Imaging apparatus, imaging system and method thereof

• US 8,144,763 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Falk, Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anyikire, Chikaodili E
• Application Number:
  US10/893,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20050018049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,807 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.01, 348/207.99
• US Class Current: 375/240.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

To provide a system, apparatus and method of changing frame rate of cameras according to the detector that has sent an alarm signal, in order to optimize utilization of hardware resources. An apparatus for setting a frame rate under which images are captured by a camera in an image capturing system having a plurality of cameras and a plurality of detectors, the apparatus including: detector interface for receiving a first signal from at least one of the sensors; association unit for associating the first signal with information related to the camera; calculation unit for calculating a frame rate of each of the plurality of cameras based on the association between the first signal and the information related to the cameras; setting unit for setting the frame rate of the camera calculation by the calculation unit; and second reception unit (capture card) for receiving image data from the camera at a frame rate set by the setting unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for setting a frame rate under which images are captured by an imaging device in an image capturing system including a plurality of imaging devices and a plurality of sensors, the apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store information related to said imaging device, said information related to said imaging device indicating a predetermined frame rate for each of the plurality of imaging devices based on a respective signal received from one of the plurality of sensors, and to store a plurality of frame rate function data which each correspond to a different function indicating how a frame rate of the imaging device varies over a predetermined time interval, wherein at least one of the frame rate function data indicates a non-constant frame rate over the predetermined time interval;

a first reception unit configured to receive a first signal from at least one of said sensors;

an association unit configured to associate said first signal with the information related to said imaging device;

a calculation unit configured to determine a frame rate of each of said plurality of imaging devices based on said association between said first signal and said information related to said imaging device;

a setting unit configured to set said frame rate of each of said plurality of imaging devices according to a result of the determination by said calculation unit, and to set a variation of a frame rate of said imaging device according to one of the plurality of frame rate function data stored in the storage unit, wherein one of the plurality of frame rate function data is separately set for each of the plurality of imaging devices based on the reception of the first signal from the at least one of said sensors; and

a second reception unit configured to receive image data from each of said plurality of imaging devices at said frame rate set by said setting unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the storage unit is configured to store configuration and setup data related to said association between said first signal and said information related to said imaging device and said frame rate set for each of said plurality of imaging devices;

and

a controller configured to control said imaging device according to said setup data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said storage unit is configured to store association information between each sensor of said plurality of sensors and each imaging device of said plurality of imaging devices in a form of a matrix containing said information related to said imaging device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said matrix includes values of a minimum frame rate required for each imaging device when a signal from said sensor is received.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said storage unit is configured to store a plurality of matrices containing said information related to said imaging device, and each matrix of the plurality of matrices designates a mode of operation.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculation unit is configured to determine said frame rate of each of said plurality of imaging devices after a lapse of a predetermined period of time.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting unit is configured to set said frame rate of each of said plurality of imaging devices based on a maximum available frame rate.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a converter configured to convert said image data to a digital signal if said image data includes an analog signal;

a recording unit configured to record said image data in digital form; and

an output unit configured to output said image data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is associated with one of the plurality of frame rate function data stored in the storage unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of frame rate function data corresponds to a function by which the frame rate gradually changes over the predetermined time interval.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of frame rate function data corresponds to a function which has a first parameter indicating a time interval at which the frame rate is constant at a first value, and a second parameter indicating a time interval following the first time interval at which the frame rate is constant at a second value.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information related to said imaging device includes multiple respective predetermined frame rates for each imaging device such that each imaging device has a separate predetermined frame rate for when each of the plurality of sensors sends a signal to the first reception unit and the predetermined frame rates are determined prior to the first reception unit receiving the first signal from the at least one of said sensors.

9. A frame rate changing method, implemented in an apparatus for setting a frame rate, for changing a frame rate of an imaging device in a surveillance system including a plurality of imaging devices and a plurality of sensors, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first signal from one of said plurality of sensors;

associating said first signal with information related to said imaging device, said information related to said imaging device being stored in said apparatus and indicating a predetermined frame rate for each of the plurality of imaging devices based on a respective signal received from one of the plurality of sensors, and storing a plurality of frame rate function data which each correspond to a different function indicating how a frame rate of the imaging device varies over a predetermined time interval, wherein at least one of the frame rate function data indicates a non-constant frame rate over the predetermined time interval;

determining a frame rate of each of said plurality of imaging devices based on said association between said first signal and said information related to said imaging device;

setting said frame rate of each of said plurality of imaging devices according to a result of said determination at said determining step, and setting a variation of a frame rate of said imaging device according to one of the stored plurality of frame rate function data, wherein one of the plurality of frame rate function data is separately set for each of the plurality of imaging devices based on the reception of the first signal from the at least one of said sensors; and

receiving image data from each of said plurality of imaging devices at said frame rate set at said setting step.

14. The frame rate changing method according to claim 9, wherein the information related to said imaging device includes multiple respective predetermined frame rates for each imaging device such that each imaging device has a separate predetermined frame rate for when a signal is received from each of the plurality of sensors in the receiving, and the predetermined frame rates are determined prior to the receiving the first signal from the at least one of said sensors.