Surveillance system and surveillance method with cooperative surveillance terminals

• US 20040216165A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Taku, Inata, Keisuke
• Application Number:
  US10/424,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216165A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method of surveillance to support an early intensive surveillance setup in surrounding areas on the locality of a hazard. A surveillance system of the present invention comprises two or more surveillance terminals and a surveillance center to which the surveillance terminals are connected via a network. Each surveillance terminal comprises a hazard detecting unit, a hazard signal sending unit, and a video data sending unit. The surveillance center comprises a unit for detecting a hazard signal from one or more of the surveillance terminals and a command sending unit for sending a surveillance command to the two or more surveillance terminals. In response to a hazard occurring, the surveillance center changes a surveillance setup of a surveillance terminal which has just detected the hazard and surveillance terminals falling in surrounding areas on the hazard locality, so that target zonal cooperative surveillance is performed.

Claims

1. A surveillance system comprising:

two or more surveillance terminals, each comprising a hazard detecting unit, a hazard signal sending unit, and a video data sending unit; and

a surveillance center to which said surveillance terminals are connected via a network and which comprises a unit for detecting a hazard signal from one or more of said surveillance terminals and a command sending unit for sending a surveillance command to said two or more surveillance terminals,

wherein, in response to a hazard occurring, said surveillance center changes a surveillance setup of a surveillance terminal which has just detected the hazard and surveillance terminals falling in surrounding areas on the hazard locality.

2. A surveillance system according to claim 1, wherein said each surveillance terminal is a home terminal equipped with one or two or more surveillance cameras installed inside a home, the home terminal including the hazard signal sending unit which detects a hazard, based on video data of views captured by said surveillance cameras, and sends a hazard signal.

3. A surveillance system according to claim 1, further comprising one or two or more outside surveillance terminals, each comprising a view capturing unit and a video data sending unit,

wherein said command sending unit of said surveillance center sends the surveillance command to said outside surveillance terminals as well and sending video data from said outside surveillance terminals to said surveillance center is performed in response to said surveillance command.

4. A surveillance system according to claim 3, wherein each of said outside surveillance terminals is equipped with one or two or more stationary cameras installed outside and said video data sending unit sends video data in response to the surveillance command.

5. A surveillance system according to claim 3, wherein each of said outside surveillance terminals is equipped with one or two or more mobile cameras and said video data sending unit sends video data in response to the surveillance command.

6. A surveillance system according to claim 3, wherein the function of said outside surveillance terminals is substituted by surveillance from a satellite.

7. A surveillance system according to claim 1, wherein said surveillance center sends a hazard alert signal to terminals that can receive data and are respectively used by the ones who each have said surveillance terminals.

8. A surveillance system according to claim 7, wherein said terminals that can receive data are personal computers.

9. A surveillance system according to claim 7, wherein said terminals that can receive data are mobile terminals.

10. A surveillance system according to claim 7, wherein each of said terminals that can receive data comprises a video data request sending unit, a video data receiving unit, and a video data display unit,

wherein, in response to a video data request sent from one of said terminals that can receive data, said surveillance center sends video data to the one of said terminals that can receive data.

11. A surveillance system according to claim 1, wherein, when said surveillance center receives said hazard signal, said command sending unit of said surveillance center sends the surveillance command to said surveillance terminals, said outside surveillance terminals, or said terminals that can receive data or sends the surveillance command to one or more surveillance terminals and external surveillance terminals that returned surveillance acceptance in reply to a signal asking terminal if to accept surveillance sent from said surveillance center to all terminals.

12. A surveillance system according to claim 1, wherein said surveillance center sends a hazard signal to a special function agency.

13. A surveillance system according to claim 12, wherein said special function agency is a guard'"'"'s box and, when receiving said hazard signal, personnel thereof rush to the hazard locality and its surrounding areas.

14. A surveillance system according to claim 12, wherein said special function agency is a police agency, a medical agency, or a fire-fighting agency and, when receiving said hazard signal, personnel thereof rush to the hazard locality and its surrounding areas.

15. A surveillance system according to claim 1, wherein said each surveillance terminal is equipped with one or two or more sensors and said hazard detecting unit detects a hazard, based on data acquired from said sensors.

16. A surveillance system according to claim 1, wherein said each surveillance terminal includes a data storage unit which temporarily stores data acquired from said surveillance cameras or said sensors when a hazard occurs and immediately before and after the hazard occurrence moment.

17. A surveillance system according to claim 7, wherein, when a remote terminal user relevant to one surveillance terminal or the user of the one surveillance terminal in the vicinity of a surveillance terminal that has just detected a hazard returns surveillance acceptance to said surveillance center in reply to the signal asking terminal if to accept surveillance from said surveillance center, said surveillance center grants a premium to the terminal user.

18. A surveillance method for detecting a hazard with two or more surveillance terminals and a surveillance center to which the surveillance terminals are connected via a network, said surveillance method comprising the steps of:

detecting a hazard at one of said surveillance terminals;

sending a hazard signal from the one surveillance terminal to said surveillance center;

sending video data acquired at said surveillance terminals to said surveillance center;

detecting said hazard signal from the one surveillance terminal at said surveillance center; and

sending a surveillance command from said surveillance center to said surveillance terminals,

wherein, in response to the hazard occurring, said surveillance center changes a surveillance setup of a surveillance terminal which has just detected the hazard and surveillance terminals falling in surrounding areas on the hazard locality.

19. A surveillance method according to claim 18, wherein said surveillance center sends a hazard alert signal to terminals that can receive data and are respectively used by the ones who each have said surveillance terminals.

20. A surveillance method according to claim 19, wherein said surveillance method further comprises the steps:

sending a video data request from one of said terminals that can receive data to said surveillance center; and

sending video data from said surveillance terminal to the one of said terminals that can receive data in response to the video data request.