System and method for image monitoring

• US 20070132849A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moreton Bay Corporation Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Moreton Bay Corporation Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hill, David, Thurston, James, Davies, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19636 pertaining to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19643 wherein the cameras play different roles, e.g. different resolution, different camera type, master-slave camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• 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 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An image monitoring system uses wireless communications to transmit images for security monitoring. The system includes a central controller (105) and a plurality of digital still camera units (110) operatively connected to the central controller (105). At least one of the camera units (110) includes an image sensor (215), a motion detector (220) that causes the image sensor (215) to receive image data when motion is detected, a micro controller (205), and a first nonvolatile memory operatively connected to or included in the micro controller (205). The micro controller (205) determines whether received image data should be transmitted to the central controller (105), and the central controller (105) determines whether received image data should be transmitted to a monitoring station (115). The camera units (110) may further be used as standalone units as replacements for motion detectors in existing security systems.

Claims

1. An image monitoring system comprising:

a central controller; and

a plurality of digital still camera units operatively connected to the central controller, wherein at least one of the camera units comprises

an image sensor;

a motion detector operatively connected to the image sensor that causes the image sensor to receive image data when motion is detected;

a micro controller operatively connected to the image sensor and to the motion detector;

a first nonvolatile memory operatively connected to or included in the micro controller; and

computer readable program code stored on the first memory for causing the micro controller to determine whether the received image data should be transmitted to the central controller, wherein the central controller then determines whether the received image data should be transmitted to a monitoring station.

2. The image monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of camera units transmit image data wirelessly to the central controller.

3. The image monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the central controller further comprises a mesh networking protocol enabling image data to be routed indirectly and wirelessly through one or more of the camera units to the central controller.

4. The image monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the camera units further comprises a microphone.

5. The image monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the camera units further comprises both a colour and a black and white image sensor to improve low-light sensitivity, wherein both image sensors are operatively connected to a single high-speed DMA bus.

6. The image monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the camera units is battery operated and comprises direct memory access circuitry between an image sensor and a second nonvolatile memory.

7. The image monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the camera units includes a pre-trigger feature that, following a detection of motion by the motion detector, transmits to the central controller a series of buffered images captured before the detection of motion.

8. The image monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring station forms a component of the image monitoring system, and wherein the monitoring station includes human personnel who further analyze the images to determine whether an alarm should be sent to an authority.

9. A method for image monitoring using a plurality of digital still camera units operatively connected to each other and to a central controller using wireless communications, the method comprising, the steps of:

detecting motion of a moving object using a motion detector included in at least one of the camera units;

triggering, following the detection of motion of the moving object, an image sensor included in at least one of the camera units to receive an image of the moving object;

determining whether the received image should be transmitted wirelessly to the central controller by analyzing the image using a micro controller included in at least one of the camera units and operatively connected to the image sensor; and

determining whether any images received at the central controller from at least one of the camera units should be transmitted to a monitoring station.

10. The method for image monitoring of claim 9, wherein the central controller further comprises a mesh networking protocol enabling image data to be routed indirectly and wirelessly through one or more of the camera units to the central controller.

11. The method for image monitoring of claim 9, further comprising the step of storing images received by the image sensor in a memory unit of a camera unit using direct memory access.

12. The method for image monitoring of claim 9, wherein the step of triggering an image sensor comprises triggering a black and white image sensor in low light conditions, and otherwise triggering a colour image sensor, wherein at least one camera unit includes both the colour image sensor and the black and white image sensor operatively connected to a single high-speed DMA bus.

13. The method for image monitoring of claim 9, further comprising a pre-trigger feature including the steps of:

continuously receiving images from the image sensor;

storing the received images in a memory buffer of at least one camera unit; and

following a detection of motion by the motion detector, transmitting to the central controller a series of the stored images received before the detection of motion.

14. A camera unit for image monitoring comprising:

an image sensor;

a motion detector operatively connected to the image sensor that causes the image sensor to receive image data when motion is detected;

a micro controller operatively connected to both the image sensor and the motion detector;

first and second nonvolatile memories operatively connected to the micro controller;

a random access memory operatively connected to the micro controller and, through a high-speed DMA bus, to the image sensor; and

computer readable program code stored in the first nonvolatile memory for causing the micro controller to transfer received image data directly from the image sensor to the second nonvolatile memory over the high-speed DMA bus.

15. The camera unit of claim 14, wherein the second nonvolatile memory is a removable flash memory card.

16. The camera unit of claim 14, further comprising a battery for supplying power to the unit.

17. The camera unit of claim 14, further comprising an electrical interface operatively connected to the motion detector, wherein the interface is adapted to receive a passive PIR motion detector connector from a security alarm system, wherein the camera unit replaces a passive PIR motion detector of the security alarm system.

18. The camera unit of claim 14, wherein the second nonvolatile memory includes a settings file, whereby when the second nonvolatile memory is removed from the camera unit and inserted into a reader connected to a computer, a setup software program on the computer enables configuration of camera unit features, which features are then loaded into the camera unit when the second nonvolatile memory is re-inserted into the camera unit.

19. The camera unit of claim 18, wherein at least one of the camera unit features is selected from the group consisting of time and date stamping, erasing image data, image sequencing, image resolution, time lapse mode, pre-trigger mode, scheduler, encryption/decryption, image capture on arm/disarm, text overlay, enable LED, enable motion sensor, and relay output polarity.