Monitoring method, monitoring system, monitoring program, and record medium recording the monitoring program

• US 7,071,822 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ueda, Hiroya, Yamaguchi, Yasuhiro, Shimizu, Atsushi, Ando, Tanichi
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/434,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20040004546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/542, 340/545.1, 340/550, 340/521, 109/6, 109/7, 109/68, 49/30, 49/31, 49/68
• US Class Current: 340/545.1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/06 Electric alarm locks E05B45/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/104 actuated in response to heat, e.g. with fusible element, bimetal, memory shape or swelling material
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion

Abstract

When an anomaly occurs in a monitor area, careless entry of the user into the monitor area is blocked reliably and simply. In a monitoring system for monitoring a house as a monitor area, sensors are placed at appropriate points in the house, and a door open hindrance unit for hindering opening of a front door placed at the entrance of the house is placed. Upon detection of an anomaly in the house based on a detection signal from each sensor, a management unit instructs the door open hindrance unit to hinder opening of the front door.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for monitoring a monitor area, comprising:

an anomaly detection section for detecting an anomaly in the monitor area;

a door open hindrance section for hindering the opening of a door positioned at an entrance to the monitor area;

an open hindrance control section for controlling said door open hindrance section so as to hinder opening of the door if said anomaly detection section detects an anomaly;

a communication section for communicating with a user terminal of a user; and

a communication control section for controlling the communication section so as to transmit notification concerning the anomaly detected by said anomaly detection section to the user terminal, and to receive acknowledgement of the notification from the user terminal, and

wherein if the communication section receives the acknowledgement of the notification, said open hindrance control section controls said door open hindrance section so as to release hindering of opening of the door.

2. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication control section is configured to control the communication section so as to transmit information indicating occurrence of the anomaly to the user terminal and to receive acknowledgement of occurrence of the anomaly from the user terminal, and upon reception of the acknowledgement of occurrence, to transmit the contents of the anomaly to the user terminal.

3. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an approach detection section for detecting the user approaching the monitor area, wherein if (1) said anomaly detection section detects an anomaly, (2) the approach detection section detects the user approaching the monitor area, and (3) the communication section does not receive the acknowledgement of the notification, said open hindrance control section controls said door open hindrance section so as to hinder opening of the door.

4. A method of monitoring a monitor area, comprising:

hindering the opening of a door positioned at an entrance to the monitor area based in part upon the detection of an anomaly in the monitor area;

sending notification concerning the anomaly to a user terminal of a user upon detection of the anomaly in the monitor area;

receiving acknowledgement of the notification from the user terminal; and

releasing the hindering of the opening the door upon receiving the acknowledgement of the notification.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

sending information indicating an occurrence of the anomaly to the user terminal;

receiving acknowledgement of the occurrence of the anomaly from the user terminal; and

sending the contents of the anomaly to the user terminal upon receiving the acknowledgement of the occurrence of the anomaly.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the hindering the opening of the door step comprises:

hindering the opening of the door step when (1) the anomaly in the monitor area is detected, (2) the user approaching the monitor area is detected, and (3) the acknowledgement of the notification is not received.

7. A monitoring method of monitoring one monitor area, comprising:

a door open control step of hindering opening of a door placed at an entrance to the monitor area if an anomaly in the monitor area is detected;

a communication step of sending notification concerning the anomaly to a user terminal upon detection of the anomaly in the monitor area and receiving acknowledgement of the notification from the user terminal, wherein

if the acknowledgement of the notification is received in the communication step, said door open control step releases hindering of opening the door.

8. The monitoring method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the communication step sends information indicating occurrence of the anomaly to the user terminal and receives acknowledgement of occurrence of the anomaly from the user terminal and upon reception of the acknowledgement, sends the contents of the anomaly to the user terminal.

9. The monitoring method as claimed in claim 7, wherein if the anomaly in the monitor area is detected, the user approaching the monitor area is detected, and the acknowledgement of the notification is not received in the communication step, said door open control step hinders opening of the door.

10. A computer-readable record medium recording a computer program, the computer program for causing when executed, a computer to perform a method of monitoring a monitor area, the method comprising:

hindering the opening of a door positioned at an entrance to the monitor area based in part upon the detection of an anomaly in the monitor area;

sending notification concerning the anomaly to a user terminal of a user upon detection of the anomaly in the monitor area;

receiving acknowledgement of the notification from the user terminal; and

releasing the hindering of the opening the door upon receiving the acknowledgement of the notification.

11. The computer-readable record medium as claimed in claim 10, the method further comprising:

sending information indicating an occurrence of the anomaly to the user terminal;

receiving acknowledgement of the occurrence of the anomaly from the user terminal; and

sending the contents of the anomaly to the user terminal upon receiving the acknowledgement of the occurrence of the anomaly.

12. The computer-readable record medium as claimed in claim 10, wherein the hindering the opening of the door step comprises:

hindering the opening of the door step when (1) the anomaly in the monitor area is detected, (2) the user approaching the monitor area is detected, and (3) the acknowledgement of the notification is not received.