Monitoring device

• US 7,801,331 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mobotix AG (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mobotix AG (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Hinkel, Ralf, Borchers, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatnagar; Anand
• Application Number:
  US12/286,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/107, 382/181, 382/190, 382/195, 382/204, 382/205, 382/276, 382/294, 382/299, 348/169, 348/135, 348/143, 348/144, 348/208.14
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19606 Discriminating between target movement or movement in an area of interest and other non-signicative movements, e.g. target movements induced by camera shake or movements of pets, falling leaves, rotating fan
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19641 Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The invention concerns a monitoring device with a multi-camera device and an object tracking device for the high resolution observation of moving objects. Hereby it is provided that the object tracking device comprises an image integration device for the generation of a total image from the individual images of the multi-camera device and a cut-out definition device for the definition, independent from the borders of the individual images, of the to be observed cut-out.

Claims

1. Apparatus for surveillance and object tracking, comprising:

a control station;

a remote set of a plurality of digital cameras;

an image data combination and compression means for providing image data via a bidirectional network having a limited bandwidth to said control station;

the apparatus being adapted to provide, via the bidirectional network, from the remote set of the plurality of cameras to said control station first image data as an overall image of a scene to be surveyed, corresponding to a combination of image data from a plurality of the cameras and having a resolution reduced to a value below the maximum resolution possible for a given camera of the plurality of cameras by said image data combination and compression means;

the apparatus being further adapted to transmit from the control station via the bidirectional network to the remote set of the plurality of cameras and the image data combination and compression means information defining a section of the overall image containing an object to be tracked within the overall scene and to provide second image data corresponding to the section of the overall image, the section of the overall image being independent of image boundaries of single cameras of the plurality of cameras and having a resolution higher than the resolution of the first image data,

so as to provide a highly resolved image of the object to be tracked within the image data quickly without overburdening the bidirectional network having a limited bandwidth.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote set of cameras includes a plurality of cameras that are identical to each other.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the remote set of cameras includes digital cameras.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the remote set of cameras is adapted to provide at least two different resolutions.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the remote set of cameras is adapted to provide resolutions that are different for certain areas.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote set of cameras includes digital cameras.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the remote set of cameras is adapted to provide at least two different resolutions.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the remote set of cameras is adapted to provide resolutions that are different for certain areas.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote set of cameras is adapted to provide at least two different resolutions.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the remote set of cameras is adapted to provide resolutions that are different for certain areas.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote set of cameras is adapted to provide resolutions that are different for certain areas.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is adapted to specify for an external source and/or in advance the images of which areas should be transmitted at certain resolutions.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is adapted to align individual cameras with respect to each other in such a way that their image areas overlap.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is adapted such that, at least in part of the central area of the total image field, a complete overlapping of image areas of the individual camera image areas is given so that every image area inside the central area is captured by at least two individual cameras.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein individual ones of the cameras are individually mounted.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a total image display is provided.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a detail section display is provided.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein motion detection is provided.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an area of selection device is provided for the automatic selection of an area that is to be displayed with high resolution and/or is to be observed.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an area selection device is provided for the selection of areas that are to be observed with high resolution in response to a motion detection signal from a motion detection device.