WO2009017336A2

WO2009017336A2 - Method for remote monitoring and apparatus for providing video for remote monitoring

Info

Publication number: WO2009017336A2
Application number: PCT/KR2008/004354
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sook Hyeon Chang; Sun Young Kim; Jung Il Kim
Original assignee: Spreadtelecom Inc
Priority date: 2007-07-27
Filing date: 2008-07-25
Publication date: 2009-02-05
Also published as: KR20090011865A; WO2009017336A3

Abstract

Provided are a remote monitoring method and an apparatus for providing video images for remote monitoring. The remote monitoring method includes (a) automatically transmitting, by a monitoring video providing device, an event occurrence message to a pre-registered video communication terminal when motion of a previously set monitored object is sensed; (b) initiating, by a user of the video communication terminal, a video call directed to the monitoring video providing device in response to the event occurrence message; (c) requesting, by the monitoring video providing device, the video communication terminal connected via the video call to provide a password on a guide message; (d) determining, by the monitoring video providing device, whether the password received from the video communication terminal matches a pre-registered password; and (e) when the passwords match, providing, by the monitoring video providing device, real-time video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal via the established video call. It is possible to conveniently monitor a specific object from a remote location at low cost without modification of a network structure or addition of complex equipment.

Description

METHOD FOR REMOTE MONITORING AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING VIDEO FOR REMOTE MONITORING

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to remote monitoring, and more particularly, to a remote monitoring method and an apparatus for providing video images for remote monitoring that are capable of conveniently monitoring a specific object from a remote location at low cost without modification of a network structure or addition of complex equipment. Background Art

[2] Cameras are normally installed for monitoring an object, such as a specific place, from a remote location of a user. When the remote location of the user is distant from the cameras, installation of the cameras is difficult and costly. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[3] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a remote monitoring method and an apparatus for providing video images for remote monitoring that are capable of conveniently monitoring a specific object from a remote location at low cost without modification of a network structure or addition of complex equipment.

[4]

Technical Solution

[5] The present invention provides a remote monitoring method comprising: (a) automatically transmitting, by a monitoring video providing device, an event occurrence message to a pre-registered video communication terminal when motion of a previously set monitored object is sensed; (b) initiating, by a user of the video communication terminal, a video call directed to the monitoring video providing device in response to the event occurrence message; (c) requesting, by the monitoring video providing device, the video communication terminal connected via the video call to provide a password on a guide message; (d) determining, by the monitoring video providing device, whether the password received from the video communication terminal matches a pre-registered password; and (e) when the passwords match, providing, by the monitoring video providing device, real-time video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal via the established video call.

[6] The present invention also provides an apparatus for providing video images for remote monitoring, the apparatus comprising: a video acquisition unit for imaging a previously set monitored object to acquire video data; an event sensor for sensing oc- currence of a predetermined monitoring-related event; a message transmitter for automatically transmitting an event report message to a pre-registered video communication terminal to report the sensed event occurrence; and a video provider for transmitting video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal via a video call from the video communication terminal when the video call is established via a wireless switched network in response to the event occurrence message. [7] The present invention also provides an apparatus for providing video images for remote monitoring, the apparatus comprising: a video acquisition unit for imaging a previously set monitored object to acquire video data; an event sensor for sensing occurrence of a predetermined monitoring-related event; and a video provider for automatically initiating a video call directed to a pre-registered video communication terminal via a wireless switched network when the event occurrence is sensed by the event sensor, and transmitting video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal via the wireless switched network.

Advantageous Effects

[8] According to the present invention, it is possible to conveniently monitor a specific object from a remote location at low cost without modification of a network structure or addition of complex equipment. Specifically, a user can always monitor the interior of his or her home or office, or a building, from a remote location in real time.

[9]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[10] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[11] FIG. 1 illustrates a remote monitoring system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[12] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a remote monitoring method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Mode for the Invention

[13] The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure is thorough, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[14] FIG. 1 illustrates a remote monitoring system according to an exemplary em- bodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a monitoring video providing device 100, a wireless switched network 110, and a video communication terminal 120.

[15] Basically, the monitoring video providing device 100 provides video data for a monitored object to the video communication terminal 120 of a remote user via the wireless switched network 110. Accordingly, the remote user can observe the monitored object on a liquid crystal display (LCD) of the video communication terminal 120. Here, the monitored object may be determined by a specific place where the monitoring video providing device 100 is disposed or a direction in which an imaging module of the monitoring video providing device 100 is pointed. The monitored object is set in the monitoring video providing device 100 in advance.

[16] Meanwhile, it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the wireless switched network 110 may include a base station (not shown) and a switch center (not shown). The base station and the switch center connect the monitoring video providing device 100 with the video communication terminal 120 to establish a video call or transmission and reception of various messages (e.g., a short message service (SMS) message).

[17] Referring to FIG. 1, the monitoring video providing device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a video acquisition unit 150, an event sensor 152, a message transmitter 154, an authentication unit 156, and a video provider 158.

[18] First, operation of the monitoring video providing device 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment will be described.

[19] The video acquisition unit 150 acquires video data by imaging a previously set monitored object. The video acquisition unit 150 may perform an operation corresponding to an imaging control signal received from the video communication terminal 120. Here, examples of the imaging control signal may include zoom in, zoom out, volume up, volume down, etc. Besides, the monitoring video providing device 100 may receive a setting control signal for setting various information elements, or a reset control signal for initialization from the video communication terminal 120 and perform corresponding operation. These control signals will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

[20] The event sensor 152 senses occurrence of a predetermined monitoring-related event.

Here, examples of the predetermined monitoring-related event may include motion of the monitored object, and arrival of a monitoring start time point included in monitoring time information set previously by a user, the monitoring time information including the monitoring start time point and a monitoring end time point. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

[21] Examples of a method for detecting motion of the monitored object may include a method for analyzing video data acquired by the video acquisition unit 150, and a method for using a motion sensor. However, it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that other methods may be employed.

[22] The message transmitter 154 automatically transmits an event report message to a pre-registered video communication terminal to report the sensed event occurrence. Here, the event report message may be a short message service (SMS) message.

[23] When a video call from the video communication terminal 120 is established over the wireless switched network 110 in response to the event occurrence message, the video provider 158 transmits video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal 120 via the established video call.

[24] For example, when occurrence of an event of the monitored object moving is sensed by the event sensor 152, the message transmitter 154 notifies the user of the event occurrence, and the video provider 158 transmits real-time video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal 120 of the user via the established video call, which is initiated by the user.

[25] In another example, when the monitoring time information, including the monitoring start time point and the monitoring end time point, is previously set in the monitoring video providing device 100, the event sensor 152 senses arrival of the monitoring start time point, and the message transmitter 154 transmits a message to the user at at least one of the monitoring start time point and the monitoring end time point to notify the user of the event occurrence. The message transmitter 154 may transmit the above message to the user at the monitoring start time point and the monitoring end time point. The video acquisition unit 150 images the monitored object from the previously set monitoring start time point to the previously set monitoring end time point and stores video data. The video provider 158 transmits the stored video data to the video communication terminal 120 of the user via the established video call, which is initiated by the user.

[26] The authentication unit 156 may authenticate the video communication terminal 120 or the user of the video communication terminal 120. When the authentication is successful, the video provider 158 transmits the video data to the video communication terminal 120. Here, one example of the authentication is password-based authentication. That is, in a state where the video call is established, the monitoring video providing device 100 transmits a password request guide message to the video communication terminal 120, and the user listens to the guide message and inputs a password to the video communication terminal 120 to be delivered to the monitoring video providing device 100. The monitoring video providing device 100 determines whether the user is authorized based on whether the received password matches a pre-registered password.

[27] Operation of the monitoring video providing device 100 according to a second exemplary embodiment will now be described with reference to FIG. 1. The video call in the first exemplary embodiment is initiated by the video communication terminal 120 of the user while a video call in the second exemplary embodiment is initiated by the monitoring video providing device 100.

[28] As a result, the monitoring video providing device 100 according to the second exemplary embodiment may not include the message transmitter 154 of FIG. 1. Functions and operations of the video acquisition unit 150, the event sensor 152, and the authentication unit 156 are as described above.

[29] When occurrence of a predetermined monitoring-related event is sensed by the event sensor 152, the video provider 158 automatically initiates a video call directed to the pre-registered video communication terminal 120 via the wireless switched network, and transmits video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal 120 via the wireless switched network. For example, when the predetermined monitoring-related event is motion of the monitored object, the video provider 158 automatically initiates the video call directed to the video communication terminal 120 immediately after the event occurrence is sensed. The video provider 158 then provides real-time video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal 120 via the established video call. In an another example, when the predetermined monitoring-related event is arrival of the monitoring start time point included in the previously set monitoring time information, which includes the monitoring start time point and the monitoring end time point, the video provider 158 automatically initiates the video call directed to the video communication terminal 120 at a report time point previously set by the user. The video provider 158 then provides the stored video data obtained by imaging the monitored object from the previously set monitoring start time point to the previously set monitoring end time point, to the video communication terminal 120 via the established video call.

[30] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a remote monitoring method in the monitoring video providing device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[31] According to the present invention, the user must install the monitoring video providing device 100 at a desired monitoring place. The user then must make a call to the monitoring video providing device 100 present at the monitoring place using the remote video communication terminal 120 present at a remote location of the user. In this case, when the monitoring video providing device 100 is video-called, the camera is activated and video data is transmitted from the monitoring place in real time. This will now be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2. [32] First, when the monitoring video providing device 100 is powered on, the process proceeds to step S201. In step S201, the motion sensor is in an idle state in which it periodically determines whether any motion is sensed from the monitoring place where the motion sensor is located (S202). When no motion is sensed (S202), the process returns to step S201. When motion is sensed (S202), the monitoring video providing device 100 forwards an SMS message to a pre-registered number to report that the motion is sensed (S203) and returns to step S201 where it remains in the idle state.

[33] After confirming the SMS message forwarded from the monitoring video providing device 100, the user initiates a video call to the monitoring video providing device 100. When receiving the video call (S204), the monitoring video providing device 100 automatically establishes communication and transmits a message stored therein, e.g., a guide message, input your password (S205), and proceeds to step S206. The user listens to the guide message and inputs a pre-registered password. The monitoring video providing device 100 receives the password and determines whether it matches a pre-registered password (S206). When the passwords do not match (S206), the monitoring video providing device 100 returns to step S205, and when the passwords do match (S206), the monitoring video providing device 100 proceeds to step S207 and transmits the monitoring video data, initiating the video communication.

[34] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the remote user may transmit a control signal to the monitoring video providing device 100 through a predetermined key input on the video communication terminal 120. The monitoring video providing device 100 performs an operation corresponding to the control signal. This process will be described in step S208 and subsequent steps. While in this exemplary embodiment, the control signal is described as being received after step S207 (i.e., while the video data is being provided), it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the control signal may be received in another step, depending on the nature of the control signal.

[35] Steps S209, S211, S212, and S213 will now be described with reference to cases in which the control signals received in step S208 are an imaging control signal (e.g., zoom in, zoom out, volume up, and volume down), various setting control signals (e.g., to change a password, to activate the sensor, and to set an SMS receive number), a reset control signal, and a video communication termination control signal, respectively, according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[36] In step S207, the user presses a zoom button (a predefined button) of the video communication terminal 120 in order to zoom in or out on the monitoring place after confirming video data from the monitoring place. The video communication terminal 120 transmits a signal corresponding to the pressed zoom button. In step S208, the monitoring video providing device 100 receives this signal, sets to perform zoom imaging at the monitoring place (S209), and then proceeds to step S207. As a result, the user can view zoom video data from the monitoring place on the LCD.

[37] In step S207, the user presses a volume up/down button (a predefined button) of the video communication terminal 120 in order to increase or decrease sound volume at the monitoring place. The video communication terminal 120 transmits a signal corresponding to the pressed volume up/down button. In step S208, the monitoring video providing device 100 receives this signal, sets to increase or decrease the volume of sound data input through a microphone at the monitoring place (S209), and proceeds to step S207. As a result, the user can listen to the changed volume from the monitoring place through the video communication terminal 120.

[38] In step S207, the user presses a setting button (a predefined button) of the video communication terminal 120 in order to change a password previously set in the monitoring video providing device 100, inputs a previous password and a new password on a call forwarding password change item, and transmits the passwords. In step S208, the monitoring video providing device 100 receives a signal corresponding to the password change and proceeds to step S211. In step S211, the monitoring video providing device 100 determines whether the received password matches the stored password. When the passwords match, the monitoring video providing device 100 sets the new password, transmits a message to the user reporting the password change, and proceeds to step S207. The message indicating the password change is displayed on the LCD of the video communication terminal 120 so that the user can confirm that the password change was successful.

[39] In step S207, the user presses a setting button (a predefined button) of the video communication terminal 120, inputs setting or release information on a motion-sensor setting item, and transmits the information in order to reset activation/deactivation of the motion sensor, which is previously set in the monitoring video providing device 100. In step S208, the monitoring video providing device 100 receives a motion sensor setting signal and proceeds to step S211. In step S211, the monitoring video providing device 100 changes a current setting of the motion sensor according to the received signal, sends a message to the user reporting the setting change, and proceeds to step S207. The message indicating the setting change of the motion sensor is displayed on the LCD of the video communication terminal 120, such that the user can confirm whether the motion sensor setting is successful.

[40] In step S207, the user presses a setting button (a predefined button) of the video communication terminal 120, inputs a desired number on an SMS receive number setting item, and transmits it in order to reset an SMS receive number (a telephone number to which an SMS message is forwarded when the motion sensor senses motion) previously set in the video monitoring device. In step S208, the monitoring video providing device 100 receives a signal corresponding to the SMS reception telephone number, and proceeds to step S211. In step S211, the monitoring video providing device 100 changes a current SMS receive number into the new number, sends a message indicating the number change to the user, and proceeds to step S207. The message indicating the change in the SMS reception telephone number is displayed on the LCD of the video communication terminal 120, such that the user confirms whether the SMS receive number is changed.

[41] In step S207, the user presses a predefined reset button of the video communication terminal 120 in order to initialize the monitoring video providing device 100. The video communication terminal 120 provides a message to the user to input a password for initializing the monitoring video providing device 100. The user inputs a password set in the video monitoring device and transmits it. In step S208, the monitoring video providing device 100 receives an initialization control signal and proceeds to step S212. In step S212, the monitoring video providing device 100 determines whether the password included in the received initialization control signal matches the stored password. If the passwords do not match, the monitoring video providing device 100 sends a message indicating password mismatch to the user and proceeds to step S207. If the passwords match, the monitoring video providing device 100 initializes the monitoring video providing device 100, sends a message to the user to indicate whether the initialization is successful, and returns to step S205. The message indicating whether the initialization is successful is displayed on the LCD of the video communication terminal 120, such that the user can confirm whether initialization of the video monitoring device is successful. In step S205, the user must input the initialized password again for continuous monitoring.

[42] In step S207, when the user presses a termination button of the video communication terminal 120 in order to terminate monitoring after confirming the video data from the monitoring place, a monitoring termination signal is transmitted to the monitoring video providing device 100 present at the monitoring place. In step S208, the monitoring video providing device 100 receives the monitoring termination signal and then proceeds to step S213. In step S213, the monitoring video providing device 100 terminates the video communication and returns to step S201 and goes back into the idle state.

[43] In this exemplary embodiment, the password input message is transmitted only upon an initial video communication attempt, and sender information is stored in the monitoring video providing device 100, such that monitoring is possible without a password input request after communication is established, unlike the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 (in which the password is required to be input each time video communication is attempted). [44] Although in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, the user must attempt direct communication with the monitoring video providing device 100 present at the monitoring place, the SMS message may be forwarded to the video communication terminal 120 upon monitoring start and termination in a specific period of time designated by the user, and the video data may be stored in the memory after monitoring termination and transmitted upon receipt of a play-back request from the remote video communication terminal 120. Furthermore, the monitoring video providing device 100 present at the monitoring place may automatically attempt video communication with the user for monitoring in a specific period of time designated by the user.

[45] The present invention may be implemented as machine-readable codes on a machine- readable medium. The machine-readable medium includes any type of recording device for storing machine-readable data. Examples of the machine-readable recording medium include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, and an optical data storage. The medium may also be carrier waves (e.g., Internet transmission). The machine-readable recording medium may be distributed among networked machine systems which store and execute machine-readable codes in a decentralized manner. Functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the present invention may be easily inferred by programmers in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[46] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the above exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover all modifications of the above disclosure provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Industrial Applicability

[47] The present invention can be efficiently applied to the field of remote monitoring and is capable of conveniently monitoring a specific object from a remote location at low cost without modification of a network structure or addition of complex equipment.

Claims

[1] A remote monitoring method comprising:

(a) automatically transmitting, by a monitoring video providing device, an event occurrence message to a pre-registered video communication terminal when motion of a previously set monitored object is sensed;

(b) initiating, by a user of the video communication terminal, a video call directed to the monitoring video providing device in response to the event occurrence message;

(c) requesting, by the monitoring video providing device, the video communication terminal connected via the video call to provide a password on a guide message;

(d) determining, by the monitoring video providing device, whether the password received from the video communication terminal matches a pre-registered password; and

(e) when the passwords match, providing, by the monitoring video providing device, real-time video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal via the established video call.

[2] The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises performing an operation corresponding to an imaging control signal received from the video communication terminal and providing the real-time video, the imaging control signal including at least one of zoom in, zoom out, volume up, and volume down.

[3] An apparatus for providing video images for remote monitoring, the apparatus comprising: a video acquisition unit for imaging a previously set monitored object to acquire video data; an event sensor for sensing occurrence of a predetermined monitoring-related event; a message transmitter for automatically transmitting an event report message to a pre-registered video communication terminal to report the sensed event occurrence; and a video provider for transmitting video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal via a video call from the video communication terminal when the video call is established via a wireless switched network in response to the event occurrence message.

[4] The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the predetermined monitoring-related event comprises sensing motion of the monitored object, and the transmitted video data is real-time video data for the monitored object.

[5] The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the predetermined monitoring-related event comprises arrival of a monitoring start time point included in previously set monitoring time information, the monitoring time information comprising the monitoring start time point and a monitoring end time point, the message transmitter transmits the event report message at at least one of the monitoring start time point and the monitoring end time point, and the transmitted video data is obtained by imaging the monitored object from the monitoring start time point to the monitoring end time point.

[6] The apparatus of any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising an authentication unit for authenticating the video communication terminal or a user of the video communication terminal, wherein the video provider transmits the video data to the video communication terminal only when the authentication is successful.

[7] The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the authentication unit performs the authentication based on a password that is received in response to a request for a password from the video communication terminal.

[8] The apparatus of any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the video acquisition unit performs an operation corresponding to an imaging control signal that is received from the video communication terminal and includes at least one of zoom in, zoom out, volume up, and volume down.

[9] An apparatus for providing video images for remote monitoring, the apparatus comprising: a video acquisition unit for imaging a previously set monitored object to acquire video data; an event sensor for sensing occurrence of a predetermined monitoring-related event; and a video provider for automatically initiating a video call directed to a pre- registered video communication terminal via a wireless switched network when the event occurrence is sensed by the event sensor, and transmitting video data for the monitored object to the video communication terminal via the wireless switched network.

[10] The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the predetermined monitoring-related event comprises sensing motion of the monitored object, and the transmitted video data is real-time video data for the monitored object.

[11] The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the predetermined monitoring-related event comprises arrival of a monitoring start time point included in previously set monitoring time information, the monitoring time information comprising the monitoring start time point and a monitoring end time point, the message transmitter initiates the video call at a previously set time point; and the transmitted video data is obtained by imaging the monitored object from the monitoring start time point to the monitoring end time point.

[12] The apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 11, further comprising an authentication unit for authenticating the video communication terminal or a user of the video communication terminal, and the video provider transmits the video data to the video communication terminal only when the authentication is successful.

[13] The apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the video acquisition unit performs an operation corresponding to an imaging control signal received from the video communication terminal, the imaging control signal including at least one of zoom in, zoom out, volume up, and volume down.