Information processing system and method, information processing apparatus, image-capturing device and method, recording medium, and program

• US 7,602,413 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Tetsujiro, Takeda, Naoki, Kobayashi, Naoki, Fujimori, Yasuhiro, Takahashi, Yasuaki, Ohta, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US10/681,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20040155963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/148, 348/43, 340/461, 340/5.8, 370/445, 702/94, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19652 Systems using zones in a single scene defined for different treatment, e.g. outer zone gives pre-alarm, inner zone gives alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• 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: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• 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 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A feature extracting unit obtains sensor data from a plurality of sensors to calculate each feature. When an event determining unit determines the occurrence of an event based on each feature, a display data constructor generates remote-controller display data for displaying the event, and controls a remote-controller display device to display the remote-controller display data. When a user decision is input from a user input IF based on this display, a control unit controls the sensors to be turned ON or OFF. When an infrared sensor detects an abnormality, a microwave sensor whose power consumption is small after the infrared sensor is turned ON. When the microwave sensor detects an abnormality, a video camera and a microphone are turned ON, and the microwave sensor is turned OFF. A communication unit wirelessly transmits an image signal captured by the video camera and an audio signal processed by the microphone. Then, if the infrared sensor does not detect an abnormality, the video camera and the microphone are turned OFF. With this arrangement, power consumption can be suppressed. The present invention is applied to, for example, a security system, for example, for monitoring outside a vehicle by a video camera disposed in the vehicle when the vehicle is parked.

Claims

1. An image-capturing device comprising:

image-capturing means installed inside a vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window while the vehicle is off;

direction setting means for setting an image-capturing direction of said image-capturing means;

power supply control means for prohibiting power from being supplied to the image-capturing means to make the image-capturing means inoperable after the image-capturing means is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined amount of time;

detection means for detecting that an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle; and

the power supply control means supplies power to said image-capturing means when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detection means is determined to be approaching the vehicle, while the vehicle remains off.

2. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

direction control means for controlling the image-capturing direction of said image-capturing means when the vehicle is in a first usage mode, and for controlling the image-capturing direction to be a direction set by said direction setting means when the vehicle is in a second usage mode,

when said detection means detects a moving object, said direction control means controls the image-capturing direction of said image-capturing means so that the moving object is traced.

3. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmission means for transmitting an image captured by said image-capturing means; and

transmission-destination setting means for setting a transmission destination of the image captured by said image-capturing means to a first display device disposed inside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a first usage mode, and for setting the transmission destination to be a second display device disposed outside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a second usage mode.

4. An image-capturing device according to claim 3, further comprising:

determining means for determining whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is in a reverse gear or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is off; and

direction control means for controlling the image capturing direction of said image-capturing means to be a direction in the back of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the first usage mode, and for controlling the image-capturing direction to be a direction set by said direction setting means when the vehicle is in the second usage mode.

5. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining means for determining whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is in a reverse gear or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is off; and

transmission means for transmitting an image captured by said image-capturing means,

wherein

said determining means determines whether the vehicle is in the first mode or in the second mode based on the status of an engine key and the status of a transmission gear of the vehicle.

6. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

feature extracting means for extracting a feature of an object based on the image captured by said image-capturing means;

event determining means for obtaining the feature extracted by said feature extracting means so as to determine whether an event has occurred based on determination parameters;

display-data generating means for generating, when the occurrence of the event is determined by said event determining means, display data including event data for reporting the occurrence of the event; and

display-data transmitting means for transmitting the display data.

7. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining means for determining whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is in a reverse gear or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is off; and

direction control means for controlling the image capturing direction of said image capturing means to be a direction in the back of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the first usage mode, and for controlling the image-capturing direction to be a direction set by said direction setting means when the vehicle is in the second usage mode.

8. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the window is a rear window.

9. An image-capturing device comprising:

image-capturing means installed inside a vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window while the vehicle is off;

direction setting means for setting an image-capturing direction of said image-capturing means;

power supply control means for prohibiting power from being supplied to the image-capturing means to make the image-capturing means inoperable after the image-capturing means is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined amount of time;

detection means for detecting that an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle;

a battery for supplying power to said image-capturing means; and

the power supply control means supplies power to said image-capturing means when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detection means is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off,

wherein,

when the remaining amount of power from said battery is smaller than a reference value, said power supply control means replaces said battery with power from another battery of the vehicle to supply power to the image-capturing means.

10. An image-capturing method for an image-capturing apparatus which comprises image-capturing means installed inside a vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window, said image-capturing method comprising:

setting an image-capturing direction of said image-capturing means with a processor;

prohibiting power from being supplied to the image-capturing means to make the image-capturing means inoperable after the image-capturing means is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined amount of time with a power control unit;

detecting that an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle with a sensor; and

supplying power with the power control unit to said image-capturing means when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detecting is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off.

11. An image-capturing method according to claim 10, wherein the window is a rear window.

12. An image-capturing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

controlling the image-capturing direction in a first direction when the vehicle is in a first usage mode; and

controlling the image-capturing direction in a second fashion when the vehicle is in a second usage mode,

wherein,

when a moving object is detected, controlling the image-capturing direction so that the moving object is traced.

13. An image-capturing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting an image;

setting a transmission destination of the captured image to a first display device disposed inside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a first usage mode; and

setting the transmission destination to be a second display device disposed outside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a second usage mode.

14. An image-capturing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is reversed or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is not used; and

transmitting a captured image,

wherein

said determining step determines whether the vehicle is in the first mode or in the second mode based on the status of an engine key and the status of a transmission gear of the vehicle.

15. An image-capturing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

extracting a feature of an object based on the captured image;

obtaining the feature extracted during said feature extracting step so as to determine whether an event has occurred based on determination parameters;

generating, when the occurrence of the event is determined during said event determining step, display data including event data for reporting the occurrence of the event; and

transmitting the display data.

16. An image capturing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is in a reverse gear or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is off;

controlling the image capturing direction to be a direction in the back of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the first usage mode; and

controlling the image-capturing direction to be a direction set by a direction setting means when the vehicle is in the second usage mode.

17. An image capturing method according to claim 10, wherein the object outside the vehicle is detected through the window of the vehicle.

18. A computer-readable recording medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for an image-capturing devices which when executed by the image-capturing device causes the image-capturing device to implement a method comprising:

setting an image-capturing direction of said image-capturing device with a processor;

prohibiting power from being supplied to the image-capturing device to make the image-capturing device inoperable after the image-capturing device is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined amount of time with a power control unit;

detecting that an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle with a sensor; and

supplying power with the power control unit to said image-capturing device when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detecting is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off.

19. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein the window is a rear window.

20. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

controlling the image-capturing direction to be a first direction when the vehicle is in the first usage mode; and

controlling the image-capturing direction to be a second direction when the vehicle is in the second usage mode,

wherein,

when a moving object is detected, the image-capturing direction is controlled so that the moving object is traced.

21. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

transmitting an image;

setting a transmission destination of the captured image to be a first display device disposed inside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a first usage mode; and

setting the transmission destination to be a second display device disposed outside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a second usage mode.

22. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

determining whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is reversed or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is not used; and

transmitting a captured image,

wherein

said determining determines whether the vehicle is in the first mode or in the second mode based on the status of an engine key and the status of a transmission gear of the vehicle.

23. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

extracting a feature of an object based on the captured image;

obtaining the feature extracted during said feature extracting step so as to determine whether an event has occurred based on determination parameters;

generating, when the occurrence of the event is determined during said event determining step, display data including event data for reporting the occurrence of the event; and

transmitting the display data.

24. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

determining whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is in a reverse gear or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is off;

controlling the image capture direction to be a direction in the back of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the first usage mode; and

controlling the image-capturing direction to be a direction set by a direction setting means when the vehicle is in the second usage mode.

25. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein the object outside the vehicle is detected through the window of the vehicle.

26. An image-capturing method for an image-capturing device installed inside a vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window, said image-capturing method comprising:

setting an image-capturing direction of said image-capturing device with a processor;

prohibiting power from being supplied to the image-capturing device to make the image-capturing device inoperable after the image-capturing device is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined amount of time with a power control unit;

detecting than an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle with a sensor; and

supplying power to said image-capturing device when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detection means is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off,

wherein,

when the remaining amount of power from a battery supplying power to the image-capturing device is smaller than a reference value, said battery is replaced with another battery of the vehicle to supply power to the image-capturing device.

27. An image capturing method according to claim 26, wherein the object outside the vehicle is detected through the window of the vehicle.

28. A vehicle comprising:

a drive system configured to drive the vehicle; and

an image-capturing device,

said image capturing device including;

image-capturing means installed inside the vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window;

direction setting means for setting an image-capturing direction of said image-capturing means towards a building;

power supply control means for prohibiting power from being supplied to the image-capturing means to make the image-capturing means inoperable after the image-capturing means is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined amount of time;

detection means for detecting that an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle; and

the power supply control means supplies power to said image-capturing means when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detection means is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off.

29. An image-capturing device comprising:

an image-capturer installed inside a vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window while the vehicle is off;

a direction setter which, during use, sets an image-capturing direction of said image-capturer;

a power supply controller which, during use, prohibits power from being supplied to the image-capturer to make the image-capturer inoperable after the image-capturer is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined amount of time;

a detector which, during use, detects an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle; and

the power supply controller is further configured to supply power to said image-capturer when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detector is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off.

30. An image-capturing device according to claim 29, further comprising:

a direction controller which, during use, controls the image-capturing direction of said image-capturer when the vehicle is in a first usage mode and which controls the image-capturing direction to be a direction set by said direction setter when the vehicle is in a second usage mode,

wherein,

when said detector detects a moving object, said direction controller controls the image-capturing direction of said image-capturer so that the moving object is traced.

31. An image-capturing device according to claim 29, further comprising:

a transmitter which, during use, transmits an image captured by said image-capturer; and

a transmission-destination setter which, during use, sets a transmission destination of the image captured by said image-capturer to a first display device disposed inside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a first usage mode and which sets the transmission destination to be a second display device disposed outside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a second usage mode.

32. An image-capturing device according to claim 29, further comprising:

a determiner which, during use, determines whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is in reverse gear or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is off; and

a transmitter which, during use, transmits an image captured by said image-capturer,

wherein

said determiner determines whether the vehicle is in the first mode or in the second mode based on the status of an engine key and the status of a transmission gear of the vehicle.

33. An image-capturing device according to claim 29, further comprising:

a feature extractor which, during use, extracts a feature of an object based on the image captured by said image-capturer;

an event determiner which, during use, obtains the feature extracted by said feature extractor so as to determine whether an event has occurred based on determination parameters;

a display-data generator which, during use, generates, when the occurrence of the event is determined by said event determiner, display data including event data for reporting the occurrence of the event; and

a display-data transmitter which, during use, transmits the display data.

34. An image-capturing device according to claim 29, further comprising:

a determiner which, during use, determines whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is in a reverse gear or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is off; and

a direction controller which, during use, controls the image capturing direction of said image capturer to be a direction in the back of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the first usage mode and which controls the image-capturing direction to be a direction set by said direction setter when the vehicle is in the second usage mode.

35. An image-capturing device according to claim 29 wherein the window is a rear window.

36. An image-capturing device comprising:

an image-capturer installed inside a vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window while the vehicle is off;

a direction setter which, during use, sets an image-capturing direction of said image-capturer;

a power supply controller which, during use, prohibits power from being supplied to the image-capturer to make the image-capturer inoperable after the image-capturer is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined time;

a detector which, during use, detects that an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle;

a battery for supplying power to said image-capturer; and

the power supply controller is further configured to supply power to said image-capturer when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detector is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off,

wherein,

when the remaining amount of power from said battery is smaller than a reference value, said power supply controller replaces said battery with power from another battery of the vehicle to supply power to the image-capturer.

37. A vehicle comprising:

a drive system configured to drive the vehicle; and

an image-capturing device,

said image capturing device including;

an image-capturer installed inside the vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window while the vehicle is off;

a direction setter which, in use, sets an image-capturing direction of said image-capturer;

a power supply controller which, in use, prohibits power from being supplied to the image-capturer to make the image-capturer inoperable after the image-capturer is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined amount of time;

a detector which, in use, detects that an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle; and

the power supply controller is further configured to supply power to said image-capturer when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detector is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off.

38. An image-capturing method for an image-capturing apparatus which comprises an image-capturer installed inside a vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window, said image-capturing method comprising:

setting an image-capturing direction of said image-capturer with a processor;

prohibiting power from being supplied to the image-capturer to make the image capturing device inoperable after the image-capturer is disposed in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined amount of time with a power control unit;

detecting that an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle with a sensor; and

supplying power with the power control unit to said image-capturer when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detecting is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off.

39. An image-capturing method according to claim 38 wherein the window is a rear window.

40. An image-capturing method according to claim 38, further comprising:

controlling the image-capturing direction in a first direction when the vehicle is in a first usage mode; and

controlling the image-capturing direction in a second fashion when the vehicle is in a second usage mode,

wherein,

when a moving object is detected, the image-capturing direction is controlled so that the moving object is traced.

41. An image-capturing method for an image-capturing apparatus which comprises an image capturer installed inside a vehicle at a position to capture an image outside the vehicle through a window, said image-capturing method comprising:

setting an image-capturing direction of said image-capturer with a processor;

prohibiting power from being supplied to the image-capturer to make the image-capturer inoperable after the image-capturer is dispose in the image-capturing direction for a predetermined time with a power control unit;

detecting that an object outside the vehicle is approaching the vehicle with a sensor;

supplying power to said image-capturer with a battery for; and

supplying power with the power control unit to said image-capturer when the object outside the vehicle detected by said detector is determined to be approaching the vehicle while the vehicle remains off,

wherein,

when the remaining amount of power from said battery supplying power for capturing images is smaller than a reference value, replacing said battery with another battery of the vehicle to supply power to the image-capturer.

42. An image-capturing method according to claim 41, further comprising:

transmitting an image;

setting a transmission destination of the captured image to a first display device disposed inside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a first usage mode; and

setting the transmission destination to be a second display device disposed outside the vehicle when the vehicle is in a second usage mode.

43. An image-capturing method according to claim 41, further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is in a reverse gear or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is off; and

transmitting a captured image,

wherein

said determining step determines whether the vehicle is in the first mode or in the second mode based on the status of an engine key and the status of a transmission gear of the vehicle.

44. An image-capturing method according to claim 41, further comprising:

extracting a feature of an object based on the captured image;

obtaining the feature extracted during said feature extracting step so as to determine whether an event has occurred based on determination parameters;

generating, when the occurrence of the event is determined during said event determining step, display data including event data for reporting the occurrence of the event; and

transmitting the display data.

45. An image capturing method according to claim 41, further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is in a first usage mode in which the vehicle is in a reverse gear or in a second usage mode in which the vehicle is off;

controlling the image capturing direction to be a direction in the back of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the first usage mode; and

controlling the image-capturing direction to be a direction set by a direction setting means when the vehicle is in the second usage mode.