Surveillance camera and method for calibrating the survelliance camera using a calibration tool

• US 9,025,033 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Niem, Wolfgang, Niehsen, Wolfgang, Loos, Hartmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US12/089,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,882 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/175, 348/211.4, 348/375
• US Class Current: 348/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/80 Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19663 Surveillance related processing done local to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A surveillance camera is positioned and positionable at a stationary surveillance position for monitoring. The surveillance camera has a calibration tool that is constructed or configured for ascertaining the stationary surveillance position of the surveillance camera.

Claims

1. A surveillance camera (1) for monitoring, which is positioned and/or positionable at a stationary surveillance position, the surveillance camera comprising:

a calibration tool (5) embodied for ascertaining the stationary surveillance position of the surveillance camera, including means (6, 7, 8) for ascertaining any combination of the group consisting of an absolute position, an orientation and an opening angle of the surveillance camera (1),

wherein both the surveillance camera (1) and the calibration tool (5) include a mechanical connection, which mechanical connection enables placement of the calibration tool (5) to a calibrated position in or on surveillance camera (1) and removal of the calibration tool (5) from the calibrated position, and

wherein the mechanical connections on the camera (1) and the calibration tool (5) are configured in a complementary fashion to one another for mounting the calibration tool (5) on the camera (1) using replicable mounting, calibrated mounting or both.

2. The surveillance camera (1) as defined by claim 1, including a calibration module for calibrating the surveillance camera on the basis of the stationary surveillance position.

3. The surveillance camera (1) as defined by claim 1, wherein the calibration tool (5) is embodied as an integral component of the surveillance camera (1).

4. The surveillance camera (1) as defined by claim 1, wherein the means for ascertaining a position information include one or more of the following devices:

a device (6) for detecting GPS and/or DGPS signals;

a device for detecting Galileo signals;

micro electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) position sensors (7) for determining a pitch angle and roll angle;

pendulum position sensors for determining the pitch angle and roll angle;

magnetic field sensors for determining one or more orientation angles; and

a compass device (8) for determining the absolute compass angle.

5. The surveillance camera (1) as defined by claim 1, wherein the calibration tool (5) includes means (9) for ascertaining any combination of the group consisting of a relative position, an orientation and an opening angle of the surveillance camera.

6. The surveillance camera (1) as defined by claim 5, wherein the means for ascertaining relative position information include one, a plurality, and/or all of the following devices:

micro electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) position sensors for determining a pitch angle and roll angle;

pendulum position sensors for determining the pitch angle and roll angle;

a locating device on the basis of wireless local area network (WLAN) signals;

a locating device on the basis of ultra wide band (UWB) signals;

a measuring device (9), in particular a laser or ultrasound measuring device; and

a laser fan device for measuring the opening angle.

7. The surveillance camera (1) as defined by claim 1, wherein an evaluation device, which is embodied for ascertaining relative position information on the basis of the absolute position information and ambient information.

8. The surveillance camera (1) as defined by claim 1, wherein the surveillance camera (1) is connected and/or is connectable to a plotting device, which is stationary, via a wireless or cable network (4).

9. A method for calibrating the surveillance camera (1) as defined by claim 1, comprising steps of:

ascertaining global or absolute position information via a stationary surveillance position of the surveillance camera (1), and

ascertaining relative position information by combining the global position information and ambient information.

10. The method as defined by claim 9, further comprising correcting the relative position information by means of a measurement of a relative position, a relative alignment of the surveillance camera (1), or both.

11. A use of a surveillance camera (1) as defined by claim 1 for surveillance from a stationary surveillance position.