Video monitoring system and method

• US 8,605,134 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud Network Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hou-Hsien, Lee, Chang-Jung, Lo, Chih-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US12/854,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20110249101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 348/50
• US Class Current: 348/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• 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

A method for monitoring a target area using a video monitor device that controls a video camera located at the target area to capture left images and right images of the target area. The video monitor device analyzes each of the left and right images to form a combined image, compresses all of the combined images to generate compressed images, and stores the compressed images into a storage system. When an event happened in the target area, a compressed image corresponding to the event time is obtained from the storage system. The video monitor device decompresses the compressed image to generate a 3D image of the target area, and displays the 3D image on a display device.

Claims

1. A video monitor device, comprising:

a storage system;

at least one processor; and

an image processing unit embedded in the video monitor device and executable by the at least one processor, the image processing unit comprising;

an image obtaining module operable to control a video camera to capture a series of left images and right images of a target area at predetermined intervals;

an image analysis module operable to select a left image and a corresponding right image captured at the same time from the series of left images and right images, to compare the left image with the right image to analyze identical image data and different image data of the left image and the right image, and to obtain a plurality of groups of the identical image data and the different image data according to a number of the left and right images;

an image compression module operable to combine the identical image data and the different image data of each of the left images and right images to form a combined image, to compress all of the combined images to generate compressed images correspondingly, and to store the compressed images into the storage system; and

an image output module operable to determine the time of an event that has occurred in the target area, to obtain a compressed image corresponding to the time from the storage system, to decompress the compressed image to generate a 3D image of the target area, and to display the 3D image on a display device for monitoring of the target area.

2. The video monitor device according to claim 1, wherein the image analysis module is further operable to determine if all of the left images have been analyzed.

3. The video monitor device according to claim 1, wherein the video camera is a dual-lens camera having a first lens capable of capturing the left images and a second lens capable of capturing the right images of the target area at the same time.

4. The video monitor device according to claim 1, wherein the left images and the right images of the target area are synthesis of 3D images viewable through a 3D glasses.

5. The video monitor device according to claim 1, wherein the 3D image displayed on the display device is viewed through a 3D glasses.

6. The video monitor device according to claim 1, wherein video camera is located at the target area, and connects to the video monitor device through a network.

7. A video monitoring method, comprising:

controlling a video camera located at a target area to capture a series of left images and right images of the target area at predetermined intervals;

selecting a left image and a corresponding right image captured at the same time;

comparing the left image with the right image to analyze identical image data and different image data of the left image and the right image, and obtaining a plurality of groups of the identical image data and the different image data according to a number of the left and right images;

combining the identical image data and the different image data of the left image and the right image to form a combined image;

repeating the selecting step to the combining step, until all of the left images and the right images have been processed;

compressing all of the combined images to generate compressed images, and storing the compressed images into a storage system;

determining the time of an event that has occurred in the target area;

obtaining a compressed image corresponding to the time from the storage system;

decompressing the compressed image to generate a 3D image of the target area; and

displaying the 3D image on a display device for monitoring of the target area.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the video camera is a dual-lens camera having a first lens capable of capturing the left images and a second lens capable of capturing the right images of the target area at the same time.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the left images and the right images of the target area are synthesis of 3D images viewable through a 3D glasses.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the 3D image displayed on the display device is viewed through a 3D glasses.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a least one processor of a monitor device, causes the monitor device to perform a video monitoring method, the method comprising:

controlling a video camera located at a target area to capture a series of left images and right images of the target area at predetermined intervals;

selecting a left image and a corresponding right image captured at the same time;

comparing the left image with the right image to analyze identical image data and different image data of the left image and the right image, and obtaining a plurality of groups of the identical image data and the different image data according to a number of the left and right images;

combining the identical image data and the different image data of the left image and the right image to form a combined image;

repeating the selecting step to the combining step, until all of the left images and the right images have been processed;

compressing all of the combined images to generate compressed images, and storing the compressed images into a storage system;

determining the time of an event that has occurred in the target area;

obtaining a compressed image corresponding to the time from the storage system;

decompressing the compressed image to generate a 3D image of the target area; and

displaying the 3D image on a display device for monitoring of the target area.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the video camera is a dual-lens camera having a first lens capable of capturing the left images and a second lens capable of capturing the right images of the target area at the same time.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the left images and the right images of the target area are synthesis of 3D images viewable through a 3D glasses.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the 3D image displayed on the display device is viewed through a 3D glasses.