JPH11259775A - Monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a monitoring system which enables a manager in a remote place to recognize the occurrence of an abnormality in a monitoring area and to accurately specify the abnormal state. SOLUTION: This monitoring system consists of a host computer 1 connected to a terminal computer 2 through a communication line 3 and a wide camera 4 and a zoom camera 5 connected to the host computer 1 and acquires the picture of the monitoring area by the wide camera 4 and compares this picture with a normal picture and recognizes a difference to detect the abnormal state and acquires not only the picture by the wide camera 4 but also the picture of an important point by the zoom camera 5 to transmit these pictures to the terminal computer in the case of the occurrence of the abnormal state. It is good that the operation to instantaneously acquire the picture of the important point, where the difference is recognized, by the zoom camera 5 is consecutively performed, and a sensor 7 may be used.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a monitoring system for notifying an administrator of a remote place when an abnormal situation occurs in a room and for allowing the administrator to visually recognize the abnormal situation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a fixed or swing type camera is known as a nighttime security monitoring device in a financial institution or a supermarket. The image of the camera is usually visually recognized by a manager on a monitor in the manager's room, and recognizes an intruder, a fire, and the like.

Further, as other security monitoring devices, there are known an externally installed sensor that detects an intruder by using a laser beam or an infrared ray to block the light beam, and a sensor for a fire or a gas leak. In the event of an abnormal situation, a notification is made by, for example, issuing an alarm by detecting a sensor.

[0004] However, in the case of monitoring with a video image from a camera, it is necessary for a person to constantly monitor with a monitor, and thus the monitoring equipment is large-scale and requires a great deal of cost.

Further, in the case of a security monitoring device using an alarm using a sensor, the occurrence of an abnormal situation can be recognized by the alarm, but it cannot be visually recognized, so that it is difficult to accurately grasp information on the abnormal situation. .

Further, the above-described security monitoring device is not sufficient for an individual at a remote location to accurately monitor the security target, and it is inconvenient for an individual at home, for example, to monitor the security target. It is.

On the other hand, there is a long-felt need for a security monitoring system that allows a manager at a remote location to always be alert and to identify the occurrence of an abnormal situation accurately while monitoring the security target.
This demand has been remarkable with the increase in crime in recent years.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a low-cost monitoring system that enables a manager at a remote location to recognize the occurrence of an abnormality in a monitoring target and accurately specify the abnormal situation.

[0009]

A surveillance system according to the present invention comprises a host computer connected to a terminal computer via a communication line, and a wide camera and a zoom camera connected to the host computer. An image of the monitoring area is acquired by comparing the acquired image with a normal image stored in the host computer in advance, and by recognizing the difference, an abnormal situation is detected. The camera continues to acquire images, and in the event of an abnormal situation, continues to acquire images with the wide camera and activates the zoom camera to acquire images of important points stored in the host computer in advance. Transmitting an image from a camera and an image from the zoom camera to the terminal computer; And it features.

In the above-mentioned monitoring system, it is preferable that the operation of instantaneously acquiring an image of an important point in which a difference is recognized by comparison between the acquired image of the wide camera and the normal image with the zoom camera is continuously performed.

A monitoring system according to the present invention includes a host computer connected to a terminal computer via a communication line, a wide camera and a zoom camera connected to the host computer, and a sensor connected to the host computer. An abnormal situation is detected by the sensor, the wide camera is operated by the detection to obtain an image of the monitoring area, and the zoom camera is operated to obtain an image of an important point stored in the host computer in advance. And transmitting the image of the wide camera and the image of the zoom camera to the terminal computer.

Further, in the monitoring system, an image of the important point obtained by the wide camera is compared with a normal image of the important point stored in the host computer in advance, and the image of the important point whose difference is recognized is zoomed. It is preferable to perform the operation of obtaining the image instantaneously with the camera continuously.

[0013]

Since the monitoring system has a basic concept of detecting a change in a situation in a specific area by using an image, it can be widely used for purposes other than security, such as monitoring of dangerous substances, livestock, and plants.

Since information on an image is processed and specified by a software sensor or the like, an external sensor such as an infrared sensor may not be used.

[0015] Further, it is possible to instantaneously capture a video in which an abnormal situation has occurred with a zoom camera. For example, since it is possible to take an image to track the action of an intruder, more accurate recognition of the situation of the abnormal situation is possible. Can be performed.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments.

In the surveillance system according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a host computer 1 and a terminal computer 2 are connected via a communication line 3, and a wide camera 4 and a zoom camera 5 are connected to the host computer 1. . When connecting to the communication line 3, a dedicated adapter or the like is used.
The wide camera 4 and the zoom camera 5 are provided in a surveillance area, the host computer 1 is installed in a control room or the like, and the terminal computer 2 is installed in a remote manager's or manager's home.

The host computer 1 comprises an arithmetic unit 1a, a storage unit 1b, an input unit 1c, a display unit 1d, and an output unit 1e. Here, the output device 1e refers to a portion that controls an alarm device, lighting, a camera, and the like connected to the host computer 1. On the other hand, the terminal computer 2 includes an arithmetic unit 2a, a storage unit 2b, an input unit 2c, and a display unit 2d, and is connected to an alarm unit 2e (FIGS. 2 and 3).

In the storage device 1b of the host computer 1, a monitoring program for activating the monitoring system is stored and set, and further, a normal image of the monitoring area, important points taken by the zoom camera 5, an automatic diagnosis program, and the like are stored. The normal image stores at least important points, and a plurality of important points can be set so that an intruder can cope with movement. As will be described later, the automatic diagnosis program checks the rotation of the wide camera 4 at regular intervals, for example, using a sensor or the like.

The host computer 1 converts the normal image of the monitoring area, which is stored and set in advance, and the image obtained by the wide camera 4 described later by image processing into the arithmetic unit 1a.
, The difference between the two images is recognized, and the difference is detected as an abnormal situation. A video capture card is used for the host computer 1. Thereby, for example, intrusion of a moving object can be recognized. Further, the difference data relating to the important point determines an important point to be imaged by the zoom camera 5 described later.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 1, the host computer 1 may be connected to a backup terminal 6 for backup, or may be connected to a light 8 which is turned on all the time or when an abnormal situation occurs, if necessary. Further, a sensor 7 may be attached.

As the communication line 3, a public line, an ISDN line, a PHS or a portable line, a LAN (local area network), a specific frequency radio and the like can be used.
The most suitable one can be selected according to the purpose of use, installation location, and the like of the monitoring system. Further, it is more preferable to use the communication line 3 in combination. For example, public lines and I
When a wired line such as an SDN line is employed, it is predicted that an intruder will cut off the communication line 3 before intruding, and in that case, it is impossible to accurately report an abnormal situation. In order to avoid this, if the wired line is disconnected or if a communication failure is confirmed for some reason, communication is not possible, the self-recognition of the abnormality is performed, and the function to automatically switch to the PHS or mobile line is retained, and an abnormal situation is maintained. Enables accurate reporting.

The wide-angle camera 4 is of a swing type and can be moved up and down and rotated by a motor 4a having a sensor for returning to the origin, so that the whole of the monitoring area can be monitored. The operation and imaging of the wide camera 4 are controlled by the host computer 1, and are set so as to capture an image of the monitoring area while repeating, for example, a fixed rotation operation. The image obtained by the wide camera 4 is transmitted to the host computer 1. In the case where the monitoring area is small, the fixed wide camera 4 can be used.

The zoom camera 5 can be moved up and down and rotated by a motor 5a having a sensor for returning to the origin, and automatically focuses and captures an enlarged or reduced image.
Then, an important point in which a difference is recognized by comparison between the normal image and the image acquired by the wide camera 4 is instructed from the host computer 1, and is controlled by the host computer 1 to image the important point. Since the zoom camera 5 can capture images from a plurality of different viewpoints within the important point, the zoom camera 5 may be rotatable within the important point while focusing on the important point. An image of a point may be taken. The image obtained by the zoom camera 5 is transmitted to the host computer 1. With the imaging of the zoom camera 5, it is possible to shoot and track while automatically changing the direction of the intruder.

The images obtained by the wide camera 4 and the zoom camera 5 are transmitted to the terminal computer 2 via the host computer 1 and the communication line 3. All the transmitted image data is stored in the storage device 2b.

The wide camera 4 and the zoom camera 5 are
It is preferable to use a high-sensitivity camera capable of shooting even without nighttime illumination. Although both cameras may be analog cameras, it is preferable to use digital cameras from the viewpoint of high-accuracy image information, convenience of data processing, and higher transmission speed. Further, in the event of a power failure or intentional power-off, the system is protected by an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) so that minimum information can be transmitted to the terminal computer 2 even if an abnormality occurs in the host computer 1. Has become.

As a modification of the above monitoring system, a configuration is also possible in which the sensor 7 is connected to the host computer 1 and only the sensor 7 is always activated, and the wide camera 4 and the zoom camera 5 are activated when an abnormal situation is detected. Good. As the sensor 7, a sensor 7 for an intruder, a fire, a gas leak, or the like is used as necessary. For example, a sensor that recognizes an intruder by temperature recognition by infrared detection is used. The administrator can specify an abnormal situation according to the type of the sensor 7 being used, and may use a plurality of sensors 7 to recognize any abnormal situation.

Next, a case where the monitoring area is actually monitored by the monitoring system will be described.

First, the host computer 1 is started up with the terminal computer 2 turned on. The execution mode in this case is called a free-run mode. In the free-run mode, each user individually sets parameters such as a monitoring area, important points, a telephone number of a terminal, a communication speed, and a modem command, and stores the parameters in the storage device 1b. In the free-run mode, the communication line 3 is not connected, and the mode of the terminal computer 2 at this time is called a standby mode. As will be described later, the present monitoring system transitions between execution modes such as a free-run mode, a security mode, and an event mode during the execution process.

After that, the host computer 1 starts the monitoring program. The monitoring program is started by an input with a password from the input device 1c, an input with an ID card or a fingerprint collation ID system, or the like. To cancel the monitoring program during the day, stop it by performing the same operation as at the start. Here, an execution mode from the start of the monitoring program to the detection of an abnormal state is referred to as a security mode. When the security mode is set, the monitoring system connects the communication line 3 and transmits a mode switching message from the host computer 1 to the terminal computer 2, and the communication line 3 is disconnected immediately thereafter.

When the monitoring program is started, a command is sent from the host computer 1 and the motor of the wide camera 4 is started. Thereby, the wide camera 4 starts imaging while rotating, and constantly monitors the inside of the monitoring area. Image data from the wide camera 4 is transmitted to the host computer 1.

The image data of at least the important point in the transmitted image data is subjected to image analysis by the host computer 1 and is compared with a normal image stored in advance. This comparison may be performed not only for the important points but also for all the acquired images. Further, the video of the acquired image may be displayed on the display device 1d of the host computer 1 as necessary.

Then, when a difference between the acquired image and the normal image causes an image difference due to an intruder or the like, the difference is detected and the host computer 1 determines that the image is abnormal. When it is determined that an abnormal situation has occurred, the monitoring system transitions to the event mode and transmits the message to the communication line 3.
Is transmitted from the host computer 1 to the terminal computer 2. Here, the event mode refers to an execution mode from when an abnormal situation is detected to when the monitoring program is stopped. In this case, the communication line 3 remains connected thereafter.

At the same time, the host computer 1 issues a command to the terminal computer 2 via the communication line 3 and
e is activated, an alarm is issued, and an image acquired by the wide camera 4 is transmitted. The administrator visually recognizes the captured image of the wide camera 4 on the display device 2d of the terminal computer 2 by the alarm. With this visual recognition, it is possible to accurately grasp the abnormal state, for example, to specify the number of intruders, and it is easy to take specific countermeasures. The administrator sends an abnormal situation confirmation message. Here, the abnormality information is stored in the storage device 2b of the terminal terminal 2 even when there is no confirmation operation by the administrator at the terminal computer 2.

On the other hand, when it is determined that there is an abnormal situation, the zoom camera 5 is activated by a command from the host computer 1 and acquires an image of an important point where a difference between the images is recognized. The image acquired by the zoom camera 5 is transmitted to the host computer 1, and this image data is transmitted to the terminal computer 2 via the communication line 3, and the display device 2 of the terminal computer 2
d. FIG. 4 shows an example of a display screen of the display device 2d.
Shown in Note that an image obtained by the zoom camera 5 may be displayed on the display device 1d of the host computer 1 as necessary. An enlarged image can be obtained by the zoom camera 5, and it is possible to confirm the type of intruder, a human face, the presence or absence of carrying a weapon, and the like.
It is effective in preventing secondary disasters.

The event mode ends with the end of the abnormal situation, the host computer 1 transitions to the free-run mode, and the connected terminal computer 2 enters the standby mode.

In the above-described communication between the host computer 1 and the terminal computer 2, when an abnormal state in the monitoring area is detected and a state in which communication is not possible due to some kind of failure occurs,
The host computer 1 communicates with the backup terminal 6. That is, if the confirmation work by a human has not been performed on the terminal computer 2 even after a certain period of time has elapsed,
Attempt communication to the backup terminal 6. Further, the communication to the backup terminal 6 may be performed at the same time as the communication to the terminal computer 2, or the backup terminal 6 may be installed at a plurality of locations.

An execution mode (remote mode) that can monitor a monitoring area in response to a command from the terminal computer 2 may be provided in addition to the monitoring system. This shifts to the remote mode in response to a request from the terminal computer 2, and temporarily stops the automatic operation of the monitoring system. In the remote mode, the operations of the wide camera 4 and the zoom camera 5 can be controlled by the terminal computer 2, and their images can be transmitted to the terminal computer 2 and displayed on the display device 2d. This is particularly effective when an abnormal situation occurs.

Free run mode, security mode,
The switching to the event mode and the remote mode is not limited to the above, and may be automatic switching or manual, respectively.

Next, a case where a monitoring area is actually monitored by a monitoring system using sensors will be described.

First, in the same manner as described above, the monitoring program is started to operate the sensor 7, and monitoring in the monitoring area is started. In this case, only the sensor 7 is normally operated.
Then, when the sensor 7 detects an abnormal situation, the detection information is transmitted to the host computer 1. This information is transmitted to the terminal computer 2 via the communication line 3, and the alarm device 2e issues an alarm.

On the other hand, the host computer 1 activates the wide camera 4 upon recognition of the detection information, and the image of the wide camera 4 is transmitted to the terminal computer 2 via the communication line 3 with the host computer 1 and the display device of the terminal computer 2 is displayed. 2d is displayed. Preferably, it is preferable that the illumination 8 installed in the monitoring area is automatically turned on based on the detection information.

Then, at least a normal image of the important point stored in advance and an image obtained by the wide camera 4 are compared by image processing, and an image of the important point where a difference is detected by the zoom camera 5 controlled by the host computer 1 is captured. I do.
The image obtained by the zoom camera 5 is displayed on the display device 2d of the terminal computer 2 via the host computer 1 and the communication line 3.

In the monitoring system, an automatic diagnosis program for diagnosing whether the various devices are functioning normally is stored in the storage device 1b. Automatic diagnostic programs include:
It is set to check the response from the digital camera, the brightness of the image taken from the digital camera, the continuity of the lighting, the operation of the motor, the operation of the circuit board, the power supply, the line status, etc. Built in. The automatic diagnosis is performed at the time of transition from the free-run mode to the security mode, when a certain time has elapsed in the security mode, and at the time of commanding automatic diagnosis from the terminal.

When an abnormality is detected as a result of the automatic diagnosis, a warning message with information identifying the abnormal part is transmitted to the terminal computer 2, and the message is displayed with a warning sound. On the other hand, when transmission cannot be performed due to an abnormality in the power supply unit of the host computer 1 or an abnormality in the line, the host computer 1 and the terminal computer 2 themselves output a message with an alarm sound. Based on this information, the cause of the failure is predicted, troubleshooting is shortened including identification of necessary replacement parts, and early recovery from a system down is enabled.

In the automatic diagnosis, when an abnormality is detected in the lighting continuity check and an abnormal state occurs before recovery and the mode is switched to the event mode, backup such as securing abnormal information by flash photography is performed. I have.
The motor operation and the diagnosis of the line state are not performed in the event mode.

[0047]

Since the monitoring system according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, a remote manager at home or the like can immediately recognize the occurrence of an abnormality in a monitoring target and can accurately identify the abnormal situation. There is.

Furthermore, since a personal computer is connected via a communication line to recognize the image of the camera, there is an effect that the cost of the security monitoring device can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a host computer.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a terminal computer.

FIG. 4 is a screen view of a display device of the terminal computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Host computer 2 Terminal computer 3 Communication line 4 Wide camera 5 Zoom camera 6 Backup terminal 7 Sensor 8 Lighting

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Harashima 1761-1, Yanoguchi, Inagi-shi, Tokyo Inside Central Electronics System Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A host computer connected to a terminal computer via a communication line, a wide camera and a zoom camera connected to the host computer, wherein an image of a monitored area is acquired by the wide camera, and the acquisition is performed. The image is compared with a normal image stored in the host computer in advance, and an abnormal situation is detected by recognizing the difference. If there is no abnormal situation, the acquisition of the image by the wide camera is continued. If it occurs, continue to obtain images by the wide camera and operate the zoom camera,
A surveillance system comprising: acquiring an image of an important point stored in a host computer in advance; and transmitting an image obtained by the wide camera and an image obtained by the zoom camera to the terminal computer. 2. The operation according to claim 1, wherein an operation of instantaneously acquiring, by a zoom camera, an image of an important point in which a difference is recognized in a comparison between an image acquired by a wide camera and a normal image is performed. Monitoring system. 3. A host computer connected to a terminal computer via a communication line, a wide camera and a zoom camera connected to the host computer, and a sensor connected to the host computer. Detecting the situation, operating the wide camera by the detection to obtain an image of the monitoring area, operating the zoom camera to obtain an image of an important point stored in the host computer in advance, and A monitoring system for transmitting an image of the zoom camera to the terminal computer. 4. An image of an important point obtained by a wide-angle camera is compared with a normal image of the important point stored in a host computer in advance, and an image of the important point whose difference is recognized is instantaneously captured by a zoom camera. 4. The monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the operation of acquiring the information is performed continuously.