Monitoring apparatus

• US 20080258914A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 1205 Investments, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: INOMATA, Kenji, HIRAI, Takahide, KONDO, Junji
• Granted Patent: US 7,782,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/552
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves

Abstract

A position detection sensor using electromagnetic wave (1) estimates the position of a monitor object (100) in a first detection region (101), and outputs it as a first possibility distribution. A second sensor (4) estimates the position of the monitor object (100) in a second detection region (102), and outputs it as a second possibility distribution. A distribution computing means (5) outputs an integrated possibility distribution which it obtains by integrating the possibility distributions of the position of the monitor object 100 which are acquired by these sensors. An information presenting means (6) outputs the integrated possibility distribution as information about the most possible position of the monitor object (100).

Claims

1. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring occurrence of an event different from normal events, said apparatus comprising:

a first sensor for outputting a first possibility distribution of occurrence of said event in a first monitor area;

a second sensor for outputting a second possibility distribution of occurrence of said event in a second monitor area which overlaps said first monitor area;

a distribution computing means for computing an integrated possibility distribution of occurrence of said event in a common portion where said first monitor area and said second monitor area overlap each other on a basis of said first possibility distribution and said second possibility distribution; and

an information presenting means for outputting the integrated possibility distribution acquired by said distribution computing means.

2. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second sensors are of different types.

3. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said apparatus includes a calibration means for calibrating an output of at least one of said first and second sensors on a basis of an output of said distribution computing means.

4. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the event different from normal events is a person'"'"'s intrusion into a monitor area.

5. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the occurrence of the event different from normal events is detection of a position of an object which exists in a monitor area.

6. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first sensor is a position detection sensor using electromagnetic wave, and the second sensor includes an image pickup device for acquiring an image of the second monitor area and an image processing device for detecting occurrence of the event different from normal events from the image acquired by said image pickup device.

7. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first sensor is a position detection sensor using electromagnetic wave, and the second sensor is a tag sensor for detecting a position of an RFID tag.

8. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first sensor is a range sensor using laser scanner, and the second sensor is a pressure-sensitive position detecting sensor.

9. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information presenting means outputs the first possibility distribution of the first sensor and the second possibility distribution of the second sensor separately.