Remote monitoring method and monitor control server

• US 7,231,654 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Network Service Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Japan Network Service Company Limited
• Inventors: Murai, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Shawn S.
• Application Number:
  US10/311,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20030164877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,175 Days
• Field of Search: 725/105, 725/112, 725/115, 725/117, 725/118, 348/143, 348/152, 348/151, 348/335, 348/155, 348/156, 348/39, 348/14.02, 348/14.05, 709/203, 340/541, 340/565, 340/540, 340/555
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• 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: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A remote monitoring system which enables the owner and the custodian of a facility to recognize an intrusion from the outside and the owner himself to confirm the details of the intrusion, and which comprises a monitor device (11) for detecting abnormalities of facility and photographing them, and a control server (24) for receiving information from the monitor device (11) to transmit it to mobile terminals (28). The control server 24 (24) comprises an image DB (48) for storing received images in conjunction with the monitor device, a customer/facility specifying unit (44) in the monitor device for specifying mobile terminals carried by customers, and a message preparing unit for preparing messages to be notified to mobile terminals, thereby transmitting messages and contents to mobile terminal (28).

Claims

1. A remote monitoring method constructed to receive information from a monitor device disposed at a predetermined position in a facility and transmit predetermined data to an associated mobile terminal on the basis of the information from the monitor device, the method comprising:

a step of receiving via a network an image taken by the monitor device in response to abnormality detection made by the monitor device;

a step of storing in a database the received image in conjunction with the monitor device;

a step of forming as contents at least a predetermined portion of the received image by reading out the received image from the database, wherein the contents initially comprise an image of an approximately central portion of an image read out from the database;

a step of specifying a mobile terminal carried by a customer of the monitor device;

a step of preparing a message to be notified to the mobile terminal; and

a step of transmitting to the mobile terminal the message to be notified and, as occasion demands, the contents;

a step of receiving a remote control instruction from the mobile terminal that has received the contents, wherein the remote control instruction includes at least instruction to pan a camera;

a step of specifying an area according to panning in the stored image in the database by shifting the area in the image, and forming contents made of an image of a portion corresponding to the specified area; and

a step of transmitting the contents to the mobile terminal.

2. A remote monitoring method according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitting step has:

a step of transmitting the message to be notified, as a mail accompanied by an URL address of the contents; and

a step of transmitting the contents to the mobile terminal in response to the fact that the mobile terminal which has received the mail gains access to the URL address.

3. A remote monitoring method according to claim 1, in which the monitor device is capable of turning on illumination, further characterized by further comprising:

a step of receiving another remote control instruction from the mobile terminal which has received the contents, the remote control instruction including turning on illumination;

a step of transferring the remote control instruction to the monitor device;

a step of receiving an image taken with illumination turned on by the monitor device, in response to the remote control instruction;

a step of storing the received image in conjunction with the monitor device;

a step of forming as contents at least a predetermined portion of the received image; and

a step of transmitting the contents to the mobile terminal.

4. A remote monitoring method according to claim 1, in which the monitor device is capable of generating a warning sound, characterized by further comprising:

a step of receiving yet another remote control instruction from the mobile terminal which has received the contents, the remote control instruction including generating the warning sound;

a step of transferring the remote control instruction to the monitor device; and

a step of causing the monitor device to generate the warning sound, in response to the remote control instruction.

5. A monitor control server constructed to receive information from a monitor device disposed at a predetermined position in a facility and transmit predetermined data to an associated mobile terminal on the basis of the information from the monitor device, the monitor control server comprising:

communication control means for receiving via a network an image taken by the monitor device in response to abnormality detection made by the monitor device and controlling required data exchange with the mobile terminal;

an image database for storing in a database the received image in conjunction with the monitor device;

image forming means for forming as contents at least a predetermined portion of the received image by reading out the received image from the database, wherein the contents initially comprise an image of an approximately central portion of an image read out from the database;

customer specifying means for specifying a mobile terminal carried by a customer of the monitor device; and

message preparing means for preparing a message to be notified to the mobile terminal, wherein

the communication control means is constructed to transmit to the mobile terminal the message to be notified and, as occasion demands, the contents, and to receive a remote control instruction from the mobile terminal, which instruction includes at least panning a camera, wherein the image forming means specifies an area according to panning in the image stored in the image database or the received image by shifting the area in the image, and contents formed by the image forming means comprise an image of a portion corresponding to the specified area, wherein the communication control means transmits the contents formed by the image forming means to the mobile terminal.

6. A monitor device connected to a monitor control server according to claim 5 and cooperates with the monitor control server, the monitor device comprising:

a camera for photographing a predetermined area;

video capture means for capturing a photographed video image; and

a sensor for detecting an area to be photographed by the camera and an abnormality in an approximately corresponding area in order to specify capture timing for the image.

7. A monitor device according to claim 6, characterized in that the monitor device is integrally formed.

8. A remote monitoring method constructed to receive information from a monitor device disposed at a predetermined position in a facility and transmit predetermined data to an associated mobile terminal on the basis of the information from the monitor device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving via a network an image taken by the monitor device in response to abnormality detection made by the monitor device;

storing in a database the received image in conjunction with the monitor device;

forming as contents of a first image at least a predetermined portion of the received image by reading out the received image from the database, wherein the contents initially comprise an image of an approximately central portion of an image read out from the database;

specifying a mobile terminal carried by a customer of the monitor device;

preparing a message to be notified to the mobile terminal; and

transmitting to the mobile terminal the message to be notified and, as occasion demands, the contents of the first image;

receiving a remote control instruction from the mobile terminal that has received the contents, wherein the remote control instruction includes at least instruction to pan a camera;

specifying an area according to panning in the stored image in the database by shifting the area in the image, and forming contents made of an image of a portion corresponding to the specified area; and

transmitting the contents to the mobile terminal.