REMOTE WIRELESS MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20100149332A1
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Johnson Electric SA 125 Rue de Progres La Chaux de Fonds Switzerland (Johnson Electric Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Electric SA 125 Rue de Progres La Chaux de Fonds Switzerland (Johnson Electric Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Wang, Patrick Shui Chung
• Application Number:
  US12/637,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149332A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A remote wireless monitoring system, for monitoring and controlling a number of predetermined objects, includes a mobile terminal and a monitoring device. The mobile terminal comprises an input unit configured to receive commands from a user, a control unit configured to generate control signal in response to the commands, and a first wireless communication unit configured to send out the control signal. The monitoring device comprises a second wireless communication unit configured to cooperate with the first communication unit to transmit wireless signals between the terminal and the monitoring device, an image-capturing unit configured to capture images from the objects, a remote control unit configured to control the objects, a drive unit configured to move or change the orientation of the remote control unit and the image-capturing unit , and a slave control unit configured to control movement of the drive unit such that the drive unit orients the image-capturing unit and the remote control unit towards one of the objects corresponding to the command.

Claims

1. A remote wireless monitoring system for monitoring and controlling objects, the system comprising:

a mobile terminal comprising;

an input unit configured to input commands,

a control unit configured to generate control signals in response to the commands from the input unit, and

a first wireless communication unit configured to send out the control signals; and

a monitoring device comprising;

a second wireless communication unit configured to cooperate with the first communication unit to transmit wireless signals between the mobile terminal and the monitoring device,

an image-capturing unit configured to capture images of the objects,

a remote control unit configured to control the objects,

a drive unit configured to orient the remote control unit and the image-capturing unit, and

a slave control unit configured to control movement of the drive unit such that the drive unit orients the image capture unit and the remote control unit towards a selected one of the objects corresponding to the command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a memory unit configured to save information about the location of the objects.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless signals are transmitted between the first and second wireless communication units via a 3G, GPRS or CDMA network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile phone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive unit is capable of driving the remote control unit and the image-capturing unit to move in at least one of a pan direction and a tilt direction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive unit is capable of driving the remote control unit and the image-capturing unit to move in a pan direction and a tilt direction.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the image-capturing unit comprises a camera with a zoom function.

8. A monitoring device comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to receive/send out wireless signals,

an image-capturing unit configured to capture images of predetermined objects,

a remote control unit configured to send out remote control signals to the objects,

a drive unit configured to move the remote control and the image-capturing unit, and

a control unit configured to control movement of the drive unit such that the drive unit orients the image capture unit and the remote control unit towards a selected one of the objects.

9. The monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the image-capturing unit comprises a camera mounted to the drive unit and the drive unit is capable of panning and/or tilting the camera.

10. The monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the image-capturing unit comprises a camera with a zoom function.

11. A remote wireless monitoring and control method comprising:

sending a control signal via a mobile terminal,

receiving the control signal by a monitoring device which comprises a remote control unit and a drive unit, controlling the drive unit to orient the remote control unit towards a object corresponding to the control signal, and

sending out a remote control signal from the remote control unit to said object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the monitoring device further comprises an image-capturing unit configured to capture images of the object, and the method further comprises displaying images of the object captured by the image-capturing unit on the mobile terminal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the control signal is a selection signal, and the method further comprises sending an operation signal via the mobile terminal to the monitoring device before the remote control unit sends out the remote control signal.