Rail-based closed circuit T.V. surveillance system with automatic target acquisition
First Claim
1. A surveillance system comprising:
- an elongated track positioned along a path;
carriage means supported on and movable along said track for transporting a television camera along said path;
carriage moving means coupled to said carriage means for selectively moving said carriage means along said track;
means associated with said television camera and responsive to camera control signals for selectively adjusting a direction of view and a zoom condition of said television camera;
carriage control means coupled to said carriage moving means and responsive to carriage control signals for selectively positioning said carriage means along said track; and
initialization means for entering first and second sets of initialization parameters, said first set of initialization parameters including first position data representative of a first selected point along said elongated track and first camera direction data representative of a first camera direction selected so that said television camera provides an image of a predetermined target object when said carriage means is positioned at said first selected point, said second set of initialization parameters including second position data representative of a second selected point along said elongated track and second camera direction data representative of a second camera direction selected so that said television camera provides an image of said predetermined target object when said carriage means is positioned at said second selected point.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a rail-based closed-circuit TV surveillance system, initialization is performed by positioning the surveillance camera at two different positions along the rail from which a target image is acquired. Camera direction parameters for each of the positions are stored. From the stored parameters there is calculated an optimum position for target acquisition. A normal surveillance routine is interrupted in response to an alarm signal. If the camera is within a range for viewing the target, target acquisition occurs immediately while the camera is moved toward the optimum position. If the camera is not within the range for viewing the target, the camera is moved toward the viewing range, while camera direction and focus are adjusted so that target acquisition occurs as soon as the camera reaches the viewing range. Camera direction and focus continue to be adjusted so that a target acquisition is maintained while the camera is moved within the viewing range toward the optimum position.
129 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A surveillance system comprising:
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an elongated track positioned along a path; carriage means supported on and movable along said track for transporting a television camera along said path; carriage moving means coupled to said carriage means for selectively moving said carriage means along said track; means associated with said television camera and responsive to camera control signals for selectively adjusting a direction of view and a zoom condition of said television camera; carriage control means coupled to said carriage moving means and responsive to carriage control signals for selectively positioning said carriage means along said track; and initialization means for entering first and second sets of initialization parameters, said first set of initialization parameters including first position data representative of a first selected point along said elongated track and first camera direction data representative of a first camera direction selected so that said television camera provides an image of a predetermined target object when said carriage means is positioned at said first selected point, said second set of initialization parameters including second position data representative of a second selected point along said elongated track and second camera direction data representative of a second camera direction selected so that said television camera provides an image of said predetermined target object when said carriage means is positioned at said second selected point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of initializing a rail-based closed circuit television surveillance system, the surveillance system including an elongated track positioned along a path, carriage means supported on and movable along said track for transporting a television camera along said path, carriage moving means coupled to said carriage means for selectively moving said carriage means along said track, camera control means for selectively adjusting a direction of view and a zoom condition of said television camera, and carriage control means for selectively positioning said carriage means along said track, the method comprising the steps of:
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positioning said carriage means at a first selected point along said elongated track; orienting the direction of view of said television camera in a first orientation so that said television camera provides an image of a predetermined target object at a time when said carriage means is at said first selected point; storing a first set of initialization parameters which includes first track position data representative of said first selected point and first camera direction data representative of said first orientation of the direction of view of said television camera; positioning said carriage means at a second selected point along said track; orienting the direction of view of said television camera in a second orientation so that said television camera provides an image of said predetermined target object at a time when said carriage means is at said second selected point; and storing a second set of initialization parameters which includes second track position data representative of said second selected point and second camera direction data representative of said second orientation of the direction of view of said television camera. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating a closed circuit television surveillance system, the surveillance system including means for transporting a television camera along a path, camera control means for selectively adjusting a direction of view and a zoom condition of said television camera, and position control means for selectively positioning said camera along said path, the method comprising the steps of:
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initializing said system by capturing an image of a predetermined target object by means of said television camera at respective times when said camera is at two different selected points along said path and storing initialization data indicative of the selected points and the respective directions of view of the camera used for capturing the target object image at the selected points; calculating from the stored initialization data an optimum viewpoint along said path for capturing an image of said predetermined target object, and an optimum pan angle, an optimum tilt angle and an optimum zoom condition for capturing said image of said predetermined target object when said camera is at said optimum viewpoint; receiving a target acquisition signal; and moving said camera to said optimum viewpoint in response to said received target acquisition signal. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification