Apparatus and method for automatically storing an intrusion scene

• US 6,714,237 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jae-Won Yoo, Menix Engineering Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Jae-Won Yoo, Menix Engineering Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoo, Jae-won, Lee, Sang-soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US09/948,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 348/152, 348/153, 348/154, 348/155, 340/541
• US Class Current: 348/152
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1961 Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system

Abstract

An apparatus and method for automatically storing an intrusion scene, and a method for controlling the apparatus using a wireless signal are provided. According to the apparatus and methods, an image is photographed every time a time interval elapses, converted into digital signals and stored. The stored signals are divided into a number of regions. The signals are sampled within each region, and data is extracted. It is determined whether an intrusion has occurred by comparing the extracted image data with image data extracted immediately before. If it is determined that intrusion occurred, scene data corresponding to the image data in which the intrusion is recognized is stored, and notification that an intrusion has occurred is wirelessly transmitted. Functions for these operations are set by a remote controller using keypads. By doing so, if an intruder intrudes into an area, the unmanned monitoring apparatus provides an intrusion alarm and at the same time photographs the intrusion scene. The scene data is important evidence for arresting the intruder and proving the intrusion. Also, the size of the apparatus can be easily reduced for convenient maintenance.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically storing an intrusion scene comprising:

a photographing unit for photographing an image every time a time interval elapses;

an analog-to-digital (A/D) converting unit for receiving a signal of an image photographed by the photographing unit and converting the signal into a digital signal;

a video signal storage unit for storing the digital signal output from the A/D converting unit;

a microprocessor unit for dividing the signal stored in the video signal storage unit into a number of regions, sampling the signal within each region, extracting image data from the sampling, and storing the image data extracted;

a comparison/calculation unit for recognizing whether an intrusion has occurred, by comparing the image data extracted with image data extracted previously; and

a scene data storage unit for storing scene data, which is a digital signal previously stored in the video signal storage unit and that corresponds to image data in which an intrusion has been recognized by the comparison/calculation unit.

2. The apparatus for automatically storing an intrusion scene of claim 1, further comprising a notification unit which informs a remote location that an intrusion has occurred, if an intrusion has been recognized by the comparison/calculation unit.

3. The apparatus for automatically storing an intrusion scene of claim 1, further comprising a real-time clock for outputting data indicating current time, wherein, when the scene data in which an intrusion is recognized has been stored, the scene data storage unit inserts the current time from the real-time clock into the scene data in which an intrusion has been recognized.

4. The apparatus for automatically storing an intrusion scene of claim 1, wherein the scene data storage unit includes a flash memory.

5. The apparatus for automatically storing an intrusion scene of claim 4, wherein, if scene data volume to be stored in the scene data storage unit overflows the scene data storage unit, the scene which was stored first is deleted and the latest scene is stored.

6. The apparatus for automatically storing an intrusion scene of claim 1, wherein, if scene data volume to be stored in the scene data storage unit overflows the scene data storage unit, the scene which was stored first is deleted and the latest scene is stored.

7. The apparatus for automatically storing an intrusion scene of claim 1, further comprising a notification unit for wirelessly informing a separate receiving apparatus when an intrusion occurs.

8. The apparatus for automatically storing an intrusion scene of claim 1, further comprising a digital-to-analog (D/A) converting unit for converting a digital signal stored in the video signal storage unit and outputting an analog image signal.

9. A method for automatically storing an intrusion scene, comprising:

photographing an image every time an interval elapses, converting each of the images into corresponding digital signals, and storing the digital signals;

dividing the stored signals into a number of regions;

sampling the stored signals within each region, extracting image data from the stored signals sampled, and storing the image data;

determining whether an intrusion has occurred by comparing image data extracted with image data extracted previously; and

storing scene data corresponding to image data extracted in which an intrusion is recognized when an intrusion has occurred.

10. The method for automatically storing an intrusion scene of claim 9, further comprising informing a remote location that an intrusion has occurred.

11. The automatic storing method for an intrusion scene of claim 9, further comprising accessing and displaying the scene data stored.