Image monitoring system and image monitoring program

• US 10,284,772 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2018
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLeod, Marshall M
• Application Number:
  US15/958,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20180241935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 348143
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0806 the signals being two or more video signals H04N7/0803, H04N7/081 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/87 Regeneration of colour television signals H04N9/80 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an image monitoring system including: a camera connected to a network; display means for displaying an image captured by the camera; and display control means for controlling display such that, in displaying images by the display means, an image is displayed in a window having a predetermined layout; wherein the display control means presets an allocation database containing a correlation between the window having a predetermined layout and a camera identification code and, when the camera is connected to the network, automatically sets a correlation between the camera identification code in the allocation database and the camera, thereby controlling image display into the window on the basis of the allocation database.

Claims

1. An image monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of video sources connected to a network;

a display configured to display video images provided by the video sources;

processor circuitry configured to generate layout information to control the display to display the video images in accordance with a layout selected from a plurality of layouts, the layout information defining positions of video images to be displayed in the display; and

a memory configured to store preset information of at least a first layout and correlation information between identification of the plurality of video sources and position information in the first layout;

wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display the plurality of video images in accordance with the preset information stored in the memory.

2. The image monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to control the display to display a list of the plurality of video sources and at least one of the video images on a single screen.

3. The image monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to control the display to display an icon for displaying at least one of the video images on a full screen.

4. The image monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the layout information defines windows in the display;

and wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to control the display to display an icon for selecting a layout which has two or more windows.

5. The image monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to control the display to display an icon for switching contents to be displayed on an entire screen.

6. The image monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of layouts has a first layout and a second layout, wherein the first layout has a first window and a second window of different window sizes, and the second layout has a plurality of third windows having the same size.

7. The image monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein the first window is arranged at a left side of a display screen of the display, and the second window is arranged at a right side of the display screen.

8. The image monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein the second layout is comprised of four third windows displayed as an array of two windows by two windows.

9. The image monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein one of the video sources is a data store, and the processor circuitry is further configured to reproduce video images stored in the data store.

10. The image monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the one of video sources is a camera.

11. The image monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to receive an input for controlling at least one of panning, tilt, and zoom of the camera.

12. The image monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein, the processor circuitry controls the display to display a list of all the selectable display layouts for a selected video image when the processor circuitry receives a command for displaying the video image captured by a selected video source.

13. The image monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to control the display to display a layout setting window, and to receive an input a user input to change the setting of the video sources or the layout.

14. The image monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the network exhibits a configuration that is setup according to the layout information.

15. The image monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the video sources have IP addresses, and wherein the network configuration is setup based on the IP addresses of the plurality of video sources.

16. Image monitoring apparatus, comprising:

processor circuitry configured to generate layout information to control a display to display video images provided by a plurality of video sources in accordance with a layout selected from a plurality of layouts, the layout information defining positions of video images to be displayed in the display; and

a memory configured to store preset information of at least a first layout and correlation information between identification of the plurality of video sources and position information in the first layout;

wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display the plurality of video images in accordance with the preset information stored in the memory.

17. A method of monitoring images provided by a plurality of video sources, comprising:

generating layout information to control a display to display video images provided by the video sources in accordance with a layout selected from a plurality of layouts, the layout information defining positions of video images to be displayed in the display;

storing preset information of at least a first layout and correlation information between identification of the plurality of video sources and position information in the first layout; and

displaying the plurality of video images in accordance with the preset information stored in the memory.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon instructions for controlling a processor for an image monitoring system to:

generate layout information that controls a display to display video images provided by a plurality of video sources in accordance with a layout selected from a plurality of layouts, the layout information defining positions of video images to be displayed in the display;

store preset information of at least a first layout and correlation information between identification of the plurality of video sources and position information in the first layout; and

display the plurality of video images in accordance with the preset information stored in the memory.