Monitoring system and monitoring method

• US 20040095467A1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Koizumi, Hirokazu
• Application Number:
  US10/468,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20040095467A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/169
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19663 Surveillance related processing done local to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A monitoring system includes a camera section, a request unit and a state data generating unit. The camera section takes a predetermined area for a target person. The request unit issues a state data request to request a state data showing the state of the target person and shows the state data acquired in response to the state data request to the user. The state data generating unit provides the state data showing the presence/absence state of the target person in the predetermined area based on a first image and a second-image in response to the state data request. The first image is taken by a camera section at a first time and the second image is taken by the camera section at a second time after the first time.

Claims

1. A monitoring system may include:

a camera section which takes a predetermined area for the target person;

a request unit which issues a state data request to request a state data showing a state of said target person, and shows said state data acquired in response to the state data request to the user;

a state data generating unit which provides said state data showing a presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on a first image and a second image in response to said state data request, and

wherein said first image is taken by said camera section at a first time and said second image taken by said camera section at a second time after said first time.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring system further comprises a network,

said request unit is provided for a first terminal on a side of said user which is connected with said network,

said state data generating unit is provided for a second terminal connected with said first terminal through said network, to receive said state data request through said network and to transmit said state data to said first terminal.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring system comprises a network and a server connected with said network,

said request unit is provided for a first terminal on a side of said user which is connected with said network,

said state data generating unit is provided for a second terminal connected with said first terminal through said network, to receive said state data request through said network and to store said state data in said server, and

said first terminal acquires said state data from said server.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring system comprises a network,

said request unit is provided for a first terminal on a side of said user which is connected with said network,

said state data generating unit is provided for a second terminal connected with said first terminal through said network, to hold said generated state data, and

said first terminal acquires said state data from said second terminal.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring system comprises a network,

said request unit and said state data generating unit are provided for a first terminal on a side of said user which is connected with said network.

6. The monitoring system according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein said camera section is connected with said state data generating unit through said network.

7. The monitoring system according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein said state data generating unit transmits said state data in one of formats of Web site data and E-mail.

8. The monitoring system according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said state data generating unit comprises:

a request input section which receives said state data request;

a determining section which supplies said state data showing the presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on said first image and said second image in response to reception of said state data request by said request input section; and

a result output section which outputs said state data supplied by said determining section.

9. The monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein said determining section determines the presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on a brightness difference between corresponding pixels of said first image and said second image in response to reception of said state data request by said request input section, and generates said state data showing the result of said determination.

10. The monitoring system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said result output section has a result storage section which stores said state data,

said result output section compares said state data supplied by said determining section as a current state data and the state data stored in said result storage section as a previous state data, and outputs said current state data when said current state data does not coincide with said previous state data.

11. The monitoring system according to any of claims 8 or 10, wherein said state data generating unit comprises:

a statistical data calculating section which calculates a statistical data showing a statistic value of a result of said determination based on said state data.

12. The monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein said statistic data is an absence state percentage

13. The monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein said statistic data is a degree of congestion.

14. The monitoring system according to any of claims 11 to 13, wherein said state data generating unit generates and said state data showing the presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on said first image and said second image and stores in the state data storage section together with a date and time data,

said statistic data calculating section calculates said statistic data based on a time series of said state data and a time series of said date and time data stored in said state data storage section.

15. The monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein said statistic data is a time change of the degree of congestion.

16. The monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein said statistic data is a time change of a congestion place.

17. The monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein said statistic data is a time change of a flow of persons.

18. The monitoring system according to any of claims 1 to 17, wherein said state data generating unit always obtains said second image from said camera section and generates said state data and supplies the latest state data in response to said state data request.

19. The monitoring system according to any of claims 1 to 17, wherein said state data generating unit obtains said second image from said camera section in response to said state data request, and generates said state data and supplies said state data.

20. A monitoring method may include:

(a) taking a predetermined area for a target person as an image, wherein a first image is taken at a first time and a second image is taken at a second time after said first time;

(b) issuing a state data request to request a state data showing a state of the target person;

(c) providing said state data showing a presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on said first image and said second image in response to said state data request; and

(d) showing said state data acquired in response to said state data request won to the user.

21. The monitoring method according to claim 20, wherein said state data is one of formats of a Web site data and E-mail.

22. The monitoring method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein said (c) providing comprises:

(e) receiving said state data request;

(f) supplying said state data showing the presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on said first image and said second image in response to the reception of said state data request; and

(g) outputting the supplied state data.

23. The monitoring method according to claim 22, wherein said (f) supplying comprises:

determining the presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on a brightness difference between corresponding pixels of said first image and said second image in response to the reception of said state data request; and

generating and supplying said state data based on a result of said determination.

24. The monitoring method according to claim 22 or 23, wherein said (g) outputting comprises:

comparing said state data supplied as current state data and a previous state data; and

outputting said current state data, when said current state data does not coincide with said previous state data.

25. The monitoring method according to any of claims 22 to 24, further may include:

calculating a statistical data showing a statistics of the results of said determination based on said state data.

26. The monitoring method according to claim 25, wherein said statistic data is an absence state percentage.

27. The monitoring method according to claim 25, wherein said statistic data is a degree of congestion.

28. The monitoring method according to claim 25, wherein said (f) supplying comprises:

generating said state data showing the presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on said first image and said second image;

holding said state data together with a date and time data, and

said calculating comprises;

calculating said statistic data based on a time series of said state data and a time series of said date and time data stored in a state data storage section. The method of monitoring

29. The monitoring method according to claim 28, wherein said statistic data is a time change of a degree of the congestion.

30. The monitoring method according to claim 28, wherein said statistic data is a time change of a congestion place.

31. The monitoring method according to claim 28, wherein said statistic data is a time change of a flow of persons.

32. The monitoring method according to any of claims 20 to 31, wherein said (a) taking is always carried out,

said (c) providing comprises:

generating said state data from said second image;

supplying the latest state data in response to said the state data request.

33. The monitoring method according to any of claims 20 to 31, wherein said (a) taking is carried out to take said predetermined area for said target person in response to said the state data request;

said (c) providing comprises;

getting said second image in response to said state data request; and

generating and supplying said state data based on said first image and said second image.

35. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein said state data is one of formats of a Web site data and E-mail.

34. A recording medium in which a program is stored for executing a monitoring method, may include:

(a) taking a predetermined area for a target person as an image, wherein a first image is taken at a first time and a second image is taken at a second time after said first time; and

(b) providing said state data showing a presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on said first image and said second image in response to a state data request.

36. The recording medium according to claim 34 or 35, wherein said (b) providing comprises:

(c receiving said state data request;

(d) supplying said state data showing the presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on said first image and said second image in response to the reception of said state data request; and

(e) outputting the supplied state data.

37. The recording medium according to claim 36, wherein said (d) supplying comprises:

determining the presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on a brightness difference between corresponding pixels of said first image and said second image in response to the reception of said state data request; and

generating and supplying said state data based on a result of said determination.

38. The recording medium according to claim 36 or 37, wherein said method comprises

(f) outputting the supplied state data, and

said (f) outputting comprises:

comparing said state data supplied as current state data and a previous state data; and

outputting said current state data, when said current state data does not coincide with said previous state data.

39. The recording medium according to any of claims 36 to 38, wherein said method further comprises:

calculating a statistical data showing a statistics of the results of said determination based on said state data.

40. The recording medium according to claim 39, wherein said statistic data is an absence state percentage.

41. The recording medium according to claim 39, wherein said statistic data is a degree of congestion.

42. The recording medium according to claim 39, wherein said (d) supplying comprises:

generating said state data showing the presence/absence state of said target person in said predetermined area based on said first image and said second image; and

holding said state data together with a date and time data, and

said calculating comprises;

calculating said statistic data based on a time series of said state data and a time series of said date and time data stored in a state data storage section. The method of monitoring

43. The recording medium according to claim 42, wherein said statistic data is a time change of a degree of the congestion.

44. The recording medium according to claim 42, wherein said statistic data is a time change of a congestion place.

45. The recording medium according to claim 42, wherein said statistic data is a time change of a flow of persons.

46. The recording medium according to any of claims 34 to 45, wherein said (a) taking is always carried out,

said (b) providing comprises:

generating said state data from said second image;

supplying the latest state data in response to said the state data request.

47. The recording medium according to any of claims 34 to 45, wherein said (a) taking is carried out to take said predetermined area for said target person in response to said the state data request;

said (b) providing comprises;

getting said second image in response to said state data request; and

generating and supplying said state data based on said first image and said second image.