INTELLIGENT MONITORING CAMERA APPARATUS AND IMAGE MONITORING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTING SAME

• US 20110310219A1
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Youngkook Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Youngkook Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Bae Hoon, Lee, Jee Hwan
• Application Number:
  US13/254,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310219A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19643 wherein the cameras play different roles, e.g. different resolution, different camera type, master-slave camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• 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

The present invention relates to a monitoring camera apparatus which directly detects motion in an image to control the pan/tilt/zoom of a centralized monitoring camera, and which transmits a wide area monitoring image and a centralized monitoring image together to a control device in a remote place, and also relates a remote monitoring system using same. The monitoring camera apparatus acquires monitoring images to be displayed in a remote control device (40), and controls a centralized monitoring imaging unit (20) without the assistance of the remote control device (40). The monitoring camera apparatus comprises a wide angle imaging unit (110), a control and signal-processing unit (120), and signal-transmitting units (160, 162). The wide angle imaging unit (110) acquires a wide angle image for a monitoring area. The control and signal-processing unit (120) detects the location of a moving object from the wide angle image, generates a control signal corresponding to the location information of the moving object to control the centralized monitoring imaging unit (20) to photograph the moving object, and receives the centralized monitoring image acquired by the centralized monitoring imaging unit (20). The signal-transmitting units (160, 162) transmit the monitoring image containing the centralized monitoring image to the remote control device (40).

Claims

1. A monitoring camera apparatus for acquiring a monitoring image to be displayed on a remote control apparatus and controlling a centralized monitoring imaging unit without assistance of the remote control apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a wide-angle imaging unit for acquiring a wide-angle image regarding a target area;

a control and signal-processing unit for detecting a location of a moving object from the wide-angle image, controlling the centralized monitoring imaging unit to photograph the moving object by generating a control signal corresponding to information on the location of the moving object, and receiving a centralized monitoring image acquired by the centralized monitoring imaging unit; and

a signal transmission unit for transmitting the monitoring image comprising the centralized monitoring image to the remote control apparatus.

2. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control and signal-processing unit outputs the control signal according to location information of one image sector associated with the moving object among a plurality of image sectors constituting the wide-angle image.

3. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control and signal-processing unit outputs a certain preset code to the centralized monitoring imaging unit as the control signal according to the location information of the moving object to allow the centralized monitoring imaging unit to control a photographing direction according to the preset code.

4. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control and signal-processing unit outputs panning and tilting control values regarding the centralized monitoring imaging unit to the centralized monitoring imaging unit as the control signal according to the location information of the moving object.

5. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control and signal-processing unit compares a previously photographed wide-angle image and a current wide-angle image by unit of multiple image sectors, and if a calculation value of a variation of a pixel value is equal to or greater than a certain reference value in the respective image sectors, determines that the image sector is associated with the moving object.

6. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 5, wherein if the calculation value of the variation of the pixel value is equal to or greater than the reference value in two or more image sectors adjacent to each other, the control and signal-processing unit determines that an image sector having a maximum calculation value of the variation of the pixel value is associated with the moving object.

7. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control and signal-processing unit compares a previously photographed wide-angle image and a current wide-angle image to detect the moving object, and determines the associated image sector by determining whether a specific coordinate of the moving object pertains to the associated image sector among the multiple image sectors.

8. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control and signal-processing unit detects the moving object from the wide-angle image, determines a location of a central point of the moving object in the wide-angle image as a form of polar coordinate, and outputs the control signal according to the polar coordinate.

9. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control and signal-processing unit determines a size of the moving object and comprises a zoom ratio control value corresponding to the size in the control signal.

10. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a panorama image construction unit for constructing a panorama image from the wide-angle image; and

an image combination unit for combining the centralized monitoring image received from the centralized monitoring imaging unit,

wherein the signal transmission unit transmits the combined image to the remote control apparatus as the monitoring image.

11. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 10, wherein the image combination unit formats the panorama image and the centralized monitoring image into one output image that is displayed on a display of the remote control apparatus.

12. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 10, wherein the signal transmission unit comprises:

a signal conversion unit for converting a digital image signal regarding the output image into an analog output image signal;

an image output terminal for transmitting the analog output image signal to the remote control apparatus; and

a serial communication unit for receiving a unit control signal from the remote control apparatus.

13. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 10, wherein the image combination unit multiplexes the panorama image signal and the centralized monitoring image signal, and the signal transmission unit transmits a multiplexed image signal to the remote control apparatus.

14. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 10, wherein the signal transmission unit comprises a network adapter for transmitting the output image to the remote control apparatus through a network.

15. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a storage unit for storing one of the wide-angle image, the centralized monitoring image, the panorama image, and a combination thereof.

16. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

an image input terminal for receiving the centralized monitoring image from the centralized monitoring imaging unit; and

a serial communication unit for transmitting the control signal to the centralized monitoring imaging unit,

wherein the centralized monitoring imaging unit is an independent unit located outside the monitoring camera apparatus.

17. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 16, wherein the serial communication unit is used when the control and signal-processing unit receives a unit control signal from the remote control apparatus.

18. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 16, wherein when panning/tilting control signals regarding the centralized monitoring imaging unit are received, the control and signal-processing unit transmits the panning/tilting control signals prior to a control signal corresponding to the location information of the moving object to the centralized monitoring imaging unit.

19. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a signal conversion unit for receiving an analog centralized monitoring image from the centralized monitoring imaging unit through the image input terminal and generating a digital centralized monitoring image, wherein the image combination unit combines a digital panorama image and the digital centralized monitoring image.

20. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 16, wherein the centralized monitoring imaging unit is connected in plurality to the monitoring camera apparatus.

21. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 20, wherein the control signal that the control and signal-processing unit transmits to the centralized monitoring imaging unit comprises reception unit identification information.

22. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 16, wherein an optical axis of a wide-angle lens of the wide-angle image unit is aligned with a panning central axis of the centralized monitoring imaging unit.

23. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 10, wherein the centralized monitoring imaging unit is disposed in the monitoring camera apparatus.

24. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 23, wherein the wide-angle imaging units are symmetrically disposed in plurality on an outer circumferential surface of the monitoring camera apparatus.

25. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 24, wherein the control and signal-processing unit detects a moving object from each of a plurality of wide-angle images acquired by the plurality of wide-angle imaging units.

26. The monitoring camera apparatus of claim 24, wherein the panorama image construction unit extracts a certain region from each of the plurality of wide-angle images, and combines the extracted regions to construct the panorama image.

27. A remote monitoring system for selectively and intensively photographing a target area, comprising:

at least one slave camera capable of panning/tilting/zooming operation;

a master camera for acquiring a wide-angle image regarding the target area, detecting a location of a moving object from the wide-angle image, driving the slave camera according to the location of the moving object to control the slave camera to photograph the moving object, acquiring a centralized monitoring image from the slave camera, and constructing an output image based on the wide-angle image and the centralized monitoring image; and

a remote control apparatus for displaying the output image on a monitor and remotely controlling the master camera.

28. The remote monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the master camera supplies a control signal according to location information of one image sector associated with the moving object among a plurality of image sectors constituting the wide-angle image to control the slave camera.

29. The remote monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the master camera comprises:

a panorama image construction unit for constructing a panorama image from the wide-angle image;

an image combination unit for combining the panorama image and the centralized monitoring image received from the centralized monitoring imaging unit; and

a signal transmission unit for transmitting the combined image to the remote control apparatus as the output image.

30. In a monitoring camera apparatus that comprises a wide-angle imaging unit and is configured to acquire a monitoring image to be displayed on a remote control apparatus and control a centralized monitoring imaging unit without assistance of the remote control apparatus, a method of acquiring a monitoring image, comprising:

acquiring, by the wide-angle imaging unit, a wide-angle image regarding a target area;

detecting a location of a moving object from the wide-angle image and generating a control signal corresponding to information on the location of the moving object;

providing the control signal to the centralized monitoring imaging unit to control the centralized monitoring imaging unit to photograph the moving object and receiving a centralized monitoring image acquired by the centralized monitoring imaging unit; and

transmitting the monitoring image comprising the centralized monitoring image to the remote control apparatus.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the centralized monitoring imaging unit is an independent unit that is located outside the monitoring camera apparatus.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the centralized monitoring imaging unit is disposed in the camera apparatus.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the detecting of the location of the moving object comprises:

dividing the wide-angle image into a plurality of image sectors;

comparing a previously-photographed wide-angle image and a current wide-angle image by unit of the plurality of image sectors;

calculating the number of pixels of each image sector, in which a variation of a pixel value is greater than a first reference value; and

determining location information of an image sector whose calculation value is equal to or greater than a second reference value as location information of the moving object.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the determining of the location information of the image sector comprises determining location information of an image sector having a maximum calculation value of the variation of the pixel value as the location information of the moving object when the calculation value is equal to or greater than the second reference value in two or more image sectors adjacent to each other.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the detecting of the location of the moving object comprises:

dividing the wide-angle image into a plurality of image sectors;

comparing a previously-photographed wide-angle image and a current wide-angle image by unit of the plurality of image sectors to detect the moving object; and

determining location information of an image sector to which a specific coordinate of the moving object pertains as the location information of the moving object.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the detecting of the location of the moving object comprises:

detecting the moving object in the wide-angle image;

determining a location of a central point of the moving object in a form of polar coordinate; and

determining panning/tilting control values regarding the centralized monitoring imaging unit according to the polar coordinate to generate the control signal.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

determining a size of the moving object; and

additionally generating a zoom ratio control value corresponding to the size as the control signal.