Monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9852608-B2
Application number	US-201514687802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

In a monitoring system, a master device stores setting information indicating a detection area of a target detected by a sensor in a storage unit, and transmits the setting information to a camera (a baby monitoring camera) having a sensor built thereinto or correlated with a sensor so as to set a detection parameter including the detection area therein. When a predetermined state set by the detection parameter is detected inside the detection area by the camera, a master device transmits detection notification information to a smartphone, and the smartphone displays a detection information screen based on the detection notification information transmitted from the master device on a display/input unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A monitoring system comprising:
a sensor, which is not a camera;
a camera associated with the sensor, the camera including an imager and a communicator; and
a master device that, in operation, performs wireless communication with the communicator of the camera according to a communication protocol, performs wireless communication with one or more cordless handsets according to the communications protocol, and is connected to a fixed telephone network to communicate with other fixed telephones, wherein the master device includes a storage configured to store a non-detection area of the sensor wherein the non-detection area is based on an image, which is captured by the camera and divided into multiple selectable sections, and one or more of the multiple selectable sections are selected by a user to form the non-detection area that corresponds to a stationary position represented in the image;
wherein the master device, in operation, transmits the non-detection area to the sensor to set the non-detection area in the sensor,
the sensor, when detecting a defined state within an area other than the non-detection area, transmits a detection notification to the master device, and
the master device, when receiving the detection notification from the sensor, transmits detection notification information about the detection notification, via a wireless router, to a smartphone that is connected to a mobile phone network to communicate with other mobile telephones, for display on the smartphone.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor, when detecting the defined state, determines whether a detection position of the defined state is within the area other than the non-detection area, and transmits the detection notification to the master device when the detection position is within the area other than the non-detection area.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1 ,
wherein the master device, after displaying the detection notification information corresponding to the sensor associated with the camera on the smartphone, receives an image request for the camera inputted at and transmitted from the smartphone, and forwards the image request to the camera,
the camera, in response to the image request received from the master device, transmits an image captured by the imager to the master device, and
the master device transmits the image received from the camera to the smartphone.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein
the master device transmits an image request to the camera,
the camera, in response to the image request received from the master device, transmits an image captured by the imager to the master device, and
the master device, based on the image received from the camera, generates a non-detection area setting screen in which the image is divided into the multiple selectable sections and transmits image data of the non-detection area setting screen to the smartphone.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of a human sensor, a smoke sensor, an opening/closing sensor, a temperature sensor, and a sound volume sensor.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the communications protocols is a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) protocol.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the multiple selectable sections are displayed in a lattice-shaped frame.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the multiple selectable sections are selected based on a user's tapping operation performed on the one or more of the multiple selectable sections.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the multiple selectable sections selected by the user are displayed in highlight.

11. A monitoring method based on a monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising: (a) a sensor, which is not a camera, (b) a camera associated with the sensor, the camera including an imager and a communicator, and (c) a master device that, in operation, performs wireless communication with the communicator of the camera according to a communications protocol, performs wireless communication with one or more cordless handsets according to the communications protocol, and is connected to a fixed telephone network to communicate with other fixed telephones, the monitoring method comprising:
storing, in the master device, a non-detection area of the sensor that is based on an image, which is captured by the camera and divided into multiple selectable sections, wherein one or more of the multiple selectable sections are selected by a user to form the non-detection area that corresponds to a stationary position represented in the image;
transmitting, from the master device, the non-detection area to the sensor to set the non-detection area in the sensor,
detecting, at the sensor, a defined state within an area other than the non-detection area,
transmitting, from the sensor that has detected the defined state, a detection notification to the master device,
receiving, at the master device, the detection notification from the sensor, and
transmitting, from the master device that has received the detection notification, detection notification information about the detection notification, via a wireless router, to a smartphone that is connected to a mobile phone network to communicate with other mobile telephones, for display on the smartphone.

12. The monitoring method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, at the sensor, whether a detection position of the defined state is within the area other than the non-detection area, and
transmitting, from the sensor, the detection notification to the master device when the detection position is within the area other than the non-detection area.

13. The monitoring method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, at the master device that has displayed the detection notification information corresponding to the sensor associated with the camera on the smartphone, an image request for the camera inputted at and transmitted from the smartphone,
forwarding, from the master device, the image request to the camera,
transmitting, from the camera that has received the image request from the master device, an image captured by the imager to the master device, and
transmitting, from the master device, the image received from the camera to the smartphone.

14. The monitoring method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transmitting, from the master device, an image request to the camera,
transmitting, from the camera that has received the image request from the master device, an image captured by the imager to the master device, and
generating, at the master device, a non-detection area setting screen in which the image received from the camera is divided into the multiple selectable sections, and
transmitting, from the master device, image data of the non-detection area setting screen to the smartphone.

15. The monitoring method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor.

16. The monitoring method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of a human sensor, a smoke sensor, an opening/closing sensor, a temperature sensor, and a sound volume sensor.

17. The monitoring method of claim 11 , wherein the communications protocol is a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) protocol.

18. The monitoring method of claim 11 , comprising:
displaying the multiple

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Arakawa Kei
• Wakeyama Daisuke
• Tsuji Hiroshi

Classifications

• G08B25/08

  using communication transmission lines {(G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G08B13/19684

  Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely · CPC title

• G08B13/19652 Primary

  Systems using zones in a single scene defined for different treatment, e.g. outer zone gives pre-alarm, inner zone gives alarm · CPC title

• G08B13/19645

  Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over · CPC title

• G08B25/009

  Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range · CPC title