Recording control apparatus, recording control method, control program, recording medium on which control program is recorded, recording control system, and information processing system

• US 20060267770A1
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nishidai, Tetsuo, Sanari, Kosuke, Okuno, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system

Abstract

Provided according to the invention is a recording control apparatus capable of more accurately recording an image of a person carrying an article to which an RFID tag is attached. When a reader/writer receives position information on an RFID tag attached to an article, this information is stored in an article information storing section. When a position determining unit detects an article located out of a designated area, a monitoring camera control section starts controlling recording. The monitoring camera control section estimates the movement direction of the article based on the time-sequential record of the position information on the article, specifies any of monitoring cameras to be operated based on the movement direction and the current position of the article, and controls the recording operation of the specified monitoring camera.

Claims

1. A recording control apparatus, comprising:

a communication processing unit for receiving position information on an RFID tag from a tag communication device which can measure the position of the RFID tag through radio communication with the RFID tag;

a database control unit for storing the position information on the RFID tag received by the communication processing unit in a database; and

a recording control unit for controlling recording operation of a plurality of recording devices disposed at a plurality of positions, wherein;

the recording control unit estimates the movement direction of the RFID tag based on the time-sequential record of the position information on the RFID tag stored in the database, reads disposition information on the plural recording devices from a database storing this disposition information to specify any of the recording devices to be operated to record a region including the location of the RFID tag based on the position information and the movement direction of the RFID tag, and controls the recording operation of the specified recording device.

2. A recording control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the recording control apparatus further comprises a position determining unit for determining whether the RFID tag the position information of which is received by the communication processing unit is located out of a predetermined area; and

when the position determining unit determines that the RFID tag is located out of the predetermined area, the recording control unit controls recording of the RFID tag.

3. A recording control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording control unit commands the recording devices to control panning or zoom based on the position information on the RFID tag and the disposition information on the recording device to be operated.

4. A recording control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the recording control apparatus further comprises an alarm control unit for controlling alarm operation of a plurality of alarms disposed at a plurality of positions;

the alarm control unit estimates the movement direction of the RFID tag based on the time-sequential record of the position information on the RFID tag stored in the database, reads disposition information on the plural alarms from a database storing this disposition information to specify any of the alarms to be operated based on the position information and the movement direction of the RFID tag, and controls the alarm operation of the specified alarm device; and

when the position determining unit determined that the RFID tag is located out of the predetermined area, the alarm control unit controls the alarm operation.

6. A control program under which the recording control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 4 is operated and a computer provides functions of the units according to claims 1 through 4.

7. A recording medium on which the control program for the recording control apparatus according to claim 6 is recorded and from which a computer can read the control program.

8. A recording system, comprising:

the recording control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 4; and

a database for storing the position information on the RFID tag received by the communication processing unit and the disposition information on the plural recording devices.

9. An information processing system, comprising:

the recording control system according to claim 8;

and

a tag communication device for measuring the position of an RFID tag through radio communication with the RFID tag.

5. A recording control method, comprising:

a position information receiving step for receiving position information on an RFID tag from a tag communication device which can measure the position of the RFID tag through radio communication with the RFID tag;

a storing step for storing the position information on the RFID tag received by the communication processing unit in a database; and

a recording control step for controlling recording operation of a plurality of recording devices disposed at a plurality of positions, wherein;

in the recording control step, the movement direction of the RFID tag is estimated based on the time-sequential record of the position information on the RFID tag stored in the database, disposition information on the plural recording devices is read from a database storing this disposition information to specify any of the recording devices to be operated to record a region including the location of the RFID tag based on the position information and the movement direction of the RFID tag, and the recording operation of the specified recording device is controlled.