Integrated circuit device, microcomputer, and monitoring camera system

• US 20060255241A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shibao, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,482,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/208.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1961 Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

An integrated circuit device having a transmitter function for transmitting data to outside through a network. The integrated circuit device includes: an image change detection circuit which receives pixel-unit image data captured by imaging means in time series, sets one or more areas in an image represented by the image data, and detects in real time whether or not a change has occurred in the image in units of the areas to generate a change detection signal; and a destination set/change section which sets or changes a destination of the image based on the change detection signal.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit device having a transmitter function for transmitting data to outside through a network, the integrated circuit device comprising:

an image change detection circuit which receives pixel-unit image data captured by imaging means in time series, sets one or more areas in an image represented by the image data, and detects in real time whether or not a change has occurred in the image in units of the areas to generate a change detection signal; and

a destination set/change section which sets or changes a destination of the image based on the change detection signal.

2. The integrated circuit device as defined in claim 1,

wherein the destination set/change section sets a first destination as the destination of the image when the change detection signal indicates that a change of the image has not been detected in any of the areas, and sets a second destination differing from the first destination as the destination of the image when the change detection signal indicates that a change of the image has been detected in at least one of the areas.

3. The integrated circuit device as defined in claim 1,

wherein the destination set/change section assigns a destination address to successively acquired images according to a given rule, determines the assigned destination address as the destination of the image when a change of the image has been detected in at least one of the areas, and determines a default destination address provided in advance as the destination of the image when a change of the image has not been detected in any of the areas.

4. The integrated circuit device as defined in claim 1, comprising:

a resize information determination section which determines resize information indicating at least one of a transmitted data size and a transmitter position, based on the change detection signal or the destination of the image set or changed based on the change detection signal; and

a resize circuit which scales down or cuts out the image represented by the pixel-unit image data received in time series, based on the resize information.

5. The integrated circuit device as defined in claim 2, comprising:

a resize information determination section which determines resize information indicating at least one of a transmitted data size and a transmitter position, based on the change detection signal or the destination of the image set or changed based on the change detection signal; and

a resize circuit which scales down or cuts out the image represented by the pixel-unit image data received in time series, based on the resize information.

6. The integrated circuit device as defined in claim 3, comprising:

a resize information determination section which determines resize information indicating at least one of a transmitted data size and a transmitter position, based on the change detection signal or the destination of the image set or changed based on the change detection signal; and

a resize circuit which scales down or cuts out the image represented by the pixel-unit image data received in time series, based on the resize information.

7. The integrated circuit device as defined in claim 4,

wherein the resize information determination section generates the resize information which directs to scale down the image represented by the pixel-unit image data received in time series when the change detection signal indicates that a change of the image has not occurred in any of the areas;

and

wherein the resize circuit scales down the image represented by the pixel unit image data received in time series, based on the resize information.

8. The integrated circuit device as defined in claim 4,

wherein, when the change detection signal indicates that a change has occurred in the image represented by the pixel-unit image data received in time series, the resize information determination section generates the resize information which directs to cut out at least one of the areas in which the change of the image has been detected;

and

wherein the resize circuit cuts out at least one of the areas in which the change of the image has been detected, based on the resize information.

9. The integrated circuit device as defined in claim 7,

wherein, when the change detection signal indicates that a change has occurred in the image represented by the pixel-unit image data received in time series, the resize information determination section generates the resize information which directs to cut out at least one of the areas in which the change of the image has been detected;

and

wherein the resize circuit cuts out at least one of the areas in which the change of the image has been detected, based on the resize information.

10. A microcomputer, comprising the integrated circuit device as defined in claim 1.

11. A microcomputer, comprising the integrated circuit device as defined in claim 2.

12. A microcomputer, comprising the integrated circuit device as defined in claim 3.

13. A microcomputer, comprising the integrated circuit device as defined in claim 4.

14. A monitoring camera system having a monitoring camera device which includes the microcomputer as defined in claim 10 and an imaging device, and a plurality of terminals connected to the monitoring camera device through a network,

wherein the monitoring camera device sets one or more areas in an image captured by the imaging device, determines a destination terminal, a size and a position of the image based on at least either whether or not a change of the image has occurred or in which of the areas a change of the image has been detected, acquires the image based on the determined size and position, compresses the acquired image, and transmits the compressed image to the determined destination terminal through the network.

15. A monitoring camera system having a monitoring camera device which includes the microcomputer as defined in claim 11 and an imaging device, and a plurality of terminals connected to the monitoring camera device through a network,

wherein the monitoring camera device sets one or more areas in an image captured by the imaging device, determines a destination terminal, a size and a position of the image based on at least either whether or not a change of the image has occurred or in which of the areas a change of the image has been detected, acquires the image based on the determined size and position, compresses the acquired image, and transmits the compressed image to the determined destination terminal through the network.

16. A monitoring camera system having a monitoring camera device which includes the microcomputer as defined in claim 12 and an imaging device, and a plurality of terminals connected to the monitoring camera device through a network,

wherein the monitoring camera device sets one or more areas in an image captured by the imaging device, determines a destination terminal, a size and a position of the image based on at least either whether or not a change of the image has occurred or in which of the areas a change of the image has been detected, acquires the image based on the determined size and position, compresses the acquired image, and transmits the compressed image to the determined destination terminal through the network.

17. A monitoring camera system having a monitoring camera device which includes the microcomputer as defined in claim 13 and an imaging device, and a plurality of terminals connected to the monitoring camera device through a network,

wherein the monitoring camera device sets one or more areas in an image captured by the imaging device, determines a destination terminal, a size and a position of the image based on at least either whether or not a change of the image has occurred or in which of the areas a change of the image has been detected, acquires the image based on the determined size and position, compresses the acquired image, and transmits the compressed image to the determined destination terminal through the network.