MONITORING DEVICE, MONITORING METHOD, AND MONITORING PROGRAM

• US 20090146817A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeda, Hiroo
• Granted Patent: US 8,400,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/15 with arrangements to prevent the passage of more than one individual at a time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

To continuously detect a suspicious person, and to provide information for identifying the suspicious person, a monitoring device for monitoring an object existing in a detection area includes: a detection unit for detecting existence of the object in the detection area; an authentication information acquisition unit for acquiring authentication information held by the detected object; a registered authentication information storage unit for storing registered authentication information on an object admitted into the detection area; a determination unit for acquiring, based on the authentication information and the registered authentication information, a number of registered authentication objects and a number of unregistered authentication objects, for setting an alert mode when the detection unit detects the existence of the object, and when the number of registered authentication objects is zero, and for determining a suspicious object based on the number of registered authentication objects, the number of unregistered authentication objects, and the alert mode; and an alarming/notifying unit for notifying an alarm based on a result of determination by the determination unit.

Claims

1. A monitoring device which monitors an object existing in a detection area, comprising:

a detection unit which detects the object in the detection area;

an authentication information acquisition unit which acquires authentication information on the object detected by the detection unit;

a registered authentication information storage unit which stores registered authentication information on an object admitted into the detection area; and

a determination unit which acquires, based on the authentication information acquired by the authentication information acquisition unit and the registered authentication information, a number of registered authentication objects indicating a number of objects holding authentication information which matches the registered authentication information, and a number of unregistered authentication objects indicating a number of objects holding authentication information which does not match the registered authentication information, and sets an alert mode when the detection unit detects existence of the object, and when the number of registered authentication objects is zero, and for determining a suspicious object based on the number of registered authentication objects, the number of unregistered authentication objects, and the alert mode.

2. A monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit resets, after the alert mode has been set, the alert mode when the detection unit no longer detects existence of the object.

3. A monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines:

when the number of registered authentication objects is zero, that all objects in the detection area are suspicious objects;

when the number of registered authentication objects is at least one, and when the number of unregistered authentication objects is at least one, that some of the objects in the detection area are the suspicious objects; and

when the alert mode is set in a state other than the above-mentioned two states, that the suspicious object exists in the detection area.

4. A monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm pattern generation unit for generating an alarm pattern based on the result determined by the determination unit,

wherein the notification unit issues a notice of the alarm using the alarm pattern.

5. A monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the alarm pattern generation unit generates, when the number of registered authentication objects is at least one, when the number of unregistered authentication objects is zero, and when the alert mode is set, an alarm pattern which issues a notice of the number of registered authentication objects.

6. A monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the notification unit comprises a device for generating light, and represents the alarm pattern as one of a shape of a light source and a shape of projected light.

7. A monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the notification unit comprises a device for generating light, and represents the alarm pattern as one of a pattern of a light source and a pattern of projected light.

8. A monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the notification unit comprises a device for generating light, and represents the alarm pattern as a flash timing.

9. A monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the notification unit comprises a device for generating light, and represents the alarm pattern as a number of active lightings.

10. A monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the notification unit comprises a device for generating light, and represents the alarm pattern as a combination of at least two of a shape of a light source, a shape of projected light, a pattern of the light source, a pattern of the projected light, a flash timing, and a number of active lightings.

11. A monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein:

the notification unit uses a lighting device which causes the alarm pattern to be insensible for normal visual recognition, and to be sensible from an image acquired by a corresponding imaging device; and

the monitoring device further comprises;

an image acquisition unit which provides a function of imaging lighting corresponding to the lighting device, and a function of imaging the object;

an image analyzing/combining unit which analyzes the alarm pattern based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit, and combines the imaged object and the analyzed alarm pattern into an image; and

a display unit which displays the combined image.

12. A monitoring device according to claim 11, wherein the notification unit uses, as the lighting device, infrared illumination.

13. A monitoring device according to claim 11, wherein the notification unit uses, as the lighting device, fluorescent light flashing at high speed in a controllable flashing pattern.

18. A monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines:

when the number of registered authentication objects is zero, that all objects in the detection area are suspicious objects;

when the number of registered authentication objects is at least one, and when the number of unregistered authentication objects is at least one, that some of the objects in the detection area are the suspicious objects; and

when the alert mode is set in a state other than the above-mentioned two states, that the suspicious object exists in the detection area.

19. A monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein the notification unit comprises a device for generating light, and represents the alarm pattern as one of a shape of a light source and a shape of projected light.

20. A monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein the notification unit comprises a device for generating light, and represents the alarm pattern as one of a pattern of a light source and a pattern of projected light.

14. A monitoring method for monitoring an object existing in a detection area, comprising:

storing registered authentication information on an object admitted into the detection area in a registered authentication information storage unit;

detecting existence of the object in the detection area;

acquiring authentication information held by the detected object;

acquiring, based on the acquired authentication information and the registered authentication information, a number of registered authentication objects indicating a number of objects holding the registered authentication information, and a number of unregistered authentication objects indicating a number of objects holding authentication information other than the registered authentication information;

setting an alert mode when the existence of the object is detected, and when the number of registered authentication objects is zero;

determining a suspicious object based on the number of registered authentication objects, the number of unregistered authentication objects, and the alert mode; and

issuing a notice of an alarm based on a result of the determining.

15. A monitoring method according to claim 14, further comprising:

generating an alarm pattern based on the result of the determining; and

issuing the notice of the alarm using the generated alarm pattern.

16. A monitoring method according to claim 15, wherein the alarm pattern includes, when the number of registered authentication objects is at least one, when the number of unregistered authentication objects is zero, and when the alert mode is set, an alarm pattern which notifies the number of registered authentication objects.

17. A monitoring program for monitoring an object existing in a detection area, causing a computer to carry out the procedures of:

acquiring a notice indicating detection of existence of the object in the detection area, and authentication information held by the detected object;

reading registered authentication information indicating admission into the detection area from a registered authentication information storage unit;

acquiring, based on the acquired authentication information and the registered authentication information, a number of registered authentication objects indicating a number of objects holding the registered authentication information, and a number of unregistered authentication objects indicating a number of objects holding authentication information which is not the registered authentication information;

setting an alert mode when the existence of the object is detected, and when the number of registered authentication objects is zero; and

determining a suspicious object based on the number of registered authentication objects, the number of unregistered authentication objects, and the alert mode.