Digital video recorder and managing method

• US 8,374,481 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hsu, Ming-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, William
• Application Number:
  US12/908,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20110293236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 386/223
• US Class Current: 386/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

An electronic device and a corresponding managing method include arranging a plurality of cameras into two camera groups, and setting a switch interval. A plurality of analog to digital converters (ADCs) in the electronic device uses first channels to acquire a first image and a second image from each camera from a first camera group. If the second image matches the corresponding first image of each camera in the first camera group and the switch interval elapses, the first channels of the ADCs are switched to second channels to acquire images from each camera in a second camera group.

Claims

1. A control method of an electronic device, the electronic device in communication with a plurality of cameras and a monitor, the electronic device comprising a plurality of analog to digital converters (ADCs) and a storage system, the method comprising:

arranging the plurality of cameras into a first camera group and a second camera group, and setting a switch interval;

starting to time the switch interval, and acquire a first image and a second image from each camera in the first camera group by first channels of the plurality of ADCs;

determining whether the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera; and

switching the first channels to second channels of the plurality of ADCs to acquire images from each camera in the second camera group upon the condition that the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera within the switch interval.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

combining all of the first images of the cameras in the first camera group into a first combined image after acquiring the first image of each camera in the first camera group;

converting digital signals of the first combined image into analog signals using the plurality of ADCs; and

outputting the analog signals of the first combined image to the monitor.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

converting analog signals of the first image of each camera in the first camera group into digital signals;

compressing the first image of each camera in the first camera group; and

storing the compressed first image of each camera in the first camera group in the storage system of the electronic device.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

converting analog signals of the second image of each camera in the first camera group into digital signals;

compressing the second image of each camera in the first camera group; and

storing the compressed second image of each camera in the first camera group in the storage system of the electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera comprising:

selecting the first image of one camera in the first camera group, and determining a corresponding second image of the camera in the first camera group; and

dividing the selected first image and the determined second image into a plurality of regions.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of determining whether the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera further comprises:

comparing each region of the selected first image with a corresponding region of the determined second image; and

determining that the determined second image matches the selected first image when a match rate between each region of the selected first image and each region of the determined second image is larger than a predetermined standard rate;

or

determining that the determined second image does not match the selected first image when the match rate between each region of the selected first image and each region of the determined second image is equal to or smaller than the predetermined standard rate.

7. An electronic device, the electronic device in communication with a plurality of cameras and a monitor, the electronic device comprising:

a plurality of analog to digital converters (ADCs), each of the plurality of ADCs having a first channel and a second channel;

a storage system;

at least one processor; and

one or more programs stored in the storage system and being executable by the at least one processor, the one or more programs comprising a setting module, a timer, a processing module, an analysis module, and a switch module;

the setting module being operable to arrange the plurality of cameras into a first camera group and a second camera group, and set a switch interval;

the timer being operable to start to time the switch interval;

the plurality of ADCs being operable to acquire a first image and a second image from each camera in the first camera group by the first channels;

the analysis module being operable to determine whether the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera; and

the switch module being operable to switch the first channels to the second channels of the plurality of ADCs to acquire images from each camera in the second camera group upon the condition that the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera within the switch interval.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the processing module is operable to combine all of the first images of the cameras in the first camera group into a first combined image, and combine all of the second images of the cameras in the first camera group into a second combined image.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of ADCs are further operable to convert digital signals of the first combined image and the second combined image into analog signals, and output the analog signals of the first combined image and the second combined image to the monitor.

10. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of ADCs are further operable to convert analog signals of the first image and the second image of each camera in the first camera group into digital signals, and the processing module is further operable to compress the first image and the second image of each camera in the first camera group, and store the compressed first image and the compressed second image of each camera in the first camera group in the storage system.

11. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the analysis module determines whether the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera by:

selecting the first image of one camera in the first camera group, and determining a corresponding second image of the camera in the first camera group; and

dividing the selected first image and the determined second image into a plurality of regions.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the analysis module is further operable to determine whether the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera by comparing each region of the selected first image with a corresponding region of the determined second image.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the analysis module determines that the determined second image matches the selected first image when a match rate between each region of the selected first image and each region of the determined second image is larger than a predetermined standard rate.

14. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the electronic device is a digital video recorder (DVR).

15. A non-transitory storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to perform a managing method of an electronic device, the electronic device in communication with a plurality of cameras and a monitor, the electronic device comprising a plurality of analog to digital converters (ADCs) and a storage system, the method comprising:

arranging the plurality of cameras into a first camera group and a second camera group, and setting a switch interval;

starting to time the switch interval, and acquire a first image and a second image from each camera in the first camera group by first channels of the plurality of ADCs;

determining whether the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera; and

switching the first channels to second channels of the plurality of ADCs to acquire images from each camera in the second camera group upon the condition that the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera within the switch interval.

16. The non-transitory storage medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

combining all of the first images of the cameras in the first camera group into a first combined image after acquiring the first image of each camera in the first camera group;

converting digital signals of the first combined image into analog signals using the plurality of ADCs; and

outputting the analog signals of the first combined image to the monitor.

17. The non-transitory storage medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

converting analog signals of the first image of each camera in the first camera group into digital signals;

compressing the first image of each camera in the first camera group; and

storing the compressed first image of each camera in the first camera group in the storage system of the electronic device.

18. The non-transitory storage medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

converting analog signals of the second image of each camera in the first camera group into digital signals;

compressing the second image of each camera in the first camera group; and

storing the compressed second image of each camera in the first camera group in the storage system of the electronic device.

19. The non-transitory storage medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of determining whether the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera comprising:

selecting the first image of one camera in the first camera group, and determining a corresponding second image of the camera in the first camera group; and

dividing the selected first image and the determined second image into a plurality of regions.

20. The non-transitory storage medium as claimed in claim 19, wherein the step of determining whether the second image of each camera in the first camera group matches the corresponding first image of the camera further comprises:

comparing each region of the selected first image with a corresponding region of the determined second image; and

determining that the determined second image matches the selected first image when a match rate between each region of the selected first image and each region of the determined second image is larger than a predetermined standard rate;

or

determining that the determined second image does not match the selected first image when the match rate between each region of the selected first image and each region of the determined second image is equal to or smaller than the predetermined standard rate.