FIRE MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD USING COMPOSITE CAMERA

• US 20120314066A1
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chang Sung ACE Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Chang Sung ACE Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Yeu Yong, SONG, Myung Woon
• Application Number:
  US13/489,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20120314066A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/125 by using a video camera to detect fire or smoke

Abstract

Provided is a fire monitoring system and method using composite camera, which can measure a separation distance between the infrared camera and a point of fire by using per-pixel detecting area data which is calculated by using resolution and field of view of the infrared camera and is pre-stored in memory unit, and thus which can detect the point of fire by using only an infrared camera and without using an expensive distance measuring device.

Claims

1. A fire monitoring system using composite camera, comprising:

a composite camera comprising a visible light camera which captures a visible light video and an infrared camera which captures an infrared video of the same region where the visible light camera captures and transmitting the visible light video and the infrared video to a controlling unit;

a distance measuring unit measuring a separation distance between the infrared camera and a point of fire by using per-pixel detecting area data which is calculated by using resolution and field of view of the infrared camera and is pre-stored in a memory unit;

the controlling unit outputting the visible light video and the infrared video transmitted from the composite camera to an administrator terminal, detecting a fire by analyzing temperature values of the infrared video and controlling functions of an alarming unit; and

the alarming unit outputting an alarm sound or an alarming message in accordance with control from the controlling unit if a fire is detected by the controlling unit.

2. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 1, wherein the composite camera further comprises a camera driving unit which can control focusing and tracking motion of the composite camera in accordance with control from the controlling unit.

3. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 1, further characterized by:

the per-pixel detecting area being calculated by dividing a detecting area (2H×

2V) of the infrared camera by number of pixels (x×

y) of the infrared camera as described by Equation 1;

the 2H being horizontal length of the detecting area calculated by using the separation distance and a horizontal field of view (HFOV) of the infrared camera as described by Equation 1; and

the 2V being vertical length of the detecting area calculated by using the separation distance and a vertical field of view (VFOV) of the infrared camera as described by Equation 1.

4. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

producing a visible light panoramic video file from a plurality of visible light videos captured by the composite camera rotating by 360°

;

producing an infrared panoramic video file from a plurality of infrared videos captured by the composite camera rotating by 360°

; and

outputting a combined panoramic video file, produced by combining the visible light panoramic video file and the infrared panoramic video file, to an administrator terminal continuously.

5. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 4, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

calculating a set of visible light pixel position values for combining the visible light videos and producing a visible light panoramic video file by combining the visible light videos by using the set of visible light pixel position values; and

calculating a set of infrared pixel position values by decimating the set of visible light pixel position values and producing an infrared panoramic video file by combining the infrared videos by using the set of infrared pixel position values.

6. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

setting fire alert level as warning stage and controlling the alarming unit to output an alarm sound if a temperature value within pre-set fire hazard temperature range is detected from the infrared video; and

setting fire alert level as alert stage and controlling the alarming unit to output an alarm sound and an alarming message if a temperature value exceeding the maximum value of the pre-set fire hazard temperature range is detected from the infrared video.

7. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 6, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

outputting a pixel of the infrared video to an administrator terminal with a false color, which belongs to a pre-set color palette, corresponding to a temperature value of the pixel if the temperature value is within the pre-set fire hazard temperature range and if the fire alert level is in warning stage; and

outputting a pixel of the infrared video to an administrator terminal with a grayscale color if a temperature value of the pixel is outside the pre-set fire hazard temperature range and if the fire alert level is in warning stage.

8. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 6, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

detecting a point with a temperature value exceeding the maximum value of the pre-set fire hazard temperature range from an infrared video as a point of fire if the fire alert level is in alert stage;

analyzing a set of coordinate values of the point of fire;

and analyzing a point of fire on a visible light video capturing the same region where the infrared video captures by using the set of coordinate values.

9. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 8, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

marking a pre-set shape or a pre-set color at the point of fire on the visible light video;

displaying a temperature value of the point of fire and a timestamp corresponding to the time when the point of fire is detected on the visible light video; and

outputting the visible light video to an administrator terminal.

10. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 6, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

sending a fire alert text message to a pre-set phone number of an administrator if the fire alert level is in alert stage;

outputting a pop-up window with a fire alert message to an administrator terminal; and

outputting speed and direction of wind analyzed by wind analyzing unit to the administrator terminal for prediction of speed and direction of a fire if the pop-up window is closed by the administrator.

11. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

saving a visible light video and an infrared video captured by the composite camera into the memory unit during a pre-set time interval while outputting the visible light video and the infrared video to an administrator terminal, and deleting a previously saved video after the pre-set time interval; and

saving the visible light video and the infrared video into the memory unit continuously after a fire is detected if the fire alert level is in alert stage.

12. A fire monitoring method using composite camera, comprising:

(a) a composite camera, which further comprises a visible light camera capturing a visible light video and an infrared camera capturing an infrared video of the same region where the visible light camera captures, transmitting the visible light video and the infrared video to a controlling unit;

(b) the controlling unit detecting a fire by analyzing temperature values of the infrared video transmitted from the composite camera;

(c) a distance measuring unit measuring a separation distance between the infrared camera and a point of fire by using per-pixel detecting area data which is calculated by using resolution and field of view of the infrared camera and is pre-stored in memory unit if a fire is detected by the controlling unit at step (b); and

(d) an alarming unit outputting an alarm sound or an alarming message if a fire is detected by the controlling unit at step (b).

13. The fire monitoring method using composite camera according to claim 12, wherein the composite camera further comprises a camera driving unit which can control focusing and tracking motion of the composite camera in accordance with control from the controlling unit.

14. The fire monitoring method using composite camera according to claim 12, further characterized by:

the per-pixel detecting area being calculated by dividing a detecting area (2H×

2V) of the infrared camera by number of pixels (x×

y) of the infrared camera as described by Equation 2;

the 2H being horizontal length of the detecting area calculated by using the separation distance and a horizontal field of view (HFOV) of the infrared camera as described by Equation 2; and

the 2V being vertical length of the detecting area calculated by using the separation distance and a vertical field of view (VFOV) of the infrared camera as described by Equation 2.

15. The fire monitoring method using composite camera according to claim 12, wherein the step (b) is further characterized by:

the controlling unit producing a visible light panoramic video file from a plurality of visible light videos captured by the composite camera rotating by 360°

;

the controlling unit producing an infrared panoramic video file from a plurality of infrared videos captured by the composite camera rotating by 360°

; and

the controlling unit outputting a combined panoramic video file, produced by combining the visible light panoramic video file and the infrared panoramic video file, to an administrator terminal continuously.

16. The fire monitoring method using composite camera according to claim 15, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

calculating a set of visible light pixel position values for combining the visible light videos and producing a visible light panoramic video file by combining the visible light videos by using the set of visible light pixel position values; and

calculating a set of infrared pixel position values by decimating the set of visible light pixel position values and producing an infrared panoramic video file by combining the infrared videos by using the set of infrared pixel position values.

17. The fire monitoring method using composite camera according to claim 12, further characterized by:

when the controlling unit detects a fire at step (b), the controlling unit setting fire alert level as warning stage and controlling the alarming unit to output an alarm sound if a temperature value within pre-set fire hazard temperature range is detected from the infrared video; and

when the controlling unit detects a fire at step (b), the controlling unit setting fire alert level as alert stage and controlling the alarming unit to output an alarm sound and an alarming message if a temperature value exceeding the maximum value of the pre-set fire hazard temperature range is detected from the infrared video.

18. The fire monitoring method using composite camera according to claim 17, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

outputting a pixel of the infrared video to an administrator terminal with a false color, which belongs to a pre-set color palette, corresponding to a temperature value of the pixel if the temperature value is within the pre-set fire hazard temperature range and if the fire alert level is in warning stage; and

outputting a pixel of the infrared video to an administrator terminal with a grayscale color if a temperature value of the pixel is outside the pre-set fire hazard temperature range and if the fire alert level is in warning stage.

19. The fire monitoring method using composite camera according to claim 17, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

detecting a point with a temperature value exceeding the maximum value of the pre-set fire hazard temperature range from an infrared video as a point of fire if the fire alert level is in alert stage;

analyzing a set of coordinate values of the point of fire;

and analyzing a point of fire on a visible light video capturing the same region where the infrared video captures by using the set of coordinate values.

20. The fire monitoring method using composite camera according to claim 19, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

marking a pre-set shape or a pre-set color at the point of fire on the visible light video;

displaying a temperature value of the point of fire and a timestamp corresponding to the time when the point of fire is detected on the visible light video; and

outputting the visible light video to an administrator terminal.

21. The fire monitoring method using composite camera according to claim 17, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

sending a fire alert text message to a pre-set phone number of an administrator if the fire alert level is in alert stage;

outputting a pop-up window with a fire alert message to an administrator terminal; and

outputting speed and direction of wind analyzed by wind analyzing unit to the administrator terminal for prediction of speed and direction of a fire if the pop-up window is closed by the administrator.

22. The fire monitoring system using composite camera according to claim 12, wherein the controlling unit is further characterized by:

saving a visible light video and an infrared video captured by the composite camera into the memory unit during a pre-set time interval while outputting the visible light video and the infrared video to an administrator terminal, and deleting a previously saved video after the pre-set time interval; and

saving the visible light video and the infrared video into the memory unit continuously after a fire is detected if the fire alert level is in alert stage.