Monitoring system, image-processing apparatus, management apparatus, event detecting method, and program

• US 9,716,864 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2016
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oosawa, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliard, Delomia L
• Application Number:
  US15/003,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20160150197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19641 Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene
• 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: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• 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 7/188 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

A monitoring system includes a plurality of image-capturing apparatuses each including an event detector that executes on a corresponding captured image at least one of a plurality of processing algorithms for detection of a monitor event, and a transmission controller that outputs to a network only a processing result of the executed processing algorithm when a monitor event is not detected and that outputs to the network at least the captured image when a monitor event is detected; and a management apparatus managing the plurality of image-capturing apparatuses via the network and including an event determination unit that determines occurrence of a monitor event in accordance with the received processing result and a record controller that records the received captured image.

Claims

1. A camera system comprising:

(1) an image-capturing apparatus including

an event detector configured to process first event detection on a corresponding captured image for a first event and to detect a feature in the first event,

a first receiver configured to receive a request for sending an image, and

a transmitter configured to output to a network a processing result of the first event detection including position information that indicates position of an area corresponding to the feature detected in the first event and to output an image in response to the request for an image; and

(2) a management apparatus including

a second receiver configured to receive the processing result of the first event detection including the position information, from the image-capturing apparatus via the network, wherein the received processing result of the first event detection is not an image,

an event determination unit configured to determine occurrence of a second event by processing the received processing result of the first event detection, and

a request sending unit configured to send the request for sending an image corresponding to the second event when the second event occurs, to receive the captured image.

2. The camera system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium recording the captured image received via the network.

3. The camera system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display device displaying the captured image received via the network.

4. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein

the position information is related to a detected moving object.

5. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein

the processing result of the first event detection at the event detector includes information indicating existence of a non-moving object.

6. The camera system according to claim 5, wherein

the event determination unit is further configured to determine a moving object in a set area that has not moved for a predetermined period of time.

7. A management apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a processing result of a first event detection from an image-capturing apparatus via a network, the processing result including position information that indicates position of an area corresponding to a feature detected in the first event detection, wherein the received processing result of the first event detection is not an image,

an event determination unit configured to determine occurrence of a second event by processing the received processing result of the first event detection, and

a request sending unit configured to send a request for sending an image corresponding to the second event when the second event occurs, to receive a captured image.

8. The management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the position information is related to a detected moving object.

9. The management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the processing result of the first event detection at an event detector includes information indicating existence of a non-moving object.

10. The management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the event determination unit is further configured to determine a moving object in a set area that has not moved for a predetermined period of time.

11. A method for detecting an occurrence of an event by a management apparatus comprising the steps of:

receiving a processing result of a first event detection from an image-capturing apparatus via a network, the processing result including position information that indicates position of an area corresponding to a feature detected in the first event detection, wherein the received processing result of the first event detection is not an image;

determining occurrence of a second event by processing the received processing result of the first event detection; and

sending a request for sending an image corresponding to the second event when the second event occurs, to receive a captured image.