Monitoring system

• US 20050078184A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Youichi, Sakai, Shinji, Nakano, Yuusuke, Horie, Daisuke
• Application Number:
  US10/956,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078184A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19643 wherein the cameras play different roles, e.g. different resolution, different camera type, master-slave camera

Abstract

The present invention provides a monitoring system capable of performing monitoring operation more efficiently. The monitoring system has a plurality of cameras. In the monitoring system, on the basis of an image captured by at least one of the cameras, a plurality of persons included in the captured image is detected, and detection information of the plurality of persons is obtained. On the basis of the detection information, the image capturing condition of at least one camera is changed. For example, when the number of persons detected is larger than a predetermined value, the image capturing region of at least one camera is changed.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of image capturing parts;

an information obtaining part for obtaining detection information regarding a plurality of persons included in an image captured by at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts on the basis of said image; and

a controller for changing an image capturing condition of at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts on the basis of said detection information.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

said detection information includes data regarding the number of said plurality of persons, and

said controller changes an image capturing condition of at least one of said plurality of image capturing part when the number of said plurality of persons is larger than a predetermined value.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein

said controller switches at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts between an operating state and a non-operating state.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein

said controller switches a processing mode of at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts between a first mode, in which said image capturing part counts the number of persons in an image, and a second mode, in which said image capturing part does not count the number of persons in an image.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein

said controller changes setting of picture quality of an image captured by at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein

said controller changes an image capturing region of at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein

said plurality of image capturing parts include a first image capturing part, a second image capturing part and a third image capturing part,

said information obtaining part includes first to third measuring parts for respectively counting the number of persons included in each image which is captured by each of said first to third image capturing parts, and

said controller changes an image capturing region of said second image capturing part and an image capturing region of said third image capturing part so that an image capturing region of said first image capturing part at a particular time point is shared and captured by said second and third image capturing parts.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein

said plurality of image capturing parts include a first image capturing part,

said detection information is detected on the basis of an image captured by said first image capturing part, and

said controller changes an angle of view of said first image capturing part to a wide side.

9. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

said detection information includes data regarding travel directions of said plurality of persons, and

said controller changes an image capturing region of at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts on the basis of the data regarding said travel directions.

10. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein

said controller changes said image capturing region on the basis of said data regarding said travel directions so that an image of a crowded region is captured.

11. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein

said controller changes said image capturing region on the basis of said data regarding said travel directions so that an image of a sparse region is captured.

12. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

said detection information includes data regarding travel directions of said plurality of persons, and

said controller determines a particular image capturing part corresponding to at least one of said plurality of persons on the basis of said data, and instructs said particular image capturing part to capture a front view image of said at least one of said plurality of persons.

13. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

said detection information includes data regarding existing positions and travel directions of said plurality of persons included in said image, and

said controller selects a particular person to be traced from said plurality of persons in accordance with said detection information and changes an image capturing region of said at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts so that an image of said particular person is captured.

14. A monitoring method executed by a monitoring system having a controller connected to a plurality of image capturing devices, comprising the steps of:

obtaining images by said plurality of image capturing devices;

obtaining detection information regarding a plurality of persons included in an image captured by at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts on the basis of said image; and

changing an image capturing condition of at least one of said plurality of image capturing devices on the basis of said detection information.

15. A computer program product including a program executed by a computer provided in a controller connected to a plurality of image capturing devices, comprising the steps of:

obtaining images by said plurality of image capturing devices;

obtaining detection information regarding a plurality of persons included in an image captured by at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts on the basis of said image; and

changing an image capturing condition of at least one of said plurality of image capturing devices on the basis of said detection information.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein

said detection information includes data regarding the number of said plurality of persons, and

the image capturing condition of at least one of said plurality of image capturing devices is changed when the number of said plurality of persons is larger than a predetermined value.

17. A monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of image capturing parts;

an information obtaining part for obtaining detection information regarding travel directions of a plurality of persons on the basis of an image captured by at least one of said plurality of image capturing parts; and

a controller for determining a particular image capturing part corresponding to at least one of said plurality of persons on the basis of said travel directions of said plurality of persons, and instructing said particular image capturing part to capture a front view image of said at least one of said plurality of persons.