Remote monitoring system

• US 20020171734A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takao, Arakawa, Hiroshi, Sato, Junichi, Itoh, Tomoaki
• Application Number:
  US10/146,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171734A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Cameras respectively installed at a plurality of homes and a monitoring center of a security service provider for centralized monitoring are connected together via a network. Each camera, which has a programmable internal module configuration, acquires from a module control center a program module for executing, based on video data about a target for monitoring, a recognition process for detection of the occurrence of abnormal events to the monitored target, and link information about the program module, as required.

Claims

1. A remote monitoring system implemented by connecting, via a communications line, image acquisition means for acquiring images of a target for monitoring and a system installed on the side of a central monitoring station,

said image acquisition means comprising:

a transmitting part for transmitting video data about said monitored target,

a receiving part for receiving function change information, and

a module control part for changing, according to said function change information, a programmable internal module configuration.

2. The remote monitoring system of claim 1, wherein said function change information includes information which specifies a program module for realizing a function of said image acquisition means, and link information about said program module.

3. The remote monitoring system of claim 2, wherein said program module includes a module which executes, based on said video data about said monitored target, a recognition process for detection of the occurrence of abnormal events to said monitored target.

4. The remote monitoring system of claim 3, wherein said image acquisition means has, in addition to said function of transmitting said video data about said monitored target, a function of transmitting a result of said recognition process.

5. The remote monitoring system of claim 3, wherein said image acquisition means has a function of transmitting, after reducing said video data about said monitored target, it during the time that no occurrence of an abnormal event to said monitored target is detected.

6. The remote monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising:

a recognition system connected to said communications line,

wherein said recognition system has a function of executing, based on said video data about said monitored target sent from said image acquisition means, a recognition process for detection of the occurrence of abnormal events to said monitored target.

7. The remote monitoring system of claim 6, wherein said recognition system has, in addition to said function of transmitting said video data about said monitored target, a function of transmitting a result of said recognition process.

8. A camera for use in a remote monitoring system for acquiring images of a target for monitoring, said camera comprising:

a transmitting part for transmitting video data about said monitored target,

a receiving part for receiving function change information, and

a module control part for changing, according to said function change information, a programmable internal module configuration.