SURVEILLANCE CAMERA TERMINAL

• US 20130002869A1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation, University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation, University of Tokyo
• Inventors: Naito, Takeshi, Yuasa, Shinya, Nakano, Junichi, Kamijo, Shunsuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,398,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• 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 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

Abstract

A surveillance camera terminal includes an imaging means that outputs a frame image, an imaging visual field control means that changes the imaging visual field of the imaging means in a surveillance area, an object extracting means that extracts an object being imaged by processing the frame image taken by the imaging means, a tracking means that detects a position of the object in the surveillance area based on a position of the object extracted by the object extracting means on the frame image and the imaging visual field of the imaging means, an imaging visual field storage means that stores an imaging visual field, and detection means that detects whether or not the object being tracked by the tracking means has traveled to a position near a handover area for handover of the object to another surveillance camera terminal

Claims

1. A surveillance camera terminal comprising:

imaging means configured to output a frame image taken by imaging an area in an imaging visual field;

imaging visual field control means configured to change the imaging visual field of the imaging means in a surveillance area;

object extracting means configured to extract an object being imaged by processing the frame image taken by the imaging means;

tracking means configured to detect a position of the object in the surveillance area based on a position of the object extracted by the object extracting means on the frame image and the imaging visual field of the imaging means and then track the object;

imaging visual field storage means configured to store therein an imaging visual field for use in handover of the object to each of other surveillance camera terminals to which the object is possible to hand over; and

detection means configured to detect whether or not the object being tracked by the tracking means has traveled to a position near a handover area for handover of the object to another surveillance camera terminal,

wherein the imaging visual field control means changing the imaging visual field of the imaging means in accordance with the position of the object being tracked by the tracking means in the surveillance area, and

wherein when the detection means detects that the object being tracked by the tracking means has traveled to the position near the handover area for handover to another surveillance camera terminal, the imaging visual field control means adjusts the imaging visual field of the imaging means to the imaging visual field for use in handover of the object to the other surveillance camera terminal which is stored in the imaging visual field storage means.

2. The surveillance camera terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the detection means detects that the object being tracked by the tracking means has traveled to the position near the handover area for handover to another surveillance camera terminal, the imaging visual field control means changes the imaging visual field of the imaging means to the imaging visual field for use in handover of the object while capturing the object in the imaging visual field of the imaging means.

3. The surveillance camera terminal according to claim 1, wherein synchronization means is provided which is configured to synchronize timing for imaging by the imaging means to timing for imaging by another surveillance camera terminal to which the object has to be handed over.

4. The surveillance camera terminal according to claim 1, which is provided with handover request notification means configured to make a handover request to another surveillance camera terminal to which the object has to be handed over when the detection means detects that the object being tracked by the tracking means has traveled to the position near the handover area for handover to the other surveillance camera terminal.

5. The surveillance camera terminal according to claim 4, wherein when the handover request is received from another surveillance camera terminal, the imaging visual field control means adjusts the imaging visual field of the imaging means to the imaging visual field for use in handover of the object to the other surveillance camera terminal which is stored in the imaging visual field storage means.

6. The surveillance camera terminal according to claim 2, wherein synchronization means is provided which is configured to synchronize timing for imaging by the imaging means to timing for imaging by another surveillance camera terminal to which the object has to be handed over.

7. The surveillance camera terminal according to claim 2, which is provided with handover request notification means configured to make a handover request to another surveillance camera terminal to which the object has to be handed over when the detection means detects that the object being tracked by the tracking means has traveled to the position near the handover area for handover to the other surveillance camera terminal.

8. The surveillance camera terminal according to claim 3, which is provided with handover request notification means configured to make a handover request to another surveillance camera terminal to which the object has to be handed over when the detection means detects that the object being tracked by the tracking means has traveled to the position near the handover area for handover to the other surveillance camera terminal.