JPH0937229A - Monitor use image recording and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide sufficient operability for access to a position of a recording medium desired to be retrieved in the monitor use image recording device recording and reproducing an image signal from a camera to the recording medium capable of random access. SOLUTION: Video recording data of a camera for a specific period are set to one record and a record group is listed on a record display section 31 on a screen and a desired button of a record selection section 34 by a command of a mouse pointer 35 using a mouse to locate the retrieved record. Then image display is switched and the image of the located record is displayed on the screen.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a surveillance image recording / reproducing apparatus for inputting and recording an image signal from an installed camera and reproducing the image signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A photographed image signal from an installed camera is inputted, the inputted signal is recorded on a recording medium, and the photographed image is displayed as necessary so that the photographed image can be displayed at various places such as a store, an office and a house. There is a monitoring image recording / reproducing device for monitoring the safety in the above-mentioned case to improve its safety. Such monitoring image recording / reproducing devices are used for monitoring in-stores at financial institutions and convenience stores, for monitoring automated teller machines, for monitoring passengers at railway institutions, and monitoring at toll gates on expressways. It is used for various purposes in modern society, such as for use in offices and for monitoring visitors and suspicious people at the entrance of apartments.

In the surveillance image recording / reproducing apparatus, in order to perform the retrieval processing of the recorded image signal easily and quickly,
Products using a randomly accessible medium such as a hard disk as a medium for recording an image signal have been developed.

[0004]

In such a surveillance image recording / reproducing apparatus, only a method of designating the recorded time is prepared for the retrieval of the recorded image signal, and the retrieval is desired. It was hard to say that the access to the position is not always sufficient.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is a monitoring device that can realize random access to an image signal when searching an image signal recorded on a medium by a simple and easy-to-understand method. An object is to provide an image recording / reproducing device.

[0006]

A monitoring image recording / reproducing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention records an image signal from a camera on a randomly accessible medium and reproduces the image signal recorded on the medium. In the image recording / reproducing apparatus, when the image signal recorded on the medium is reproduced, the image signal for reproduction is randomly accessed and searched using the graphical user interface.

A monitoring image recording / reproducing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is a monitoring image recording / reproducing apparatus for recording an image signal from a camera on a randomly accessible medium and reproducing the image signal recorded on the medium. It is characterized by comprising display means for displaying the information of the image signal recorded on the medium, and graphical user interface means for controlling the display contents of the display means and performing random access search for the image signal for reproduction. .

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall construction using the surveillance image recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention. In FIG.
1a, 1b, 1c, 1d are four cameras installed at the locations to be monitored. Each camera 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d automatically picks up an image and outputs the obtained image signal to the recording / reproducing apparatus 2. The recording / reproducing apparatus 2 records the input image signal in a built-in hard disk, and outputs the image signal to the monitor 3 as necessary. The monitor 3 displays an image according to the image signal. The processing operation of the recording / reproducing apparatus 2 is controlled by the user with the mouse 4.

FIG. 2 shows the recording / reproducing apparatus 2 in FIG.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the device. Recording / playback device 2
Is an input switching / A / D conversion unit 21 and an image compression / decompression unit 22.
, Output encoder 23, control unit 24, hard disk
With 25. The input switching / A / D conversion unit 21 inputs an analog image signal from each of the four cameras 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, selects a desired image signal from these image signals, and outputs it as a digital image. Image conversion / decompression unit 22
Output to The image compression / decompression unit 22 compresses this digital image signal and records it on the hard disk 25. The image compression / decompression unit 22 reproduces the compressed image signal recorded in the hard disk 25, decompresses it, and outputs it to the output encoder 23, if necessary. The output encoder 23 converts the input data into displayable data and outputs it to the monitor 3.

The control unit 24 controls the recording / reproducing operation to / from the hard disk 25 in accordance with the instruction input from the user via the mouse 4, and the input switching / A / D conversion unit 21 and the image compression / expansion. It also controls the processing operations of the unit 22 and the output encoder 23.

Next, the operation will be described. Each camera 1
For analog image signals from a, 1b, 1c, 1d, input switching
After being selected by the A / D conversion unit 21 and digitally converted, the image compression / expansion unit 22 compresses the data and records it on the hard disk 25. Switching of analog image signals from the cameras 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d is controlled by the control unit 24 according to a preset recording program. Also,
The digital image signal from the input switching / A / D conversion unit 21 passes through the output encoder 23 without being processed by the image compression / decompression unit 22, is output to the output encoder 23, is converted into display data, and is displayed on the monitor 3. Sent to.

The operation of searching and reproducing the image signal from the medium (hard disk 25), which is a characteristic part of the present invention, will be described in detail below. In a monitoring image recording / reproducing apparatus using a randomly accessible medium, image signals obtained from a plurality of cameras are recorded on, for example, a hard disk,
At the time of searching for a desired image signal, the camera used and the date and time of recording are designated to search for a necessary portion. In the present invention, the portion (date and time) to be searched and reproduced is designated on the operation screen displayed on the monitor 3. Figures 3 and 4
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example of an operation screen in the present invention.

When searching and reproducing the recorded image signal, first, a search screen as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the monitor 3. Recorded data of each camera 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d in a specific period is set as one record, and a list of these record groups is displayed as shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows that the recorded data of record numbers 8 to 13 are recorded in the areas A to F of the hard disk 25. For example, the top line of the record display area 31 is displayed in the area A with recorded data (record number 8) taken from 12:00 to 18:00 on May 11, 1995 using the camera 1c. The third line from the top indicates that the recorded data (record number 10) taken by camera 1a from 18:00 on May 11, 1995 to 00:00 on the following day is the area. It is recorded in C.

Further, the record list indicator 32 shows to which range the record number currently displayed corresponds to all the recorded records (total 25). In this example shown in FIG. 3, since the record numbers 8 to 13 are displayed, the outer frame of the record list indicator 32 is set to 1 and the part from 8/25 to 13/25 from the left is displayed with a black line. There is. The date and time are displayed on the date / time display unit 33.

From the record group thus displayed, the desired button of the record selecting section 34 at the bottom of the screen is designated by the mouse pointer 35 to select the record to be searched. Therefore, the desired recorded data can be searched very easily.

When one record is selected, the reproduction screen as shown in FIG. 4 is switched to the continuous reproduction state from the head portion of the record. The reproduced image is displayed on the recording / reproduced image display section 36. Also, normal playback, fast forward playback,
Frame-by-frame reproduction, operations in the opposite direction, and still image reproduction are possible by instructing the mouse pointer 35 to the desired button of the operation instructing unit 37 displayed at the bottom of the screen similar to a normal VTR. .

The current playback position is displayed on the playback position display section 38 at the bottom of the screen by the playback position pointer 39. A time scale indicating hours and minutes is displayed on the reproduction position display section 38 according to the recording start and recording end times of the displayed record. As the playback progresses, the playback position pointer 39 also moves to inform the user which part of the record is currently being played.

In the present invention, whether the playback position pointer 39 is moved by using the mouse 4 which is a pointing device by a method called a drag operation (moving the mouse pointer while pressing the key of the mouse 4). Alternatively, the mouse 4 is clicked at the time when the reproduction position display section 38 is desired to be moved, and the reproduction position is immediately moved to that part. Therefore, a desired portion of the selected recorded data can be searched and reproduced extremely easily and quickly.

When a drag operation is used, if the screen corresponding to that portion is displayed on the recording / playback image display section 36 even while the playback position pointer 39 is moving, fast-forward playback at an arbitrary speed becomes possible. The search process becomes easier.

In the above example, the number of installed cameras is four, but this is an example, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to any number of cameras.

[0022]

As described above, in the surveillance image recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the graphical user interface is used during the retrieval / reproduction of the image signal recorded on the randomly accessible recording medium. In addition, the present invention has excellent effects such as accurate and quick search and reproduction of image signals and random access of recorded data by a method that is easy for the user to understand.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration using a monitoring image recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of an operation screen (record list search screen) according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation screen (playback image display screen) according to the present invention.
It is a figure showing the example of a display of.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d Camera 2 Recording / playback device 3 Monitor 4 Mouse 21 Input switching / A / D converter 24 Controller 25 Hard disk 31 Record display 32 Record list indicator 33 Date / time display 34 Record select 35 Mouse pointer 36 Recording / playback image display section 37 Operation instruction section 38 Playback position display section 39 Playback position pointer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A monitoring image recording / reproducing apparatus for recording an image signal from a camera on a randomly accessible medium and reproducing the image signal recorded on the medium, when reproducing the image signal recorded on the medium. A monitoring image recording / reproducing apparatus, characterized in that the image signal for reproduction is randomly accessed and searched using a graphical user interface. 2. A monitoring image recording / reproducing apparatus for recording an image signal from a camera on a randomly accessible medium and reproducing the image signal recorded on the medium, the information of the image signal recorded on the medium. Display means for displaying
An image recording / reproducing apparatus for monitoring, comprising: a graphical user interface means for controlling display contents of the displaying means to randomly access and retrieve an image signal for reproducing.