JP2007128145A - Monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a monitoring system for achieving a crime prevention system which is useful for local crime prevention at low costs. <P>SOLUTION: A network system 1 is configured of a communication network 7 such as the Internet and a radio access point 4 for performing access from a user terminal 5 to the communication network 7. It is desired that this network system 1 is an already existing network system which has been already operated, and a monitor terminal 6 is added to the existing network system 1 to construct a monitor system. Voluntary offer is received about the use of a radio access point 4 from the user (owner) of the user terminal 5 and the radio access point 4 so that communication between the monitor terminal 6 and the communication network 7 can be performed through the provided radio access point 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a monitoring system, and more particularly, to a monitoring system including a monitoring terminal having a monitoring camera and a monitoring center connected to the monitoring terminal via a communication network.

  As one of local security measures, a conventional surveillance system in which a security light pole equipped with a surveillance camera is installed on a road and a surveillance center connected to a network monitors a surveillance camera image is disclosed in, for example, the following patent document 1-7.

JP 2003-317176 A JP 2003-346262 A JP 2003-356916 A JP 2002-288774 A JP 2002-298260 A JP 2002-298261 A JP 2000-251502 A

  In recent years, needs for security systems for safety and security have been increasing. However, due to the high cost of installing a security light pole and the cost of laying a wired network, the actual situation is that progress has not been made.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to obtain a monitoring system that can realize a crime prevention system useful for regional crime prevention at a low cost.

  A monitoring system according to a first invention is a network system including a communication network, a first wireless access point for accessing the communication network from a first user terminal, and a monitoring center connected to the communication network. And first imaging means for always imaging, and first acquisition means for acquiring emergency information indicating that an emergency has occurred, and accessing the communication network via the first wireless access point Possible first monitoring terminal.

  The monitoring system according to a second aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to the first aspect of the invention, in particular, when the first acquisition terminal acquires the emergency information, the first monitoring terminal acquires the first imaging. The image processing apparatus further includes first video recording means for recording the video imaged by the means.

  The monitoring system according to a third aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to the second aspect of the invention, in particular, the monitoring center transmits the video recorded in the first video recording means to the first wireless access point and the It can be acquired via a communication network.

  A monitoring system according to a fourth invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to third inventions, and is characterized in that the network system is an existing network system.

  The monitoring system according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, in particular, the monitoring center and the first one via the first wireless access point and the communication network. A predetermined prohibition process is performed so that the information exchanged with the monitoring terminal cannot be acquired by the first user terminal.

  The monitoring system according to a sixth aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to the fifth aspect of the invention. Particularly, the first user terminal is given a predetermined authority, and thereby the video imaged by the first imaging means is obtained. It can be browsed.

  The monitoring system according to a seventh aspect is the monitoring system according to the sixth aspect, in which the predetermined prohibition process is an encryption process for video data output from the first imaging means, and the predetermined The authority is a release key for executing a descrambling process, and the monitoring center sets the release key unique to the first user terminal for the first user terminal. To do.

  The monitoring system according to the eighth invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to seventh inventions, and in particular, the management terminal that manages the area where the first user terminal is installed has a predetermined authority. The video image picked up by the first image pickup means can be browsed.

  A monitoring system according to a ninth invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to eighth inventions, and in particular, the first monitoring terminal is connected via the first wireless access point and the communication network. , And further comprising a call means for making a call with the monitoring center.

  The monitoring system according to a tenth aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to the ninth aspect of the invention, in particular, the content of a call between the first monitoring terminal and the monitoring center by the call means is determined by the first user. A predetermined prohibition process is performed so that the terminal cannot be acquired.

  The monitoring system according to an eleventh aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to tenth aspects of the invention. In particular, the first monitoring terminal is connected via the first wireless access point and the communication network. It further has voice output means for issuing an alarm and / or announcement for evacuation guidance under the control of the monitoring center.

  A monitoring system according to a twelfth aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects of the invention. In particular, the first acquisition means is a sound pressure sensor, and the sound pressure sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined level. The fact that sound pressure is detected is acquired as the emergency information.

  The monitoring system according to a thirteenth invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to eleventh inventions, wherein the first acquisition means reads identification data stored in a predetermined tag by a wireless method. It is a detector, and the fact that the detector has detected the tag is acquired as the emergency information.

  A monitoring system according to a fourteenth aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the invention. In particular, the network system further includes a second wireless access point for accessing the communication network. The first monitoring terminal can also access the communication network via the second wireless access point, and from the first monitoring terminal to the communication network via the first wireless access point. When the access cannot be executed, the access from the first monitoring terminal to the communication network through the second wireless access point is executed.

  A monitoring system according to a fifteenth aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the invention. In particular, the network system further includes a second wireless access point for accessing the communication network. The monitoring system further includes a second monitoring terminal capable of accessing the communication network via the second wireless access point, and the first monitoring terminal is connected to the communication network from the first wireless access point. If the access to the monitoring center is not possible via the first monitoring terminal, the first monitoring via the second monitoring terminal, the second wireless access point, and the communication network according to an instruction from the first monitoring terminal Access from the terminal to the monitoring center is executed.

  A monitoring system according to a sixteenth aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the invention. In particular, the network system further includes a second wireless access point for accessing the communication network. The monitoring system includes a second imaging unit that always captures an image, and a second video recording unit that records an image captured by the second imaging unit, and the second wireless access point is A second monitoring terminal that can access the communication network via the first monitoring terminal, and the first monitoring terminal includes the moving object when the moving object is included in the video imaged by the first imaging means. Detecting means for detecting a moving direction of the second imaging means, wherein the detecting means detects that the moving body has moved toward an imaging range of the second imaging means. If the first monitoring terminal, to the second monitoring terminal, characterized in that an instruction to start recording of image captured by the second imaging means.

  The monitoring system according to a seventeenth aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to the sixteenth aspect of the invention, in particular, the monitoring center transmits the video recorded in the second video recording means to the second wireless access point and the It can be acquired via a communication network.

  The monitoring system according to an eighteenth aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to the sixteenth or seventeenth aspect of the invention. In particular, the second monitoring terminal further includes threatening means for threatening with sound and / or light, and the movement. When the detection means detects that the body has moved toward the imaging range of the second imaging means, the first monitoring terminal is intimidated by the threatening means against the second monitoring terminal. The start is further instructed.

  A monitoring system according to a nineteenth invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the first to thirteenth inventions, and in particular, the network system further includes a second wireless access point for accessing the communication network. The monitoring system further includes a second monitoring terminal that has a second imaging unit that always performs imaging, and that can access the communication network via the second wireless access point. The terminal further includes detection means for detecting whether or not an obstacle is included in the imaging range of the first imaging means, and the detection means detects that the obstacle is included The first monitoring terminal instructs the second monitoring terminal to image the imaging range of the first imaging means by the second imaging means. And features.

  The monitoring system according to a twentieth aspect of the invention is the monitoring system according to any one of the sixteenth to nineteenth aspects of the invention, and in particular, both the first and second imaging means are angles of view related to the horizontal direction rather than the vertical direction. Has a wide anamorphic lens.

  According to the monitoring system according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is not necessary to lay a wired communication path between the first monitoring terminal and the communication network when newly introducing the monitoring system, thereby reducing the system introduction cost. can do. In particular, when a network system in which a first user terminal and a communication network are connected via a first wireless access point has already been constructed, receiving a provision from a user of the first user terminal, By installing the first monitoring terminal within the radio wave coverage area of the first wireless access point and using the first wireless access point as an access point for connecting the first monitoring terminal and the communication network, The system introduction cost can be further reduced.

  According to the monitoring system of the second invention, since the video at the time of occurrence of the emergency is recorded in the first video recording means, it can be used for later verification and the like. Moreover, since the video is recorded on the first monitoring terminal instead of the monitoring center recording device, the load on the monitoring center recording device and the load on the communication network can be reduced.

  According to the monitoring system of the third aspect of the invention, the monitoring center acquires the video imaged by the first imaging means, so that it is possible to perform reception, evacuation guidance, etc. while watching the video image at the monitoring center.

  According to the monitoring system of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the system introduction cost can be further reduced by effectively using the existing network instead of newly constructing a dedicated network system.

  According to the monitoring system according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the operation of the monitoring system and the operation of the Internet service or the like by the first user terminal can be separated by performing a predetermined prohibition process. Therefore, problems such as privacy infringement when operating the monitoring system can be solved.

  According to the monitoring system according to the sixth aspect of the invention, by enabling the first user terminal to view the video imaged by the first imaging means, the user of the first user terminal can For example, it can be used as a monitoring image near the entrance of the house. Therefore, it becomes an incentive to provide the first wireless access point for the user of the first user terminal, so that the monitoring system can be easily operated.

  According to the monitoring system of the seventh invention, by setting a release key unique to the first user terminal, the video imaged by the first imaging means is viewed by a user terminal other than the first user terminal. Can be prevented.

  According to the surveillance system pertaining to the eighth invention, the video captured by the first imaging means can be viewed on a management terminal that manages the area, such as the police or the crime prevention section of the city hall or ward office. It can be used for crime prevention measures.

  According to the monitoring system according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to explain the situation from the emergency reporter to the monitoring center, or to give an action instruction from the monitoring center to the reporter.

  According to the monitoring system according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the contents of the call between the reporter and the monitoring center from being intercepted by the user of the first user terminal.

  According to the monitoring system according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the occurrence of an emergency situation or evacuation guidance can be performed to neighboring residents in the area based on the judgment of the monitoring center.

  According to the monitoring system of the twelfth aspect, for example, when a runaway vehicle passes in front of the first monitoring terminal, it is possible to automatically capture and record the image of the runaway vehicle. It can be used for police investigations.

  According to the monitoring system of the thirteenth aspect of the invention, for example, by providing a tag to an elderly person or an infant, it can be used for searching when these persons are missing.

  According to the monitoring system of the fourteenth aspect of the invention, by setting a backup route in advance, when an emergency situation occurs, it is not possible to access the communication network from the first monitoring terminal. However, it is possible to reliably report emergency information from the first monitoring terminal to the monitoring center via the second wireless access point.

  According to the monitoring system of the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, by setting a backup route in advance, even when an emergency situation occurs, it is not possible to access the monitoring center from the first wireless access point. However, it is possible to reliably report the emergency information from the first monitoring terminal to the monitoring center via the second monitoring terminal and the second wireless access point.

  With the monitoring system according to the sixteenth aspect, the first monitoring terminal and the second monitoring terminal cooperate to track the moving object. For example, when the runaway vehicle moves in the direction from the first monitoring terminal to the second monitoring terminal, the first and second monitoring terminals can continuously capture and record the video of the runaway vehicle.

  According to the monitoring system of the seventeenth aspect of the invention, the monitoring center acquires the video imaged by the second imaging means, so that it is possible to take countermeasures while watching the tracking image of the moving object at the monitoring center. .

  According to the monitoring system of the eighteenth aspect of the invention, for example, when the runaway vehicle moves from the first monitoring terminal to the second monitoring terminal, the threat of the second monitoring terminal prior to the arrival of the runaway vehicle. When the means starts threatening, it is possible to suppress the runaway.

  According to the monitoring system of the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, when an emergency situation occurs and it becomes necessary to record a video imaged by the first imaging means, an obstacle within the imaging range of the first imaging means Is necessary for the first imaging terminal and the second monitoring terminal to cooperate with each other and image the imaging range of the first imaging means by the second imaging means. Video can be recorded reliably.

  According to the monitoring system of the twentieth invention, since the overlap between the imaging range of the first imaging means and the imaging range of the second imaging means is increased, the first imaging means and the second imaging means The imaging can be smoothly coordinated with the.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a monitoring system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the monitoring system according to the first embodiment includes a network system 1, a monitoring center 2 and a management terminal 3 connected to the network system 1, a user terminal 5 such as a home personal computer, And a monitoring terminal 6.

  The monitoring center 2 is a responsible department that supervises the operation of the entire monitoring system according to the first embodiment, and constantly monitors the presence / absence of a report from the monitoring terminal 6 when an operator is resident. The management terminal 3 is a terminal installed at various places that manage regional crime prevention, such as a crime prevention section of a police station, city hall, or ward office.

  The network system 1 includes a communication network 7 such as the Internet and a wireless access point 4 for accessing the communication network 7 from the user terminal 5. The wireless access point 4 has a router 8. The user terminal 5 and the monitoring terminal 6 are installed in the radio wave coverage area of the wireless access point 4, and perform wireless communication with the wireless access point 4 to establish a communication network 7 via the wireless access point 4. Each is accessible. As a result, the monitoring terminal 6 can communicate with the monitoring center 2 and the management terminal 3 via the wireless access point 4 and the communication network 7.

  The network system 1 is preferably an existing network system that is already in operation, and the monitoring system according to the first embodiment is constructed by adding the monitoring terminal 6 to such an existing network system 1. Yes. In other words, the user terminal (owner) of the user terminal 5 and the wireless access point 4 is provided free of charge for using the wireless access point 4, and the monitoring terminal 6 is connected to the monitoring terminal 6 via the provided wireless access point 4. Communication with the communication network 7 is performed. Since the monitoring terminal 6 is installed mainly for the public benefit of regional crime prevention, it is considered possible to obtain free cooperation. The monitoring terminal 6 is installed, for example, in front of the home entrance of the provider of the wireless access point 4. Alternatively, the monitoring terminal 6 can be provided with a function as a door phone, and the monitoring terminal 6 can be installed instead of the door phone at the provider's house.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the monitoring terminal 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the monitoring terminal 6 includes a communication unit 10, a control unit 11, an imaging unit 12, a video recording unit 13, an emergency information acquisition unit 14, a microphone 15, a speaker 16, an alarm unit 17, and a storage unit 18. ing.

  The communication unit 10 performs wireless communication such as data and signals between the monitoring terminal 6 and the wireless access point 4. The control unit 11 has a control processing device such as a CPU, and controls the overall operation of the monitoring terminal 6. The imaging unit 12 is an imaging device such as a CCD camera, and always images a monitoring area such as a front door of a provider of the wireless access point 4.

  The video recording unit 13 is a recording device such as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk, or a DVD, and can record the video captured by the imaging unit 12. The video recording unit 13 records video captured by the imaging unit 12 when the emergency information acquisition unit 14 acquires emergency information. Even if emergency information is not acquired, imaging is always performed. However, when the emergency information acquisition unit 14 acquires emergency information, the recording of the video is started as a trigger, so that a video other than the emergency situation is recorded. Therefore, the problem of privacy infringement can be avoided.

  However, the video recording unit 13 is equipped with a so-called pre-recording function (ring buffer function), and when emergency information is not acquired, the video for a predetermined time of several seconds to several minutes is repeatedly overwritten. It is recorded in the video recording unit 13. Thereby, when the emergency information acquisition unit 14 acquires emergency information, it is possible to record in the video recording unit 13 a video from a point that is back by the predetermined time from the acquisition instant. The video recorded in the video recording unit 13 can be transmitted to the monitoring center 2 via the wireless access point 4 and the communication network 7. However, it is also possible to directly transmit the video imaged by the imaging unit 12 to the monitoring center 2 without going through the recording operation to the video recording unit 13.

  The emergency information acquisition unit 14 acquires emergency information indicating that an emergency has occurred. Specifically, the emergency information acquisition unit 14 uses the emergency data, the sound pressure sensor, or the identification data stored in the RF-ID tag as a wireless method. It is a detector etc. which read by. When the emergency information acquisition unit 14 is an emergency button, the fact that the emergency button has been pressed is acquired as emergency information. When the emergency information acquisition unit 14 is a sound pressure sensor, a predetermined level of sound pressure is set in advance and stored in the storage unit 18, and the sound pressure sensor detects a sound pressure higher than the predetermined level. Obtained as emergency information. When the emergency information acquisition unit 14 is an RF-ID tag detector, specific identification data is set in advance and stored in the storage unit 18, and an RF-ID tag in which the specific identification data is recorded is stored. The fact that the detector has detected is acquired as emergency information. The specific identification data can be stored in the storage unit 18 of the monitoring terminal 6 by transmitting data from the monitoring center 2 to the monitoring terminal 6 via the communication network 7 and the wireless access point 4.

  The microphone 15 and the speaker 16 function as call means for making a call between the monitoring terminal 6 and the monitoring center 2 via the wireless access point 4 and the communication network 7. The speaker 16 can also serve as a sound output means for issuing an alarm (sound of an emergency bell, etc.), an announcement for evacuation guidance, or the like under the control of the monitoring center 2 via the wireless access point 4 and the communication network 7. Function.

  The alarm unit 17 functions as a threatening means for threatening a runaway vehicle or a suspicious person by issuing a warning (sound such as a siren or light such as a red rotating light).

  The storage unit 18 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory, and various information is stored as data. The storage unit 18 may be configured to also use the same recording medium as the video recording unit 13 described above.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the monitoring system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The imaging unit 12 always images a monitoring area such as the front door of the provider of the wireless access point 4. When the emergency information acquisition unit 14 acquires emergency information, a signal to that effect is transmitted to the control unit 11, and the captured video of the imaging unit 12 is recorded in the video recording unit 13 in response to an instruction from the control unit 11. At this time, with the pre-recording function, it is also possible to record the video from the time point that is back by a predetermined time from the moment when the emergency information acquisition unit 14 acquires the emergency information in the video recording unit 13. In addition, log information regarding the time when the emergency information acquisition unit 14 acquired emergency information, the type of emergency information, and the like is recorded in the storage unit 18 under the control of the control unit 11.

  The video data recorded in the video recording unit 13 and the log information recorded in the storage unit 18 are transmitted from the communication unit 10 of the monitoring terminal 6 via the wireless access point 4 and the communication network 7 under the control of the control unit 11. Are automatically transmitted to the monitoring center 2. However, video data is not automatically transmitted from the monitoring terminal 6 to the monitoring center 2 in order to prevent a large amount of data from being automatically transmitted from a large number of monitoring terminals 6 and the database of the monitoring center 2 is broken, and log information It is good also as transmitting only automatically. Alternatively, without automatically transmitting log information, the monitoring center 2 accesses the monitoring terminal 6 via the communication network 7 and the wireless access point 4 to search the contents of the storage unit 18, and as a result of the search, the necessary log If information exists, the video data corresponding to the information may be read from the video storage unit 13 and the monitoring center 2 may acquire the video data via the wireless access point 4 and the communication network 7.

  When urgency is high, for example, when emergency information is acquired by pressing an emergency button, video data and log information are automatically transmitted from the monitoring terminal 6 to the monitoring center 2, and a microphone is used. 15 and the speaker 16 can be used, and the reporter and the monitoring center 2 can make a call in real time. As a result, the monitoring center 2 can give appropriate advice such as action instructions and evacuation guidance to the reporter while referring to the video received from the monitoring terminal 6 and talking to the reporter.

  As described above, according to the monitoring system according to the first embodiment, the monitoring terminal 6 can access the communication network 7 via the wireless access point 4. Accordingly, when a monitoring system is newly introduced, it is not necessary to lay a wired communication line between the monitoring terminal 6 and the communication network 7, so that the system introduction cost can be reduced. In particular, in the monitoring system according to the first embodiment, when the network system 1 in which the user terminal 5 and the communication network 7 are connected via the wireless access point 4 has already been constructed, the user of the user terminal 5 The monitoring terminal 6 is installed in the radio wave coverage area of the wireless access point 4 and is used as an access point for connecting the monitoring terminal 6 and the communication network 7. . In this way, the system introduction cost can be further reduced by effectively using the existing network system 1 instead of newly constructing a dedicated network system.

  Moreover, the monitoring terminal 6 records the video imaged by the imaging unit 12 in the video recording unit 13 when the emergency information acquisition unit 14 acquires emergency information. Accordingly, since the video at the time of occurrence of the emergency is recorded in the video recording unit 13, the recorded video can be used for later investigation or verification by the police organization. In particular, by recording the video in the video recording unit 13 of the monitoring terminal 6 instead of the database of the monitoring center 2, the capacity load of the database of the monitoring center 2 and the communication load of the communication network 7 can be reduced.

  In addition, the monitoring center 2 can acquire the video recorded in the video recording unit 13 of the monitoring terminal 6 via the wireless access point 4 and the communication network 7. Therefore, when the monitoring center 2 acquires the video imaged by the imaging unit 12 in real time, the monitoring center 2 can perform appropriate reception, evacuation guidance, or the like while viewing the acquired video image.

  Moreover, the monitoring terminal 6 has a microphone 15 and a speaker 16 as calling means, and an emergency reporter makes a call with the monitoring center 2 via the wireless access point 4 and the communication network 7. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to accurately explain the situation from the reporter to the monitoring center 2 and to give action instructions from the monitoring center 2 to the reporter.

  The monitoring terminal 6 has a speaker 16 as an audio output means, and issues an alarm and / or an announcement for evacuation guidance under the control of the monitoring center 2 via the communication network 7 and the wireless access point 4. be able to. Therefore, according to the judgment of the monitoring center 2, it is possible to notify the occurrence of an emergency to neighboring residents in the area and to guide evacuation.

  Moreover, when the emergency information acquisition part 14 is a sound pressure sensor, it is acquired as emergency information that the sound pressure sensor detected the sound pressure more than a predetermined level. Therefore, for example, when a runaway vehicle passes in front of the monitoring terminal 6, it becomes possible to automatically capture and record the video of the runaway vehicle, and use the image for later investigations by police agencies. Can do.

  When the emergency information acquisition unit 14 is an RF-ID tag detector, the fact that an RF-ID tag storing specific identification data is detected is acquired as emergency information. Then, video data and log information when the emergency information acquisition unit 14 acquires emergency information are recorded in the monitoring terminal 6. Therefore, for example, by providing an RF-ID tag to an elderly person or an infant, it can be used for searching when these persons are missing.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the second embodiment, the avoidance of the privacy infringement problem when communication is performed between the monitoring center 2 and the management terminal 3 and the plurality of user terminals 5 and the plurality of monitoring terminals 6 will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the monitoring system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 shows an example in which three user terminals 5a to 5c, monitoring terminals 6a to 6c, and wireless access points 4a to 4c are provided. For example, the user terminal 5a and the monitoring terminal 6a can each access the communication network 7 via the wireless access point 4a. The configuration of the monitoring terminals 6a to 6c is the same as the configuration of the monitoring terminal 6 according to the first embodiment.

  As in the first embodiment, the monitoring terminal 6a includes the imaging unit 12, and always captures a predetermined monitoring area related to the monitoring terminal 6a. The video imaged by the imaging unit 12 of the monitoring terminal 6a can be transmitted to the monitoring center 2 via the wireless access point 4a and the communication network 7. As in the first embodiment, the monitoring terminal 6a includes the microphone 15 and the speaker 16, and a call is made between the monitoring terminal 6a and the monitoring center 2 via the wireless access point 4a and the communication network 7. Is possible.

  Here, in the monitoring system according to the second embodiment, between the monitoring center 2 and the monitoring terminal 6a via the wireless access point 4a and the communication network 7 such as video data and voice data of a call. Predetermined prohibition processing such as data encryption processing is performed so that the user terminal 5a cannot acquire information to be exchanged. By performing the predetermined prohibition process in this manner, the operation of the monitoring system by the monitoring terminal 6a and the operation of the Internet service or the like by the user terminal 5a can be separated from each other. Therefore, it is possible to avoid problems such as privacy infringement when operating the monitoring system.

  However, by giving a predetermined authority (such as a release key for executing the descrambling process) from the monitoring center 2 to the user terminal 5a, an image captured by the imaging unit 12 of the monitoring terminal 6a is displayed on the user terminal 5a. It may be viewable. Thereby, the user of the user terminal 5a can use the video imaged by the monitoring terminal 6a as, for example, a monitoring camera video near the entrance of the house. Therefore, it becomes an incentive to provide the wireless access point 4a free of charge for the user of the user terminal 5a, so that the monitoring system according to the present invention is easily operated. At that time, a unique ID number is assigned to each of the user terminals 5a to 5c in advance, and a release key for the user terminal 5a is set using the ID number assigned to the user terminal 5a. Thus, by setting the release key using the ID number unique to the user terminal 5a, it is possible to prevent the video captured by the monitoring terminal 6a from being viewed on the user terminals 5b and 5c other than the user terminal 5a. . The release key can be given to the user terminal 5a from the monitoring center 2 to the user terminal 5a online via the communication network 7 and the wireless access point 4a.

  Similarly, the management terminal 3 may be allowed to view the video captured by the imaging unit 12 of the monitoring terminal 6a on the management terminal 3 by giving a predetermined authority from the monitoring center 2 to the management terminal 3. By making it possible to view the video captured by the monitoring terminal 6a on the management terminal 3 that manages the area, such as a crime prevention section of a police station, city hall, or ward office, it can be used for local crime prevention measures.

  On the other hand, regarding the call between the monitoring terminal 6a and the monitoring center 2, the authority to acquire the voice data of the call is not given to the user terminal 5a or the management terminal 3. This is because it is sufficient that a call can be executed only between the reporter and the monitoring center 2 when an emergency occurs, and the content of the call is largely related to the privacy of the reporter. Thus, by preventing the contents of the call between the reporter and the monitoring center 2 from being intercepted by the user terminal 5a and the management terminal 3, a situation in which the privacy of the reporter is infringed can be avoided. .

  Although the monitoring terminal 6a and the user terminal 5a have been described above, the same applies to the other monitoring terminals 6b and 6c and the user terminals 5b and 5c.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram summarizing the contents of communication between the monitoring terminals 6 a to 6 c and the monitoring center 2. As described above, in principle, the communication contents between the monitoring terminals 6a to 6c and the monitoring center 2 cannot be acquired by the user terminals 5a to 5c and the management terminal 3, but as indicated by a circle in the figure, By giving a predetermined authority from the monitoring center 2, for example, video data transmitted from the terminal terminal 6 a to the monitoring center 2 can be acquired by the user terminal 5 a and the management terminal 3.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the monitoring center 2 performs periodic health checks on the monitoring terminals 6a to 6c and checks the communication status, thereby managing the occurrence of communication failure or line abnormality. Has been. Information related to the result of the health check can be acquired only by the monitoring center 2, and acquisition of information by the user terminals 5a to 5c and the management terminal 3 is not permitted. Further, only the monitoring center 2 can receive information related to a notification that an emergency has occurred (emergency occurrence notification), and acquisition of information by the user terminals 5a to 5c and the management terminal 3 is not permitted. Similarly, only the monitoring terminals 6a to 6c and the monitoring center 2 can obtain the information regarding the contents of the call between the monitoring terminals 6a to 6c and the monitoring center 2, and the information by the user terminals 5a to 5c and the management terminal 3 can be obtained. Acquisition of is not permitted. Similarly, only the monitoring terminals 6a to 6c can acquire information related to alarms such as action instructions and evacuation guidance from the monitoring center 2 to the reporter, and acquisition of information by the user terminals 5a to 5c and the management terminal 3 is permitted. Not.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the third embodiment, a backup function for an emergency communication failure will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a first configuration of the monitoring system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5 shows an example in which two user terminals 5a and 5b, monitoring terminals 6a and 6b, and wireless access points 4a and 4b are provided. For example, the user terminal 5a and the monitoring terminal 6a can each access the communication network 7 via the wireless access point 4a. The configuration of the monitoring terminals 6a and 6b is the same as the configuration of the monitoring terminal 6 according to the first embodiment.

  The monitoring terminal 6a is installed in the radio wave coverage area of the wireless access point 4b as well as the wireless access point 4a, and performs wireless communication with the wireless access points 4a and 4b so that the wireless access points 4a and 4b are connected. The communication network 7 can be accessed via the network. As a result, the monitoring terminal 6 a can communicate with the monitoring center 2 via the wireless access points 4 a and 4 b and the communication network 7. As to which of the wireless access points 4a and 4b is used, normally, the wireless access point 4a is set as the primary and the wireless access point 4b is set as the secondary, and information regarding the setting is registered in the storage unit 18 of the monitoring terminal 6a in advance. Has been.

  If some kind of communication failure occurs and access from the monitoring terminal 6a to the communication network 7 via the primary wireless access point 4a (route L1 in FIG. 5) cannot be performed, the monitoring terminal 6a can connect to the secondary wireless network. Access to the communication network 7 via the access point 4b (route L2 in FIG. 5) is executed.

  In this way, by setting the backup route in advance, even if the monitoring terminal 6a cannot access the communication network 7 via the wireless access point 4a when an emergency occurs, the monitoring terminal 6a Emergency information reporting to the monitoring center 2 and transmission of video data can be reliably performed via the wireless access point 4b.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a second configuration of the monitoring system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6 shows an example in which two user terminals 5a and 5b, monitoring terminals 6a and 6b, and wireless access points 4a and 4b are provided, respectively, as in FIG. The monitoring terminal 6a can access the communication network 7 via the wireless access point 4a, and the monitoring terminal 6b can access the communication network 7 via the wireless access point 4b.

  When some kind of communication failure occurs and the monitoring terminal 6a cannot access the monitoring center 2 from the wireless access point 4a via the communication network 7 (route L3 in FIG. 6), the monitoring terminal 6a is instructed by an instruction from the monitoring terminal 6a. 6a → wireless access point 4a → communication network 7 → wireless access point 4b → monitoring terminal 6b → wireless access point 4b → communication network 7 in this order is established (route L4 in FIG. 6) from the monitoring terminal 6a. Access to the monitoring center 2 is executed via the route L4. What alternative route is to be established when a communication failure occurs is preset and registered in the storage unit 18 of the monitoring terminal 6a.

  In this way, by setting the backup route in advance, even if the wireless access point 4a cannot access the monitoring center 2 via the route L3 when an emergency occurs, the monitoring terminal 6a can monitor the backup route. Notification of emergency information to the center 2, transmission of video data, and the like can be reliably performed via the route L4 via the monitoring terminal 6b and the wireless access point 4b.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the fourth embodiment, a technique for tracking a moving body by cooperation of a plurality of monitoring terminals 6 when a moving body such as a runaway vehicle is detected will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of the monitoring system according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 shows, as an example, a situation in which a runaway vehicle 21 as a moving body is traveling on the road 20 from the left to the right of the page. A plurality of monitoring terminals 6 a and 6 b are installed facing the road 20. The basic configuration of the monitoring terminals 6a and 6b is the same as the configuration of the monitoring terminal 6 according to the first embodiment. The monitoring terminal 6a includes an imaging unit 12a, an emergency information acquisition unit 14a, and an alarm unit 17a. Similarly, the monitoring terminal 6b includes an imaging unit 12b, an emergency information acquisition unit 14b, and an alarm unit 17b. The emergency information acquisition units 14a and 14b are sound pressure sensors. The alarm units 17a and 17b function as intimidating means for intimidating a runaway vehicle by emitting siren sounds and red rotating light.

  In the situation shown in FIG. 7, the runaway vehicle 21 passes in front of the monitoring terminal 6a. When the sound pressure sensor as the emergency information acquisition unit 14a detects the noise of the runaway vehicle 21, the video imaged by the imaging unit 12a is recorded in the video recording unit 13 (see FIG. 2) of the monitoring terminal 6a and threatening means. The alarm unit 17a performs a threat to the runaway vehicle 21.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the imaging units 12a and 12b. The imaging units 12 a and 12 b include an anamorphic lens system 25 and a CCD imaging device 26, an image processing unit 27, and an output unit 30. In general, the anamorphic lens system is a lens system in which the angle of view in the vertical direction and the angle of view in the horizontal direction are different. In the fourth embodiment, the angle of view in the horizontal direction is larger than the angle of view in the vertical direction. A wider anamorphic lens system 25 is employed. By adopting such an anamorphic lens system 25, an overlap between the imaging range of the imaging unit 12a and the imaging range of the imaging unit 12b increases, so that the imaging of the imaging units 12a and 12b is smoothly coordinated. Can do. The image processing unit 27 includes a moving body detection unit 28 that detects the presence or absence of a moving body, and a moving direction detection unit 29 that detects the moving direction of the detected moving body.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram sequentially illustrating temporal changes of images captured by the CCD image sensor 26 of the imaging unit 12a when the runaway vehicle 21 passes in front of the monitoring terminal 6a. First, in FIG. 9A, the runaway vehicle 21a appears small on the left end of the screen, and in FIG. 9B, the runaway vehicle 21b appears large in the center of the screen, and then ( In C), the runaway vehicle 21c is shown small on the right end of the screen. The moving body detection unit 28 creates a histogram relating to the difference in luminance value between the background image and the captured image for the image shown in FIG.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a histogram created by the moving object detection unit 28. (A) to (C) in FIG. 10 correspond to (A) to (C) in FIG. 9, respectively. First, in FIG. 10A, a histogram peak 31a corresponding to the runaway vehicle 21a appears at the left end of the horizontal axis. Next, in FIG. 10B, a peak 31b of the histogram corresponding to the runaway vehicle 21b appears at the center of the horizontal axis. Next, in FIG. 10C, a histogram peak 31c corresponding to the runaway vehicle 21c appears at the right end of the horizontal axis. The moving body detection unit 28 detects the presence of the moving body by moving the positions of the peaks 31a to 31c. Moreover, the moving direction detection part 29 detects the moving direction of a moving body with the direction to which the position of the peaks 31a-31c moved.

  A signal related to the movement direction detected by the movement direction detection unit 29 is output from the output unit 30 together with the image data captured by the CCD image sensor 26. The signal regarding the moving direction output from the output unit 30 is input to the control unit 11 (see FIG. 2) of the monitoring terminal 6a. Further, the image data output from the output unit 30 is input and recorded in the video recording unit 13 of the monitoring terminal 6a. The recorded video can be acquired by the monitoring center 2 via the wireless access point 4a and the communication network 7 (see FIG. 3).

  Information relating to the positional relationship between the monitoring terminal 6a and other monitoring terminals installed around the monitoring terminal 6a is stored in advance in the storage unit 18 (see FIG. 2) of the monitoring terminal 6a. The control unit 11 of the monitoring terminal 6 a has the monitoring terminal 6 b at the destination of the runaway vehicle 21 based on the signal related to the moving direction input from the output unit 30 and the information related to the positional relationship stored in the storage unit 18. Determine what exists. Then, the monitoring terminal 6a accesses the monitoring terminal 6b via the wireless access point 4a, the communication network 7, and the wireless access point 4b, thereby instructing the start of recording of the captured video by the imaging unit 12b of the monitoring terminal 6b. At the same time, the alarm unit 17b of the monitoring terminal 6b is instructed to start threatening. Upon receiving these instructions, the monitoring terminal 6b starts video recording and threatening regardless of whether the emergency information acquisition unit 14b detects the presence of the runaway vehicle 21 or not. The video imaged by the imaging unit 12b of the monitoring terminal 6b is recorded in the video recording unit 13 of the monitoring terminal 6b. The recorded video can be acquired by the monitoring center 2 via the wireless access point 4b and the communication network 7 as described above.

  As described above, according to the monitoring system according to the fourth embodiment, the monitoring terminal 6a and the monitoring terminal 6b cooperate to track a moving body such as the runaway vehicle 21, and the monitoring terminals 6a and 6b. Images of the runaway vehicle 21 can be continuously captured and recorded.

  Further, when the monitoring center 2 acquires the images captured by the monitoring terminals 6a and 6b, it is possible to take countermeasures while watching the tracking image of the runaway vehicle 21 in the monitoring center 2.

  Further, when the runaway vehicle 21 moves in the direction from the monitoring terminal 6a to the monitoring terminal 6b, threatening by the alarm unit 17b of the monitoring terminal 6b can be started prior to the arrival of the runaway vehicle 21, so that the runaway is suppressed. Can do.

Embodiment 5. FIG.
In the fifth embodiment, when the imaging of a monitoring area by one monitoring terminal 6 is hindered by the presence of a parked vehicle or the like, a technique for imaging the monitoring area by cooperation of another monitoring terminal 6 will be described. To do.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of the monitoring system according to the fifth embodiment. Similar to the fourth embodiment, a plurality of monitoring terminals 6 a and 6 b are installed facing the road 20. The monitoring terminal 6a has an imaging unit 12a, and the monitoring terminal 6b has an imaging unit 12b. As an example, FIG. 11 shows a situation in which a blind spot area 41 is generated by the parking vehicle 40 being parked on the road 20 in front of the monitoring terminal 6a, thereby hindering imaging by the imaging unit 12a.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the imaging units 12a and 12b. The imaging units 12 a and 12 b include an anamorphic lens system 25 and a CCD imaging device 26, an image processing unit 50, and an output unit 52. The image processing unit 50 includes an obstacle detection unit 51, and the obstacle detection unit 51 detects the presence of an obstacle within the imaging range based on the difference in luminance value between the background image and the captured image.

  Referring to FIG. 11, since the imaging units 12a and 12b have an anamorphic lens system 25 having a wide angle of view in the horizontal direction, the imaging range by the imaging unit 12a and the imaging range by the imaging unit 12b are as follows. Some overlap. That is, the main part of the monitoring area of the monitoring terminal 6a (the front area of the monitoring terminal 6a) can be imaged also by the monitoring terminal 6b.

  When the emergency information acquisition unit 14 (see FIG. 2) of the monitoring terminal 6a acquires emergency information, the obstacle detection unit 51 of the monitoring terminal 6a detects the presence or absence of an obstacle within the imaging range of the imaging unit 12a. In the example shown in FIG. 11 as described above, an obstacle (parked vehicle 40) exists within the imaging range of the imaging unit 12a. A signal related to the presence of an obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 51 of the monitoring terminal 6a is output from the output unit 52 and input to the control unit 11 (see FIG. 2) of the monitoring terminal 6a.

  In the storage unit 18 (see FIG. 2) of the monitoring terminal 6a, information related to other monitoring terminals that can cover the imaging range of the monitoring terminal 6a is stored in advance. The control unit 11 of the monitoring terminal 6a that has received a signal regarding the presence of an obstacle calculates the presence of the monitoring terminal 6b that can cover the imaging range of the monitoring terminal 6a based on the information stored in the storage unit 18. Then, by accessing the monitoring terminal 6b from the monitoring terminal 6a through the wireless access point 4a, the communication network 7, and the wireless access point 4b (see FIG. 3), recording of the captured video by the imaging unit 12b of the monitoring terminal 6b is performed. Instruct the start of. The monitoring terminal 6b that receives the instruction from the monitoring terminal 6a starts recording the video imaged by the imaging unit 6b. The video imaged by the imaging unit 12b is recorded in the video recording unit 13 of the monitoring terminal 6b.

  As described above, according to the monitoring system according to the fifth embodiment, when an emergency situation occurs and it is necessary to record a video of the monitoring area of the monitoring terminal 6a, an obstacle in the imaging range of the imaging unit 12a. Even if (parked vehicle 40) hinders imaging, the monitoring terminal 6a and the monitoring terminal 6b cooperate to capture the imaging range of the imaging unit 12a by the imaging unit 12b of the monitoring terminal 6b. Reliable video can be recorded.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the monitoring system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a monitoring terminal 6. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the monitoring system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the figure which put together the content of communication between the monitoring terminals 6a-6c and the monitoring center 2. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the 1st structure of the monitoring system which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the 2nd structure of the monitoring system which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows roughly the structure of the monitoring system which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the imaging parts 12a and 12b. When runaway vehicle 21 passes in front of monitoring terminal 6a, it is a mimetic diagram showing the time change of the image picturized by CCD image sensor 26 of image pick-up part 12a in order. It is a figure which shows the histogram produced by the mobile body detection part. It is a schematic diagram which shows roughly the structure of the monitoring system which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the imaging parts 12a and 12b.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Network system 2 Monitoring center 3 Management terminal 4, 4a-4c Wireless access point 5, 5a-5c User terminal 6, 6a-6c Monitoring terminal 12 Imaging part 13 Image | video recording part 14, 14a, 14b Emergency information acquisition part 15 Microphone 16 Speaker 17, 17a, 17b Alarm unit 18 Storage unit 25 Anamorphic lens system 28 Moving object detection unit 29 Movement direction detection unit 51 Obstacle detection unit

Claims (20)

A network system including a communication network and a first wireless access point for accessing the communication network from a first user terminal;
A monitoring center connected to the communication network;
A first imaging unit that performs continuous imaging, and a first acquisition unit that acquires emergency information indicating that an emergency has occurred, and is capable of accessing the communication network via the first wireless access point; A monitoring system comprising a first monitoring terminal.   The said 1st monitoring terminal further has a 1st image | video recording means which records the image imaged by the said 1st imaging means, when the said 1st acquisition means acquires the said emergency information. The monitoring system according to 1.   The monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the monitoring center is capable of acquiring the video recorded in the first video recording unit via the first wireless access point and the communication network.   The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the network system is an existing network system.   A predetermined prohibition process so that the first user terminal cannot acquire information exchanged between the monitoring center and the first monitoring terminal via the first wireless access point and the communication network. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:   The monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the first user terminal is capable of browsing the video imaged by the first imaging unit when given a predetermined authority. The predetermined prohibition process is an encryption process for video data output from the first imaging means,
The predetermined authority is a release key for executing a descrambling process,
The monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein the monitoring center sets the release key unique to the first user terminal for the first user terminal.   The management terminal that manages the area where the first user terminal is installed is capable of browsing the video imaged by the first imaging means when given a predetermined authority. The monitoring system according to any one of the above.   The said 1st monitoring terminal further has a telephone call means for performing a telephone call with the said monitoring center via the said 1st wireless access point and the said communication network. Monitoring system described in one.   The predetermined prohibition process is performed so that the first user terminal cannot acquire the content of a call between the first monitoring terminal and the monitoring center by the calling unit. Monitoring system.   The first monitoring terminal further includes voice output means for issuing an alarm and / or announcement for evacuation guidance under the control of the monitoring center via the first wireless access point and the communication network. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The first acquisition means is a sound pressure sensor;
The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency information is acquired when the sound pressure sensor detects a sound pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined level. The first acquisition means is a detector that reads identification data stored in a predetermined tag by a wireless method,
The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency information that the detector has detected the tag is acquired as the emergency information. The network system further includes a second wireless access point for accessing the communication network;
The first monitoring terminal can also access the communication network via the second wireless access point;
If access from the first monitoring terminal to the communication network via the first wireless access point cannot be performed, the first monitoring terminal can access the communication network via the second wireless access point. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein access is performed. The network system further includes a second wireless access point for accessing the communication network;
The monitoring system further comprises a second monitoring terminal accessible to the communication network via the second wireless access point,
When the first monitoring terminal cannot access the monitoring center from the first wireless access point via the communication network, the second monitoring terminal, the second monitoring terminal, and the second monitoring terminal are in accordance with an instruction from the first monitoring terminal. 14. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein access from the first monitoring terminal to the monitoring center is performed via the wireless access point and the communication network. The network system further includes a second wireless access point for accessing the communication network;
The monitoring system includes a second imaging unit that always captures an image, and a second video recording unit that records an image captured by the second imaging unit, via the second wireless access point. A second monitoring terminal accessible to the communication network,
The first monitoring terminal further includes detection means for detecting a moving direction of the moving body when the moving body is included in an image captured by the first imaging means.
When the detection unit detects that the moving body has moved toward the imaging range of the second imaging unit, the first monitoring terminal makes the second monitoring terminal with respect to the second monitoring terminal. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the start of recording of the video imaged by the imaging unit is instructed.   The monitoring system according to claim 16, wherein the monitoring center is capable of acquiring the video recorded in the second video recording unit via the second wireless access point and the communication network. The second monitoring terminal further includes threatening means for threatening with sound and / or light,
When the detection unit detects that the moving body has moved toward the imaging range of the second imaging unit, the first monitoring terminal uses the intimidating unit to the second monitoring terminal. The monitoring system according to claim 16 or 17, further instructing the start of intimidation. The network system further includes a second wireless access point for accessing the communication network;
The monitoring system further includes a second monitoring terminal that has a second imaging unit that always performs imaging, and that can access the communication network via the second wireless access point,
The first monitoring terminal further includes detection means for detecting whether an obstacle is included in the imaging range of the first imaging means,
When the detection means detects that the obstacle is included, the first monitoring terminal is connected to the second monitoring terminal by the second imaging means. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, which instructs to image an imaging range. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein each of the first and second imaging units includes an anamorphic lens having a wider angle of view in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction.

Images