Monitoring apparatus

• US 20050285953A1
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Hiroyuki, Kurebayashi, Masaaki, Mase, Mikiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,423,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• 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 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 250/01 Passive intrusion detectors

Abstract

The present invention provides an imaging apparatus that monitors a broad area, day and night, to watch a specific object, such as a man, in connection with the background. The imaging apparatus includes a camera unit, a panorama-image generating section generating a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the camera unit, a panorama-image storage/management section storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, a thermal camera photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image, a direction controller sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermal camera within the area being photographed, a thermal-image generating section combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermal camera, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area, an image-synthesizing section synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating section, a display displaying the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing section.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

imaging means for photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area;

panorama-image generating means for generating a panorama image by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the imaging means;

panorama-image storage/management means for storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means;

thermography imaging means for photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image;

direction control means for sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging means within the area being photographed;

thermal-image generating means for combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging means, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area;

image-synthesizing means for synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating means; and

image-displaying means for displaying the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing means.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising temperature-range setting means for setting the temperature range.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising tracking imaging means for photographing the object by setting the photographing direction to the object, when the thermography imaging means photographs the object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tracking imaging means is a camera that can photograph dark-field images.

5. An imaging method comprising the steps of:

photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area;

generating a panorama image by combining a plurality of unit images obtained in the photographing step;

storing and managing the panorama image generated in the panorama-image generating step;

controlling a thermography imaging unit for photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image, while sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging unit within the area being photographed;

generating a panorama thermal image of the entire area by combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging unit;

synthesizing the panorama image generated in the panorama-image generating step, with the panorama thermal image generated in the thermal-image generating step; and

displaying the synthesized image generated in the image-synthesizing step.

6. The imaging method according to claim 5, further comprising a step of setting the temperature range.

7. The imaging method according to claim 5, further comprising a tracking imaging step of photographing the object by setting the photographing direction to the object, when the thermography imaging unit photographs the object that has a temperature falling within the set temperature range.

8. The imaging method according to claim 7, wherein dark-field images are photographed in the tracking imaging step.

9. A program product for causing computers to perform the steps of:

photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area;

generating a panorama image by combining a plurality of unit images obtained in the photographing step;

storing. and managing the panorama image generated in the panorama-image generating step;

controlling a thermal camera in a thermography imaging unit that photographs an object having a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image, while sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging unit within the area being photographed;

generating a panorama thermal image of the entire area by combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging unit;

synthesizing the panorama image generated in the panorama-image generating step, with the panorama thermal image generated in the thermal-image generating step; and

displaying the synthesized image generated in the image-synthesizing step.

10. A recording medium storing a program for causing computers to perform the steps of:

photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area;

generating a panorama image by combining a plurality of unit images obtained in the photographing step;

storing and managing the panorama image generated in the panorama-image generating step;

controlling a thermal camera in a thermography imaging unit that photographs an object having a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image, while sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging unit within the area being photographed;

generating a panorama thermal image of the entire area by combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging unit;

synthesizing the panorama image generated in the panorama-image generating step, with the panorama thermal image generated in the thermal-image generating step; and

displaying the synthesized image generated in the image-synthesizing step.

11. An imaging system comprising:

imaging means;

thermography imaging means for photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image;

a control apparatus including;

panorama-image generating means for generating a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the imaging means;

panorama-image storage/management means for storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means;

direction control means for sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermography imaging means within the area being photographed;

thermal-image generating means for combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermography imaging means, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area; and

image-synthesizing means for synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating means; and

at least one terminal device that is configured to access the control apparatus through a network, to acquire the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing means, by accessing the control apparatus, and to display the synthesized image acquired.

12. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a camera unit;

a panorama-image generating section generating a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the camera unit;

a panorama-image storage/management section storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section;

a thermal camera photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image;

a direction controller sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermal camera within the area being photographed;

a thermal-image generating section combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermal camera, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area;

an image-synthesizing section synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating section;

a display displaying the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing section.

13. An imaging system comprising:

a camera unit;

a thermal camera photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a thermal image;

a control apparatus including;

a panorama-image generating section generating a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the camera unit;

a panorama-image storage/management section storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section;

a direction controller sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the thermal camera within the area being photographed;

a thermal-image generating section combining a plurality of thermal images provided by the thermal camera, thereby to generate a panorama thermal image of the entire area; and

an image-synthesizing section synthesizing the panorama image generated

by the panorama-image generating section, with the panorama thermal image generated by the thermal-image generating section; and

at least one terminal device that is configured to access the control apparatus through a network, to acquire the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing section, by accessing the control apparatus, and to display the synthesized image acquired.