Monitoring system, monitoring method, computer program, and storage medium

• US 20040027453A1
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Hiroyuki, Nedu, Hiroshi, Kurebayashi, Masaaki, Kuroya, Takeyoshi, Hama, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 7,218,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• 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 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound

Abstract

A coverage area picture imaging a maximum area is displayed on a coverage area picture display. A camera is moved within a predetermined range and a plurality of frames obtained as a result form a picture. The pixels of the picture is decimated in vertical and horizontal directions and form a thumbnail as the coverage area picture. The coverage area picture display presents a display indicating a direction in which the camera is currently directed for picture photographing. In accordance with the display, a photographing direction is controlled. A plurality of frames are photographed with respect to a designated position, then stored, and displayed. A whole picture display presents a whole panorama picture. A selective picture display presents a frame at the position designated within the whole panorama picture as a selected picture.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a picture photographing unit for photographing a picture;

a photographing direction varying unit for varying a photographing direction of the picture photographing unit;

a storage unit for storing picture data;

a picture display unit; and

a controller which stores, in the storage unit, one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in the photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of the photographing direction varying unit and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and displays, on the picture display unit, a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture,

wherein a picture within the predetermined coverage area is photographed with the picture photographing direction varied, the coverage area picture is displayed on the picture display unit, the photographing direction is controlled to a desired position by designating the desired position within the coverage area picture, and the whole panorama picture captured with respect to the designated position is displayed on the picture display unit.

2. A monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the whole panorama picture and the coverage area picture are displayed on different regions of the picture display unit.

3. A monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the number of still frame pictures captured with respect to the designated position is set.

4. A monitoring method for storing one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of a photographing direction varying unit varying a photographing direction of a picture photographing unit, and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and for displaying a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture, the monitoring method comprising the steps of:

photographing the coverage area picture with the photographing direction varied to display the coverage area picture; and

controlling the photographing direction to a desired position by designating the desired position within the coverage area picture to display the whole panorama picture captured with respect to the designated position.

5. A monitoring method according to claim 4, wherein the whole panorama picture and the coverage area picture are displayed on different regions of a picture display unit.

6. A monitoring method according to claim 4, wherein the number of still frame pictures captured with respect to the designated position is set.

7. A computer executable program for storing one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of a photographing direction varying unit varying a photographing direction of a picture photographing unit, and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and for displaying a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture, the computer executable program comprising program codes for performing the steps of:

photographing the coverage area picture with the photographing direction varied to display the coverage area picture; and

controlling the photographing direction to a desired position by designating the desired position within the coverage area picture to display the whole panorama picture captured with respect to the designated position.

8. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer executable program for storing one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of a photographing direction varying unit varying a photographing direction of a picture photographing unit, and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and for displaying a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture, the computer executable program comprising program codes for performing the steps of:

photographing a coverage area picture with the photographing direction varied to display the coverage area picture; and

controlling the photographing direction to a desired position by designating the desired position within the coverage area picture to display the whole panorama picture captured with respect to the designated position.

9. A monitoring system comprising:

a picture photographing unit for photographing a picture;

a photographing direction varying unit for varying a photographing direction of the picture photographing unit;

a storage unit for storing picture data;

a picture display unit; and

a controller which stores, in the storage unit, one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in the photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of the photographing direction varying unit and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and displays, on the picture display unit, a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture,

wherein an arbitrary point of the picture display unit is indicated,

only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point is photographed by the picture photographing unit, and

the photographed still frame picture is displayed on the picture display unit at a predetermined position thereof.

10. A monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein a process cycle of photographing only the still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point through the picture photographing unit and a process cycle of displaying the photographed still frame picture on the picture display unit at a predetermined position thereof are repeatedly performed.

11. A monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the photographed still frame picture is stored in the storage unit.

12. A monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein a process cycle of photographing only the still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point through the picture photographing unit, a process cycle of storing the photographed still frame picture on the storage unit, and a process cycle of displaying the photographed still frame picture on the picture display unit at the predetermined position thereof are repeatedly performed.

13. A monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein when the arbitrary point of the picture display unit is indicated, the arbitrary point is indicated on the whole panorama picture showing a border of the still frame picture photographed by the picture photographing unit.

14. A monitoring system comprising:

a picture photographing unit for photographing a picture;

a photographing direction varying unit for varying a photographing direction of the picture photographing unit;

a storage unit for storing picture data;

a picture display unit; and

a controller which stores, in the storage unit, one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in the photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of the photographing direction varying unit and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and displays, on the picture display unit, a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture,

wherein an arbitrary point of the picture display unit is indicated,

only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point is read from one of the source picture and the compressed picture stored in the storage unit, and

the read still frame picture is displayed on the picture display unit at a predetermined position thereof.

15. A monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein when the still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point is read, one of the source picture and the compressed picture, stored in the storage unit, is designated with which a reading operation starts,

the source pictures and compressed pictures are successively read in a retrospective order from the picture designated to start the reading operation with to older pictures, and

only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point is read from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture each time each of the source picture and the compressed picture is read.

16. A monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein when the still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point is read, one of the source picture and the compressed picture, stored in the storage unit, is designated with which a reading operation starts,

the source pictures and compressed pictures are successively read in a forward order to current time from the picture designated to start the reading operation with, and

only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point is read from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture each time each of the source picture and the compressed picture is read.

17. A monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein when the still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point is read, one of the source picture and the compressed picture, stored in the storage unit, is designated with which a reading operation starts,

one of the source picture and the compressed picture, stored in the storage unit, is designated with which a reading operation ends,

the source pictures and the compressed pictures are successively read from the picture designated to start the reading operation to the picture designated to end the reading operation, and

only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point is read from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture each time each of the source picture and the compressed picture is read.

18. A monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein when the arbitrary point of the picture display unit is indicated, the arbitrary point is indicated on the whole panorama picture showing a border of the still frame picture photographed by the picture photographing unit.

19. A monitoring method for storing one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of a photographing direction varying unit varying a photographing direction of a picture photographing unit, and a picture which is obtained by compressing source picture, and for displaying a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture, the monitoring method comprising the steps of:

indicating an arbitrary point within the whole panorama picture;

photographing only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point; and

displaying the photographed still frame picture in the whole panorama picture at a predetermined position therewithin.

20. A monitoring method according to claim 19, wherein the photographing step and the displaying step are repeatedly performed.

21. A monitoring method according to claim 19, further comprising a storage step of storing the photographed still frame picture.

22. A monitoring method according to claim 21, wherein the photographing step, the storage step and the displaying step are repeatedly performed.

23. A monitoring method according to claim 19, wherein the arbitrary point indicating step comprises indicating the arbitrary point on the whole panorama picture showing a border of the photographed still frame picture.

24. A monitoring method for storing one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of a photographing direction varying unit varying a photographing direction of a picture photographing unit, and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and for displaying a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture, the monitoring method comprising the steps of:

indicating an arbitrary point within the whole panorama picture;

reading only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point from the stored source pictures and the stored compressed pictures; and

displaying the read still frame picture in the whole panorama picture at a predetermined position therewithin.

25. A monitoring method according to claim 24, wherein the reading step comprising:

designating one of the source picture and the compressed picture, stored in the storage unit, with which a reading operation starts,

successively reading the source pictures and compressed pictures in a retrospective order from the picture designated to start the reading operation with to older pictures, and

reading only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point from one of the source picture and the compressed picture each time each of the source picture and the compressed picture is read.

26. A monitoring method according to claim 24, wherein the reading step comprising:

designating one of the source picture and the compressed picture, stored in the storage unit, with which a reading operation starts,

successively reading the source pictures and compressed pictures in a forward order to current time from the picture designated to start the reading operation with, and

reading only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point from one of the source picture and the compressed picture each time each of the source picture and the compressed picture is read.

27. A monitoring method according to claim 24, wherein the reading step comprising:

designating one of the source picture and the compressed picture, stored in the storage unit, with which a reading operation starts,

designating one of the source picture the compressed picture, stored in the storage unit, and with which a reading operation ends,

successively reading the source pictures and the compressed pictures from the picture designated to start the reading operation to the picture designated to end the reading operation, and

reading only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point from one of the source picture and the compressed picture each time each of the source picture and the compressed picture is read.

28. A monitoring method according to claim 24, wherein the arbitrary point indicating step comprises indicating the arbitrary point on the whole panorama picture showing a border of the photographed still frame picture.

29. A computer executable program for storing one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of a photographing direction varying unit varying a photographing direction of a picture photographing unit, and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and for displaying a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture, the computer executable program comprising program codes for performing the steps of:

indicating an arbitrary point within the whole panorama picture;

photographing only a still frame picture at -the indicated arbitrary point; and

displaying the photographed still frame picture in the whole panorama picture at a predetermined position therewithin.

30. A computer executable program for storing one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of a photographing direction varying unit varying a photographing direction of a picture photographing unit, and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and for displaying a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture, the computer executable program comprising program codes for performing the steps of:

indicating an arbitrary point within the whole panorama picture;

reading only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point from the stored source pictures and the stored compressed pictures; and

displaying the read still frame picture in the whole panorama picture at a predetermined position therewithin.

31. A storage medium storing a computer executable program for storing one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of a photographing direction varying unit varying a photographing direction of a picture photographing unit, and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and for displaying a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture, the computer executable program comprising program codes for performing the steps of:

indicating an arbitrary point within the whole panorama picture;

photographing only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point; and

displaying the photographed still frame picture in the whole panorama picture at a predetermined position therewithin.

32. A storage medium storing a computer executable program for storing one of a source picture including a plurality of still frame pictures photographed in photographing directions within a predetermined coverage area within a predetermined range of a photographing direction varying unit varying a photographing direction of a picture photographing unit, and a picture which is obtained by compressing the source picture, and for displaying a whole panorama picture generated from the one of the source picture and the compressed picture, the computer executable program comprising program codes for performing the steps of:

indicating an arbitrary point within the whole panorama picture;

reading only a still frame picture at the indicated arbitrary point from the stored source pictures and the stored compressed pictures; and

displaying the read still frame picture in the whole panorama picture at a predetermined position therewithin.