Monitoring system, monitoring method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021120185-A1
Application number	US-202016983305-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2020
Priority date	Oct 21, 2019
Publication date	Apr 22, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A monitoring method includes acquiring an image captured by a monitoring camera, analyzing the image captured by the monitoring camera, specifying an area that needs information from the analysis result, transmitting, to a mobile robot, a dispatch instruction to the specified area, acquiring an image captured by a camera of the mobile robot, and analyzing the image captured by the camera of the mobile robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A monitoring method comprising:
acquiring an image captured by a monitoring camera; analyzing the image captured by the monitoring camera; specifying an area that needs information from a result of the analysis; transmitting, to a mobile robot, a dispatch instruction to the specified area; acquiring an image captured by a camera of the mobile robot; and analyzing the image captured by the camera of the mobile robot.

2 . The monitoring method according to claim 1 , further comprising specifying an area that needs information from a result of the analysis of the image captured by the camera of the mobile robot and capture-position information.

3 . The monitoring method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
specifying an area of which image-capturing by the monitoring camera is not possible; and transmitting a dispatch instruction to move around the area of which image-capturing by the monitoring camera is not possible.

4 . A monitoring system comprising:
a plurality of mobile robots; and a monitoring device, wherein: the mobile robot includes;
a camera;
a traveling controller configured to control a traveling mechanism according to a dispatch instruction transmitted from the monitoring device to cause the mobile robot to travel; and
a captured image transmitter configured to transmit, to the monitoring device, an image captured by the camera together with capture-position information indicating a position where the image has been captured; and the monitoring device includes; a first image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image captured by a monitoring camera; a camera position holding unit configured to store an installation position of the monitoring camera; an analyzing unit configured to analyze the image acquired by the first image acquisition unit; a specifying unit configured to specify an area that needs information from the analysis result by the analyzing unit; an instruction unit configured to transmit, to the mobile robot, a dispatch instruction to the area specified by the specifying unit; and a second image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image captured by the camera of the mobile robot and capture-position information.

5 . The monitoring system according to claim 4 , wherein:
the analyzing unit is configured to analyze the image acquired by the second image acquisition unit; and the specifying unit is configured to specify an area that needs information, from the analysis result by the analyzing unit and the capture-position information.

6 . The monitoring system according to claim 4 , wherein:
the specifying unit is configured to specify an area of which image-capturing by the monitoring camera is not possible; and the instruction unit is configured to transmit a dispatch instruction to move around the area specified by the specifying unit.

7 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores a computer program executable by a processor to implement the monitoring method according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Etou Yasutaka
• Matsuoka Tomohito
• Tomatsu Nobuyuki
• Ohmi Masanobu
• Yamamoto Manabu
• Watanabe Suguru
• Tanigawa Yohei

Classifications

• H04N7/185 Primary

  from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control · CPC title

• G06V10/25

  Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI] · CPC title

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title