Monitoring apparatus

• US 7,732,771 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Hiroyuki, Kurebayashi, Masaaki, Mase, Mikiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Igyarto; Carolyn
• Application Number:
  US12/174,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20080277585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 250/334, 250/339.05, 250/370.08, 250/339.14, 250/370.1, 250/DIG.1
• US Class Current: 250/339.05
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 250/01 Passive intrusion detectors

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes a camera unit, a panorama-image generating section generating a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the camera unit, a panorama-image storage/management section storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, an infrared camera photographing an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as an infrared image, a direction controller sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the infrared camera within the area being photographed, an infrared-image generating section combining a plurality of infrared images provided by the infrared camera, an image-synthesizing section synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, with the panorama infrared image generated by the infrared-image generating section, and a display displaying the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing section.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

imaging means for photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area;

panorama-image generating means for generating a panorama image by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the imaging means, the panorama-image generating means generating the panorama image by spatially combining the plurality of unit images such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images;

panorama-image storage/management means for storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means;

infrared imaging means for photographing an object that emanates infrared rays as an infrared image;

direction control means for sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the infrared imaging means within the area being photographed;

infrared-image generating means for combining a plurality of infrared images provided by the infrared imaging means, thereby to generate a panorama infrared image of the entire area, the infrared-image generating means generating the panorama infrared image by spatially combining the plurality of infrared images such that the panorama infrared image is larger than any of the infrared images;

image-synthesizing means for synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means, with the panorama infrared image generated by the infrared-image generating means to create a synthesized image; and

image-displaying means for displaying the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing means.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising temperature-range setting means for setting the temperature range.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising tracking imaging means for photographing the object by setting the photographing direction to the object, when the infrared imaging means photographs the object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tracking imaging means is a camera that can photograph dark-field images.

5. An imaging method comprising:

photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area;

generating a panorama image by spatially combining a plurality of unit images obtained in the photographing such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images;

storing and managing the panorama image generated in the generating a panorama image;

controlling a infrared imaging unit for photographing an object that emanates infrared rays as an infrared image, while sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the infrared imaging unit within the area being photographed;

generating a panorama infrared image of the entire area by spatially combining a plurality of infrared images provided by the infrared imaging unit such that the panorama infrared image is larger than any of the infrared images;

synthesizing the panorama image generated in the generating a panorama image with the panorama infrared image generated in the generating a panorama infrared image to create a single synthesized image including both image and infrared data; and

displaying the synthesized image generated in the synthesizing.

6. The imaging method according to claim 5, further comprising setting the temperature range.

7. The imaging method according to claim 5, further comprising:

photographing the object by setting the photographing direction to the object, when the infrared imaging unit photographs the object that emanates infrared rays.

8. The imaging method according to claim 7, wherein dark-field images are photographed in the photographing the object.

9. A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

photographing an area, while sequentially setting a photographing direction to unit images that constitute a panorama image of the entire area;

generating a panorama image by spatially combining a plurality of unit images obtained in the photographing such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images;

storing and managing the panorama image generated in the generating a panorama image;

controlling an infrared camera in an infrared imaging unit that photographs an object having a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a infrared image, while sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the infrared imaging unit within the area being photographed;

generating a panorama infrared image of the entire area by spatially combining a plurality of infrared images provided by the infrared imaging unit such that the panorama inured image is larger than any of the infrared images;

synthesizing the panorama image generated in the generating a panorama image with the panorama infrared image generated in the generating a panorama infrared image to create a single synthesized image including both image and infrared data; and

displaying the synthesized image generated in the synthesizing.

10. An imaging system comprising:

imaging means;

infrared imaging means for photographing an object that emanates infrared rays as an infrared image;

a control apparatus including;

panorama-image generating means for generating a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the imaging means, the panorama-image generating means generating the panorama image by spatially combining the plurality of unit images such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images;

panorama-image storage/management means for storing and managing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means;

direction control means for sequentially shifting the photographing direction of the infrared imaging means within the area being photographed;

infrared-image generating means for combining a plurality of infrared images provided by the infrared imaging means, thereby to generate a panorama infrared image of the entire area, the infrared-image generating means generating the panorama infrared image by spatially combining the plurality of infrared images such that the panorama infrared image is larger than any of the infrared images; and

image-synthesizing means for synthesizing the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating means, with the panorama infrared image generated by the infrared-image generating means; and

at least one terminal device that is configured to access the control apparatus through a network, to acquire the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing means, by accessing the control apparatus, and to display the synthesized image acquired.

11. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a camera unit;

a panorama-image generating section configured to generate a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the camera unit, the panorama-image generating section configured to generate the panorama image by spatially combining the plurality of unit images such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images;

a panorama-image storage/management section configured to store and manage the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section;

an infrared camera configured to photograph an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as a infrared image;

an direction controller configured to sequentially shift the photographing direction of the infrared camera within the area being photographed;

an infrared-image generating section configured to combine a plurality of infrared images provided by the infrared camera, thereby to generate a panorama infrared image of the entire area, the infrared-image generating section configured to generate the panorama infrared image by spatially combining the plurality of infrared images such that the panorama infrared image is larger than any of the infrared images;

an image-synthesizing section configured to synthesize the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, with the panorama infrared image generated by the infrared-image generating section;

a display configured to display the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing section.

12. An imaging system comprising:

a camera unit;

an infrared camera configured to photograph an object that has a temperature falling within a preset temperature range as an infrared image;

a control apparatus including;

a panorama-image generating section configured to generate a panorama image of the entire area by combining a plurality of unit images obtained by the camera unit, the panorama-image generating section configured to generate the panorama image by spatially combining the plurality of unit images such that the panorama image is larger than any of the unit images;

a panorama-image storage/management section configured to store and manage the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section;

a direction controller configured to sequentially shift the photographing direction of the infrared camera within the area being photographed;

an infrared-image generating section configured to combine a plurality of infrared images provided by the infrared camera, thereby to generate a panorama infrared image of the entire area, the infrared-image generating section configured to generate the panorama infrared image by spatially combining the plurality of infrared images such that the panorama infrared image is larger than any of the infrared images; and

an image-synthesizing section configured to synthesize the panorama image generated by the panorama-image generating section, with the panorama infrared image generated by the infrared-image generating section; and

at least one terminal device that is configured to access the control apparatus through a network, to acquire the synthesized image generated by the image-synthesizing section, by accessing the control apparatus, and to display the synthesized image acquired.