Cradle, security system, telephone, and monitoring method

• US 20040110544A1
• Filed: 10/01/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ando, Tanichi, Oyagi, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,209,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• 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 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/08 with current supply sources at the substations generating ringing current H04M19/04

Abstract

A cradle (10) according to the present invention includes: a telephone supporting section supporting a mobile telephone (11); a connecting section electrically connecting to the mobile telephone (11); a sensor communications section receiving a report from a sensor (12) sensing a state of a monitored area; and a transmission instructing section providing an instruction signal to the mobile telephone (11) via the connecting section to cause the mobile telephone (11) to transmit a content of the report from the sensor (12) to a management center (13).

Claims

1. (Amended) A cradle, characterized in that it comprises:

a telephone supporting section for supporting a telephone;

a connecting section for electrically connecting to the telephone;

a sensor communications section for receiving a report from a sensor sensing a state of a monitored area;

a transmission instructing section for providing an instruction signal to the telephone via the connecting section to cause to externally transmit a content of the report from the sensor; and

a communications circuit for wirelessly communicating with the telephone.

2. The cradle as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a data retrieval section for retrieving data stored in the telephone via the connecting section.

3. The cradle as defined in either one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising an imaging section for capturing an image of the monitored area.

4. The cradle as defined in claim 3, wherein

the transmission instructing section controls an image zoom ratio for the imaging section.

5. The cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 4, further comprising orientation altering means for altering orientation of at least either one of the telephone and the imaging section in accordance with the content of the report received by the sensor communications section.

6. The cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 5, further comprising a destruction sensing section for sensing abnormal vibration or sound thereof as an event possibly leading to destruction.

7. The cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 6, further comprising a sensor instructing section for transmitting, to the sensor, control instruction information for a device to which the sensor is attached.

8. The cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 7, wherein

the sensor communications section wirelessly communicates with the sensor.

9. The cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 8, wherein

the sensor connects to an external communications network.

10. The cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 9, further comprising a detected information storage section for storing a content of sensing by the sensor.

11. The cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 10, wherein

the sensor transmits, to the sensor communications section, identified position information on where an abnormality has occurred in the monitored area.

12. The cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 11, wherein

the telephone is a mobile telephone.

13. A security system, characterized in that it comprises:

a cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 12; and

a managing device including;

information receiving means for receiving information from the cradle; and

information managing means for managing the information received by the information receiving means.

14. A telephone, characterized in that it comprises a cradle communications section for receiving the instruction signal from the transmission instructing section in a cradle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 12.

15. (Amended) A monitoring method, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

receiving, at a sensor communications section provided to a cradle, a report from a sensor sensing a state of a monitored area;

providing an instruction signal to a telephone via a connecting section provided to the cradle for electrically connecting to the telephone, so as to externally transmit a content of the report from the sensor; and

meanwhile, performing wireless transmission between the cradle and the telephone by means of a communications circuit provided to the cradle.

16. The monitoring method as defined in claim 15, further comprising the step of retrieving data stored in the telephone via the connecting section.

17. The monitoring method as defined in either one of claims 15 and 16, wherein

the state of the monitored area is sensed using an imaging section provided to the cradle for capturing an image of the monitored area.

18. The monitoring method as defined in claim 17, wherein

an image zoom ratio for the imaging section is changed to scale up/down the image of the monitored area.

19. The monitoring method as defined in any one of claims 15 through 18, further comprising the step of altering orientation of at least either one of the telephone and the imaging section in accordance with the content of the report received by the sensor communications section.

20. The monitoring method as defined in any one of claims 15 through 19, further comprising the step of sensing abnormal vibration or sound of the cradle as an event possibly leading to destruction.

21. The monitoring method as defined in any one of claims 15 through 20, further comprising the step of transmitting, to the sensor, control instruction information for a device to which the sensor is attached.

22. The monitoring method as defined in any one of claims 15 through 21, wherein

the sensor communications section wirelessly communicates with the sensor.

23. The monitoring method as defined in any one of claims 15 through 22, wherein

the sensor connects to an external communications network.

24. The monitoring method as defined in any one of claims 15 through 23, further comprising the step of storing a content of sensing by the sensor.

25. The monitoring method as defined in any one of claims 15 through 24, wherein

the sensor transmits, to the sensor communications section, identified position information on where an abnormality has occurred in the monitored area.

26. The monitoring method as defined in any one of claims 15 through 25, wherein

the telephone is a mobile telephone.