INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHOD, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE-CAPTURING DEVICE AND METHOD, RECORDING MEDIUM, AND PROGRAM

• US 20070236497A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeda, Naoki, Kobayashi, Naoki, Fujimori, Yasuhiro, Takahashi, Yasuaki, KONDO, Tetsujiro, Ohta, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19652 Systems using zones in a single scene defined for different treatment, e.g. outer zone gives pre-alarm, inner zone gives alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19663 Surveillance related processing done local to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• 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: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A feature extracting unit obtains sensor data from a plurality of sensors to calculate each feature. When an event determining unit determines the occurrence of an event based on each feature, a display data constructor generates remote-controller display data for displaying the event, and controls a remote-controller display device to display the remote-controller display data. When a user decision is input from a user input if based on this display, a control unit controls the sensors to be turned ON or OFF. When an infrared sensor detects an abnormality, a microwave sensor whose power consumption is small after the infrared sensor is turned ON. When the microwave sensor detects an abnormality, a video camera and a microphone are turned ON, and the microwave sensor is turned OFF. A communication unit wirelessly transmits an image signal captured by the video camera and an audio signal processed by the microphone. Then, if the infrared sensor does not detect an abnormality, the video camera and the microphone are turned OFF. With this arrangement, power consumption can be suppressed. The present invention is applied to, for example, a security system, for example, for monitoring outside a vehicle by a video camera disposed in the vehicle when the vehicle is parked.

Claims

1. An information processing system for performing monitor processing based on sensor data, comprising:

sensor means for obtaining sensor data;

feature extracting means for extracting a feature of an object based on the sensor data obtained by said sensor means;

event determining means for obtaining the feature extracted by said feature extracting means so as to determine whether an event has occurred based on determination parameters;

display-data generating means for generating, when the occurrence of the event is determined by said event determining means, display data including event data for reporting the occurrence of the event;

display means for giving an indication based on the display data generated by said display-data generating means;

input reception means for receiving the input of a user decision based on the indication given by said display means; and

control means for performing control processing based on the input of the user decision received by said input reception means.

2. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said display-data generating means further generates remote-controller display data including the event data for reporting the occurrence of the event to a remote controller for controlling said display-data generating means.

3. An information processing system according to claim 2, further comprising:

remote-controller display means for displaying the remote-controller display data generated by said display-data generating means.

4. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises:

parameter control means for updating the determination parameters for determining whether the event has occurred by said event determining means;

feature-extracting control means for controlling said feature extracting means to extract the feature; and

sensor control means for controlling said sensor means to obtain the sensor data.

5. An information processing system according to claim 4, wherein said sensor means comprises a plurality of sensors, and said sensor control means controls power sources of the plurality of sensors to be turned ON or OFF.

6. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said display-data generating means generates data based on a predetermined signal as the display data when said event determining means determines that an event has not occurred.

7. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein:

said sensor means, said feature extracting means, said event determining means, and said control means are formed of a first information processing apparatus;

said display-data generating means is formed of a second information processing apparatus;

said display means is formed of a third information processing apparatus; and

said input reception means is formed of a fourth information processing apparatus.

8. An information processing system according to claim 7, wherein communication between said first information processing apparatus and said second information processing apparatus is performed wirelessly.

9. An information processing system according to claim 7, wherein said first information processing apparatus is driven by a battery.

10. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein:

said sensor means, said feature extracting means, said event determining means, and said control means are formed of a first information processing apparatus;

said display-data generating means and said display means are formed of a second information processing apparatus; and

said input reception means is formed of a third information processing apparatus.

11. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said display-data generating means generates the display data by inserting the event data into a television broadcast signal.

12. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means comprises at least one of a camera, a microphone, and an infrared sensor.

13. An information processing method for an information processing system for performing monitor processing based on sensor data, said information processing method comprising:

obtaining sensor data;

extracting a feature of an object based on the sensor data obtained in said sensor step;

obtaining the feature extracted so as to determine whether an event has occurred based on determination parameters;

generating, when the occurrence of the event is determined, display data including event data for reporting the occurrence of the event;

giving an indication based on the display data generated;

receiving an input based on the indication given; and

performing control processing based on the input received.

14. A computer-readable recording medium storing computer program instructions which when executed by a computer programmed with the instructions causes the computer to perform the method comprising:

extracting a feature of an object based on the sensor data;

obtaining the feature extracted so as to determine whether an event has occurred based on determination parameters;

generating, when the occurrence of the event is determined, display data including event data for reporting the occurrence of the event;

receiving an input; and

performing control processing based on the input received.

15. An information processing system for performing monitor processing based on sensor data, comprising:

a sensor configured to obtain sensor data;

a feature extracting mechanism configured to extract a feature of an object based on the sensor data obtained by said sensor;

an event determining mechanism configured to obtain the feature extracted by said feature extracting mechanism so as to determine whether an event has occurred based on determination parameters;

a display-data generating mechanism configured to generate, when the occurrence of the event is determined by said event determining mechanism, display data including event data for reporting the occurrence of the event;

a display for giving an indication based on the display data generated by said display-data generating mechanism;

an input reception mechanism configured to receive an input based on the indication given by said display; and

a controller configured to perform control processing based on the input received by said input reception mechanism.

16. An information processing system according to claim 15, wherein said display-data generating mechanism is further configured to generate remote-controller display data including the event data for reporting the occurrence of the event to a remote controller for controlling said display-data generating mechanism.

17. An information processing system according to claim 16, further comprising:

remote-controller display mechanism configured to display the remote-controller display data generated by said display-data generating mechanism.

18. An information processing system according to claim 15, wherein said controller comprises:

a parameter control mechanism configured to update the determination parameters for determining whether the event has occurred by said event determining mechanism;

a feature-extracting control mechanism configured to control said feature extracting mechanism to extract the feature; and

a sensor control mechanism configured to control said sensor to obtain the sensor data.

19. An information processing system according to claim 18, wherein said sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, and said sensor control mechanism is configured to control power sources of the plurality of sensors to be turned ON or OFF.

20. An information processing system according to claim 15, wherein said display-data generating mechanism is configured to generate data based on a predetermined signal as the display data when said event determining mechanism determines that an event has not occurred.

21. An information processing system according to claim 15, wherein:

said sensor, said feature extracting mechanism, said event determining mechanism, and said controller are formed of a first information processing apparatus;

said display-data generating mechanism is formed of a second information processing apparatus;

said display is formed of a third information processing apparatus; and

said input reception mechanism is formed of a fourth information processing apparatus.

22. An information processing system according to claim 21, wherein communication between said first information processing apparatus and said second information processing apparatus is performed wirelessly.

23. An information processing system according to claim 21, wherein said first information processing apparatus is driven by a battery.

24. An information processing system according to claim 15, wherein:

said sensor, said feature extracting mechanism, said event determining mechanism, and said controller are formed of a first information processing apparatus;

said display-data generating mechanism and said display are formed of a second information processing apparatus; and

said input reception mechanism is formed of a third information processing apparatus.

25. An information processing system according to claim 15, wherein said display-data generating mechanism generates the display data by inserting the event data into a television broadcast signal.

26. An information processing system according to claim 15, wherein said sensor comprises at least one of a camera, a microphone, and an infrared sensor.