JPH10191307A - Image supervisory system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To show the display priority of images from plural image transmitting devices so that the image in the highest order may be paid the most attention based on the sense level of a sensor and also that the sense level may be recognized. SOLUTION: This image supervisory system consists of a priority deciding part 20 which decides the priority of display based on the priority display request level from plural image transmitting terminals 1A to 1D and outputs priority information, an image multiplexing part 21 which multiplexes image information that is separately outputted from plural image transmitting terminals and the priority information that is acquired from the priority deciding part in accordance with it, and an image receiving terminal 3 which performs multi- window display of plural image information that are received on a monitor 31, and performs multi-window display of plural image information that are received in the order based on a priority display request level that is separately corresponded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image monitoring system for detecting and reporting an abnormality or a change in a situation in a specific monitoring area, such as a fire detection or an outside intruder or other situation detection. The present invention relates to an image monitoring system that multiplexes the images of the image transmitting terminal and the priorities of displaying the images, transmits the multiplexed images to the receiving terminal, and displays the images on the monitor of the receiving terminal according to the priority of the image display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image monitoring system for detecting and reporting an abnormality or a change in other conditions in a specific monitoring area, a monitoring terminal (image monitoring terminal) provided in each monitoring area is used. Are collectively collected by the central monitoring device and displayed on the screen of a monitor provided for each monitoring terminal in the central monitoring device, or are switched and displayed on one screen.

As one of the methods of displaying image information from a plurality of image transmitting terminals at a central image receiving terminal, a method of preferentially displaying image information desired to be displayed with priority among a plurality of image information is preferred. However, for example, JP-A-6-12130
No. 9 is described. As an example of such a case, a method of preferentially displaying image information that is particularly desired to be preferentially displayed among a plurality of pieces of image information will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional video conference system that preferentially displays image information for which priority display is desired.

In FIG. 3, reference numerals 100A to 100D denote conference terminals in which a participant 101 of a video conference joins a conference while facing the screen of a monitor 120; 110, a camera for photographing the participants 101 of the video conference; A monitor in which the participant 101 faces the other participant on the screen,
130 is a microphone for transmitting the voice of the video conference participant 101, 140 is a speaker for listening to the voice of the video conference participant of the other party, and 150 is a video conference, for example, sending a signal requesting priority display on the monitor screen of the other party 160, a transmission control unit for controlling the synthesis and distribution of images and sounds to the conference terminals 100A to 100D;
Is a communication network for connecting and communicating between the conference terminals 100A to 100D.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the operation of the above-described conventional video conference system which preferentially displays image information desired to be displayed preferentially will be described. First, video conference participant 1
01 inputs an emphasis output request signal from the keyboard 150 of the conference terminal 100A when all the other participants want to pay attention to themselves. The emphasized output request signal is transmitted to all the conference terminals 100B to 100B of the other party via the transmission control unit 160.
D, and only the images of the participants 101 of the conference terminal 100A are displayed on the monitors 120 of all the conference terminals 100B to 100D.

In such an image display system, any one of a plurality of images can be displayed in the priority mode in accordance with the emphasized output (priority display) request signal from the conference terminals 100A to 100D. However, in this method, there are only two display modes, a priority mode and a non-priority mode, and the priority display request level of the transmission side is divided into three or more levels. Displaying the level is not considered.

[0007]

In the image display method of the video conference system described above, the information transmitted together with the image information from the conference terminal has no intermediate display level information and the priority display request signal (whether or not there is priority display). ), Only the image selected as the priority display image according to a certain rule among the images accompanied by the priority display request is displayed with priority. Therefore, the priority display request level of the transmission side can be controlled only in two stages of priority display or non-priority display. Even if the priority display request has a priority display request level having three or more levels, If the priority display request level indicates an intermediate level, there is a problem that the display cannot be performed on the receiving terminal in such a manner that the level is an intermediate level.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and determines the priority of image display in an image receiving terminal according to display priority request levels from a plurality of image transmitting terminals and transmits the image. A plurality of images are automatically displayed on the monitor of the image receiving terminal according to the display priority, so that the image having the highest priority display request level can be brought to the attention of the observer, and the priority display request of other images can be obtained. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image monitoring system capable of knowing a level.

[0009]

An image monitoring system according to the present invention outputs a plurality of images each of which outputs image information from a predetermined monitoring area and issues a priority display request level based on a situation obtained from each of the monitoring areas. A transmitting terminal, a priority determining unit that determines a display priority based on a priority display request level from each image transmitting terminal and outputs priority information, and an image information output from the image transmitting terminal and a priority corresponding thereto. An image multiplexing unit that multiplexes and transmits the priority information obtained from the order determining unit, and an image receiving terminal that receives the image information and the priority information and displays the image information on a monitor in a multi-window manner. , A plurality of pieces of image information respectively corresponding to the priority display request levels are displayed in a multi-window manner in the order based on the priority display request levels.

According to the present invention, the display priority of each image is determined according to the priority display request level, and the priority information is transmitted together with the corresponding image information. By displaying the multi-window display on the foreground in order from the first, it is possible to draw the attention of the observer to an image having a higher priority display request level, and to further notify the priority display request level for each of a plurality of images. A monitoring system is obtained.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention determines a display priority based on priority display request levels from a plurality of image transmitting terminals and outputs priority information. And an image multiplexing unit that multiplexes and transmits the image information respectively output from the plurality of image transmitting terminals and the corresponding priority information obtained from the priority determining unit, and the received plurality of image information. And a multi-window display on a monitor, wherein the received plural pieces of image information are multi-window displayed in an order based on the corresponding priority display request level. An image monitoring system that can draw the attention of the observer to high images and automatically display multiple images on the monitor of the image receiving terminal according to the display priority order An effect that it is possible to provide a Temu.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the image transmitting terminal captures an image of each monitored area and outputs image information, and encodes image information from the image input device. An image encoding device for converting the image data to the image multiplexing unit, and a priority display request input unit for issuing a priority display request level by detecting an occurrence of an abnormality in the monitoring area. Information and a priority display request level corresponding to the image information are output and multiplexed and transmitted on the monitor of the image receiving terminal in accordance with the priority display request level sensed by the priority display request input means. This has the effect of providing an image monitoring system capable of automatically displaying a plurality of images in accordance with the priority order.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plurality of image transmitting terminals for outputting image information from a predetermined monitoring area and issuing a priority display request level based on a situation obtained from each monitoring area. A priority determination unit that determines the display priority based on the priority display request level from each image transmission terminal and outputs priority information; and the image information output from the image transmission terminal and the priority determination corresponding thereto. An image multiplexing unit that multiplexes and transmits the priority information obtained from the unit and an image receiving terminal that receives the image information and the priority information and displays the image information on a monitor in a multi-window manner. Are displayed in a multi-display manner from the front in descending order of priority based on the priority display request level corresponding to each of them. Viewer attention can be drawn to have the effect that the image monitoring system can inform the priority display request level is obtained further for each image.

Hereinafter, based on the attached drawings, FIG. 1 and FIG.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a sensing level of a sensor of each image transmission terminal and a priority image display on a monitor of an image reception terminal in the image monitoring system of FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship with.

First, the configuration of an image monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
Wherein 1A to 1D are image transmission terminals that output image information captured from a defined monitoring area and issue a priority display request level based on a situation obtained from each monitoring area;
Reference numeral 20 denotes a priority determining unit that determines the display priority based on the priority display request level from each image transmitting terminal and outputs priority information, and 21 denotes the image information output from the image transmitting terminal and the priority corresponding thereto. The image multiplexing unit multiplexes and transmits the priority information obtained from the determining unit.

In the image transmission terminal 1A, 10A is a camera for photographing a predetermined monitoring area and outputting image data, and 11A is an MPEG2 for encoding image data from the camera 10A and outputting it to the image multiplexing unit 21. The compliant image encoding device 12A senses an anomaly in the monitored area (e.g., the occurrence of a fire or odor, the occurrence of an intruder or other anomalous condition, or a change in the situation, etc.) and a priority display request level (e.g., Hereinafter, this sensor is also referred to as a sensing level. The camera 10A and the sensor 12
A is also referred to as an image input device and a priority display request input unit.

Reference numeral 2 denotes an image multiplexing apparatus which is composed of a priority order determining section 20 and an image multiplexing section 21 and conforms to MPEG2. Reference numeral 3 denotes image information output from the image multiplexing apparatus 2 from an image transmitting terminal and corresponding information. An image receiving terminal that receives the priority information obtained from the priority determining unit and displays the received image on the monitor 31 in accordance with the priority, 4 denotes a monitor that monitors the monitor 31, and 30 denotes an image multiplexing unit. MPEG2 compliant image decoding device for receiving and decoding the image information and its priority information transmitted from 21
Is a monitor for displaying the received image information on the screen in a multi-window manner (displaying a plurality of windows on one screen) in accordance with the priority order.

Next, the operation of the image monitoring system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, in the image transmission terminal 1A, the camera 10A constantly shoots the assigned monitoring area and sends image data to the image encoding device 11A, which encodes the image data into an MPEG2 video stream. Output to the image multiplexing unit 21. Similarly, the sensor 12
A always detects the occurrence of an abnormality in the same monitoring area as the camera 10A, and outputs the detected detection level to the priority determination unit 20.

In the image multiplexing device 2, the image multiplexing unit 21 receives the MPE transmitted from the image transmitting terminals 1A to 1D.
The image data decoded into the G2 system stream is multiplexed into the MPEG2 system stream. Also,
The image multiplexing unit 21 periodically issues a priority information request signal to the priority determination unit 20 and
The priority of the window display of each image determined in step (1) is obtained, and the priority of the window display is multiplexed in the MPEG2 system stream and transmitted to the image receiving terminal 3.

Upon receiving the priority information request signal from the image multiplexing unit 21, the priority determining unit 20
The priority of the window display is determined in the descending order of the sensing level from the sensor 12A corresponding to each image data sent from A to 1D, and is output to the image multiplexing unit 21;
It is multiplexed with the image data decoded into the MPEG2 system stream as described above and transmitted to the image receiving terminal 3.

In the image receiving terminal 3, an image decoding device 30 compliant with MPEG2 decodes the MPEG2 system stream sent from the image multiplexing device 2 and gives each decoded image a priority on window display on a monitor 31. Perform multi-window display in the order according to the order.
In other words, the image with the highest priority in window display is always visible to the front of the observer 4, and when images in different monitoring areas overlap, the image with the highest priority is displayed so as to be visible.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, an example of the relationship between the sensing level of the sensor of each image transmitting terminal in the image monitoring system and the priority image display on the monitor of the image receiving terminal will be described. In the present embodiment, four sensors 12A, 12A
Since B, 12C, and 12D are provided in the respective monitoring areas, there are 24 types of combinations of the states of window display on the screen corresponding thereto.

In FIG. 2, the state 1000 corresponds to the above 24
One of the different types of states is shown, and the sensing levels of the sensors 12A, 12D, 12B, and 12C are 10, 7, 5, 2 corresponding to the sensors 12A, 12D, 12B, and 12C in descending order. The window 30 corresponding to each of the image transmission apparatuses 1A to 1D is displayed on the monitor 31.
0A to 300D are 300A and 300 in order from the forefront.
D, 300B, and 300C are displayed in this order.

Next, when the state becomes the state 1001, the sensors 12D, 12C, 12A, 1
14, 12, 10, 8 corresponding to 2B,
The display order of the windows 300A to 300D corresponding to the image transmission devices 1A to 1D is also displayed on the monitor 31 in the order of 300D, 300C, 300A, and 300B from the forefront.

As described above, according to the image monitoring system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the image of the monitoring area having the higher sensor level is displayed on the front side, so that the monitoring area having the highest sensor level is monitored. In addition, it is possible for the observer to simultaneously grasp the state of the sensing levels of the sensors in other monitored areas.

In the description of the image monitoring system in the present embodiment, the case where the number of monitored objects is four is described. However, the present invention can be applied to the case where the number of monitored objects is three or five or more. Further, in the present embodiment, an image of a monitoring area having a higher sensor detection level is displayed on the front side, but may be enlarged and displayed instead of the front side display.

[0027]

The image monitoring system according to the present invention is configured as described above, and in particular, determines the display priority of each image according to the priority display request level, and transmits the priority information together with the corresponding image information. On the receiving side, the multi-window display is performed in the foreground in descending order of the images based on the priority order, so that the image of a higher priority display request level can attract the observer's attention. Can be notified of the state of the priority display request level for, so that an appropriate monitoring environment can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between a sensing level of a sensor of each image transmitting terminal and a priority image display on a monitor of an image receiving terminal in the image monitoring system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional video conference system that preferentially displays image information for which priority display is desired.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1A to 1D Image transmitting terminal 2 Image multiplexing device 3 Image receiving terminal 4 Monitor 10A Camera 11A Image encoding device 12A Sensor 20 Priority determining unit 21 Image multiplexing unit 30 Image decoding device 31 Monitor 100A to 100D Conference terminal 101 Participant 110 Camera 120 Monitor 130 Microphone 140 Speaker 150 Keyboard 160 Transmission control unit 200 Communication network 300A-300D Display screen from each image transmission terminal

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A priority determining unit that determines a display priority based on a priority display request level from a plurality of image transmitting terminals and outputs priority information, and an image output from each of the plurality of image transmitting terminals. An image multiplexing unit that multiplexes information and priority information obtained from the priority determination unit corresponding to the information and transmits the multiplexed information, and an image receiving terminal that displays multiple pieces of received image information on a monitor in a multi-window manner. An image monitoring system wherein a plurality of received pieces of image information are displayed in a multi-window manner in an order based on a corresponding priority display request level. 2. The image transmission terminal according to claim 1, wherein the image transmission terminal captures an image of each monitored area and outputs image information, and encodes image information from the image input device and outputs the encoded image information to the image multiplexing unit. An image encoding device, and priority display request input means for issuing a priority display request level by detecting occurrence of an abnormality in the monitoring area, wherein image information obtained by photographing the monitoring area and priority display corresponding to the image information are provided. 2. The image monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the requested level is output and multiplexed. 3. A plurality of image transmitting terminals for outputting image information from a predetermined monitoring area and issuing a priority display request level based on a situation obtained from each monitoring area, and a priority display from each image transmitting terminal. A priority determining unit that determines the display priority based on the request level and outputs the priority information; and the image information output from the image transmitting terminal and the corresponding priority information obtained from the priority determining unit. An image multiplexing unit for multiplexing and transmitting, and an image receiving terminal for receiving the image information and the priority order information and displaying the image information on a monitor in a multi-window manner. An image surveillance system characterized by performing multi-display from the front in descending order of priority based on a display request level.