Monitoring system, monitoring method, and monitoring program

• US 20070188615A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Kosei, Moriya, Toshio, Beniyama, Fumiko
• Application Number:
  US11/589,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188615A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.990
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0216 Vehicle for transporting goods in a warehouse, factory or similar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

In the monitoring system that used fixed camera and movement camera, the technique is provided in which facilitates the route making and the movement control of the mobile robot in the remote place. The mobile image-taking device and a monitoring device are connected to each other via a communication network. The monitoring device stores map on the place to be monitored, and outputs the map to a display. Moreover, the monitoring system receives the taking image from a fixed camera, and outputs the image to a display. If abnormality is detected from the taking image of a fixed camera, the movement camera is moved to the abnormality occurrence position. The monitoring device transmits a route of the mobile monitoring device, which is inputted from an input device, to the mobile monitoring device. The mobile monitoring device moves in the place to be monitored according to the received route. The mobile monitoring device takes an image with a camera according to an instruction from the monitoring device, and transmits the taken image to the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A monitoring system, comprising:

a mobile monitoring device having moving means which moves in a place to be monitored; and

a monitoring device which is connected to the mobile monitoring device via a communication network;

the monitoring device comprising;

monitor map memory means which stores map of a place to be monitored;

display means which displays the map which is read from the monitor map memory means;

input means; and

movement route transmitting means which transmits a route of the mobile monitoring device, which is inputted by the input means, to the mobile monitoring device;

the mobile monitoring device comprising;

movement control means which controls the moving means;

present position calculating means which calculates present position; and

movement route receiving means which receives the transmitted route;

wherein the moving means is controlled according to the calculated present position and the received route.

2. A monitoring system, comprising:

a mobile monitoring device having moving means which moves in a place to be monitored; and

a monitoring device which is connected to the mobile monitoring device via a communication network;

the monitoring device comprising;

monitor map memory means which stores map of a place to be monitored;

display means which displays the map which is read from the monitor map memory means;

input means; and

movement route transmitting means which transmits a route of the mobile monitoring device which is inputted by the input means, to the mobile monitoring device;

the mobile monitoring device comprising;

movement monitoring map memory means which stores the map of the place to be monitored;

setting value memory means which stores a setting value which determines at least one of the velocity and the traveling orientation of the moving means;

movement control means which controls the moving means according to the setting value which is read from the setting value memory means;

present position calculating means which calculates a present position from the map which is read from the movement monitoring map memory means;

route receiving means which receives the transmitted route; and

movement processing means;

wherein the movement processing means calculates a value of the setting value from the calculated present position and the received route, and stores the setting value in the setting value memory means.

3. A monitoring system according to claim 2,

wherein a fixed camera is located in the place to be monitored;

wherein the fixed camera has fixed camera image transmitting means which transmits the taken image to the monitoring device;

wherein the monitoring device further comprises;

fixed camera image memory means which stores the taken image from the fixed camera in a state with no abnormality;

fixed camera image receiving means which receives the image which is transmitted from the fixed camera;

abnormality detecting means which reads the taken image from the fixed camera in the state with no abnormality, from the fixed camera image memory means, and determines whether there is an abnormality, or not, according to whether or not a difference exists between the read image and the received image; and

abnormality occurrence position calculating means which calculates a position at which the abnormality occurs, from the position of the difference; and

wherein the display means displays the map and the calculated abnormality occurrence position.

4. A monitoring system according to claim 2,

wherein the mobile monitoring device further comprises:

a sensor which measures distance between the sensor and an object;

transmitting means which transmits, to the monitoring device, a measured value which is measured by the sensor at a specific location of the place to be monitored;

wherein the monitoring device further comprises;

measured value receiving means which receives the measured value which is transmitted from the mobile monitoring device;

abnormality detecting means which determines whether or not there is an abnormality, according to whether or not a difference exists between the map which is read from the monitor map memory means and the measured value which is received; and

abnormality occurrence position calculating means which calculates a position at which the abnormality occurs from a position of the difference and a position of the specific location; and

wherein the display means displays the map and the calculated abnormality occurrence position.

5. A monitoring system according to claim 2,

wherein the monitoring device further comprises image-taking condition transmitting means which transmits an image-taking setting value indicative of a condition under which an image is taken, input by the input means;

wherein the mobile monitoring device further comprises;

a camera;

image-taking setting value memory means which stores the setting value in taking an image by the camera;

camera control means which controls the camera according to the setting value which is read from the image-taking setting value memory means; and

image-taking condition receiving means which receives the transmitted image-taking setting value; and

wherein the image-taking condition receiving means stores the received image-taking setting value in the image-taking setting value memory means.

6. A monitoring system according to claim 2,

wherein the mobile monitoring device further comprises:

a sensor which measures a distance between the monitoring device and an object;

obstacle detecting means which determines whether or not there exists an obstacle on the received route, according to the received route, the calculated present position, a dimension of the monitoring device, and the distance between the monitoring device and the object, which is measured by the sensor; and

avoidance route retrieving means which retrieves an avoidance route having a distance to the object which is equal to or higher than the dimension in cases where the obstacle detecting means determines that there is an obstacle; and

wherein the movement processing means calculates the value of the setting value from the calculated present position and the retrieved avoidance route, and stores the setting value in the setting value memory means.

7. A monitoring system according to claim 4,

wherein the mobile monitoring device further comprises:

obstacle detecting means which determines whether or not there exists an obstacle on the received route, from the the received route, the calculated present position, a dimension of the monitoring device, and the distance between the monitoring device and the object which is measured by the sensor; and

avoidance route retrieving means which retrieves an avoidance route having a distance to the object which is equal to or higher than the dimension, in cases where the obstacle detecting means determines that there is an obstacle; and

wherein the movement processing means calculates the value of the setting value according to the calculated present position and the retrieved avoidance route, and stores the setting value in the setting value memory means.

8. A monitoring method for a monitoring system including:

a

mobile monitoring device having moving means which moves in a place to be monitored; and

a monitoring device which is connected to the mobile monitoring device via a communication network,

the monitoring device having monitor map memory means which stores map of the place to be monitored, display means, and input means,

the mobile monitoring device having a movement monitoring map memory means which stores the map on the place to be monitored, the monitoring method comprising;

a displaying step of displaying, on the display means, map which is read from the monitor map memory means;

a movement route transmission step of transmitting to the mobile monitoring device, a route of the mobile monitoring device which is inputted by the input means;

a present position calculating step of calculating a present position from the map which is read from the movement monitoring map memory means;

a route receiving step of receiving the transmitted route; and

a controlling step of calculating a value of a setting value from the calculated present position and the received route, and controlling the moving means according to the calculated setting value.

9. A monitoring program for a monitoring system including:

a mobile monitoring device having moving means which moves in a place to be monitored; and

a monitoring device which is connected to the mobile monitoring device via a communication network,

the monitoring program causing the monitoring device having monitor map memory means which stores the map on the place to be monitored, display means, and input means, to execute;

a displaying step of displaying, on the display means, map which is read from the monitor map memory means; and

a movement route transmission step of transmitting, to the mobile monitoring device, a route of the mobile monitoring device which is inputted from the input means

the monitoring program causing the mobile monitoring device, having movement monitoring map memory means which stores the map on the place to be monitored, to execute;

a present position calculating step of calculating a present position from the map which is read from the movement monitoring map memory means;

a route receiving step of receiving the transmitted route; and

a controlling step of calculating a value of a setting value according to the calculated present position and the received route, and controlling the moving means according to the calculated setting value.