JP2850965B2 - Image recording and playback device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording / reproducing apparatus applied to a monitoring apparatus for monitoring an abnormality of various devices in a facility such as a factory, a suspicious person or an invasion of an animal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a monitoring device in a facility such as a factory, there is a device using a conventional industrial television (ITV).
For example, as shown in FIG. 4, this device displays an image of a monitoring target from a camera on a display means such as a CRT, and a monitor observes the image to monitor abnormalities, and the image is recorded on an image recording device such as a VTR. The information is recorded in the reproducing apparatus, and when an abnormality occurs, the image at that time is reproduced to determine the location of the abnormality and the content of the abnormality.

[0003]

In such a conventional monitoring apparatus, one image recording / reproducing apparatus is used for one camera. Therefore, when the monitoring range is widened and the number of cameras is increased, the number of cameras increases. Accordingly, the number of recording / reproducing devices must be increased, so that the entire device becomes very large and the cost increases.

The inventor of the present invention first time-division multiplexes image signals from a plurality of cameras and records them in an image recording / reproducing apparatus, and among the images multiplexed and recorded in this way, a specific camera. An image recording / reproducing apparatus has been proposed in which only corresponding images are extracted and output to a display means.
(For example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2-120469 or Japanese Patent Application No. 2-1
See the specification and the drawings attached to the application No. 20470. )
According to such a device, the above-described problem in the former device is solved.

[0005] However, in the former device, images from each camera can be recorded and reproduced continuously, respectively. Therefore, in comparison with the latter device in which time-division multiplexing produces images that are discrete in time, At the time of occurrence of the above-described abnormality, it is easy to determine the location of the abnormality and the content of the abnormality.
The present invention has been made in view of such a point, that is, an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording / reproducing apparatus having the advantages of both the former and the latter apparatuses.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first configuration of an image recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a plurality of cameras and first and second apparatuses for recording and reproducing images from these cameras. The first image recording / reproducing means comprises a first scanning means for scanning a camera, and a first image recording / reproducing means connected to an output section of the first scanning means. Apparatus, control means for controlling the first scanning means in synchronization with image recording in the first image recording / reproducing apparatus, and, when reproducing the first image recording / reproducing apparatus, the image signal in the reproduction signal Image extracting and outputting means for extracting image signals at intervals corresponding to the number of cameras and outputting the extracted image signals to the display means, and the second image recording and reproducing means comprises:
Second scanning means for scanning the camera, switching means for switching connection with the camera, image monitoring control means connected to the output part of the second scanning means, and second image connected to the output part of the switching means A recording / reproducing device, and the image monitoring control unit controls the second scanning unit to monitor an image from each camera, and when an abnormality is detected, operates the switching unit to switch to the corresponding camera. And the second image recording / reproducing apparatus is operated.

A second structure of the image recording apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of cameras and first and second image recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing images from these cameras,
The first image recording / reproducing means includes a first scanning means for scanning the camera, and a first scanning means connected to an output section of the first scanning means.
And an image recording / reproducing apparatus which controls a first scanning means in synchronization with image recording in the first image recording / reproducing apparatus, and generates an identification signal of a corresponding camera to output the first image recording / reproducing apparatus. Control means for recording the image with the image,
When reproducing the image recording / reproducing apparatus, the image signal reproducing / extracting means extracts an identification signal from a reproduced signal, selects only an image signal corresponding to a preset identification signal, and outputs the selected signal to a display means. A second scanning unit for scanning the camera, a switching unit for switching connection with the camera, an image monitoring control unit for connecting to an output unit of the second scanning unit, and a switching unit. And a second image recording / reproducing device connected to the output unit of the camera. The image monitoring control unit controls the second scanning unit to monitor the image from each camera. The configuration is such that the switching means is operated to switch to the corresponding camera, and the second image recording / reproducing apparatus is operated.

In the first and second configurations, the first and second image recording / reproducing apparatuses use a helical scan video tape recorder, and the control signal of the first scanning means is controlled by the control means. 1 synchronized with the rotation of the recording / reproducing head
It is generated for each track, and one field of the image signal from the camera can be recorded and reproduced on one track.

In the first and second configurations, the image monitoring control means may operate the second image recording / reproducing apparatus only for a predetermined time when an image abnormality is detected. The operation may be performed until a stop signal is received by an operation or the like.

[0010]

First, in the first image recording / reproducing means of the first configuration, the image signals from the plurality of cameras are sequentially switched by the first scanning means controlled by the control means, so that the first The data is input to the image recording / reproducing apparatus, and is recorded over time on the recording medium in a time-division multiplexed state.

[0011] When the time-division multiplexed recorded image is simply reproduced and displayed on the display means, images from a plurality of cameras are displayed in an overlapping manner. It is virtually impossible to see it.

However, in the first configuration, the image extraction and output means extracts the image signal at intervals corresponding to the number of cameras from the image signal in the reproduction signal and outputs the image signal to the display means. Only the image corresponding to the specific camera is displayed and can be visually recognized. By shifting the extraction position by the amount of the image, images from any camera can be displayed.

Next, in the first image recording / reproducing means of the second configuration, the first image recording / reproducing device is provided with image signals from a plurality of cameras in the same manner as in the above-described first configuration. Are recorded in a time-division multiplexed state together with an identification signal corresponding to each camera.

Therefore, in this case, the image corresponding to the specific camera cannot be visually recognized even if the recorded image is simply reproduced. However, in the second configuration, the image selection and output means includes: An identification signal reproduced together with the image is extracted, and only an image having an identification signal corresponding to a preset signal such as a camera number is selected and output to the display means. Therefore, only the image of the camera corresponding to the setting signal such as the camera number can be displayed on the display means. By changing the identification signal to be selected, images from any camera can be displayed.

In parallel with the above-described image recording in the first image recording / reproducing means, the following operation proceeds in both the first and second configurations. That is, in the second image recording / reproducing means, the image monitoring control means controls the second scanning means to sequentially monitor images from each camera. If no abnormality is detected from the image, the second image recording / reproducing device is not operating, and therefore no recording is performed.

However, when an abnormality is detected from the image, the image monitoring control means specifies the camera in accordance with the control of the second scanning means, controls the switching means to switch to the camera, and Operate the second image recording / reproducing device. Therefore, in the second image recording / reproducing device, only the image of the camera in which the image monitoring control means has detected an abnormality is continuously recorded and can be continuously reproduced.

[0017]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the apparatus of the present invention as a system explanatory diagram, and the reference numeral 1 (1a, 1b, 1c,..., 1)
n) indicates a camera. These cameras 1
A plurality is configured for monitoring areas such as factories. Output signal lines from these cameras 1 are connected to the input units of the first and second multiplexers 2a and 2b and the selection input unit of the changeover switch 3. That is, these multiplexers 2
a and 2b constitute the first and second scanning means,
The changeover switch 3 forms a changeover means. The output of the first multiplexer 2a is a first image recording / reproducing device 4a.
And the selection output unit of the changeover switch 3 is connected to the input unit of the second image recording / reproducing device 4b.
These first and second image recording / reproducing apparatuses 4a and 4b can be configured using, for example, a helical scan video tape recorder.

The output of the second multiplexer 2b is connected to the input of the image monitoring and control means 5. The image monitoring control unit 5 includes a first control function unit that controls the second multiplexer 2b in addition to the image monitoring function unit, a second control function unit that controls the changeover switch 3, and a second image recording unit. And a third control function unit that controls the playback device 4b. As disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-246638, the image monitoring function unit divides an image from the camera 1 into a large number of pixels and stores data for each pixel. A method of comparing the previous image data and the current image data for each pixel, detecting a change thereof, and detecting an abnormality in the image based on a comparison with a preset abnormality detection pattern. Can be used.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the image monitoring control means 5 is controlled by the first control function unit to the second multiplexer 2b.
And the camera 1 is sequentially switched, and the image is monitored by the image monitoring function unit each time the switching is performed. The camera 1 corresponding to the currently monitored image can be specified with the control of the second multiplexer 2b. If an abnormality in the image is detected in such monitoring, the camera 1 to be connected by controlling the changeover switch 3 by the second control function unit is connected.
And outputs an image from the camera 1 in which an abnormality is detected by the image monitoring function unit to the second image recording / reproducing device 4b. At the same time, the third control function unit issues an operation signal to operate the second image recording / reproducing device 4b. Therefore, in the second image recording / reproducing device 4b, only the image from the camera 1 in which the image monitoring function unit has detected an abnormality is continuously recorded.

After operating the changeover switch 3 and the second image recording / reproducing device 4b in this way, the image monitoring control means 5 controls the second multiplexer 2b again by the first control function unit. Switching camera 1 sequentially,
It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the operation is returned to the operation of monitoring the image by the image monitoring function unit each time the switching is performed, or a configuration in which an alarm or the like is issued without returning to the state and a state of waiting for a manual operation or the like by an operator is performed. It can also be. In relation to these, the operation of the second image recording / reproducing device 4b by the third control function unit can be controlled by a timer so as to operate only for a predetermined time, and a stop signal by manual operation is provided. It can also be configured to operate continuously until it is received. The above components constitute the second image recording / reproducing means B, and these components can be easily constituted using a microcomputer or the like.

Reference numeral 6 denotes control means.
The control means 6 first controls the first image recording / reproducing device 4
The configuration is such that the first multiplexer 2a is controlled in synchronization with the image recording in a. In connection with the configuration of the control means 6, an image extraction and output means 7a is formed. The image extraction and output means 7a extracts image signals at intervals corresponding to the number of the cameras 1 and displays them on a display device such as a CRT. 8a, and the extraction position is shifted by an appropriate number of images. As described above, when the first image recording / reproducing device 4a is configured using a helical scan video tape recorder, the control means 6 transmits the control signal of the first multiplexer 2a to, for example, one of the recording media. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the data is generated in synchronization with the rotation of the recording head for each track, and one field of the image signal from the camera 1 is recorded on this one track.

In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, image signals A, A,... From a plurality of cameras 1a, 1b, 1c,.
B, C and D are sequentially switched by the multiplexer 2 controlled by the control signal s from the control means 6, and A
A1, B1, C1, D1,..., A2, B2, C2 are time-division multiplexed, input to the first image recording / reproducing device 4a, and are recorded over time. When reproducing the time-division multiplexed recorded image data, the image extraction and output means 7a extracts the image signal at intervals corresponding to the number of cameras 1 from the image signal in the reproduced signal. Display device 8a
Output to That is, when there are N cameras 1, the image extraction and output means 7a outputs the image signals corresponding to each field sequentially recorded on the recording medium to the display device 8 for every N images. Therefore, only the discrete images corresponding to the specific camera 1 are sequentially displayed on the display device 8 and can be visually recognized. Then, by shifting the extraction position by an image by an operation such as setting of a camera number, any image of the plurality of cameras 1 can be displayed.

Instead of the above-described configuration, the control means 6 controls the first multiplexer 2a in synchronization with the image recording in the first image recording / reproducing device 4a, and issues an identification signal of the corresponding camera 1. In this case, the first image recording / reproducing apparatus 4a can record the image together with the image. In this case, an image selection output means 7b is provided instead of the image extraction / output means 7a, and the image selection output means 7b An identification signal is extracted from the signals, and only an image signal corresponding to a preset identification signal is selected and output to the display device 8b.

In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, the image signals from the plurality of cameras 1 are sequentially switched by the multiplexer 2 controlled by the control signal from the control means 6, and A1, B1, C1, D1, ..., A2, B2, C
Are time-division multiplexed and input to the first image recording / reproducing device 4 as described above, and each of these image signals is transmitted with the identification signals SA, SB, SC, SD. Is recorded. When reproducing the image data recorded in this way, the image selection output means 7b outputs the identification signals SA, SB reproduced together with the image signals A1, B1, C1, D1,..., A2, B2, C2,. , SC, SD,... Are extracted, and only image signals having an identification signal corresponding to a preset signal such as a camera number are selected and output to the display device 8b. Thus, only the image corresponding to the specific camera 1 is sequentially displayed on the display device 8b, and the camera to be displayed can be changed by changing the setting signal such as the camera number. The above-mentioned components constitute the first image recording / reproducing means A, and these components can also be appropriately constituted by using a microcomputer or the like.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the first image recording / reproducing means and the second image recording / reproducing means provided with the image recording / reproducing apparatus for each of the plurality of cameras are constituted. The image recording / reproducing device, which is a component of the image recording / reproducing means, records the image signals from a plurality of cameras in a time-division multiplexed manner and reproduces the signals as necessary. Since the recording / reproducing device continuously records and reproduces only the image signal from the camera that has detected an image abnormality by the image monitoring control means,
The following effects are obtained. (1). Regarding the first image recording / reproducing means, the number of image recording / reproducing devices for a plurality of cameras is greatly reduced, and thus a monitoring device for monitoring a wide area in a factory or the like is configured to be small and low-cost. Will be able to do it. (2). Regarding the second image recording / reproducing means, since the image of the camera in which the abnormality is detected by the image monitoring control means can be continuously recorded and reproduced, the location where the abnormality occurred and the content of the abnormality Makes it easier to make decisions. (3). Since the above operations of the first and second image recording / reproducing means are performed in parallel,
While images are continuously recorded from a specific camera in the second image recording / reproducing means, time-division multiplexing of images from a plurality of cameras is performed by the first recording / reproducing means to continue recording. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the overall configuration of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of an image recording state on a recording medium of a first image recording / reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing another example of an image recording state on a recording medium of the first image recording / reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view showing a configuration of a conventional monitoring device using an industrial television.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera 2a 1st multiplexer (1st scanning means) 2b 2nd multiplexer (2nd scanning means) 3 Changeover switch (switching means) 4a 1st image recording / reproducing apparatus 4b 2nd image recording / reproducing apparatus 5 Image monitoring control means 6 Control means 7a Image extraction / output means 7b Image selection / output means 8a, 8b Display device A First image recording / reproducing means B Second image recording / reproducing means

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A camera comprising: a plurality of cameras; and first and second image recording / reproducing means for recording / reproducing images from the cameras, wherein the first image recording / reproducing means comprises a first image scanning / scanning camera. Scanning means, a first image recording / reproducing device connected to an output section of the first scanning means, and controlling the first scanning means in synchronization with image recording in the first image recording / reproducing device. And an image extraction and output unit for extracting an image signal at intervals corresponding to the number of cameras from the image signal in the reproduced signal and outputting the extracted image signal to the display unit when reproducing the first image recording / reproducing apparatus. And the second image recording / reproducing means comprises: a second scanning means for scanning the camera;
A switching unit for switching connection with a camera, an image monitoring control unit connected to an output unit of the second scanning unit, and a second image recording / reproducing device connected to an output unit of the switching unit; The monitoring control means controls the second scanning means to monitor the image from each camera, and when an abnormality is detected, operates the switching means to switch to the corresponding camera and to perform the second image recording. An image recording / reproducing apparatus characterized in that a reproducing apparatus is operated. 2. A camera comprising: a plurality of cameras; and first and second image recording / reproducing means for recording / reproducing images from these cameras, wherein the first image recording / reproducing means comprises a first image scanning / scanning camera. Scanning means, a first image recording / reproducing device connected to an output section of the first scanning means, and controlling the first scanning means in synchronization with image recording in the first image recording / reproducing device. Control means for generating an identification signal of a corresponding camera to record the image together with the image in the first image recording / reproducing apparatus; and extracting the identification signal from the reproduction signal upon reproduction of the first image recording / reproducing apparatus. Image selection and output means for selecting only an image signal corresponding to the set identification signal and outputting the selected signal to the display means, wherein the second image recording / reproducing means comprises a second scanning means for scanning the camera; , Disconnect from the camera Switching means for switching, an image monitoring control means connected to the output part of the second scanning means, and a second image recording / reproducing device connected to the output part of the switching means, wherein the image monitoring control means comprises: The second scanning unit is controlled to monitor images from the cameras, and when an abnormality is detected, the switching unit is operated to switch to the corresponding camera and to operate the second image recording / reproducing device. Image recording / reproducing apparatus characterized by having a configuration 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second image recording / reproducing apparatuses use a helical scan video tape recorder, and a control signal of the first scanning means is a control means. An image recording / reproducing apparatus which generates a signal for each track in synchronization with the rotation of a recording / reproducing head, and records / reproduces one field of an image signal from a camera on this one track. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image monitoring control means operates the second image recording / reproducing apparatus only for a predetermined time when detecting an abnormality in the image. Image recording and playback device 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image monitoring control means operates the second image recording / reproducing apparatus until receiving a stop signal by manual operation or the like when detecting an abnormality in the image. Image recording / reproducing device characterized by the following: