Method and system for delivering monitored image signal of sbject to be monitored

• US 20030044046A1
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yoshifumi, Hagiwara, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• 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: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system

Abstract

A monitor transmits the monitored image signals which have been obtained by imaging subjects to be monitored corresponding to terminals of image signals from a plurality of image pickup apparatuses to the corresponding terminals, respectively. At the terminals, the monitored image signals which have been obtained by imaging subjects to be monitored corresponding to the terminals are respectively received to display the monitored image signals thus received, respectively.

Claims

1. A monitored image signal delivering system including a monitoring apparatus for imaging a subject having identification information, a communication network for delivering an image signal obtained from said monitor and a receiver for receiving the image signal delivered through said communication network, said monitored image signal delivering system comprising:

said monitoring apparatus having a camera unit for imaging the subject having the identification information, and a control unit for controlling, based on the identification information of the subject picked up by said camera unit, delivery of the image signal obtained from said camera unit to said communication network; and

said receiver having a receiving unit for receiving the image signal delivered through said communication network, and a display unit for displaying the image signal thus received.

2. A monitored image signal delivering system including a monitor, a communication network, and a plurality of terminals for delivering images obtained through the image pickup using said monitor to said terminals through said communication network, said system comprising:

said monitor having a plurality of image pickup apparatuses for outputting image signals, respectively, and a controller for transmitting the monitored image signals which have been obtained by imaging subjects to be monitored corresponding to said terminals of the image signals from said plurality of image pickup apparatuses to said terminals, respectively; and

said plurality of terminals each having a unit for receiving as its input the monitored image signal which has been obtained by imaging the associated one of the subjects to be monitored corresponding to the associated one of said terminals from said monitor, and a display unit for displaying thereon the monitored image signal thus received.

3. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 2, wherein identification markers corresponding to the subjects to be monitored are attached to the subjects to be monitored, respectively, and

said controller further has a unit for detecting the identification markers attached to the subjects to be monitored, respectively, and a unit for identifying the associated ones of said terminals corresponding to the detected identification markers, wherein said controller transmits the monitored image signals to the identified terminals, respectively.

4. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 3, wherein said identification markers are label identification information corresponding to the subjects to be monitored.

5. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 3, wherein identification markers which are the identification markers corresponding to the subjects to be monitored, respectively, and which can be imaged using said image pickup apparatuses are respectively attached to the subjects to be monitored, and

said monitor further has a unit for detecting the images of the identification markers from the image signals which have been obtained by imaging the identification markers, and a unit for identifying the associated ones of said terminals corresponding to the detected identification markers, wherein said monitor transmits the image signals each having the image of the identification marker in the form of the monitored image signals to the identified terminals.

6. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 5, wherein the identification markers are either identification codes used to specify the subjects to be monitored, respectively, or names of the subjects to be monitored.

7. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 2, wherein members with each of which the passage through a gate is checked are attached to the subjects to be monitored, respectively, and

said monitor further has a gate apparatus for detecting that the member passes through said gate, and said image pickup apparatuses for imaging the subject to be monitored having said detected member attached thereto.

8. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 2, wherein members with each of which the passage through a gate is checked are attached to the subjects to be monitored, respectively, and

said monitor further has a gate apparatus for detecting that the member passes through said gate, and a unit for identifying the subject to be monitored having said detected member attached thereto.

9. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 5, wherein said monitor further includes a memory for storing therein the information of the correspondence relationship between said terminals and the identification markers of the subjects to be monitored, and a unit for transmitting the image signal having the image of the identification marker in the form of the monitored image signal to the identified terminal by referring to said memory.

10. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 2, wherein said monitor further has a unit for obtaining the relative positional relationship between the subjects to be monitored on the monitored image signals and the associated ones of said image pickup apparatuses which imaged the subjects to be monitored on the basis of the monitored image signals, a unit for recording therein the information of the obtained relationship, and a unit for displaying thereon either the positional information of the subjects to be monitored or the position movement information thereof based on the obtained positional relationship.

11. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 2, wherein said monitor further has a unit for image-processing the monitored image signals to detect image areas in which the subjects to be monitored were respectively imaged, and a unit for subjecting the monitoring signals to a predetermined image signal processing in accordance with the detected image areas.

12. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 2, wherein each of said terminals has a unit for setting a reception interval at which the associated one of said terminals receives the monitored image signal of the subject to be monitored corresponding to the terminal of interest, and a unit for transmitting the information of the set reception interval to said monitor, and

said monitor further has a unit for receiving the information of the reception intervals transmitted from said terminals, wherein said monitor transmits the monitored image signals to said corresponding terminals at the transmission intervals corresponding to the received information of the reception intervals corresponding to said terminals.

13. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 2, wherein said monitor further has a unit for selecting the monitored image signals each having a more quantity of information concerned with the associated one of the subjects to be monitored of the plurality of monitored image signals, wherein said monitor transmits the monitored image signals thus selected to said terminals, respectively.

14. A monitored image signal delivering system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the Internet network or a portable wireless telephone network is employed as said communication network, and either a portable wireless telephone terminal or a personal computer is employed as the terminal.

15. A monitor comprising:

a plurality of image pickup apparatuses for outputting image signals, respectively; and

a controller for transmitting the monitored image signal which has been obtained by imaging a subject to be monitored corresponding to a terminal of the image signals from said plurality of image pickup apparatuses to said terminal.

16. A terminal comprising:

a unit for receiving the monitored image signal which has been obtained by imaging a subject to be monitored corresponding to said terminal; and

a display unit for displaying thereon the received monitored image signal.

17. A monitored image delivering method of delivering images which have been obtained through the image pickup using a monitor to terminals through a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting the monitored image signals which have been obtained by imaging subjects to be monitored corresponding to said terminals of a plurality of monitored image signals from said plurality of image pickup apparatuses to said corresponding terminals, respectively; and

receiving the monitored image signals which have been obtained by imaging the subjects to be monitored corresponding to said terminals at said terminals to display the monitored image signals thus received.