Monitoring system

• US 20030146972A1
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sequr SA
• Original Assignee: Sequr SA
• Inventors: Morander, Karl-Erik
• Application Number:
  US10/239,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20030146972A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/125 by using a video camera to detect fire or smoke

Abstract

The invention relates to a monitoring system (10, 20) for monitoring of at least a fixed but displaceable object in a volume, which object is provided with at least a marking means (13, 13a-13d, 23) in form of a light generating or reflecting device, which system at least comprises an optical recording unit (11, 21) for recording of an image of at least a part of the volume comprising said object provided with the marking means (13, 13a-13d, 23), device for transformation of said image to a digital representation of the same image, means (14) for comparison of the digital representation to a stored data-set, and device for generating a signal at the presence of a deviation at comparison of the digital representation to the stored data-set. The data-set stored at least comprises a two-dimensional stationary coordinate value for the initial position of the marking means (13, 13a-13d), that the system comprises means for extracting at least a stationary coordinate value, which is at least a two-dimensional coordinate value, out of the digital representation for the marking means, whereby said comparison means (14) compares said extracted two dimensional coordinate value to the stored stationary coordinate value.

Claims

1. A monitoring system (10, 20) for monitoring at least one fixed but displaceable object in a volume, which object is provided with at least one marking means (13, 13a-13d, 23) in form of a light generating or representing device, which system at least comprises an optical recording unit (11, 21) for recording an image of at least a part of the volume comprising said object provided with the marking means (13, 13a-13d, 23), device for transferring said image to, a digital representation of the same image, means (14) for comparison of the digital representation to a stored data-set, and device for generating a signal at the presence of a deviation at the comparison of the digital representation with the stored data set,

characterized in

that the stored data-set at least comprises a two dimensional stationary coordinate value for the initial position of the marking means (13, 13a-13d), that the system comprises means for extracting at least a stationary coordinate value, which is at least a two-dimensional coordinate value, out of the digital representation of the marking means, whereby said comparison means (14) compares said extracted two-dimensional coordinate value with the stored stationary coordinate value.

2. A monitoring system (20) as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in

that said object is monitored for uncontrolled displacement.

3. A monitoring system (10) as claimed in claim 1 and 2,

characterized in

that the object is provided with a reflecting marker.

4. A monitoring system (10) as claimed in claim 2 and 3,

characterized in

that a part of the object is used as marking means.

5. A monitoring system (10) as claimed in claim 1-4,

characterized in

that several marking means are arranged on the same object.

6. A monitoring system (20) as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in

that the light intensity of the marking means is also measured.

7. A monitoring system (20) as claimed in claim 6,

characterized in

that the stored data set comprises an initial light intensity.

8. A monitoring system (20) as claimed in claim 6 or 7,

characterized in

that the system is intended as a fire alarm.

9. A monitoring system (20) as claimed in any of the preceding claims,

characterized in

that the system in addition comprises a heat detector.

10. A method for monitoring an object in an volume provided with at least a marking means (13, 13a-13d, 23) in form of a light generating or reflecting device, whereby the method comprises the steps of:

at least arranging one optical sensor unit (11, 21) for recording an image of at least one part of the volume comprising said marking means (13, 13a-13d, 23),

transforming said image to a digital representation of the same image,

comparing the digital representation to a stored data-set,

characterized in

that the method comprises the steps;

at least extracting one coordinate value, which is at least a two-dimensional coordinate value, out of the digital representation of the marking means,

comparing said extracted two-dimensional coordinate value to a stored stationary coordinate value for said marking means by means of said comparison means (14), and

generating a signal at the presence of a deviation at comparison of the extracted coordinate value to the stored coordinate value.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10,

characterized in

that the data comprises a value of the light intensity for said marking means as well.