Surveillance system with surveillance terminals and surveillance center

• US 7,088,240 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Taku, Yoshio, Hiroaki, Inata, Keisuke, Kageyama, Masahiro, Ueda, Masaomi, Imaide, Takuya, Niki, Teruki, Ohtsubo, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/618,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20040113769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/531, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/539.18, 340/7.29, 725/105, 725/108
• US Class Current: 340/539.18
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network

Abstract

A surveillance system having surveillance terminals and a surveillance center is configured to perform effective hazard alert signaling, depending on the hazard type. The surveillance system comprises a plurality of surveillance terminals, which are connected to the surveillance center by a network, carries out hazard and alert signaling. One surveillance terminal detects a hazard and sends a hazard information signal reporting what hazard has just been detected to the surveillance center. The surveillance center receives the hazard information signal, identifies what type of hazard source and the surveillance terminal that sent the hazard information signal, selects surveillance terminals to be alerted to the hazard from among the plurality of surveillance terminals, depending on the identified type of the hazard source and its locality, and sends a hazard alert signal to the selected surveillance terminals.

Claims

1. A surveillance system comprising a plurality of surveillance terminals and a surveillance center, the plurality of surveillance terminals being connected to the surveillance center by a network,

wherein one of said surveillance terminals detects a hazard and sends a hazard information signal reporting what hazard has just been detected to said surveillance center, and

said surveillance center receives said hazard information signal, identifies a type of hazard source and the surveillance terminal that sent the hazard information signal, and selects one surveillance mode that depends on the identified type of hazard source and its locality, and wherein said selected surveillance mode is to be sent to each surveillance terminal, and said selected surveillance mode is selected from among surveillance modes whereby a surveillance terminal sends video data of a view captured by its surveillance camera to the surveillance center, and

said surveillance center sends a command indicating the one surveillance mode selected to the each surveillance terminal.

2. A surveillance system according to claim 1,

wherein, when two or more of said plurality of surveillance terminals respectively detect hazards and send respective hazard information signals to said surveillance center,

said surveillance center receive said respective hazard information signals, identifies the type of hazard source and the surveillance terminal that sent the hazard information signal for each of the plurality of hazards, and, depending on the identified type of hazard source and its locality, sets the surveillance mode of each of said plurality of surveillance terminals to a highest accuracy, and one of the surveillance modes separately assigned to an area in which the surveillance terminal is located, depending on each identified type of hazard source.

3. A surveillance system comprising a plurality of surveillance terminals and a surveillance center, the plurality of surveillance terminals located in a plurality of areas being connected to the surveillance center by a network,

wherein one of said surveillance terminals detects a hazard and sends a hazard information signal reporting what hazard has just been detected to said surveillance center, and

said surveillance center receives said hazard information signal, identifies a type of hazard source and the surveillance terminal that sent the hazard information signal, selects areas to be alerted to the hazard from among a plurality of areas where said plurality of surveillance terminals are located, depending on the identified type of hazard source and its locality, sends a hazard alert signal to the surveillance terminals that are located in the selected areas, selects one surveillance mode that depends on the identified type of the hazard source and its locality, and wherein said selected surveillance mode is to be sent to each surveillance terminal, and said selected surveillance mode is selected from among surveillance modes whereby a surveillance terminal sends video data of a view captured by its surveillance camera to the surveillance center, and

said surveillance center sends a command indicating the one surveillance mode selected to the each surveillance terminal according to the area in which the surveillance terminal falls is located.

4. A surveillance system according to claim 3,

wherein, when two or more of said plurality of surveillance terminals respectively detect a plurality of hazards and send respective hazard information signals to said surveillance center,

said surveillance center sets the surveillance mode for each of said areas to be alerted to a highest accuracy, and one of said surveillance modes separately assigned to to each of said areas, depending on each identified type of hazard source.

5. A hazard and alert signaling method for use in a surveillance system where a plurality of surveillance terminals are connected to a surveillance center by a network,

said hazard and alert signaling method comprising a first process to be performed at one of said surveillance terminals and a second process to be performed at said surveillance center,

said first process comprising the steps of:

detecting a hazard; and

sending a hazard information signal to said surveillance center,

said second process comprising the steps of;

receiving said hazard information signal;

identifying a type of hazard source and the surveillance terminal that sent the hazard information signal;

selecting one surveillance mode that depends on the identified type of hazard source and its locality, and wherein said selected surveillance mode is to be sent to each surveillance terminal, and said selected surveillance mode is selected from among surveillance modes whereby a surveillance terminal sends video data of a view captured by its surveillance camera to the surveillance center; and

sending a command from said surveillance center indicating the one surveillance mode selected to the each surveillance terminal.