JP2010200055A - Camera system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera system equipped with a sure security function that an image signal is not outputted whenever any permission is not given. <P>SOLUTION: The camera system 1 comprises: an imaging optical system composed of one or more lenses 11 and one or more color filters 12; an imaging sensor 13; a signal converting circuit 14; a timing control circuit 15; and a comparator circuit 16. The comparator circuit 16 includes a security code register 21. The comparator circuit 16 stores a predefined security code and only when a code received from a communication controller 2 and temporarily stored in the security code register is matched with the stored security code, the comparator circuit transmits a permission signal to the signal converting circuit 14. Then, the signal converting circuit 14 is functioned so as to output the image signal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera system. In particular, the present invention relates to a camera system that is particularly suitable for use in hospitals, care facilities, and the like, which has a security function that can output an image signal only when a signal instructing photographing is input.

  In hospitals, it is widely performed to centrally monitor a patient's condition by transferring measurement data from a respiratory sensor, an electrocardiogram measurement device, and the like attached to a patient and consolidating them in one place. In such hospitals, there are cases where a camera system is introduced in which a patient's condition is photographed by a camera and the image is displayed and confirmed at a data monitoring place. By confirming with an image, it is possible to predict a necessary treatment to some extent before moving to the patient's hospital room, and a quicker and more efficient response is performed.

  In recent years, a camera system has been developed that can be introduced into an elderly care facility and that takes a picture of a cared person's private room using a surveillance camera and monitors the condition of the cared person in one place. In such a camera system for watching a cared person, there is a demand for a photographing technique that does not disturb the cared person's sleep even at night.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an imaging apparatus that can capture images day and night. The imaging apparatus of Patent Literature 1 includes a small camera unit in which an imaging optical system, an imaging element having sensitivity to both visible light and near-infrared light, and a signal processing circuit are integrated. According to the imaging device disclosed in Patent Document 1, an image can be generated by visible light during the daytime, and an image can be generated by light in the near infrared region at night. Is possible.

  On the other hand, imaging of patients and care recipients using such an imaging device requires consideration of the privacy of the side to be imaged, for example, an imaging control means for capturing images of sleeping at night without permission. It is desirable to have it. Conventionally, a control unit that controls whether or not an image signal generated by the camera unit is output to the outside is provided and connected to the camera unit, and output of the image signal is limited by software processing of the control unit. . However, there is a concern that the camera unit from which the control unit is removed may be abused by being directly connected to the image output apparatus. Therefore, there has been a demand for a camera system equipped with a reliable control means that does not output any image signal when it is not permitted in advance.

JP 2000-115759 A

  In a conventional camera system, an image may be generated by shooting without permission in a place where shooting is prohibited or where privacy should be considered. In particular, a camera system that can generate an image using light in the near-infrared region has a risk that the image is generated and used illegally for purposes other than predetermined purposes. The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is an object to be solved to provide a camera system having a reliable security function of not outputting an image signal when permission is not given. It was made as.

  The camera system of the present invention includes an imaging optical system, an imaging device, a signal conversion circuit that generates an image signal from an imaging signal output from the imaging device, a predefined security code, and a code received from the outside. A comparison circuit for comparison. The camera system of the present invention is characterized in that the signal conversion circuit functions only when the security code matches the code received from the outside.

  The camera system of the present invention includes a comparison circuit that stores a predefined security code. The comparison circuit causes the signal conversion circuit to function only when the code received from the outside matches the security code, and generates an image signal from the imaging signal output from the imaging device. When the code is not received from the outside, and when the received code and the security code do not match, the signal conversion circuit does not function, and no image signal is output from the camera system.

  In the camera system of the present invention, a security code is set in advance, and in order to output an image signal, it is necessary to accurately input a code that matches the security code from the outside. Therefore, the camera system of the present invention has a reliable security function that prevents an unauthorized image from being generated by a person who does not know the security code.

  Further, the comparison circuit of the camera system of the present invention can be mounted and integrated in the camera system. For this reason, the camera system of the present invention is configured such that it is difficult to output an image signal using only the camera unit by removing the control unit attached to the outside as in the conventional camera system. The function has been improved.

  Furthermore, the comparison circuit of the camera system of the present invention can incorporate a security code in the logical expression of the circuit. Since the embedded security code is difficult to decipher and modify, the security function can be further improved.

It is a block diagram which shows the main structures of the camera system of this invention.

   Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a camera system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the camera system 1 according to the present embodiment. The camera system 1 of the present embodiment includes an imaging optical system 10 including one or two or more lenses 11 and one or two or more color filters 12, an imaging element 13, a signal conversion circuit 14, a timing control circuit 15, The comparison circuit 16 is mounted on one board.

  The imaging element 13 is configured by a CCD element (charge-coupled device element) or a CMOS element (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor element). The imaging device 13 has sensitivity to blue light, green light, red light, and light in the near infrared region (around 780 nm to around 1000 nm), and light of each color according to the amount of incident light of each light. An imaging signal is output every time.

  The timing control circuit 15 transmits timing signals to the image sensor 13 and the signal conversion circuit 14 in order to instruct the timing of a series of operations from imaging by the image sensor 13 to generation of an image signal by the signal conversion circuit 14. Drive.

  The communication controller 2 that is communicably connected to the camera system 1 inputs image signal setting data to the signal conversion circuit 14. The signal conversion circuit 14 can process the imaging signal input from the imaging element 13 according to the contents of the setting data. That is, the signal conversion circuit 14 removes noise included in the image pickup signal output from the image pickup device 13 in accordance with the contents of the setting data specifying the image quality such as the input auto iris, white balance, and color density. The gain of the signal level is adjusted, and digital conversion is performed to generate digital image signals such as R, G, B or Y, U, V, etc., and can be transmitted to the external communication controller 2. Further, the signal conversion circuit 14 can perform further signal processing on the digital image signal as necessary, convert it into an image signal corresponding to, for example, an analog standard, and output the image signal to the communication controller 2.

  However, the signal conversion circuit 14 of the present embodiment does not generate and output an image signal only by receiving setting data from the communication controller 2. The signal conversion circuit 14 generates and outputs an image signal only when the setting data is input from the communication controller 2 and the permission signal is input from the comparison circuit 16. The comparison circuit 16 stores a predefined security code, and transmits a permission signal to the signal conversion circuit 14 only when the code received from the communication controller 2 matches the stored security code. The signal conversion circuit 14 is caused to function.

  The comparison circuit 16 of this embodiment is constituted by a microprocessor, and a security code 22 is defined in advance inside. The comparison circuit 16 includes a security release code register 21 that stores a code input from the communication controller 2. Further, the comparison circuit 16 includes an operation comparator 23 that performs a comparison process between the security code 22 and the code input to the security release code register 21. The security code 22 in the present embodiment is a binary code.

  The communication controller 2 transmits a code manually input from the operation unit of the communication controller 2 by the operator of the camera system 1 or a code input from another external device connected via the communication line 3 to the comparison circuit 16. . The comparison circuit 16 temporarily stores the input code in the security release code register 21.

  When an externally input code is stored in the security release code register 21, the arithmetic comparator 23 of the comparison circuit 16 compares the security code 22 and the data in the security release code register 21, and these are matched. The permission signal is output to the signal conversion circuit 14 only when it is present. The signal conversion circuit 16 that has received the permission signal generates an image signal and outputs it to the communication controller 2. The communication controller 2 transmits an image signal to an external device that displays and processes an image via the communication line 3.

  In the camera system 1 of the present embodiment, since the security code 22 is stored as a binary code in the comparison circuit 16, it is very difficult for a third party to decrypt or modify the security code. It has a very high security function.

  In addition, the comparison circuit 16 of the camera system 1 of the present embodiment is mounted and integrated on the same substrate as the image sensor 13 and the signal conversion circuit 14. For this reason, it is difficult for the camera system 1 of the present embodiment to output an image signal using only the camera unit by removing a control unit attached to the outside as in the conventional camera system. The security function has been improved.

  As mentioned above, although the specific example of this invention was demonstrated in detail in embodiment, these are only illustrations and do not limit a claim. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above. For example, in this embodiment mode, the camera system is mounted on one substrate. However, the signal conversion circuit 14, the timing control circuit 15, and the comparison circuit 16 are accommodated in one microchip. It is also possible to attach to the imaging optical system 10 and the imaging element 13. In addition, necessary functions can be appropriately added to each circuit.

1 Camera system 2 Communication controller
3 Communication Line 10 Imaging Optical System 11 Lens 12 Filter 13 Image Sensor 14 Signal Conversion Circuit 15 Timing Control Circuit 16 Comparison Circuit 21 Security Release Code Register 22 Security Code 23 Operation Comparator

Claims (1)

An imaging optical system, an imaging device, a signal conversion circuit that generates an image signal from an imaging signal output from the imaging device, and a comparison circuit that compares a predefined security code with a code received from outside Has
The comparison system causes the signal conversion circuit to function only when the security code matches the code received from the outside.

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