JP5139341B2 - Intercom device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an intercom apparatus provided with a camera that images a visitor, and more particularly, to an intercom apparatus provided with a function of detecting the approach of a person and automatically starting recording or the like.

  An interphone device that is provided with a camera in an entrance cordless handset and a display device that displays a captured image of the camera in a living room base phone and can respond while viewing a visitor's image has become widespread. Among such intercom apparatuses with a camera, there is one configured to cause the camera to function as a surveillance camera in order to further improve security. For example, in Patent Document 1, a human sensor is provided in an entrance cordless handset to detect the approach of a visitor or a suspicious person, and automatically start imaging of a camera even if a call button is not pressed to perform recording or the like. It is working.

JP 11-225327 A

  An infrared sensor is generally used as a human sensor for detecting the approach of the person. The infrared sensor detects the approach of a person in response to heat generated from the human body, and can detect the approach of the person well. However, it is difficult for the infrared sensor to set the detection range to a predetermined range, and the infrared sensor detects an area that does not need to be detected, and may react even with a small animal such as a dog or a cat. For this reason, when setting to record, since unnecessary images are recorded, the recording memory is filled with unnecessary images, and there is a problem that important images to be recorded cannot be recorded.

  Therefore, in view of such a problem, the present invention can easily set an area that is not desired to be detected even in the imaging range of the camera, and determines that a person is approaching when, for example, a small animal other than a person approaches. It is an object of the present invention to provide an intercom apparatus having a human sensing function without any problem.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 is provided with an entrance slave device having a function of calling a resident and making a call, and a camera for imaging a visitor, and responding to a call from the entrance slave device In the intercom apparatus having a living room parent device having a function of performing and a monitor for displaying a captured image of the camera, the living room parent device includes an image dividing means for dividing the captured image of the camera into a plurality of areas, and each divided area A JPEG-compressed compression means, and a JPEG-compressed latest image and an image determination means for comparing the data size of the image before a predetermined time and determining that there is a person from the amount of data change. The data size is compared for each area, and it is determined that there is a person based on the number of occurrences of the area where the change in the data size exceeds a certain level and the occurrence location information. That.

According to this configuration, if there is a certain change in the captured image of the camera, it is recognized, so that it can be used as a sensor for detecting the approach of a person, and the interphone can be used like a surveillance camera. And since the image to be compared is the data size after JPEG compression, there is a possibility that a simple difference determination method will recognize that the image changes like a tree fluttering in the wind, but a large change will occur. Since it is difficult for changes to appear in the compressed information, it is possible to reduce false detections that react to people other than people.
Furthermore, since the screen is divided and determined for each divided area, if a detection size is specified, it can be determined that a small animal is not detected as a person, and an area that does not need to be determined can be set.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the first aspect, the image area divided by the image dividing means is set smaller than the minimum size of the person to be imaged to be detected, and the image determining means has a predetermined amount of data size change. If an area exceeding the level of the above occurs in an adjacent area and the number of areas exceeds a first predetermined number of 2 or more, it is determined that there is a person.
According to this configuration, since the area where the data size has changed is not determined to be a person unless the adjacent two or more predetermined numbers change, it is possible to eliminate changes caused by small animals such that one area changes independently, with high accuracy. A person can be detected.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the first or second aspect, the image determining means generates an area where the amount of change in the data size exceeds a predetermined level in an adjacent area, and the number of the areas is the same. If the second predetermined number is exceeded, it is not determined that there is a person.
According to this configuration, when a moving object having a size larger than that assumed for the size of the person entering the imaging range is detected, it can be excluded from the detection of the person. Therefore, when a car or the like approaches the entrance, it can be operated not to determine that a person has approached, and false detection can be reduced.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to any one of the first to third aspects, the image determination means does not perform a data size comparison with respect to the specified partial area.
According to this configuration, when there is an area where frequent traffic of people is in the camera imaging range, the area can be excluded from the determination, and unnecessary person detection operations can be prevented. .

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the room master unit records the image in the image storage unit when the image storage unit that stores the image and the image determination unit determines that there is a person. And a recording control means for performing.
According to this configuration, since recording is performed when a close person is detected, a suspicious person can be recorded reliably, which is effective in improving security.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the entrance cordless handset includes a human sensor that starts imaging of the camera when the approach of a person is sensed, and the image determination means includes: The determination control is started upon the start of imaging.
According to this configuration, it is not necessary to always perform the imaging operation of the camera, so that an energy saving configuration can be achieved.

According to the present invention, if there is a certain change in the captured image of the camera, it is recognized, so that it can be used as a sensor for detecting the approach of a person, and the interphone can be used like a surveillance camera. And since the image to be compared is the data size after JPEG compression, there is a possibility that a simple difference determination method will recognize that the image changes like a tree fluttering in the wind, but a large change will occur. Since it is difficult for changes to appear in the compressed information, it is possible to reduce false detections that react to people other than people.
Furthermore, since the screen is divided and determined for each area, if a detection size is specified, it is possible to prevent a small animal from being determined as a person, and it is possible to set an area that does not need to be determined.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the intercom apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the image which the camera of FIG. 1 imaged, (a) is a captured image, (b) is an image division figure which shows the state divided | segmented into several areas in order to compare data size, (c). Is an image division diagram in which an area where human detection is not determined is set, and (d) shows an area where a moving object is detected. FIG. 4 is another explanatory diagram of an image captured by the camera of FIG. 1, where (a) is a captured image, (b) is an image division diagram showing a state of being divided into a plurality of areas in order to compare data sizes; c) An image division diagram showing an area where the presence of a moving object is detected.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an intercom apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is an entrance cordless handset installed at the entrance to call a resident and talk, and 2 is a dwelling unit for answering a call from the entrance cordless handset 1. It is a living room base unit installed inside, and both are connected by a transmission line L1.

  The entrance handset 1 includes a camera 11 for picking up a visitor, a camera control circuit 12 for controlling the pick-up of the camera 11, a handset communication circuit 15 having a microphone 13 and a speaker 14, a call button 16, and a person approaching. Are provided with a human sensor 17 for detecting the data, a slave unit data transmission circuit 18 for communicating with the living room master unit 2, and the like.

  The living room master unit 2 includes a display unit 21 that includes an LCD that displays an image captured by the camera 11, a display control circuit 22 that controls the display of the display unit 21, and image data transmitted from the entrance unit 1. An image processing circuit 23 that generates an image signal for image division, an image division circuit 24 that divides a captured image into a plurality of areas, and JPEG compresses each divided area image. Communicates with the compression circuit 25, the memory 26 for recording images, the call button 27 for responding to calls from the front door unit 1, the base unit call circuit 30 including the microphone 28 and the speaker 29, and the front door unit 1. A master data transmission circuit 31, a master CPU 32 for controlling the room master 2 as a whole, and the like.

  The operation of the intercom apparatus configured in this way is as follows. However, here, the description will focus on the operation of determining the presence of a person from the captured image of the camera 11, and when a call is made from the front door unit 1, the response in the room base unit 2 and the call are linked. Since the operation | movement etc. which the captured image of the camera 11 is displayed on the display part 21 are the same as that of the past, description is abbreviate | omitted.

First, the operation of the main circuit will be described. The image data captured by the camera 11 is sent to the living room master unit 2 via the camera control circuit 12, the slave unit data transmission circuit 18, and the transmission line L1. The camera 11 outputs imaging data, for example, every 0.2 seconds by the camera control circuit 12.
In the office master 2, the image data received by the master data transmission circuit 31 is converted by the image processing circuit 23 and then sent to the display control circuit 22 and the image dividing circuit 24. The display control circuit 22 converts the image data into data that can be displayed on the display unit 21 under the control of the master CPU 32, and causes the display unit 21 to display a captured image of the camera 11.

  On the other hand, in the image data sent to the image dividing circuit 24, the entire captured image is divided in a grid pattern, and the divided image data of each area is sent to the JPEG compression circuit 25. In the image dividing circuit 25, the captured image of the camera 11 is divided into 4 × 6, for example, as shown in FIG. 2B, and individual image data is sent to the JPEG compression circuit 25. In the JPEG compression circuit 25, JPEG compression is performed for each area, a predetermined determination described later is performed under the control of the master CPU 32, and recorded in the memory 26 as necessary.

  Next, person detection control will be described with reference to an image explanatory diagram of FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an image captured by the camera 11 of FIG. 1, in which (a) is a captured image, and (b) is an image division that shows a state of being divided into a plurality of areas in order to compare data sizes. FIG. 4C is an image division diagram in which an area where no person detection is determined is provided. FIG. 4D shows an area where a moving object is detected. P indicates a person.

Initial settings such as the setting of a dead area where no person detection determination is first made are made. As shown in FIG. 2C, when a street with a lot of traffic is included in the imaging range of the camera 11, a dead area is set so as not to perform a person detection operation on the area. FIG. 2C shows a state where the upper half imaging range is set as the dead area N.
Further, here, it is set so that it is determined that a person exists (a visitor or a suspicious person exists) when the existence of a moving object in two consecutive areas is recognized. These settings are made by connecting a personal computer or the like (not shown) when the interphone device is installed.

When the initial setting is made in this way, the intercom apparatus performs person detection during standby. When the human body sensor 17 detects a person or a small animal, the camera 11 starts imaging, and the determination by the parent CPU 32 is made.
More specifically, when the camera 11 starts imaging upon receiving a detection operation of the human sensor 17 during standby, the captured image of the camera 11 is transmitted to the living room master unit 2 at every predetermined time described above. The image data sent to the image dividing circuit 24 of the living room master unit 2 is divided into 4 × 6 as shown in FIG. 2B, for example, and the divided areas e1-1, e1-2,. The image data e2-1, e2-2,..., e4-6 are sent to the JPEG compression circuit 25 for each area and JPEG compressed. The data size of the compressed data in each area is stored in a temporary storage unit (not shown) in the parent device CPU 32.

Similarly, the image data sent next is divided and data compressed, and compared with the data size of the compressed data immediately before stored in the master CPU 32. The master CPU 32 compares the JPEG compressed data size of the same area of the immediately preceding image and considers that there is an object moving in the area when there is a change of a predetermined value or more. However, no comparison is made for the set dead area N.
When it is determined that there is a moving object in at least two adjacent areas, it is determined that a person exists. FIG. 2D shows an area E1 in which the change in the data size exceeds a predetermined amount by hatching. As shown in FIG. 2D, if the data change in two consecutive areas (hatching areas e1-3, e2-3) exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined that there is a person in this space.

  When it is determined that there is a person in this way, the master CPU 32 records the image in the memory 26 and displays an image on the display unit 21. At this time, an image as shown in FIG. At this time, an alarm sound may be reported from the living room master unit 2 or a threatening sound may be issued from the front door unit 1.

In this way, if there is a certain change in the captured image of the camera, it is recognized, so that it can be used as a sensor for detecting the approach of a person, and the interphone can be used like a surveillance camera. If the image to be compared is determined by comparing the data size after JPEG compression, there is a risk that a simple difference determination method will recognize the change of the image as if the tree is fluttering in the wind. However, since it is difficult for changes to occur in JPEG-compressed information, it is possible to reduce false detections that react to people other than people.
In addition, the data size is compared for each divided area by dividing the screen, and only one area is changed by designating the detected size as two or more consecutive areas (designating the first predetermined number as 2). Such detection of small animals is excluded so as not to be determined as a person, so that a person can be detected with high accuracy.
In addition, if there are areas where the traffic of people is frequent within the camera imaging range, these areas can be excluded from the judgment, and unnecessary person detection operations can be prevented. By using the sensor together, it is not necessary to always perform the imaging operation of the camera, so that an energy saving configuration can be achieved.
In addition, since recording is performed when a person approaching is detected, a suspicious person can be recorded reliably, which is effective in improving security.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a camera-captured image, and shows another example of the intercom apparatus according to the present invention. 3A is a captured image, FIG. 3B is an image division diagram showing a state of being divided into a plurality of areas in order to compare data sizes, and FIG. 3C is an image division showing an area where the presence of a moving object is detected. The figure is shown. In addition, since the structure of the entrance cordless handset 1 and the living room main | base station 2 is the same as that of the said FIG. 1, description is abbreviate | omitted.

In the example of FIG. 3, a case where an image is divided into 10 × 15 is shown. When a person enters and approaches the imaging area of the camera 11, the movement of the object is detected in at least six consecutive areas (in FIG. 3C, the movement is detected in ten consecutive areas). Therefore, the case where six consecutive areas are used as the lower limit judgment criterion is shown.
And, for the reason described later, it is set to determine that there is a person if an object moving in 20 or less continuous areas is detected, and there is a person even if movement of an object is detected in other continuous areas. It is set not to judge. In this case, no dead area is set.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in a situation where a road crosses in front of the entrance and a car M traveling on the road enters the imaging range of the camera, the car is imaged in the same manner as a person P approaching the entrance. . In such a case, if an insensitive area is set and the vehicle M is excluded, it is impossible to detect a person approaching the entrance. Therefore, while all areas are subject to human detection, if an object that is much larger than the person P is detected by setting the upper limit of continuous areas, it is determined that the object is not a person and the car M is excluded. To control.

  The operation for detecting the person P will be described in detail. The master CPU 32 counts the areas where the moving object is detected (counts areas where the change in the data size exceeds a certain amount), and the number is 6 or more. In addition, it is determined that there is a person when the occurrence is within 20 adjacent areas. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3C, when a person P is imaged, the presence of an object moving in 10 continuous areas E2 is detected, and when a car M is imaged, 54 objects are detected. The moving object is detected in the continuous area E3. When it is determined that there is a person, the same control as in the above embodiment, such as recording of an image, is performed.

  Thus, it is not necessary to set the insensitive area, and if the detection size exceeds the set value with an upper limit on the detection size (by setting the second predetermined number), there is a person. Misdetection can be prevented by not judging. Moreover, when the detection size is below the lower limit, small animals can be excluded and erroneous detection can be prevented, as in the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the camera 11 is activated by the human sensor 17 to prevent the camera 11 from always performing an imaging operation. However, the camera 11 is always operated to perform an imaging operation without providing the human sensor 17. Also good. Further, it is assumed that there is a change in two or more continuous areas when detecting a person, and recording or the like is performed in that case. However, recording or the like may be performed even if there is a change in one area.
Further, in the above embodiment, when comparing the data size of the camera captured image, the current (latest) image is compared with the immediately preceding image. When image data is transmitted, comparison may be made every other image or every several sheets in order to make the change in data size remarkable.

  1 .. Entrance cordless handset, 2 .... Living room master, 11 .... Camera, 17 .... Human sensor, 21 ... Display, 24 ... Image division circuit (image division means), 25 ... JPEG compression circuit (Compression means), 26... Memory (image storage unit), 32... Master CPU (image determination means, recording control means).

Claims (6)

An entrance slave unit having a function of calling a resident and making a call and imaging a visitor, and a monitor having a function of responding to a call from the entrance slave unit and displaying a photographed image of the camera In an intercom apparatus having a living room base unit equipped with
The living room master unit includes: an image dividing unit that divides an image captured by the camera into a plurality of areas; a compression unit that performs JPEG compression for each divided area; a data size of a JPEG-compressed latest image and an image before a predetermined time And having an image determination means for determining that there is a person from the amount of change in the data,
The image determination means compares the data size for each area, and determines that there is a person based on the number of occurrences of the area where the change in the data size exceeds a certain level and the occurrence location information. apparatus. The image area divided by the image dividing means is set smaller than the minimum size of the person to be imaged to be detected,
The image determination means determines that there is a person when an area where the amount of change in data size exceeds a predetermined level occurs in an adjacent area and the number of areas exceeds a first predetermined number of 2 or more. The intercom apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intercom apparatus is determined. The image determination means does not determine that there is a person when an area where the amount of change in data size exceeds a predetermined level occurs in an adjacent area and the number of areas exceeds a second predetermined number. The intercom apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The intercom apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the image determination unit does not perform a data size comparison for a specified part of the area. The living room master unit includes an image storage unit that stores an image,
5. The intercom apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording control unit configured to perform recording in the image storage unit when the image determination unit determines that a person is present. The said entrance cordless handset is provided with the human sensor which starts the imaging of the said camera, if the approach of a person is detected, The said image determination means starts the determination control in response to the imaging operation of the said camera. The intercom apparatus according to any one of 1 to 5.

Images