Node management system and node managing program using sensing system

• US 20070101382A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hashiguchi, Naoki, Nakabayashi, Sumie, Aritsuka, Toshiyuki, Onami, Yuichi, Aramaki, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• 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 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

On the basis of state change information acquired by one of sensor nodes forming a sensor network, an instruction indicative of emitting a signal is issued to another node to acquire a photographed image from a camera. An image processing device identifies the ID and actual position of the node by issuing the signal issuance instruction to the node and detecting a signal obtained from the node from the photographed image. On the basis of personal information stored in a database, the image processing device detects a not-allowed action.

Claims

1. A node management system connected to a camera and to one or more nodes, comprising:

a node managing section for managing said first node;

an image processing section for processing a photographed image acquired by said camera; and

a sequence control section for controlling processing operations of said node managing section and said image processing section;

wherein, when said node managing section detects the fact that information detected by a first node satisfies predetermined conditions, said sequence control section issues an instruction indicative of start of issuing a signal to first node or to a second node connected to said node management system on the basis of a sequence associated with said conditions, and then acquires the photographed image taken by said camera, said image processing section analyzes the signal from said node in said photographed image, identifies the ID of the node, and outputs the ID together with a position in the photographed image.

2. A node management system according to claim 1, wherein said second node is attached to a person.

3. A node management system according to claim 1, wherein said sequence control section controls said camera to rotate an imaging direction of the camera to a predetermined direction associated with the conditions on the basis of said sequence.

4. A node management system according to claim 3, wherein the information detected by said first node indicates detection of an opened door by a sensor of the first node, and the imaging direction of said camera is a direction toward the door.

5. A node management system according to claim 1, further comprising an authority determiner for determining an authority on the basis of personal information including a user'"'"'s room entering authority, wherein said authority determiner determines whether or not a person associated with the identified ID of the second node has an authority about the detected conditions, and when determining that the person has no authority, outputs the fact onto a display screen.

6. A node management system according to claim 4, further comprising an authority determiner for determining an authority on the basis of personal information including a user'"'"'s room entering authority, wherein said authority determiner determines whether or not a person associated with the identified ID of the second node has an authority about the detected conditions, and when determining that the person has no authority, outputs the fact onto a display screen.

7. A node management system according to claim 1, wherein said image processing section, when failing to identify the ID of said second node, extracts a face image from said photographed image, determines that the person is entering or leaving the room, and when determining that the person is entering the room, outputs the presence of the person whose ID cannot be identified onto a display screen.

8. A node management system according to claim 5, wherein said image processing section, when failing to identify the ID of said second node, extracts a face image from said photographed image, determines that the person is entering or leaving the room, and when determining that the person is entering the room, outputs the presence of the person whose ID cannot be identified onto a display screen.

9. A node management system according to claim 1, wherein said signal is an emitted light pattern unique to said node.

10. A node management system according to claim 1, wherein the instruction indicative of start of issuing said signal is to allocate unique patterns to said connected nodes respectively, and said image processing section compares the pattern analyzed based on the photographed image with said allocated pattern, and outputs said ID.

11. A node management program for executing the steps of:

receiving sensed data detected by a first connected node;

determining whether or not the received sensed data satisfies predetermined conditions;

searching for a sequence associated with the conditions when the sensed data satisfies the conditions;

issuing an instruction indicative of start of issuing a signal to a second node defined in the searched sequence and acquiring an image from an image device connected thereto;

analyzing the image and detecting a signal outputted from said second node according to said instruction indicative of start of issuing the signal; and

detecting and outputting the ID and position of the second node for outputting the signal on the basis of the signal.

12. A node management program according to claim 11, wherein said signal is an emitted light pattern.

13. A node management program according to claim 11, for further executing a step of issuing an instruction to set a photographed direction on the basis of said searched sequence to the imaging device prior to acquisition of the image from the connected imaging device.

14. A node management program according to claim 11, for further executing a step, when the program fails to identify said ID, of analyzing the image from said imaging device and analyzing a face image of the user who holds the second node therefrom.

15. A node management program according to claim 13, for further executing a step, when the program fails to identify said ID, of analyzing the image from said imaging device and analyzing a face image of the user who holds the second node therefrom.

16. A node management program according to claim 11, for further executing a step of displaying a map of a region photographed by said imaged device on a display device and displaying the presence of said second node at a position outputted to be overlapped on the map.

17. A node management program according to claim 13, for further executing a step of displaying a map of a region photographed by said imaged device on a display device and displaying the presence of said second node at a position outputted to be overlapped on the map.

18. A node management program according to claim 14, for further executing a step of displaying a map of a region photographed by said imaged device on a display device and displaying the presence of said second node at a position outputted to be overlapped on the map.