Image recording/reproducing apparatus in monitor system

• US 6,741,977 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2000
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nagaya, Shigeki, Miyatake, Takafumi, Nagasaka, Akio, Fujita, Takehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ISAAC M
• Application Number:
  US09/493,240
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 707/500, 707/501, 707/502, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 348/135, 348/143, 348/155, 382/100, 382/173, 382/232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

For image recording/reproduction in a monitoring system, a monitoring image signal as inputted is converted into a plurality of time-serial digitized monitoring image frames to be stored temporarily in a first storage area. From the plurality of digitized monitoring image frames stored in the first storage area, a plurality of monitoring image frames relevant to at least one type of concerned event for monitoring are extracted to be stored in a second storage area. A monitored event database having a data structure comprised of elements each containing information concerning a storing location of relevant monitoring image frame in the second storage area and information concerning attributes of the relevant monitoring image frame for each of the monitoring image frames stored in the second storage area is generated to be stored in a third storage area. In response to a perusal request issued by user by using a WEB browser and sent via a network, the monitored event database is searched for acquiring a storing location of plural monitoring image frames relevant to the perusal request in the second storage area to thereby select from the second storage area a plurality of monitoring image frames relevant to the perusal request. The selected plural monitoring image frames are converted into HTML data to be sent to a display device connected via a network to be displayed on a display device in a two-dimensional layout or in the form of time-serial animation.

Claims

1. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system, comprising:

a first processing unit for converting a monitoring image signal as inputted into a plurality of time-serial digitized monitoring image frames to store said digitized monitoring image frames in a first storage area;

a second processing unit for extracting from said plurality of digitized monitoring image frames stored in said first storage area a plurality of monitoring image frames relevant to at least one event to be monitored, said second processing unit defining a period for said at least one event to be monitored, based on contents of said plurality of digitized image frames stored in a first storage area, and extracting monitoring image frames from said plurality of digitized monitoring image frames within said period at predetermined fixed sampling intervals to thereby store said extracted monitoring image frames in a second storage area, the at least one event to be monitored being related to positional changes of at least one of persons and equipment;

a third processing unit for generating a monitored event database having a data structure of separately managing information as to storage addresses of the monitoring image frames stored in said second storage area and information as to said at least one event to which the monitoring image frames belong;

a fourth processing unit responsive to a user'"'"'s perusal request designating an element of the data structure of said monitored even database, for searching said database, acquiring storage addresses of monitoring image frames stored in said second storage area and belonging to an event-to-be-monitored corresponding to the user'"'"'s request, and selecting the image frames belonging to the event-to-be-monitored from said second storage area based on said storage addresses thus acquired; and

a fifth processing unit for generating an output signal for displaying said selected monitoring image frames belonging to the event-to-be-monitored on a display device in a two-dimensional array or in the form of time-serial animation.

2. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 1,

wherein said display device is connected to said image recording/playback apparatus via a network,

wherein said fifth processing unit for generating said output signal includes a web server, and

wherein in response to a perusal request issued by making use of said web browser by a user viewing display generated on said display device, said web server sends said plural monitoring image frames as selected to said display device as hypertext markup language (HTML) data via said network.

3. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said fifth processing unit for generating said output signal is designed to generate an output signal for displaying a current monitoring image frame to be stored in said first storage area on said display device simultaneously with said plurality of monitoring image frames as selected.

4. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 1,

further comprising:

a sixth processing unit for generating an output signal for displaying elements of the data structure of said monitored event database in the form of a tree structural expression in which said elements are disposed in a tree structure.

5. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 1,

wherein the element for which the perusal request is issued by the user is designated by clicking a graphically represented element in said tree structural expression being displayed on said display device.

6. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 1,

wherein said second and third storage areas are prepared on an auxiliary storage.

7. An image recording/playback apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a first frame image or a last frame image or a frame image located at a mid position between said first and last frame images within a time period during which a concerned event for monitoring is occurring is extracted.

8. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system, comprising:

a first processing unit for converting a monitoring image signal as inputted into a plurality of time-serial digitized monitoring image frames to store said digitized monitoring image frames in a first storage area;

a second processing unit for extracting from said plurality of digitized monitoring image frames stored in said first storage area a plurality of monitoring image frames relevant to at least one event to be monitored, said second processing unit extracting image frames at sampling intervals variable according to control rules previously stored, when said second processing unit detects said at least one event to be monitored from said plurality of digitized monitoring image frames stored in a first storage area, to thereby store said extracted monitoring image frames in a second storage area, the at least one event to be monitored being related to positional changes of at least one of persons and equipment;

a third processing unit for generating a monitored event database having a data structure of separately managing information as to storage addresses of the monitoring image frames stored in said second storage area and information as to said at least one event to which the monitoring image frames belong;

a fourth processing unit responsive to a user'"'"'s perusal request designating an element of the data structure of said monitored event database, for searching said database, acquiring storage addresses of monitoring image frames stored in said second storage area and belonging to an event-to-be-monitored corresponding to the user'"'"'s request, and selecting the image frames belonging to the event-to-be-monitored from said second storage area based on said storage addresses thus acquired; and

a fifth processing unit for generating an output signal for displaying said selected monitoring image frames belonging to the event-to-be-monitored on a display device in a two-dimensional array or in the form of time-serial animation.

9. An image recording/playback apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein a frame image at a position where a characteristic quantity representing a concerned event is locally maximum or alternatively locally minimum or alternatively changing at a high rate is extracted.

10. An image recording/playback apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein said plurality of monitoring image frames as selected are disposed to be displayed two-dimensionally together with time entries on a time basis such as date, hour, every fifteen minutes and a.m./p.m.

11. An image recording/playback apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein a characteristic quantity transition graph indicating history of the concerned event is displayed in association with said selected monitoring image frame.

12. An image recording/playback apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein said fifth processing unit for generating said output signal is designed to store the representative images in an image format capable of being displayed in a WEB browser on a frame-by-frame basis and output an HTML tag <

IMG SRC=“

image data storage path name”

>

as HTML data for displaying said representative image without need for copying/moving the image data internally of a WEB server.

13. An image recording/playback apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein said fifth processing unit for generating said output signal is designed to output an HTML tag indicating the representative image or a character string indicating a concerned event as a character string sandwiched between <

A HREF=“

another layout display”

? parameter> and

<

IA>

for thereby allowing said representative image or said event to be automatically moved/displayed by clicking said sandwiched character string.

14. An image recording/playback apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein said fifth processing unit for generating said output includes means for generating dynamically HTML data of event information and image on the basis of said event information and said image updated every moment.

15. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 8,

wherein said display device is connected to said image recording/playback apparatus via a network,

wherein said fifth processing unit for generating said output signal includes a WEB server, and

wherein in response to a perusal request issued by making use of said WEB browser by a user viewing display generated on said display device, said WEB server sends said plural monitoring image frames as selected to said display device as hypertext markup language (HTML) data via said network.

16. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein said fifth processing unit for generating said output signal is designed to generate an output signal for displaying a current monitoring image frame to be stored in said first storage area on said display device simultaneously with said plurality of monitoring image frames as selected.

17. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a sixth processing unit for generating an output signal for displaying elements of the data structure of said monitored event database in the form of a tree structural expression in which said elements are disposed in a tree structure.

18. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 8,

wherein the element for which the perusal request is issued by the user is designated by clicking a graphically represented element in said tree structural expression being displayed on said display device.

19. An image recording/playback apparatus for a monitoring system according to claim 8,

wherein said second and third storage areas are prepared on an auxiliary storage.

20. A recording medium storing a computer executable program for carrying out an image recording/playback method for a monitoring system, comprising:

a first processing module for converting a monitoring image signal as inputted into a plurality of time-serial digitized monitoring image frames to store said digitized monitoring image frames in a first storage area;

a second processing module for extracting from said plurality of digitized monitoring image frames stored in said first storage area a plurality of monitoring image frames relevant to at least one event to be monitored, said second processing module defining a period for said at least one event to be monitored, based on contents of said plurality of digitized image frames stored in a first storage area, and extracting monitoring image frames from said plurality of digitized monitoring image frames at predetermined fixed sampling intervals within said period to thereby store said extracted monitoring image frames in a second storage area, the at least one event to be monitored being related to positional changes of at least one of persons and equipment;

a third processing module for generating a monitored event database having a data structure of separately managing information as to storage addresses of the monitoring image frames stored in said second storage area and information as to said at least one event to which the monitoring image frames belong;

a fourth processing module responsive to a user'"'"'s perusal request designating an element of the data structure of said monitored even database, for searching said database, acquiring storage addresses of monitoring image frames stored in said second storage area and belonging to an event-to-be-monitored corresponding to the user'"'"'s request, and selecting the image frames belonging to the event-to-be-monitored from said second storage area based on said storage addresses thus acquired; and

a fifth processing module for generating an output signal for displaying said selected monitoring image frames belonging to the event-to-be-monitored on a display device in a two-dimensional array or in the form of time-serial animation.

21. A recording medium storing a computer executable program for carrying out an image recording/playback method for a monitoring system, comprising:

a first processing module for converting a monitoring image signal as inputted into a plurality of time-serial digitized monitoring image frames to store said digitized monitoring image frames in a first storage area;

a second processing module for extracting from said plurality of digitized monitoring image frames stored in said first storage area a plurality of monitoring image frames relevant to at least one event to be monitored, said second processing module extracting image frames at sampling intervals variable according to control rules previously stored, when said second processing module detects said at least one event to be monitored from said plurality of digitized monitoring image frames stored in a first storage area, to thereby store said extracted monitoring image frames in a second storage area, the at least one event to be monitored being related to positional changes of at least one of persons and equipment;

a third processing module for generating a monitored event database having a data structure of separately managing information as to storage addresses of the monitoring image frames stored in said second storage area and information as to said at least one event to which the monitoring image frames belong;

a fourth processing module responsive to a user'"'"'s perusal request designating an element of the data structure of said monitored event database, for searching said database, acquiring storage addresses of monitoring image frames stored in said second storage area and belonging to an event-to-be-monitored corresponding to the user'"'"'s request, and selecting the image frames belonging to the event-to-be-monitored from said second storage area based on said storage addresses thus acquired; and

a fifth processing module for generating an output signal for displaying said selected monitoring image frames belonging to the event-to-be-monitored on a display device in a two-dimensional array or in the form of time-serial animation.