a slave camera receives a response transmitted from the master camera controller 22 in the monitoring camera 100A that is the master camera, the master diagnosis unit 4 operates as follows. That is, the master diagnosis unit 4 determines whether there is an abnormality in the monitoring camera 100A that is the master camera or the network around the master camera, based on the presence / absence of response reception based on a predetermined protocol and the content of the reception response. When ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is used as a communication protocol used by the master diagnosis unit 4, the following operation is performed. Using the “Ping” command of the same protocol, the master diagnostic unit 4 sends an “ICMP Echo” packet to the master camera at the designated address, and the master camera controller 22 of the master camera sends back an “Echo Reply” packet. Unit 4 receives the “Echo Reply” packet. The master diagnosis unit 4 determines the functional performance, abnormality, and malfunction of the master camera and the surrounding network depending on whether the “Echo Reply” packet is returned or whether the response time does not exceed the specified time. To do. Of course, a protocol other than ICMP can be adopted as the communication protocol.

[Operation of function conversion unit 1: When it is determined that the current master camera cannot operate]
According to the above procedure, when the master diagnosis unit 4 detects an abnormality or failure in the monitoring camera 100A that is the master camera of the current subnet or the surrounding network, that is, when no response is returned from the master camera, or data If it is determined that the master camera is inoperable due to ghosting or the like, the master diagnosis unit 4 in the monitoring camera 100E that is a slave camera equipped with the master camera function unit 3 An instruction is given to the function conversion unit 1 in the terminal so that the monitoring camera 100A, which is the current master camera, becomes a dedicated master camera for this subnet.

  In this case, the function conversion unit 1 in the monitoring camera 100E that has received an instruction from the master diagnosis unit 4 activates the master camera function unit 3 in its own terminal. As a result, the monitoring camera 100E is switched from the slave camera to a new master camera. Then, the same procedure as the above [Camera communication start procedure within subnet] is executed again, and the establishment of the connection is restarted from the beginning between the surveillance camera 100E newly converted to the master camera and the other slave cameras. Therefore, the monitoring camera 100A switches from the master camera to the slave camera.

  An operation example of the surveillance camera system in an actual operating environment will be described. In the example shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that the surveillance camera 100A functioning as a master camera is destroyed by an intruder.

  In this example, the surveillance camera 100A before being destroyed manages other surveillance cameras 100B, 100C, 100D, and 100E that are slave cameras as a master camera on the subnet. Or the function as a master camera is lost by failure.

  Since the master camera manages the surveillance camera of the entire system and has a relay function with an external network, the master camera does not function even if the surveillance camera system is monitored from the remote network device 202 at a remote location. Then, the information of all the monitoring cameras 100 cannot be monitored at all.

  However, in the surveillance camera system of the first embodiment, as described above, the master diagnosis unit 4 mounted on the surveillance camera 100 other than the master camera detects an abnormality in the surveillance camera 100A that is the master camera, and the function conversion unit. The switching between the master camera and the slave camera is automatically performed by the operation of 1. That is, when the monitoring camera 100A that is the master camera is destroyed as shown in FIG. 4, another monitoring camera 100E that has been the slave camera until then is switched to a new master camera as shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the previous master camera becomes inoperable, the functions of the entire system can be maintained and monitoring can be continued.

[Operation of function conversion unit 1: When it is determined that the performance of the current master camera is degraded]
According to the above procedure, the master diagnosis unit 4 operates in the master camera of the current subnet or the surrounding network and the master camera is operating and the response can be confirmed normally, but there are many retransmissions due to the occurrence of an error or a large response delay. If it is determined that it is not appropriate to leave the current master camera to function as a master, the master diagnosis unit 4 in the monitoring camera 100E that is currently a slave camera but also has a master function is An instruction is given to the function conversion unit 1 to switch the slave function of the terminal (monitoring camera 100E) and the master function of the monitoring camera 100A that is the master camera. In this case, a master / slave switching procedure as shown in FIG. 6 is executed. This master / slave switching procedure will be described below.

  (A) The slave camera controller 18 in the monitoring camera 100E, which is a slave camera having a master function, receives the diagnosis result of the master diagnosis unit 4 and the slave function of the own terminal (monitoring camera 100E) and the monitoring camera 100A. Is sent to the master camera controller 22 of the surveillance camera 100A, which is the current master camera. Then, the master camera controller 22 of the monitoring camera 100A sends a “exchange OK” signal to the slave camera controller 18 in the monitoring camera 100E, which is a slave camera.

(B) Timing change The monitoring camera 100A and the monitoring camera 100E whose functions on the subnet are changed, after the mutual agreement, the current slave camera (the monitoring camera 100E) becomes the master camera (the monitoring camera). 100A), the timing of TX (transmission) and RX (reception) is reversed. Also, information (device address and clock of the monitoring camera 100A) such as the original hopping procedure that the previous master camera (monitoring camera 100A) has is stored and saved in the camera group information storage memory 23 in the monitoring camera 100E. Is done. With the above operation, the surveillance camera 100E becomes a new master camera, and the surveillance camera 100A that has been the master camera up to that time is changed to a slave camera.

(C) Piconet Conversion The monitoring camera 100E converted to a new master camera notifies the monitoring camera 100A that has newly become a slave camera of a clock shift from the monitoring camera 100A that was the previous master camera.

  (D) The monitoring camera 100E converted to a new master camera notifies the monitoring camera 100A that has newly become a slave camera of information such as a new hopping pattern.

  (E) The monitoring camera 100A that has newly become a slave camera returns the ID of its own terminal as a reception response. Thereafter, the monitoring camera 100E that is the master camera and the monitoring camera 100A that is the slave camera establish a connection according to the channel parameters of the monitoring camera 100E that is the master camera.

  (F) The monitoring camera 100E converted to a new master camera notifies the monitoring camera 100A that has newly become a slave camera whether or not a connection has been established. Similarly, the surveillance camera 100E converted to a new master camera establishes a connection with the other slave cameras in the subnet in the order described above, and the surveillance camera 100E is newly established in this subnet. Become a master camera.

  In the above example, it is assumed that the slave camera including the master camera function unit 3 also includes the master diagnosis unit 4. However, if at least one master diagnosis unit 4 is connected to the system, Can be realized. In that case, the master diagnosis unit 4 may only have a function of notifying the other camera in the subnet that there is an abnormality in the master camera when an abnormality is detected.

  As described above, in the monitoring camera system of the first embodiment, the master diagnosis unit 4 diagnoses the state of the monitoring camera functioning as the master camera of the subnet, and when there is a problem with the result, Instead of the master camera, the function switching unit 1 is instructed to switch the function of the slave camera so that the other surveillance camera functioning as the slave camera of the subnet has the master function of the subnet. It is. This provides a highly reliable surveillance camera and surveillance camera system because even if there is a malfunction or communication error in the master camera, the alternate camera becomes the master and monitoring of the surveillance camera group in the subnet can be continued. it can.

  The functions of the function conversion unit 1, the master camera function unit 3, and the master diagnosis unit 4 can be configured by dedicated hardware, or a specific program prepared in advance can be used as a control microprocessor. It can also be implemented by running on a computer.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a surveillance camera system according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing information contents held in a camera group information storage memory in the second embodiment. . The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. In FIG. 7, elements corresponding to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Only the configuration and operation different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the master diagnosis unit 5 is provided inside the monitoring camera 100 </ b> F that does not include the above-described master camera function unit 3 and functions only as a slave camera. In addition, the monitoring camera 100E provided with the master camera function unit 3 does not include the master diagnosis unit 4 described above.

  The master diagnosis unit 5 of the second embodiment performs a function corresponding to the above-described master diagnosis unit 4, but the monitoring camera 100F itself provided with the master diagnosis unit 5 does not include the master camera function unit 3. The control is slightly different from the form.

  That is, in the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the master diagnosis unit 5 of the monitoring camera 100F performs state diagnosis on the monitoring camera 100A functioning as the master camera of the subnet and detects that there is a problem in the operation state. Is instructed to be a dedicated master camera for the subnet to the function switching unit 1 of another slave camera having the master camera function unit 3.

  In the configuration example of the second embodiment, surveillance cameras 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, and 100F are connected on the same subnet, and among these, the surveillance cameras 100A and 100E are the slave camera function unit 2 and the master. Although the camera function unit 3 is provided, the monitoring cameras 100B, 100C, 100D, and 100F include only the slave camera function unit 2.

  Therefore, the master diagnosis unit 5 of the monitoring camera 100F performs diagnosis by checking the response of the monitoring camera 100A functioning as the master camera. When it is detected that there is a problem in the operation of the monitoring camera 100A due to the influence of destruction by an intruder, the master diagnosis unit 5 of the monitoring camera 100F is equipped with the master camera function unit 3 and currently Identifies the surveillance camera 100E functioning as a slave camera based on the information held in the camera group information storage memory 23 shown in FIG. Then, the function conversion unit 1 in the monitoring camera 100E is instructed to become a new master camera in the subnet.

  An arithmetic device is used for the master diagnosis unit 5. As the arithmetic unit, an electronic circuit, a relay circuit, or the like is used, and an electronic circuit that is particularly small and can be easily configured is preferable. As the electronic circuit, an arithmetic component that performs arithmetic processing of digital information such as a microprocessor or a digital signal processor, a comparator using analog components such as a comparator, or an arithmetic circuit or computer including them is used.

  Next, a detailed operation of the surveillance camera system according to the second embodiment will be described.

  (1) Among the monitoring cameras 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, and 100F for which the connection has been established, the slave camera that has no master function and has the master diagnosis unit 5, that is, the monitoring camera 100F, has a master Based on a predetermined communication protocol, the diagnosis unit 5 sends a state confirmation request signal to the address (A) assigned to the monitoring camera 100A that is the current master camera. On the other hand, when the master camera controller 22 mounted on the monitoring camera 100A as the master camera receives the status confirmation request signal addressed to the address of the own terminal, the master camera controller 22 responds to the monitoring camera 100 at the transmission source address based on a predetermined communication protocol. Reply. Therefore, normally, the master diagnosis unit 5 of the monitoring camera 100F receives a response transmitted from the master camera controller 22 of the monitoring camera 100A that is the master camera. The master diagnosis unit 5 of the monitoring camera 100F that is a slave camera determines whether there is an abnormality in the monitoring camera 100A that is the current master camera or a network around the master camera, depending on whether or not a response is received based on a predetermined protocol and the content of the reception response. Determine whether. The communication protocol used by the master diagnosis unit 5 and other operations are the same as those of the master diagnosis unit 4 described above.

  (2) Here, as shown in FIG. 7, assuming that the monitoring camera 100A as a master camera is destroyed by a malicious person and becomes inoperable, the monitoring as a slave camera is performed according to the above procedure. The master diagnosis unit 5 of the camera 100F detects that no response is received from the monitoring camera 100A, which is the master camera, and assumes that an abnormality has occurred.

  (3) However, since the monitoring camera 100F itself equipped with the master diagnosis unit 5 does not include the master camera function unit 3, it cannot be converted into a master camera. Therefore, the master diagnosis unit 5 in the monitoring camera 100F refers to the contents of the camera group information storage memory 23 of its own terminal, and can monitor the function of the master camera based on the information in the table held here. Search for.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in this example, the table on the camera group information storage memory 23 shows the camera ID, address, master function presence / absence, current status, device type for each monitoring camera connected to this subnet. Are stored in association with each other. Accordingly, by referring to this table, the surveillance camera 100E (ID is E, address is (E)) is currently operating as a slave camera, but also has a master function (can be converted to a master). I understand). Therefore, the master diagnosis unit 5 in the monitoring camera 100F instructs the function conversion unit 1 in the monitoring camera 100E to change the function to the master camera. In response to this, the function conversion unit 1 in the monitoring camera 100E switches between the slave camera function unit 2 and the master camera function unit 3 of the own terminal, and switches so that the own terminal operates as a master camera in the subnet. . The procedure for switching to the master camera is the same as the procedure described above.

  In the surveillance camera system of the second embodiment, the master diagnosis unit 5 is another slave camera equipped with the master camera function according to the result of diagnosing the state of the surveillance camera 100A functioning as the master camera of the subnet. Since the function conversion unit 1 is instructed to switch to the master camera, the master function can be replaced even if the camera that discovers the abnormality of the master camera cannot replace the master function. In addition, a highly reliable surveillance camera and surveillance camera system can be provided.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a surveillance camera according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating information contents held in a camera group information storage memory according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the surveillance camera system according to the third embodiment. The third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. In FIGS. 9 and 11, elements corresponding to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Only the configuration and operation different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  In the third embodiment, a monitoring camera 100F connected to the same subnet as the system shown in FIG. The network state measuring unit 6 measures the network state between the cameras in the subnet, determines a camera whose function is to be changed according to the measurement result, and is a slave equipped with the master camera function unit 3 in the same manner as described above. Gives instructions on function conversion to the camera.

  Next, the operation of the surveillance camera system of the third embodiment will be described in detail.

  (1) The network state measurement unit 6 in the monitoring camera 100F sends a confirmation signal for measuring the network state to each monitoring camera 100 in the subnet. As the protocol, for example, the above-described ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is used. The master camera controller 22 or the slave camera controller 18 in each monitoring camera 100 that has received this confirmation signal returns a response to the sending monitoring camera 100F. The network status measurement unit 6 in the monitoring camera 100F checks the presence / absence of response reception, the contents of reception response, the response delay, error rate, jitter, S / N ratio, error retransmission rate, etc. Measure the network status between the two and determine whether the network status is good or bad.

  (2) In the example of FIG. 11, it is assumed that the network environment near the monitoring camera 100A, which is the master camera, is poor. For example, there is a case where the error rate is increased due to the influence of noise due to the use of a microwave oven or the like, and the noise is increased in the vicinity of the monitoring camera 100A as the master camera.

  (3) In this case, the measurement result by the network state measurement unit 6 in the monitoring camera 100F is stored in the table in the camera group information storage memory 23 as shown in FIG. 10 with the camera ID, address, master function presence / absence, current status. And stored together with information such as device type. Based on the information held in the table in the camera group information storage memory 23 of the own terminal, the network state measurement unit 6 is connected to the same subnet and can be a master camera in the monitoring camera 100 that can be a master camera. The monitoring camera 100 having the most desirable network state is searched, and a conversion instruction is issued to the function converting unit 1 of the optimal monitoring camera 100.

  In the configuration example of the third embodiment, the monitoring camera 100E (ID is E, address is (E)) is currently a slave operation, but also has a master function (can be converted to a master). It can also be seen that the network state is better than the monitoring camera 100A currently operating as the master camera. Therefore, the network state measurement unit 6 instructs the function conversion unit 1 of the monitoring camera 100E to change the function to the master camera.

  In this case, the function conversion unit 1 of the monitoring camera 100E switches between the slave function of its own terminal and the master function of the monitoring camera 100A that is the current master camera, and the monitoring camera 100E operates as a master camera in the subnet, The monitoring camera 100A is switched to operate as the slave camera. The conversion procedure between the master and the slave is the same as that described above.

  In the third embodiment, the network state measuring unit 6 measures the network state between the cameras in the subnet, and the camera in the optimum network state among the other slave cameras having the master camera function according to the result. To switch to a dedicated master camera on the subnet. Therefore, for example, overall optimization based on network quality that does not leave the master function to a camera whose surrounding network quality is inferior due to insufficient bandwidth or noise superimposition can be achieved in advance. As a result, it is possible to prevent delay and processing of the monitoring image and failure of transmission, and to provide a more reliable monitoring camera and monitoring camera system.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a surveillance camera according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a diagram showing information contents held in a camera group information storage memory in the fourth embodiment. The fourth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. In FIG. 12, elements corresponding to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Only the configuration and operation different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  In the fourth embodiment, the processing load measuring unit 7 is provided on one monitoring camera 100F connected to the subnet of the monitoring camera system as shown in FIG. The processing load measuring unit 7 measures the processing load for each of the monitoring cameras 100 connected to the same subnet, and selects a master camera from among slave cameras having a master camera function according to the result. The optimum monitoring camera 100 is determined, and the function switching unit 1 of the monitoring camera 100 is instructed to become a dedicated master camera for the subnet.

  Next, details of the operation of the surveillance camera system when the surveillance camera of the fourth embodiment is used will be described.

  (1) The processing load measuring unit 7 measures the processing load of each camera in the subnet. As a specific processing load, for example, a load factor such as a CPU controlling the master camera controller 22 and the slave camera controller 18 in each monitoring camera 100 can be considered. Accordingly, in response to the measurement instruction sent by the processing load measuring unit 7 in the monitoring camera 100F, the master camera controller 22 or the slave camera controller 18 in each monitoring camera 100 measures its own current processing load, and The result is returned to the monitoring camera 100F as a response. Using this result, the processing load measuring unit 7 in the monitoring camera 100F compares the CPU load factor, which is the processing load, for each monitoring camera 100 and determines the processing load in each camera.

  (2) The measurement result obtained by the processing load measuring unit 7 is associated with each monitoring camera in the table on the camera group information storage memory 23 together with the camera ID, address, master function presence / absence, current status, device type, etc. Stored.

  (3) The processing load measuring unit 7 has the smallest load factor among the monitoring cameras 100 that can be the master camera based on the information for each camera held in the table on the camera group information storage memory 23. A camera is searched and a change instruction is given to the function changing unit 1 of the monitoring camera 100.

  In the configuration example of the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, in the table in the camera group information storage memory 23, the surveillance camera 100E (ID is E, address is (E)) is currently a slave operation. It also has a master function (can be converted to a master), and has a lower CPU load factor than the current master camera 100A, which has a sufficient processing capacity.

  Therefore, the processing load measuring unit 7 instructs the function changing unit 1 of the monitoring camera 100E currently operating as a slave camera to change the function to the master camera. In this case, the function conversion unit 1 of the monitoring camera 100E switches between the slave function of its own terminal and the master function of the monitoring camera 100A, with the monitoring camera 100E serving as a master camera in the subnet and the monitoring camera 100A serving as its slave camera. Switch to work. The conversion procedure between the master and the slave is the same as that described above.

  Since the surveillance camera 100 operating as a master camera needs to aggregate and process information in the subnet and also interface with the outside of the subnet, when there is not enough room for processing, processing may be delayed, In the worst case, the processing may fail and normal monitoring operation may not be continued.

  In contrast, in the fourth embodiment, the processing load measuring unit 7 is provided in at least one monitoring camera to measure the processing load of each camera in the subnet, and the next master camera is determined by reflecting the result. The function of the master camera can be dynamically assigned to the monitoring camera 100 with a small load. For example, if you do not leave the master function to a camera that has a heavy processing load on the equipment, such as shooting or tracking a suspicious person, storing or transmitting images, you can optimize the entire process. In addition, it is possible to prevent delays, processing, and transmission failures of monitoring images.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a surveillance camera according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a specific example of the usage environment of the surveillance camera system. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the usage environment of the surveillance camera system. The fifth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. 14 to 16, elements corresponding to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Only the configuration and operation different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  In the fifth embodiment, the position detection unit 8 is provided on one monitoring camera 100F connected to the subnet of the monitoring camera system as shown in FIG. The position detection unit 8 grasps the stay position of the suspicious person in the monitoring area of the system, and sets the master camera so that the monitoring camera 100 located at the optimum position from the detected stay position of the suspicious person operates as the master camera. Switch automatically.

  Next, the operation of the surveillance camera system of the fifth embodiment will be described in detail.

  (1) The position detection unit 8 of the monitoring camera 100F grasps the staying position of the suspicious person in the monitoring area of the monitoring system by using image recognition, voice recognition, or sensor technology such as infrared rays or ultrasonic waves. To do. Each recognition device or sensor used by the position detection unit 8 may be built in each monitoring camera 100 connected in the subnet, may use the function of each monitoring camera 100, or may be outside the camera. A newly added sensor may be used.

  For example, the position detection unit 8 of the monitoring camera 100F periodically requests a status from each monitoring camera 100 connected to the same subnet. In response to this request, the master camera controller 22 or the slave camera controller 18 of each monitoring camera 100 returns information indicating whether or not the terminal is capturing a suspicious person as a response to the monitoring camera 100F as a transmission source.

  The position detection unit 8 of the monitoring camera 100F determines the following items based on the reply content from each monitoring camera 100. That is, in the area monitored by the surveillance camera system connected to this subnet, which surveillance camera 100 is currently located, and which surveillance camera this suspicious person will be in the future It is identified whether it moves toward the position of 100.

  (2) In the specific example shown in FIG. 15, the monitoring area of the system is composed of a central corridor, a west corridor, and a U-shaped corridor of the east corridor with the entrance in the middle. In addition, monitoring cameras 100A to 100G are respectively installed.

  In this example, it is assumed that the monitoring camera 100A first operates as a master camera and the other operates as a slave camera. In this example, the monitoring camera 100E has a function that can also be a master camera.

  In the example shown in FIG. 15, the passage route directly connected from the entrance is the central corridor, and in order to go from the west corridor side to the east corridor side, it is necessary to physically pass through the central corridor.

  In this example, position information regarding the layout in the plane as shown in FIG. 16 is managed in the camera group information storage memory 23 in the monitoring camera 100F. Specifically, the camera area arrangement adapted to the camera installation sketch is stored in association with node information based on the physical path of the area.

  For example, when a suspicious person moves from the surveillance camera 100A side installed in the west hallway to the surveillance camera 100E side installed in the east hallway, it is necessary to pass through the vicinity of the surveillance camera 100D installed in the central hallway. The node information that there is is stored. Also, information such as absolute position coordinates regarding the position where each monitoring camera 100 is installed and a relative distance such as a distance between the cameras is also stored in the camera group information storage memory 23. In addition, the address of each camera is stored in association with each other.

  (3) The position detection unit 8 can be a master camera based on the grasped current position of the suspicious person, the future moving direction, and information on the camera group stored in the camera group information storage memory 23. A specific monitoring camera 100 at the most suitable position is searched from the cameras 100 and a conversion instruction is issued to the function switching unit 1 of the monitoring camera 100.

  For example, assuming that a suspicious person is detected by the monitoring camera 100A and the monitoring camera 100B and the suspicious person is moving in the direction of the monitoring camera 100A as shown in FIG. E, address (E)) is preferably changed to the master camera.

  That is, as can be seen from the contents of FIG. 16, the surveillance camera 100E is currently operating as a slave camera, but also has a master function (can be converted to a master) and will continue to approach suspicious persons in the future. In comparison with the monitoring camera 100A that is likely to continue the shooting operation, if judged from the structure and distance of the area, a suspicious person is unlikely to approach the monitoring camera 100E immediately, and the monitoring camera 100E It can be seen that there is room in operation.

  Accordingly, the position detection unit 8 instructs the function conversion unit 1 in the monitoring camera 100E to change the function to the master camera. In this case, the function conversion unit 1 in the monitoring camera 100E switches between the slave function of its own terminal and the master function of the monitoring camera 100A. The monitoring camera 100E is the master camera in the subnet, and the monitoring camera 100A is the slave camera. Switch to work as. The conversion procedure between the master and the slave and the importance of the master camera system are as described above.

  When the system is configured using the monitoring camera of the fifth embodiment, the position detection unit 8 grasps the staying position of the suspicious person in the monitoring area, and performs the master camera function according to the staying position of the suspicious person. The function switching unit 1 of the monitoring camera 100 located at the optimum position among the slave cameras is instructed to become a dedicated master camera for the subnet. Therefore, overall optimization based on the processing load can be performed in advance so that the processing function of the device becomes heavy due to tracking or recognition of a suspicious person, or the master function that can be performed by a camera that is likely to become heavy is not entrusted. Image delays, processing, and transmission failures can be prevented.

  The configuration of the surveillance camera system of the present invention can be variously modified as described below in addition to the above-described embodiment.

(First modification)
Among a plurality of surveillance cameras 100 constituting the surveillance camera system, two or more surveillance cameras 100 having a master camera function are connected in the subnet, and the number of cameras is the number of surveillance cameras 100 having only a slave camera function. A system is configured by combining multiple types of cameras so that the number of connected devices is smaller.

  Although it is possible to have a configuration in which all surveillance cameras in the subnet can be master cameras at the same time as slave cameras, the master camera manages the slave cameras in the subnet as described above, and the network For managing the traffic and state of the network, and storing, sending, processing, and recognizing information sent from the slave camera group as necessary, and transmitting the information to the external network device 202 outside the subnet via the wide area network 201 The master camera is inevitably expensive compared to the dedicated slave camera, and all the cameras in the subnet are inevitable. If only a camera equipped with a master camera function is used, the overall system cost is reduced. It becomes higher in. On the other hand, if there is only one camera in the subnet that can be the master camera, there is a risk that it will not be possible to continue monitoring due to a failure or intentional destruction.

  So, if there are two or more cameras with the master camera function in the subnet and the number of cameras is less than the number of cameras with the slave camera function, balanced monitoring for the two issues A camera system can be provided. By configuring such a monitoring camera system, each camera can be configured at a lower cost than having a master function, and monitoring reliability can be improved as compared with a case where only one camera has a master function. .

(Second modification)
In each surveillance camera 100 constituting the surveillance camera system, a module constituting the master camera function unit 3 is configured to be detachable via a connector or the like so that the master camera function unit 3 can be added to each surveillance camera 100 later. Constitute.

  As a specific method for making it detachable, a method capable of physically retrofitting functions necessary for hardware such as addition of a circuit board, addition of a unit, insertion or addition of a function card is desirable. Further, the software and firmware may be changed.

  As described above, there are a plurality of cameras having a master camera function in the subnet, so that the reliability of the system is improved. However, when the number of master cameras is increased, the initial investment for system construction is greatly increased. When the master camera function unit 3 can be retrofitted to each monitoring camera 100 constituting the system, first, the number of monitoring cameras 100 provided with the master camera function unit 3 is minimized. The master function can be retrofitted only to the necessary monitoring camera 100 while starting the system operation while checking the situation and the circumstances of the budget. Therefore, even when the number of connected monitoring cameras 100 is large, the initial investment of the system can be reduced.

  As described above, in the surveillance camera and surveillance camera system of the present embodiment, the master camera that manages a plurality of surveillance cameras on the system can be switched as necessary. When a malfunction or communication abnormality such as deterioration occurs, another monitoring camera is switched to the master camera, so that monitoring of the monitoring camera group in the subnet can be continued. Therefore, even if a problem occurs in the master camera, the functions of the entire system can be maintained normally, and high reliability can be realized.

  In addition, since it is not necessary to provide the master processing unit and the function conversion processing unit in all the monitoring cameras, the apparatus cost of the entire monitoring system can be reduced even when a large number of monitoring cameras are connected. Therefore, it is possible to construct a surveillance camera system that can be configured at low cost and has high reliability.

  In the present invention, when a plurality of surveillance cameras are connected via a network to configure a surveillance system, it is possible to ensure high reliability against failure, destruction, deterioration of communication state, etc. of some devices. A surveillance camera connected to a network in which a plurality of communication terminals each having an imaging means are connected via a predetermined communication line, and a surveillance camera using the same It is useful for a system and its monitoring control method.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a surveillance camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a surveillance camera system according to a first embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the communication procedure required in order to start the communication between the some monitoring cameras in 1st Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the specific example of the utilization environment of the surveillance camera system in 1st Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the specific example of the utilization environment of the surveillance camera system in 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the communication procedure required when the some monitoring camera switches a master and a slave in the monitoring camera system in 1st Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structural example of the surveillance camera system which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the information content which the camera group information storage memory in 2nd Embodiment hold | maintains The block diagram which shows the structural example of the surveillance camera which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the information content which the camera group information storage memory in 3rd Embodiment hold | maintains The block diagram which shows the structural example of the surveillance camera system of 3rd Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structural example of the surveillance camera which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the information content which the camera group information storage memory in 4th Embodiment hold | maintains The block diagram which shows the structural example of the surveillance camera which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. The top view which shows the specific example of the utilization environment of the surveillance camera system in 5th Embodiment The schematic diagram which shows the specific example of the utilization environment of the surveillance camera system in 5th Embodiment Block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional communication network

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Function conversion part 2 Slave camera function part 3 Master camera function part 4, 5 Master diagnostic part 6 Network state measurement part 7 Processing load measurement part 8 Position detection part 11 Imaging unit 12 Microphone 13 Speaker 14 Image signal processing part 15 Audio | voice signal processing Unit 16 encoding unit 17 decoding unit 18 slave camera controller 20 recognition unit 20a image recognition processing unit 20b voice recognition processing unit 21 information server 21a hard disk 21b memory 22 master camera controller 23 camera group information storage memory 24 interface unit 25 antenna 100 monitoring Camera 200 Access point 201 Wide area network 202 External network device

Claims (11)

In surveillance cameras that should be connected to each other on the network,
A slave processing unit that has a photographing unit that outputs a video signal and exchanges information with another monitoring camera via the network, and information on the other monitoring camera based on information from the slave processing unit A monitoring camera comprising: a master processing unit that manages the function; and a function conversion unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit.   The monitoring camera according to claim 1, further comprising a master diagnosis unit that communicates with the other monitoring camera via the network and diagnoses an operation of a master processing unit of the other monitoring camera.   The surveillance camera according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the master processing unit and the function conversion unit is provided with a connector that is detachably supported on the surveillance camera body. In a surveillance camera system in which at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between master operation and slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs master operation and one of which performs slave operation,
The two monitoring cameras have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal, based on information from the slave processing unit that exchanges information with other monitoring cameras via the network, and information from the slave processing unit A master processing unit that manages information of the other monitoring camera, a function switching unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit, and communication with the other monitoring camera via the network, A master diagnosis unit for diagnosing the operation of the master processing unit of another monitoring camera,
When the master diagnosis unit of the monitoring camera that is operating as a slave diagnoses the operation of the master processing unit of the monitoring camera that is operating as a master as abnormal, the function conversion unit of the monitoring camera that is operating as a slave operates as the master operation. A surveillance camera system that gives instructions for switching. Two surveillance cameras capable of switching between at least master operation and slave operation and a surveillance camera fixed to slave operation are connected on the network, and one surveillance camera is operating as a master and two are operating as slaves. In the system,
The two monitoring cameras capable of switching between the master operation and the slave operation have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal, and a slave processing unit that exchanges information with other monitoring cameras via the network; Based on information from the slave processing unit, a master processing unit that manages information of the other monitoring camera, and a function conversion unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit,
The surveillance camera fixed to the slave operation communicates with the surveillance camera performing the master operation via the network to diagnose the operation of the master processing unit of the surveillance camera performing the master operation. An instruction to switch to the master operation by the function conversion unit of the monitoring camera that is operating as a slave when the operation of the master processing unit of the monitoring camera that is operating as a master is diagnosed as abnormal. Give a surveillance camera system. In a surveillance camera system in which at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between master operation and slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs master operation and one of which performs slave operation,
The two monitoring cameras have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal, based on information from the slave processing unit that exchanges information with other monitoring cameras via the network, and information from the slave processing unit A master processing unit that manages information of the other monitoring cameras, and a function conversion unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit,
By detecting at least one of presence / absence of response, response delay, error rate, jitter, SN ratio, and error retransmission rate for each of the two monitoring cameras connected to the network, A monitoring camera system comprising network state measuring means for grasping a communication state of the network, and determining a monitoring camera performing a master operation from the monitoring cameras based on a measurement result of the network state measuring means. In a surveillance camera system in which at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between master operation and slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs master operation and one of which performs slave operation,
The two monitoring cameras have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal, based on information from the slave processing unit that exchanges information with other monitoring cameras via the network, and information from the slave processing unit A master processing unit that manages information of the other monitoring cameras, and a function conversion unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit,
One of the two monitoring cameras is provided with a load measuring means for measuring the processing load for each monitoring camera connected to the network, and based on the measurement result of the load measuring means, A surveillance camera system that determines the surveillance camera that performs the master operation from In a surveillance camera system in which at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between master operation and slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs master operation and one of which performs slave operation,
The two monitoring cameras have an imaging unit that outputs a video signal, based on information from the slave processing unit that exchanges information with other monitoring cameras via the network, and information from the slave processing unit A master processing unit that manages information of the other monitoring cameras, and a function conversion unit that switches between the master processing unit and the slave processing unit,
Each of the two monitoring cameras includes a position detection unit that detects the position of the target detected from the photographed image for each monitoring camera connected to the network, and the position detection unit detects A surveillance camera system that determines a surveillance camera that performs a master operation from among the surveillance cameras based on a plurality of position information and a layout on installation of an imaging unit. In a control method of a surveillance camera system in which at least two surveillance cameras capable of switching between master operation and slave operation are connected on a network, one of which performs master operation, and one of which performs slave operation,
The two monitoring cameras output a video signal and exchange information with another monitoring camera via the network, and based on the information obtained by the slave processing step, the other monitoring cameras A master processing step for managing information of the monitoring camera, a function switching step for switching between the master processing and the slave processing, communication with the other monitoring camera via the network, and A monitoring camera system having a master diagnosis step for diagnosing the operation of the master process, and switching the monitoring camera operating as a slave to the master operation when the master processing operation of the monitoring camera operating as a master is diagnosed as abnormal Control method.   The program for making a computer implement | achieve each process of the surveillance camera of Claim 1 or 2.   The program for making a computer implement | achieve each process of the surveillance camera system in any one of Claim 4 to 8.

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