Monitoring System

• US 20120081551A1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yoshiro Mizuno
• Original Assignee: Yoshiro Mizuno
• Inventors: Mizuno, Yoshiro, Kurita, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US13/266,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20120081551A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/150
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A system includes three locations of work areas (101, 102, and 103) each connected to a network (100), image-sound analyzing means (104), image-sound storing means (105), data managing means (106), a system control center (107), and a browser terminal (108). A part relating to image-capture and sound pickup inside the work area (101) includes a WEB camera, a microphone fixed to the WEB camera, an image-capture range, a marking indicating plate placed in the image-capture range, two stripe markings put on the surface of the marking indicating plate, and a two-dimensional bar-code put together with the stripe markings.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for a pharmacy work, comprising:

(1) a motion/still image-capture device including a WEB camera connected to a network, which sets an image-capture parameter in an image-capture range determined at each work area established in a pharmacy, successively captures images of work progression in the work area within the image-capture range, and transmits the captured image data to a predetermined transmission destination;

(2) a marking indicator which can be disposed in the image-capture range and freely moved by a worker having an intention of indicating that the work performed will be subjected to monitoring;

(3) image storing means which receives the image data, stores the received data, and connects to the network; and

(4) analyzing means which receives the image data, scans the image, extracts a marking area where two stripe markings intersect with each other at a right angle, recognizes the marking, and is connected to the network, wherein

when the marking is recognized by the analyzing means in the image data transmitted by the image-capture device, a scanned image area is specified as a bar-code area combining the marking area with the marking, an index at least including an image-capture time of the marking and a work area ID containing additional information read-out from the bar-code area is created, and the image data is stored in the image storing means associated with the index.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the marking indicator is at least one selected from the group consisting of a work instruction for the work, a prescription holder, a medicine tray, and a prescription.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the marking indicator is a work bench for carrying out the work in each work area, and

the marking is put on a work surface of the work bench.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

an indication is provided which indicates a position where the marking indicator is disposed within the image-capture range established in each work area, and which is used as a guide by the worker in the work area in order to place the marking or an object to be marked at an appropriate position for marking recognition.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the image is a moving image, and

video data relating to the work progression that is established to be one work sequence based on the recognition or non-recognition of the marking is stored as a file.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

information included in the created index is associated with a time recognized by the marking indicator moving the work area in accordance with a predetermined work flow, and

workflow management assist information is created with reference to at least one of the image-capture time, the work area ID, and a standard time set in advance for each work area or work.