Surveillance apparatus having an optical camera and a radar sensor

• US 10,157,524 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2014
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Blech, Marcel, Boehnke, Ralf, Dayi, Furkan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Braniff, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/889,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/187 by interference of a radiation field
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves

Abstract

A surveillance apparatus, a corresponding method, surveillance radar apparatus, computer program, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, the surveillance apparatus including an optical camera that captures images based on received light, the optical camera having a first field of view, a radar sensor that emits and receives electromagnetic radiation, the radar sensor having a second field of view, and wherein the first field of view is variable with respect to the second field of view.

Claims

1. A surveillance apparatus comprising:

an optical camera that captures images based on received light, the optical camera having a first field of view covering a first angular range; and

a radar sensor that emits and receives electromagnetic radiation, the radar sensor having a second field of view covering a second angular range, the radar sensor including a plurality of elements, each of the plurality of elements having a field of view that is less than all of the second field of view and that covers an angular range that is less than all of the second angular range, wherein

the first angular range of the first field of view is variable with respect to the second angular range of the second field of view, and

an orientation of the first field of view is variable to selectively enter the field of view of each of the plurality of elements.

2. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller that controls the optical camera based on radar information obtained with the radar sensor.

3. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical camera further comprises a translucent camera cover.

4. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the camera cover comprises a substantially hemispheric camera dome.

5. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the radar sensor comprises an antenna element arranged on the periphery of the surveillance apparatus.

6. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the radar sensor is adapted to provide a speed of an object relative to the surveillance apparatus.

7. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the camera cover further comprises a translucent antenna.

8. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the translucent antenna comprises an electrically conductive layer comprising at least one of a translucent electrically conductive material and an electrically conductive mesh structure.

9. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

a first electrically conductive layer comprises a ground plane and a second electrically conductive layer comprises an antenna element.

10. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the ground plane comprises a slot for feeding the antenna element.

11. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the camera cover comprises at least one dielectric layer and two electrically conductive layers.

12. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

processing circuitry that processes the captured images of the optical camera and the received electromagnetic radiation of the radar sensor and provides an indication of the detection of the presence of one or more objects.

13. A surveillance radar apparatus for retrofitting an optical surveillance camera, having a first field of view covering a first angular range, the surveillance radar apparatus comprising:

a housing for arrangement of the surveillance radar apparatus at the surveillance camera; and

a radar sensor that emits and receives electromagnetic radiation, the radar sensor having a second field of view covering a second angular range, the radar sensor including a plurality of elements, each of the plurality of elements having a field of view that is less than all of the second field of view and that covers an angular range that is less than all of the second angular range, wherein

the first field of view is variable with respect to the second field of view, and

an orientation of the first field of view is variable to selectively enter the field of view of each of the plurality of elements.

14. The surveillance radar apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the housing of the surveillance radar apparatus encompasses the surveillance camera and an alignment member for aligning a position of the surveillance radar apparatus with respect to the surveillance camera.

15. A surveillance method comprising:

capturing images based on received light with an optical camera, the optical camera having a first field of view covering a first angular range; and

emitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation with a radar sensor, the radar sensor having a second field of view covering a second angular range, the radar sensor including a plurality of elements, each of the plurality of elements having a field of view that is less than all of the second field of view and that covers an angular range that is less than all of the second angular range, wherein

the first angular range of the first field of view is variable with respect to the second angular range of the second field of view, and

an orientation of the first field of view is variable to selectively enter the field of view of each of the plurality of elements.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program product, which, when executed by a processor, causes the method according to claim 15 to be performed.

17. A surveillance apparatus comprising:

an optical camera that captures images based on received light, the optical camera having a first field of view covering a first angular range;

a radar sensor that emits and receives electromagnetic radiation, the radar sensor having a second field of view covering a second angular range, the radar sensor including a plurality of elements, each of the plurality of elements having a field of view that is less than all of the second field of view and that covers an angular range that is less than all of the second angular range, wherein an orientation of the first field of view is variable to selectively enter the field of view of each of the plurality of elements; and

circuitry configured to

detect an object based on the electromagnetic radiation received by the radar sensor; and

change the first angular range of the first field of view based on the detection of the object.

18. The surveillance apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the circuitry is configured to change the first angular range of the first field of view to be narrowed based on the detection of the object.