Monitoring system

• US 9,705,696 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wada, Nobuyuki, Wakeyama, Daisuke, Tsuji, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad J
• Application Number:
  US14/680,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20160149719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

In a monitoring system, a master device transmits predetermined sound source list data to a mobile phone terminal in response to a first operation on a display/input unit. The mobile phone terminal displays the predetermined sound source list data transmitted from the master device on the display/input unit, and transmits information regarding a selected sound source to the master device in response to an operation of selecting one sound source from the sound source list data. When the information regarding the sound source is received from the mobile phone terminal, the master device outputs selection audio data corresponding to the information regarding the selected sound source from a speaker of a monitoring camera.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a monitoring camera that includes a microphone, a speaker, an imager, a first memory configured to store one or more sound sources playable via the speaker, and a communicator; and

a master device that includes a second memory configured to store one or more sound sources and that, in operation, performs wireless communication with the monitoring camera according to a communications protocol;

wherein the master device, in operation, transmits a sound source list to a smartphone, and receives from the smartphone information regarding a sound source selected from the sound source list at the smartphone, wherein the smartphone is communicably connected to the master device and is communicably connected to a mobile phone network to communicate with other mobile telephones;

the master device determines a memory location in which the selected source is stored, the memory location being one of the first memory of the monitoring camera and the second memory of the master device, and, when the selected sound source is stored in the second memory of the master device, transmits the selected sound source to the monitoring camera and instructs the monitoring camera to output the selected sound source via the speaker of the monitoring camera, and, when the selected sound source is stored in the first memory of the monitoring camera, instructs the monitoring camera to output the selected sound source stored in the monitoring camera via the speaker of the monitoring camera; and

the master device, when the selected sound source is outputted via the speaker of the monitoring camera, transmits a first icon indicative of the selected sound source being played to the smartphone for display.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein

the monitoring camera, in operation, transmits voice data captured by the microphone and image data captured by the imager to the master device;

and

the master device, in response to a user operation on the smartphone, forwards the voice data and the image data received from the monitoring came to the smartphone.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein

the master device, in operation, receives a first caller'"'"'s voice captured by the smartphone, combines the first caller'"'"'s voice with the selected sound source to form a combined voice data, and transmits the combined voice data to the monitoring camera,

the monitoring camera outputs the combined voice data received from the master device via the speaker, and transmits a second caller'"'"'s voice data captured by the microphone of the monitoring camera to the master device, and

the master device forwards the second caller'"'"'s voice data received from the monitoring camera to the smartphone.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the master device and the smartphone communicate with each other via a wireless router.

5. The communication system of claim 1, which is a baby monitoring system.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the sound source list lists lullabies.

13. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the master device, in operation, receives image data captured by the imager of the monitoring camera and forwards the image data to the smartphone for display adjacent to the first icon.

14. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the master device, in operation, transmits a second icon instructive of stopping the output of the selected sound source to the smartphone for display adjacent to the first icon and, in response to receiving user selection of the second icon on the smartphone, stops the output of the selected sound source.

17. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the master device and the monitoring camera communicate with each other according to a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) protocol.

7. A sound source replay method based on a communication system, the communication system comprising:

(a) a monitoring camera that includes a microphone, a speaker, an imager, a first memory configured to store one or more sound sources playable via the speaker, and a communicator; and

(b) a master device that includes a second memory configured to store one or more sound sources and that, in operation, performs wireless communication with the monitoring camera according to a communications protocol, the sound source replay method comprising;

transmitting, from the master device, a sound source list to a smartphone, wherein the smartphone is communicably connected to the master device and is communicably connected to a mobile phone network to communicate with other mobile telephones,

receiving, at the master device, information regarding a sound source selected from the sound source list at the smartphone,

determining, at the master device, a memory location in which the selected source is stored, the memory location being one of the first memory of the monitoring camera and the second memory of the master device,

transmitting, from the master device to the monitoring camera when the selected sound source is stored in the second memory of the master device, the selected sound source and an instruction to output the selected sound source via the speaker of the monitoring camera,

transmitting an instruction from the master device to the monitoring camera, when the selected sound source is stored in the first memory of the monitoring camera, to output the selected sound source via the speaker of the monitoring camera, and

transmitting, from the master device, a first icon indicative of the selected sound source being played to the smartphone for display when the selected sound source is outputted via the speaker of the monitoring camera.

8. The sound source replay method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting, from the monitoring camera, voice data captured by the microphone and image data captured by the imager to the master device; and

forwarding, from the master device in response to a user operation on the smartphone, the voice data and the image data received from the monitoring came to the smartphone.

9. The sound source replay method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, at the master device, a first caller'"'"'s voice captured by the smartphone,

combining, at the master device, the first caller'"'"'s voice with the selected sound source to form a combined voice data,

transmitting, from the master device, the combined voice data to the monitoring camera,

outputting, at the monitoring camera, the combined voice data via the speaker,

transmitting, from the monitoring camera, a second caller'"'"'s voice data captured by the microphone to the master device, and

forwarding, from the master device, the second caller'"'"'s voice data received from the monitoring camera to the smartphone.

10. The sound source replay method of claim 7, wherein the master device and the smartphone communicate with each other via a wireless router.

11. The sound source replay method of claim 7, wherein the communication system is a baby monitoring system.

12. The sound source replay method of claim 11, wherein the sound source list lists lullabies.

15. The sound source replay method of claim 7, comprising:

forwarding, from the master device, image data captured by the imager of the monitoring camera to the smartphone for display adjacent to the first icon.

16. The sound source replay method of claim 7, comprising:

transmitting, from the master device, a second icon instructive of stopping the output of the selected sound source to the smartphone for display adjacent to the first icon, and

stopping the output of the selected sound source in response to receiving user selection of the second icon on the smartphone.

18. The sound source replay method of claim 7, wherein the master device and the monitoring camera communicate with each other according to a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) protocol.