Surveillance system and image signal processing apparatus

• US 20030202578A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibata, Akira, Nakaya, Wataru
• Granted Patent: US 7,236,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19641 Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Herein disclosed is a surveillance system, comprises: a plurality of imaging units for respectively taking images of specific objects to transform the images into image signals; a plurality of terminal units for respectively displaying thereon the images and producing command signals each indicative of requiring one of the images to be taken by imaging units; an image signal processing apparatus for processing the image signals transformed by the imaging units and operating the terminal units to have the terminal units display the images from the imaging units with the command signals respectively produced by the terminal units; and the image signal processing apparatus including image signal selecting means for selecting one of the image signals from among the image signals respectively transformed by the imaging units; controlling means for controlling the image signal selecting means to allow the image signals to be sequentially selected by the image signal selecting means; image signal encoding means for encoding the image signals sequentially selected by the image signal selecting means to image data; image data compressing means for compressing the image data encoded by the image signal encoding means into compression data; compression data storing means for storing therein the compression data compressed by the image data compressing means; and transmitting means for transmitting to the terminal units the compression data stored by the compression data storing means with the command signals respectively produced by the terminal units.

Claims

1. A surveillance system, comprises:

a plurality of imaging units for respectively taking images of specific objects to transform said images into image signals;

a plurality of terminal units for respectively displaying thereon said images and producing command signals each indicative of requiring one of said images to be taken by imaging units;

an image signal processing apparatus for processing said image signals transformed by said imaging units and operating said terminal units to have said terminal units display said images from said imaging units with said command signals respectively produced by said terminal units; and

said image signal processing apparatus including image signal selecting means for selecting one of said image signals from among said image signals respectively transformed by said imaging units;

controlling means for controlling said image signal selecting means to allow each of said image signals to be sequentially selected by said image signal selecting means;

image signal encoding means for encoding each of said image signals sequentially selected by said image signal selecting means to image data;

image data compressing means for compressing said image data encoded by said image signal encoding means into compression data;

compression data storing means for storing therein said compression data compressed by said image data compressing means; and

transmitting means for transmitting to said terminal units said compression data stored by said compression data storing means with said command signals respectively produced by said terminal units.

2. A surveillance system as set forth in claim 1, in which said compression data storing means includes a plurality of memory units for respectively storing said compression data therein;

said memory units are respectively operative to assume two different modes including first and second modes, said first mode under which said memory units are respectively controlled by said controlling means to have said memory units store said compression data compressed by said image data compressing means therein based on a predetermined allocation of said memory units for said compression data, and said second mode under which said memory units are respectively controlled by said controlling means to have said memory units output said compression data to said transmitting means with said command signals produced by said terminal units.

3. A surveillance system as set forth in claim 2, which further comprises compression data recording means for recording therein said compression data to be received by said transmitting means from said compression data storing means, and in which said controlling means is operative to control said compression data recording means to have said compression data recording means record therein said compression data to be received by said transmitting means from said memory units when said memory units are respectively controlled by said controlling means to have said memory units output said compression data to said transmitting means with said command signals produced by said terminal units with said command signals produced by said terminal units.

4. A surveillance system as set forth in claim 1, in which said image signal selecting means is constituted by a plurality of switching circuits each having an input terminal and an output terminal;

said switching circuits are respectively operative to receive said image signals from said imaging units through said input terminals, and output said image signals received from said imaging units to said image signal encoding means through said output terminals;

said switching circuits are respectively operative to assume two different modes including “

ON” and

“

OFF”

modes, said “

ON”

mode under which said input terminal is electrically connected with said output terminal, and said “

OFF”

mode under which said input terminal is not electrically connected with said output terminal; and

said image signal selecting means is operative to select one of said image signals from among said image signals received from said imaging units under the condition that said switching circuits are respectively controlled by said controlling means to allow one of said switching circuits to be in said “

ON”

mode.

5. An image signal processing apparatus to be provided between an imaging apparatus for taking images of specific objects to transform said images into image signals, and a terminal apparatus for displaying said images thereon and producing command signals to display thereon at least one of said images to be transformed by said imaging apparatus, comprising:

image signal selecting means for selecting one of said image signals from among said image signals respectively transformed by said imaging units;

controlling means for controlling said image signal selecting means to allow each of said image signals to be sequentially selected by said image signal selecting means;

image signal encoding means for encoding each of said image signals sequentially selected by said image signal selecting means to an image data;

image data compressing means for compressing said image data encoded by said image signal encoding means into compression data;

compression data storing means for storing therein said compression data compressed by said image data compressing means;

transmitting means for transmitting to said terminal units said compression data stored by said image data storing means with said command signals respectively produced by said terminal units.

6. An image signal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, in which said compression data storing means includes a plurality of memory units for respectively storing said compression data therein;

said memory units are respectively operative to assume two different modes including first and second modes, said first mode under which said memory units are respectively controlled by said controlling means to have said memory units store said compression data compressed by said image data compressing means therein based on a predetermined allocation of said memory units for said compression data, and said second mode under which said memory units are respectively controlled by said controlling means to have said memory units output said compression data to said transmitting means with said command signals produced by said terminal units.

7. An image signal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 6, which further comprises compression data recording means for recording therein said compression data to be received by said transmitting means from said compression data storing means, and in which said controlling means is operative to control said compression data recording means to have said compression data recording means record therein said compression data to be received by said transmitting means from said memory units when said memory units are respectively controlled by said controlling means to have said memory units output said compression data to said transmitting means with said command signals produced by said terminal units with said command signals produced by said terminal units.

8. An image signal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, in which said image signal selecting means is constituted by a plurality of switching circuits each having an input terminal and an output terminal;

said switching circuits are respectively operative to receive said image signals from said imaging units through said input terminals, and output said image signals received from said imaging units to said image signal encoding means through said output terminals;

said switching circuits are respectively operative to assume two different modes including “

ON” and

“

OFF”

modes, said “

ON”

mode under which said input terminal is electrically connected with said output terminal, and said “

OFF”

mode under which said input terminal is not electrically connected with said output terminal; and

said image signal selecting means is operative to select one of said image signals from among said image signals received from said imaging units under the condition that said switching circuits are respectively controlled by said controlling means to allow one of said switching circuits to be in said “

ON”

mode.