Coordinated audio and visual omnidirectional recording

• US 7,002,617 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Samuel Smith
• Original Assignee: Robert Samuel Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Robert Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US09/620,287
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/14.04, 348/14.08, 348/14.16, 348/143, 348/169, 348/154, 348/155, 348/208.14, 348/208.16, 725/64, 704/264, 704/275, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 340/692, 340/691.1, 367/135
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19628 of wide angled cameras and camera groups, e.g. omni-directional cameras, fish eye, single units having multiple cameras achieving a wide angle view
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A surveillance system featuring a camera that is directed to focus on a location where a noise has been generated and display an image of the location. The system includes an omnidirectional camera having a lens for viewing a 360° field of view, a visual memory for storing visual data at addresses representing the field of view, an omnidirectional audial detector for detecting the direction of location of a source of a signal, a display selection means for selecting visual data from one of said addresses in said visual memory corresponding to said direction of location and a monitor for displaying said selected visual data. In one embodiment, the audial detector is a plurality of detectors arranged on a circle. A register stores the address of the detector closest to the source and this address is transmitted to the display controller which conditions a system monitor to display an image representing the selected visual data.

Claims

1. A surveillance system which comprises;

a camera means for forming an image of a 360°

field of view around a viewpoint having a CCD array arranged to receive said image and generate an image signal,

video memory means coupled to said CCD array for storing said image signal;

a plurality of audial detectors arranged at positions around said viewpoint;

a plurality of circuit means, one circuit means for each one audial detector, each circuit means arranged to provide that, when any one audial detector detects a sound coming from said 360°

field of view before any other of said audial detectors detects said sound, then said circuit means coupled to said any one audial detector disables all other detectors of said plurality of audio detectors and emits a position signal providing that said any one audio detector emitting said position signal corresponds to said direction of said source of sound relative to said viewpoint;

signal selecting means arranged in operable combination with said plurailty of audial detectors and said video memory means for applying said position signal to select exclusively from said memory a portion of said image signal generated from said area containing said source of sound;

monitor means in combination with said signal selecting means for applying said portion of image signal to display an image of said area.

2. The surveillance system of claim 1 wherein said audial detector comprises:

two detectors spaced a distance, D, from one another and having identical detection sensitivities;

said signal arriving at one of said detectors at one instant and arriving a period of time, P, later at said second detector;

means for measuring the period of time, P;

means for calculating a direction angle, Ø

, being the angle which the direction from the audial detector to the source makes with the line connecting the two detectors using the relation;

cos Ø

=PC/D

where c is the velocity of sound;

said display selection means applying the angle, Ø

, to identify the address in visual memory of the visual data.

3. The surveillance system of claim 1, arranged to display a meeting of a group of conferees, wherein

each conferee is positionable at a respective one of a group of locations in said 360°

field of view of said omnidirectional lens and each conferee is a source of sound from said respective location;

said plurality of audio detectors being a signal selecting means, further comprising a group of microphones, each one of said audio detectors and one of said group of microphones positioned at a respective one of said locations and corresponding to said direction, being one of a group of directions of said conferees relative to said camera means;

said signal selecting means arranged in operable combination with said camera means for selecting a portion of said image signal generated from one of said locations in response to sound generated at said location by one of said conferees at said location for presentation on said monitor.

4. The surveillance system of claim 1 arranged to display a meeting of a group of conferees, which comprises:

each conferee positionable at a respective one of a group of locations in a said 360°

field of view and each conferee being a source of sound from said respective location;

said plurality of detectors comprising a group of microphones, each positioned at a respective one of said locations and corresponding to said direction, being one of a group of directions of said conferees relative to said camera means;

said signal selecting means arranged in operable combination with said group of microphones and said camera means for selecting a portion of said image signal generated from one of said locations for presentation on said monitor.

5. The surveillance system of claim 4 wherein said signal selecting means comprises:

a group of switches, one of said switches connecting a power means to one of said microphones respectively whereby said power means enables said microphone to convert an audio signal to an electrical signal for transmission to said signal selecting means and to select said portion of said image signal corresponding to said location where said microphone is located for presentation on said monitor when said respective switch is closed;

said group of switches accessible to an operator enabling said operator to select any one of said sections for transmitting an image and sound.

6. The surveillance system of claim 1 wherein

said plurality of audial detectors are aranged circumferentially around said viewpoint and coaxial with said 360°

field of view.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said circuit means comprises:

a plurality of AND gates, each gate connected to only one of said plurality of audial detectors, each audial detector coupled to only one of said AND gates to transmit an image signal from each said audial detector to one input terminal of said respective AND gate;

a first bus connected to an output terminal of each AND gate;

an inverter having an input terminal connected to said first bus;

a second bus connected to an output terminal of said inverter and to a second input terminal of said AND gate;

an address register connected in operable combination with said plurality of AND gates for storing in said address register an address of one of said AND gates in response to an image signal received from said AND gate;

said address expressed as an angular position of said detector in said plurality of detectors; and

said selection means connected to said register comprising means for selecting from said video memory said portion of said image signal generated from an area containing said source of sound and having an address stored in said register whereby a source of sound generates a sound wave that is incident on a nearest detector of said plurality of detectors enabling said selection circuit to read said address of said nearest detector.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said circuit means comprises:

each audial detector of said plurality of detectors forming a pair of detectors with one member of said pair being positioned on a circumferential boundary oppositely from another member of said pair;

a plurality of difference circuits, one difference circuit for each pair of detectors, one pair of detectors for each difference circuit;

a plurality of inverters, one inverter for each pair of detectors, one pair of detectors for each inverter;

a plurality of rectifiers, one rectifier for each pair of detectors, one pair of detectors for each rectifier;

an address register having a plurality of address input terminals, one address terminal for one difference circuit and one difference circuit for one address terminal;

one member of said pair of detectors connected to transmit an image signal to an input terminal of one of said plurality of inverters;

an output terminal of said inverter connected to an input terminal of one of said plurality of difference circuits;

another one of each pair of detectors connected to another input terminal of its difference circuit;

one of said plurality of rectifiers having an input terminal connected to an output terminal of said difference circuit;

each one of said rectifiers having an output terminal connected to one of said input terminals of said address register;

said address register having an output terminal configured to emit an address signal responsive to a null signal from one of said rectifiers.