SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM CONTROL METHOD AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM ADOPTING THE METHOD

• US 20140104432A1
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Vision Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung Techwin Corporation (Hanwha Vision Company Limited)
• Inventors: LEE, Joon-sung, KIM, Ji-man, SHIN, Dong-hak
• Granted Patent: US 9,979,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• 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: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A method of controlling a surveillance system having a visible imaging camera for obtaining a visible image of an object and a display apparatus, includes providing a color visible image, from the visible imaging camera, to the display apparatus and generating a color background image by extracting a background area from the color visible image when a current ambient illuminance belongs to a daytime illuminance range, and replacing a background area of a black and white visible image, from the visible imaging camera, with the color background image and providing a mixed image as a result of the replacement to the display apparatus when the current illuminance belongs to the nighttime illuminance range.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a surveillance system having a visible imaging camera for obtaining a visible image of an object and a display apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a color visible image, from the visible imaging camera, to the display apparatus and generating a color background image by extracting a background area from the color visible image, when a current ambient illuminance belongs to a daytime illuminance range; and

replacing a background area of a black and white visible image, from the visible imaging camera, with the color background image and providing a mixed image as a result of the replacement to the display apparatus, when the current ambient illuminance belongs to a nighttime illuminance range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a medium illuminance range is set between the nighttime illuminance range and the daytime illuminance range, and

when the current ambient illuminance is changed from the medium illuminance range to the nighttime illuminance range while the visible imaging camera generates a color visible image, the visible imaging camera generates a black and white visible image instead of the color visible image, and

when the current ambient illuminance is changed from the medium illuminance range to the daytime illuminance range while the visible imaging camera generates a black and white visible image, the visible imaging camera generates a color visible image instead of the black and white visible image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the providing the mixed image as the result of the replacement to the display apparatus when the current ambient illuminance belongs to the nighttime illuminance range, a reduced image of the black and white visible image is provided to be displayed in at least one window in a picture-in-picture (PIP) format of the display apparatus, according to a user input.

4. A method of controlling a surveillance system having a visible imaging camera for obtaining a visible image of an object, a thermal imaging camera for obtaining a thermal image according to a temperature of the object, and a display apparatus, the method comprising:

generating a color background image by extracting a background area from a color visible image from the visible imaging camera when a current ambient illuminance belongs to a daytime illuminance range; and

mixing a black and white visible image, from the visible imaging camera, and a thermal image, from the thermal imaging camera, to generate a black and white mixed image as a result of the mixing, replacing a background area of the generated black and white mixed image with the color background image, and providing a mixed image as a result of the replacement to the display apparatus.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, when the current ambient illuminance belongs to the daytime illuminance range, a color visible image, from the visible imaging camera, and a thermal image, from the thermal imaging camera, are mixed with each other, and a color mixed image as a result of the mixing is provided to the display apparatus.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein a medium illuminance range is set between the nighttime illuminance range and the daytime illuminance range, and

when the current ambient illuminance is changed from the medium illuminance range to the nighttime illuminance range while the visible imaging camera generates a color visible image, the visible imaging camera generates a black and white visible image instead of the color visible image, and

when the current ambient illuminance is changed from the medium illuminance range to the daytime illuminance range while the visible imaging camera generates a black and white visible image, the visible imaging camera generates a color visible image instead of the black and white visible image.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein, in the providing the mixed image as the result of the replacement to the display apparatus when the current ambient illuminance belongs to the nighttime illuminance range, a reduced image of the black and white visible image is provided to be displayed in at least one window in a picture-in-picture (PIP) format of the display apparatus, according to a user input.

8. A surveillance system, comprising:

a visible imaging camera which obtains a visible image of an object;

a display apparatus; and

a control apparatus,

wherein, when a current ambient illuminance belongs to a daytime illuminance range, the control apparatus provides a color visible image, from the visible imaging camera, to the display apparatus, and generates a color background image by extracting a background area from the color visible image, and

wherein, when the current ambient illuminance belongs to a nighttime illuminance range, the control apparatus replaces a background area of a black and white visible image, from the visible imaging camera, with the color background image, and provides a mixed image as a result of the replacement to the display apparatus.

9. The surveillance system of claim 8, wherein a medium illuminance range is set between the nighttime illuminance range and the daytime illuminance range,

the visible imaging camera comprises an optical sensor which indicates whether the current ambient ambient illuminance belongs to the nighttime illuminance range, the medium illuminance range, or the nighttime illuminance range, and

when the current ambient illuminance is changed from the medium illuminance range to the nighttime illuminance range while the visible imaging camera generates a color visible image, the visible imaging camera discontinues generation of the color visible image and generates a black and white visible image, and

when the current ambient illuminance is changed from the medium illuminance range to the daytime illuminance range while the visible imaging camera generates a black and white visible image, the visible imaging camera discontinues generation of the black and white visible image and generates a color visible image.

10. The surveillance system of claim 8, wherein, in the providing the mixed image as the result of the replacement to the display apparatus when the current ambient illuminance belongs to the daytime illuminance range, a reduced image of the black and white visible image or the thermal image is provided to be displayed in at least one window in a picture-in-picture (PIP) format of the display apparatus, according to a user input.

11. A surveillance system, comprising:

a visible imaging camera which obtains a visible image of an object;

a thermal imaging camera which obtains a thermal image according to a temperature of the object;

a display apparatus; and

a control apparatus,

wherein, when a current ambient illuminance belongs to a daytime illuminance range, the control apparatus generates a color background image by extracting a background area from the color visible image from the visible imaging camera; and

when the current ambient illuminance belongs to a nighttime illuminance range, the control apparatus mixes a black and white visible image, from the visible imaging camera, and a thermal image, from the thermal imaging camera, to generate a black and white mixed image as a result of the mixing, replaces a background area of the generated black and white mixed image with the color background image, and provides a mixed image as a result of the replacement to the display apparatus.

12. The surveillance system of claim 11, wherein, when the current ambient illuminance belongs to the daytime illuminance range, the color visible image, from the visible imaging camera, and the thermal image, from the thermal imaging camera, are mixed with each other and a color mixed image as a result of the mixing is provided to the display apparatus.

13. The surveillance system of claim 11, wherein a medium illuminance range is set between the nighttime illuminance range and the daytime illuminance range,

the visible imaging camera comprises an optical sensor which indicates whether the current ambient illuminance belongs to the nighttime illuminance range, the medium illuminance range, or the nighttime illuminance range,

when the current ambient illuminance is changed from the medium illuminance range to the nighttime illuminance range while the visible imaging camera generates a color visible image, the visible imaging camera discontinues generation of the color visible image and generates a black and white visible image, and

when the current ambient illuminance is changed from the medium illuminance range to the daytime illuminance range while the visible imaging camera generates a black and white visible image, the visible imaging camera discontinues generation of the black and white visible image and generates a color visible image.

14. The surveillance system of claim 11, wherein, in the providing the mixed image as the result of the replacement to the display apparatus when the current ambient illuminance belongs to the daytime illuminance range, a reduced image of the black and white visible image or the thermal image is provided to be displayed in at least one window in a picture-in-picture (PIP) format of the display apparatus, according to a user input.