IMAGE PROCESSOR, INTRUDER MONITORING APPARATUS AND INTRUDER MONITORING METHOD

• US 20010010542A1
• Filed: 09/18/1997
• Published: 08/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Process Computer Engineering, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Process Computer Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: SUZUKI, HIROSHI, SAITO, TAKESHI, KOBAYASHI, YOSHIKI, TAKAGI, YOICHI, SAKAI, KUNIZO
• Application Number:
  US08/932,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20010010542A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/152
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1961 Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19652 Systems using zones in a single scene defined for different treatment, e.g. outer zone gives pre-alarm, inner zone gives alarm
• 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 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An intruder monitoring apparatus has at least a feature of correcting characteristic quantities by which an object to be monitored is specified, on the basis reference characteristic, when any change occurs in conditions of the video devices and environments. A further feature is provided which a plurality of scenes are monitored periodically by one camera and an image analysis function is driven so as to monitor any intruder only when the camera unit is fixedly directed to a specific scene among the scenes.

Claims

1. An intruder monitoring apparatus comprising:

a monitoring camera for monitoring an object;

an image processor for analyzing an image from said monitoring camera;

a video device controller for controlling video devices including said monitoring camera;

means for managing at least one kind of information selected from a group of video device control information used for controlling the video devices, object characteristic quantity information which is information concerning characteristic quantities of the object, and a topographic information of an area to be monitored;

means for teaching said image processor characteristic quantities of an object; and

means for correcting the characteristic quantities, on the basis of which image analysis is effected, when any change occurs in conditions of the video devices and environments.

2. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the position of a part of the object in contact with the ground surface is measured, and the characteristic quantities of the object is corrected on the basis of a distance between the position of the image object and the center of a scene.

3. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 1

or

2

, wherein reference characteristic quantities of the object are corrected using topographical information of an elevation difference between a set position of said camera and the center of a scene on the ground in a case where only the zoom of said monitoring camera is changeable, with any other conditions of video devices and environments being fixed.

4. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 1

or

2

, wherein reference characteristic quantities of the object are corrected using a data table of topographical information of an elevation difference between a set position of said camera and a position determined by an angle of elevation in a case where only the zoom of said monitoring camera and the angle of elevation are changeable, with any other conditions of video devices and environments being fixed.

5. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 1

or

2

, wherein reference characteristic quantities of the object are corrected using a data table of topographical information of an elevation difference between a set position of said camera and a position corresponding to a camera attitude of vertical and horizontal directions in a case where only the zoom of said monitoring camera and the attitude of said monitoring camera in vertical and horizontal directions are changeable, with any other conditions of video devices and environments being fixed.

6. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein a function is provided that a plurality of different scenes are monitored periodically by said one monitoring camera at fixed position and an image analysis function of said image processor is driven to effect intruder monitoring only when said monitoring camera keep still directed to a specific scene among said plurality of scenes

7. An intruder monitoring apparatus comprising:

a camera unit;

a camera controller for controlling said camera unit so as to take a plurality of scenes with passage of time;

an image processor connected to said camera to receive video signal therefrom and having an image analysis function;

a system controller, connected to said camera controller and said image processor, for controlling said camera controller and said image processor; and

wherein a function is provided that a plurality of different scenes are monitored periodically by said one camera at fixed position and said image analysis function is driven to effect intruder monitoring only when said camera unit is fixedly directed to a specific scene among said plurality of scenes.

8. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein a function of forming a plurality of monitoring areas every scene is provided, and a function of analyzing characteristics quantities of an intruder every monitoring area is provided.

9. An intruder monitoring apparatus for monitoring an intruder or intruders by image analysis, comprising a function of forming a model of intruder on a monitor TV, measuring characteristic quantities of the model to manage the data and using the managed data for intruder evaluation.

10. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 9

, wherein said model forming function provided with an object model icon and a model correction icon which are used for model formation.

11. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 10

, wherein said model forming function has a function of adding a shadow to the model formed.

12. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 10

, wherein a function-of correcting the formed object model on said monitor TV is provided, said object model correcting function includes a function of adding a shadow to the formed model.

13. An intruder monitoring apparatus according to

claim 10

, wherein a function is provided that said characteristic quantities of said object model are corrected by data of date and time determining characteristics of a shadow.

14. An intruder monitoring apparatus comprising:

a camera unit comprising a camera and a mechanism mounting said camera thereon and allowing a shooting direction of said camera to be movable;

a camera controller for controlling said camera unit so that a plurality of scenes can be taken with passage of time;

an image processor connected to said camera to receive video signal therefrom and having an image analysis;

a system controller, connected to said camera controller and said image processor, for controlling said camera controller and said image processor, and wherein there is provided with a function that a plurality of scenes are monitored periodically by said one camera and said image analysis function is driven so as to monitor any intruder only when said camera unit is fixedly directed to a specific scene among said scenes.

15. An image processor for effecting detection by image analysis on the basis of characteristic quantities of an object to be detected, comprising

a device for renewing the characteristic quantities of the object according to shooting conditions when the object is taken in as an image.

16. An intruder monitoring method of monitoring an object using a monitoring camera, analyzing an image of the object from said monitoring camera, controlling various video devices including the monitoring camera, a image processor, managing at least one kind of information selected from a group of video device control information used for controlling the video devices, object characteristic quantity information which is information concerning characteristic quantities of the object, and a topographic information of an area to be monitored, teaching the image processor characteristic quantities of the object, and correcting reference characteristic quantities, on the basis of which image analysis is effected, when any change occurs in conditions of the video devices and environments.

17. A method of monitoring an intruder, using a camera unit, a camera controller for controlling said camera unit so as to take a plurality of scenes with passage of time, an image processor connected to said camera to receive video signal therefrom and having an image analysis function, and a system controller, connected to said camera controller and said image processor, for controlling said camera controller and said image processor,

wherein a plurality of different scenes are monitored periodically by said one camera at fixed position and said image analysis function is driven to effect intruder monitoring only when said camera unit is fixedly directed to a specific scene among said plurality of scenes.

18. An intruder monitoring method according to

claim 17

, wherein a plurality of monitoring areas are formed every scene, and characteristics quantities of an intruder are analyzed every monitoring area.

19. An intruder monitoring method of monitoring an intruder or intruders by image analysis, the method comprising:

forming a model of intruder on a monitor TV;

measuring characteristic quantities of the model to manage the data; and

using the managed data for intruder evaluation.

20. An intruder monitoring method according to

claim 19

, wherein in said model forming, an object model icon and a model correction icon are used for model formation.

21. An intruder monitoring method according to claim 20, wherein in said model forming, a shadow is added to the model formed.

22. An intruder monitoring method according to

claim 20

, wherein the formed object model on said monitor TV is corrected, adding a shadow to the formed model.

23. An intruder monitoring method according to

claim 20

, wherein said characteristic quantities of said object model are corrected by data of date and time determining characteristics of a shadow.

24. An image processing method of effecting detection by image analysis on the basis of characteristic quantities of an object to be detected, comprising a process of renewing the characteristic quantities of the object according to shooting conditions when the object is taken in as an image.