Monitoring system

• US 20020167587A1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E-C-R Corporation
• Original Assignee: ECR Corporation
• Inventors: Ogasawara, Michiharu
• Application Number:
  US10/103,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20020167587A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An apparatus for observing objects, like crops in a field, to be monitored, in which a remote observer can monitor it whenever he/she wants. The apparatus includes a monitor in the field, an image server far away from the field, and a portable telephone owned by the remote observer, in which they are connected to each other through Internet by wire and wireless. The monitor includes a solar battery, a digital camera for photographing the field, a receiving and transmitting device, and a controller; the image server includes a receiving and transmitting device, and a recorder for storing image data; and the portable telephone includes a receiving and transmitting device, and an image display device. The operation to take a photograph of the field by the digital camera in the monitor is executed by the remote observer handling the portable telephone.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for monitoring a state of growth of crops raised in a cultivated land, comprising:

a monitor device for monitoring the crops, in which the monitor device is set on the cultivated land;

an image server which is set on a place away from the cultivated land; and

a portable terminal device which is owned by an observer who monitors the crops raised in the cultivated land, in which the monitor device, the image server and the portable terminal device are connected to internet,

wherein the monitor device comprises;

an electric power source which includes an electric generator for generating electricity on a basis of natural energy, and includes an electric accumulator for storing the electricity generated by the electric generator;

a photographing device for taking an image of the crops;

an image converter for converting the image taken by the photographing device into an image signal;

a monitor-side receiving and transmitting device for transmitting the image signal by wireless and for receiving a control signal for controlling the photographing device by wireless, with respect to the internet; and

a controller for controlling each of the photographing device, the image converter and the monitor-side receiving and transmitting device,

wherein the image server comprises;

a server-side receiving and transmitting device for receiving and transmitting the image signal with respect to the internet;

a data converter for converting the image signal into image data and for converting the image data into the image signal; and

a recorder for recording the image data,

wherein the portable terminal device comprises;

a portable-side receiving and transmitting device for receiving the image signal from the image server by wireless and for transmitting the control signal by wireless, with respect to the internet;

an image converting device for converting the image signal which is received by the portable-side receiving and transmitting device into the image; and

an image display device for displaying the image, and

wherein the image of the crops taken by the photographing device of the monitor device is displayed on the image display device of the portable terminal device, through the internet.

2. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric generator comprises at least one solar cell.

3. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operation to take the image of the crops executed by the photographing device is performed periodically by a program stored on the controller of the monitor device.

4. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operation to take the image of the crops executed by the photographing device is performed on a basis of the control signal which is transmitted from the portable terminal device.

5. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operation to transmit the image signal by wireless executed by the monitor-side receiving and transmitting device is performed periodically by a program stored on the controller of the monitor device.

6. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operation to transmit the image signal by wireless executed by the monitor-side receiving and transmitting device is performed on a basis of the control signal which is transmitted from the portable terminal device.

7. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photographing device of the monitor device is placed at a high location commanding a view of the crops raised in the cultivated land.

8. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photographing device of the monitor device has a shaking device for shaking an optical system thereof, and has a zooming function to zoom a lens in the optical system.

9. A monitoring system for monitoring at least one object locating in a monitoring region to be monitored, comprising:

a monitor device for monitoring the at least one object, in which the monitor device is placed in the monitoring region;

an image server which is set on a place away from the monitoring region; and

a portable terminal device which is owned by an observer who monitors the at least one object, in which the monitor device, the image server and the portable terminal device are connected to internet,

wherein the monitor device comprises;

an electric power source which includes an electric generator for generating electricity on a basis of natural energy, and includes an electric accumulator for storing the electricity generated by the electric generator;

a photographing device for taking an image of the at least one object;

an image converter for converting the image taken by the photographing device into an image signal;

a monitor-side receiving and transmitting device for transmitting the image signal by wireless and for receiving a control signal for controlling the photographing device by wireless, with respect to the internet; and

a controller for controlling each of the photographing device, the image converter and the monitor-side receiving and transmitting device,

in which the electric power source, the photographing device, the image converter, the monitor-side receiving and transmitting device and the controller are provided on a base part which can be moved,

wherein the image server comprises;

a server-side receiving and transmitting device for receiving and transmitting the image signal with respect to the internet;

a data converter for converting the image signal into image data and for converting the image data into the image signal; and

a recorder for recording the image data,

wherein the portable terminal device comprises;

a portable-side receiving and transmitting device for receiving the image signal from the image server by wireless and for transmitting the control signal by wireless, with respect to the internet;

an image converting device for converting the image signal which is received by the portable-side receiving and transmitting device into the image; and

an image display device for displaying the image, and

wherein the image of the at least one object taken by the photographing device of the monitor device is displayed on the image display device of the portable terminal device, through the internet.

10. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the monitoring region is an event place in which an event is held, and wherein the at least one object is at least one event participant.

11. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the event is held irregularly.

12. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electric generator comprises at least one solar cell.

13. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 9, wherein an operation to take the image of the at least one object executed by the photographing device is performed periodically by a program stored on the controller of the monitor device.

14. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 9, wherein an operation to take the image of the at least one object executed by the photographing device is performed on a basis of the control signal which is transmitted from the portable terminal device.

15. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the base part comprises a carrier for moving the monitor device.

16. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the photographing device of the monitor device is placed at a high location commanding a view of the at least one object in the monitoring region.

17. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the monitor device comprises a supporter for supporting the photographing device at the high location, and

wherein the supporter is a rod-shaped elongate member which has one of a multi-step-connection structure and a multi-step-expansion-and-contraction structure.

18. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the photographing device of the monitor device has a shaking device for shaking an optical system thereof, and has a zooming function to zoom a lens in the optical system.

19. A monitoring system for monitoring at least one target object which locates in a monitor place to be monitored, comprising:

a monitor device for monitoring the at least one target object, in which the monitor device is set in the monitor place;

an image server for receiving data upon an image of the at least one target object, for storing the data, and for transmitting the data; and

a portable terminal device having a display device for displaying the at least one target object, in which a user of the portable terminal device can monitor the at least one target object on the display device,

wherein the monitor device, the image server and the portable terminal device are connected to internet by radio,

wherein the monitor device has an electric power source which comprises a generator for generating electricity on a basis of natural energy and a secondary battery charged by the electricity, in which the monitor device is driven by the electricity,

wherein the portable terminal device has a battery, in which the portable terminal device is driven by electricity of the battery, and

wherein the data upon the image of the at least one target object is transmitted and received by radio.