Monitoring system

• US 8,174,575 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yakura, Motohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/439,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20100013923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19636 pertaining to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

The invention relates to a monitoring system equipped with low-power-consumption camera devices. A main monitor device (15) grasps whether each monitor device (12) makes a request for sending image signals. Each camera device (13) sends a polling signal to the main monitor device (15). The main monitor device (15), in response to the polling signal, sends to a camera device (13), a second relay image-sending request signal containing a piece of identification information of a monitor device (12) requesting for sending of image signals, or no-sending-request signal for relay. The camera device (13) receives the second relay image-sending request signal or the no-sending-request signal for relay so as to grasp whether sending of image signals is required or not and the monitor device (12) requesting for sending of image signals. The camera device (13) sends the image signals to the monitor device (12) requesting for sending of image signals.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a camera device for producing image signals presenting image information;

a plurality of monitor devices for displaying image information presented by image signals produced by the camera device;

and a designator device for designating a destination monitor device to which image signals are to be sent from the camera device, wherein (a) the designator device includes;

a designator communication section being radio- communicatable;

an acquisition section for acquiring identification information corresponding to the monitor device to be sent image signals;

a designator memory section for storing the identification information acquired by the acquisition section; and

a designator control section for controlling the designator communication section, the acquisition section and the designator memory section, respectively,

(b) the camera device includes;

a camera communication section being radio- communicatable;

an image-pickup section for taking an image thereby to produce image signals;

a camera memory section for storing signals received by the camera communication section; and

a camera control section for controlling the camera communication section, image-pickup section and camera memory section, respectively, and make the camera communication section send a polling signal and make the camera communication section receive a signal coming in a predetermined length of time after sending the polling signal,

(c) each of the monitor devices includes;

a monitor communication section being radio- communicatable;

a display section for displaying image information presented by image signals received by the monitor communication section; and

a monitor control section for controlling the monitor communication section and display section, respectively,

(d) when the designator communication section receives a polling signal sent from the camera communication section under a condition that the identification information has been stored in the designator memory section, the designator control section makes the designator communication section send an image-sending request signal containing the identification information stored in the designator memory section toward the camera communication section,

(e) when the camera communication section receives the image-sending request signal sent from the designator communication section, the camera control section makes the camera memory section store the identification information contained in the received image-sending request signal, and

makes the camera communication section send image signals produced by the image-pickup section to the monitor device identified by the identification information stored in the camera memory section, and

(f) when the monitor communication section receives image signals sent from the camera communication section, the monitor control section makes the display section display image information presented by the image signals (emphasis added).

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitor control section is adapted to make the monitor communication section send an action order signal for ordering an action of the camera device to the camera communication section,

the camera control section makes the camera communication section send a polling signal to the monitor device identified by the identification information stored in the camera memory section at a predeteu lined time point of sending the polling signal for monitors, thereafter makes the camera communication section receive an action order signal supplied from the monitor communication section of the identified monitor device in a predetermined length of time, and works following an action order expressed by the action order signal.

3. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the monitor control section judges based on a predetermined no-sending-request condition whether or not sending of image signals is requested,

when the monitor communication section receives the polling signal sent from the camera communication section, the monitor control section makes the monitor communication section send a sending request signal expressing a request for sending of image signals as the action order signal when requesting the camera device to send image information, and makes the monitor communication section send a no-sending-request signal expressing the sending of image signals being unnecessary as the action order signal when requesting the camera device not to send image information, and

when the camera communication section receives the sending request signal, the camera control section makes the camera communication section send image signals produced by the image-pickup section to the monitor device specified by identification information stored in the camera memory section, and when the camera communication section receives the no-sending-request signal, the camera control section stops sending of image signals through the camera communication section.

4. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the monitor control section produces a producing-condition signal for specifying a condition for producing image signals based on a predetermined image-signal-producing condition, and makes the monitor communication section send the producing-condition signal as the action order signal, and

the camera control section makes the image-pickup section produce image signals based on the condition specified by the producing-condition signal.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the camera control section makes the camera communication section send the polling signal repeatedly a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined length of time until the camera communication section receives a signal produced in response to the polling signal sent to the monitor device through the camera communication section.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the designator control section makes the designator communication section send a second no-sending-request signal expressing the sending of image signals unnecessary when the designator communication section receives the polling signal sent from the camera communication section in a condition that the identification information has not been stored in the designator memory section,

the camera control section stops at least power supply to the camera communication section from a power source when the camera communication section receives the second no-sending-request signal sent from the designator communication section, and

the camera control section resumes the at least power supply to the camera communication section, and makes the camera communication section send the polling signal to the designator device when a predetermined standby time has elapsed since the stop of power supply.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the camera control section stops at least power supply to the camera communication section from the power source in the case where the camera communication section does not receive a signal which is to be launched in response to the polling signal sent to designator device,

the camera control section changes the predetermined standby time from a predetermined first standby time to a predetermined second standby time longer than the predetermined first standby time in the case where the camera communication section does not receive the signal which is to be launched in response to the polling signal a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined length of time successively, and

in the case where the camera communication section receives the signal which is to be launched in response to the polling signal sent to the designator device after the change changing the predetermined standby time to the second standby time, the camera control section changes the predetermined standby time from the predetermined second standby time to the predetermined first standby time.

8. The monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined standby time is set according to a time zone.

9. The monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the camera device is supplied with power from the power source composed of a battery.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the designator device is integrated with one of the plurality of monitor devices.

11. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the camera control section makes the camera communication section send the polling signal repeatedly a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined length of time until the camera communication section receives a signal produced in response to the polling signal sent to the monitor device through the camera communication section.

12. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the camera control section makes the camera communication section send the polling signal repeatedly a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined length of time until the camera communication section receives a signal produced in response to the polling signal sent to the monitor device through the camera communication section.

13. The monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the camera control section makes the camera communication section send the polling signal repeatedly a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined length of time until the camera communication section receives a signal produced in response to the polling signal sent to the monitor device through the camera communication section.

14. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the designator control section makes the designator communication section send a second no-sending-request signal expressing the sending of image signals unnecessary when the designator communication section receives the polling signal sent from the camera communication section in a condition that the identification information has not been stored in the designator memory section,

the camera control section stops at least power supply to the camera communication section from a power source when the camera communication section receives the second no-sending-request signal sent from the designator communication section, and

the camera control section resumes the at least power supply to the camera communication section, and makes the camera communication section send the polling signal to the designator device when a predetermined standby time has elapsed since the stop of power supply.

15. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the designator control section makes the designator communication section send a second no-sending-request signal expressing the sending of image signals unnecessary when the designator communication section receives the polling signal sent from the camera communication section in a condition that the identification information has not been stored in the designator memory section,

the camera control section stops at least power supply to the camera communication section from a power source when the camera communication section receives the second no-sending-request signal sent from the designator communication section, and

the camera control section resumes the at least power supply to the camera communication section, and makes the camera communication section send the polling signal to the designator device when a predetermined standby time has elapsed since the stop of power supply.

16. The monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the designator control section makes the designator communication section send a second no-sending-request signal expressing the sending of image signals unnecessary when the designator communication section receives the polling signal sent from the camera communication section in a condition that the identification information has not been stored in the designator memory section,

the camera control section stops at least power supply to the camera communication section from a power source when the camera communication section receives the second no-sending-request signal sent from the designator communication section, and

the camera control section resumes the at least power supply to the camera communication section, and makes the camera communication section send the polling signal to the designator device when a predetermined standby time has elapsed since the stop of power supply.

17. The monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the designator control section makes the designator communication section send a second no-sending-request signal expressing the sending of image signals unnecessary when the designator communication section receives the polling signal sent from the camera communication section in a condition that the identification information has not been stored in the designator memory section,

the camera control section stops at least power supply to the camera communication section from a power source when the camera communication section receives the second no-sending-request signal sent from the designator communication section, and

the camera control section resumes the at least power supply to the camera communication section, and makes the camera communication section send the polling signal to the designator device when a predetermined standby time has elapsed since the stop of power supply.

18. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the predetermined standby time is set according to a time zone.

19. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the camera device is supplied with power from the power source composed of a battery.

20. The monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the camera device is supplied with power from the power source composed of a battery.