JP2011229036A - Monitor camera device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a monitor camera device solving the problem that video can not be recorded owing to abnormality, such as an action to disturb a monitor camera and a trespasser, caused in a dead-angle area of the monitor camera.SOLUTION: The monitor camera includes a detection device which detects abnormality caused in the dead-angle area of the monitor camera, a reflection member provided to the monitor camera so as to capture an image of the dead-angle area by the monitor camera, a reflection member driving mechanism configured to drive the reflection member, and a control circuit configured to receive information from the detection device and to control the driving of the reflection member driving mechanism, and photographs an image of an abnormality detected area by driving the reflection member based upon the information from the detection device.

Description

  The present invention relates to a monitoring camera device, and more particularly to an abnormality monitoring system for a monitoring camera device.

  FIG. 1 is an example of a shootable range and a blind spot area of a conventional surveillance camera. As shown in FIG. 1, a blind spot area 2 always exists in the vicinity of the photographing range 3 of the monitoring camera 1. Therefore, in order to monitor an abnormality occurring in the blind spot area 2, it is necessary to add a new monitoring camera. However, there is a problem that the cost increases when the number of surveillance cameras is increased. Therefore, a technique has been proposed in which the blind spot area 2 of the surveillance camera is reduced and the surveillance area is expanded.

  Patent Document 1 proposes a method using a mirror, and a movable mirror unit is rotated around two axes orthogonal to each other at one point on the optical axis of the imaging lens, in front of a fixed imaging unit. A technique is described in which a surrounding camera is photographed by a single surveillance camera by being supported and installed and rotating the movable mirror about two axes by driving means.

  In the monitoring system introduced in Patent Document 2, a large number of distance sensors using millimeter wave sensors are arranged in a region to be monitored, and when an object is detected, the imaging apparatus itself so that the line of sight is directed to the presence direction of the object A monitoring system has been proposed in which the range in which an abnormality can be monitored by one camera can be expanded by turning the camera, and the number of cameras can be reduced.

  Patent Document 3 proposes a technique for detecting an abrupt screen change such as a change in the direction of the surveillance camera by image processing in order to detect a disturbing action on the surveillance camera. A technique for detecting a screen abnormality from a value and identifying the type of disturbance from the content of the screen change is described.

  Further, Patent Document 4 proposes a monitoring camera device that includes a detection device for detecting an object approaching the monitoring camera. The detection device includes a light projecting unit that projects light of a specific wavelength. A light receiving unit that receives the light projected from the light projecting unit, and detects the approach of the object by detecting the intensity of the light.

JP 2005-354189 A JP 2005-45712 A JP 2008-77517 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-17989

  As shown in FIG. 1, when the blind spot area 2 exists, a suspicious person who has entered from the blind spot area 2 approaches the surveillance camera 1 without being photographed even once, changes the shooting direction of the surveillance camera 1, There is a possibility that an action that interferes with normal video recording, such as covering with gummed tape, is performed on the surveillance camera.

  In Patent Document 1, no consideration is given to such an obstruction to the surveillance camera.

  In the method described in Patent Document 2, it is possible to expand the monitoring area by arranging a large number of distance sensors, but when the video is recorded, the turning operation of the camera itself is necessary. There is a possibility of failing to shoot the cause of the abnormality.

  Further, the detection method of the disturbing action for the surveillance camera described in Patent Document 3 is based on the premise that the video of the surveillance camera has changed, and the person approaching from the blind spot of the surveillance camera If the shooting direction is changed, it is possible to detect anomalies when the sabotage is performed, but the person who performed the sabotage is not recorded in the video. In addition, when an obstructing action such as cutting the cable is performed, it is impossible to detect an abnormality.

  In addition, in the detection method described in Patent Document 4, it is possible to detect an abnormality before the disturbing action is performed, but since no video is recorded, the cause cannot be specified.

  An object of the present invention is to expand the shooting area of the surveillance camera when an abnormality occurring in the blind spot area of the surveillance camera is detected, and immediately record the situation as a video.

  In addition, other problems other than the above-described problems will be made clear from the entire description of the present specification or the drawings.

  In the surveillance camera device of the present invention, a detection device that detects an abnormality that has occurred in the blind spot area of the surveillance camera, a reflection member that is provided in the surveillance camera to capture an image of the blind spot area into the surveillance camera, and the reflection member A monitoring camera comprising a reflection member drive mechanism for driving and a control circuit for receiving information from the detection device and controlling the drive of the reflection member drive mechanism, based on information from the detection device The reflection member is driven to take an image of the abnormality detection area.

  The configuration of the present invention can be as follows, for example.

(1) a surveillance camera including an image sensor and a lens;
A reflective member that reflects light attached to the surveillance camera;
A reflecting member driving mechanism for driving the reflecting member;
A detection device for detecting an approach of an object to the surveillance camera;
A monitoring camera device comprising a control circuit for receiving information of the detection device and controlling the operation of the reflecting member driving mechanism;
The detection device detects that the object has approached the monitoring camera outside the lens field of view, which is a blind spot area of the monitoring camera,
The control circuit controls the reflection member driving mechanism so that light from the blind spot region is reflected by the reflection member and input to the image sensor of the monitoring camera based on information detected by the detection device. Then, the reflecting member is driven to record an image of the object approaching the monitoring camera from the blind spot area.

  (2) In (1), the reflecting member is installed in front of the lens, with a direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens as an initial position, and a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens It is good also as a structure supported by the said reflection member drive mechanism so that the rotational movement which uses can be rotated.

  (3) In (2), the reflecting member may be supported by the reflecting member driving mechanism so as to be capable of rotating about the optical axis of the lens as a rotation axis.

  (4) In any one of (1) to (3), when the monitoring camera detects that the object has approached the monitoring camera by the detection device, normal imaging of a part of the image sensor is performed. It is good also as a structure which makes it an area | region and records both simultaneously by making the other part of the said image pick-up element into an imaging | photography area | region through the said reflection member.

(5) In any one of (1) to (4), an external detection device that detects an abnormality is provided outside the monitoring camera.
The control circuit may be configured to record an image of an abnormality detection area detected by the external detection device by driving the reflecting member when the external detection device detects an abnormality.

(6) In any one of (1) to (5), the surveillance camera has an electric focus drive circuit that controls the focus of the lens,
The control circuit may be configured to control the electric focus drive circuit to adjust the focus on the image projected on the reflection member when shooting the image reflected on the reflection member.

  The above-described configuration is merely an example, and the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the technical idea. Further, examples of the configuration of the present invention other than the above-described configuration will be clarified from the entire description of the present specification or the drawings.

  According to the monitoring camera device of the present invention, there is an effect that an image of an abnormality occurring in a blind spot area that cannot be captured by a normal monitoring camera can be quickly monitored by one monitoring camera. In addition, since the operation is performed only when an abnormality occurs, it is normally possible to operate as an ordinary surveillance camera.

  Other effects of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the entire specification.

It is an example of the imaging | photography possible range and blind spot area | region of the conventional surveillance camera. It is an example of embodiment which monitors the obstruction act with respect to the surveillance camera from the blind spot area | region in the surveillance camera apparatus of this invention. It is an example of operation | movement of the mirror drive mechanism at the time of imaging | photography the blind spot area | region in the surveillance camera apparatus of this invention. It is an example of operation | movement of the mirror drive mechanism at the time of normal imaging | photography in the surveillance camera apparatus of this invention. It is an example of the functional block diagram of the surveillance camera apparatus of this invention. It is an example of the imaging | photography screen in the surveillance camera apparatus of this invention. It is an example of embodiment which monitors the abnormality in the blind spot area | region in the monitoring camera apparatus of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 2 is an example of an embodiment for monitoring a disturbing action on a monitoring camera from a blind spot area in the monitoring camera apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the monitoring camera 1 includes an image sensor 4, a lens 7, an infrared distance sensor (detection device) 6, and a control circuit 5, and the lens 7 has a mirror drive mechanism (reflection member drive mechanism) 8. A mirror (reflective member) 9 is attached via

  FIG. 3 is an example of the operation of the mirror drive mechanism when photographing the blind spot area in the surveillance camera device of the present invention. The mirror drive mechanism 8 can drive the mirror 9, and the mirror 9 can rotate about the rotation axis 12 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 7 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3. In addition, the mirror drive mechanism 8 supports the lens 7 so that the lens 7 can rotate with the optical axis of the lens 7 as the rotation axis 13. However, the rotational motion about the rotation shaft 13 is not essential, and may be omitted if not necessary.

  FIG. 4 is an example of the operation of the mirror drive mechanism during normal shooting in the surveillance camera device of the present invention. The mirror 9 is formed in a thin shape, and is normally fixed so that the direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens is the initial position, as shown in FIG. By doing so, the mirror 9 hardly appears during normal shooting, so the shooting range is the same as that of a normal surveillance camera. Further, the mirror 9 may be configured such that the lens 7 side is thick and the tip (side far from the lens 7) is thin to prevent light from illumination from above and below from entering the lens 7. Good.

  Hereinafter, the flow from the detection of an abnormality in the blind spot area to the shooting by the monitoring camera device of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is an example of a functional block diagram of the surveillance camera device of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a flow of signal processing from detection of approach of an object to driving of the mirror.

  The infrared distance sensor 6 is provided in the lower part of the monitoring camera 1, and monitors the situation in the lower part of the monitoring camera 1 that is a blind spot area of the monitoring camera 1. When an object 10 approaching the surveillance camera from the blind spot area (a person approaching the surveillance camera from the blind spot area) 10 approaches the infrared distance sensor 6 (an abnormality occurs), the voltage value of the detection signal 60 output from the infrared distance sensor 6 is Change. The voltage value of the detection signal 60 is monitored by the determination unit 51 in the control circuit 5, and when the voltage value exceeds a preset threshold value, the control circuit 5 determines that there is an object 10 approaching the monitoring camera 1, Informs the control unit 52 in the control circuit 5 that a signal equal to or greater than the threshold has been detected. Upon receiving this notification, the control unit 52 outputs a drive command, controls the mirror drive mechanism 8 to drive the mirror 9, and causes the light from the blind spot area to be reflected by the mirror 9 and input to the image sensor 4. To do. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the range 11 that can be photographed by the mirror 9 can be directed to the blind spot area, and the image of the object 10 approaching the surveillance camera from the blind spot area can be recorded.

  It should be noted that the position information on which position the mirror 9 is driven is preferably preset in the memory 53 in the control circuit 5. As a result, the control unit 52 can read the position information on which the mirror 9 should be moved from the memory 53 and drive the mirror driving mechanism 8, and thus can be operated at high speed and can detect an abnormality in the blind spot region. Immediately afterwards, it is possible to take an image of the abnormality detection area. When a plurality of infrared distance sensors 6 are arranged, the position information of the mirror 9 may be preset so that the image of the area can be recorded corresponding to the area that can be detected by each infrared distance sensor 6. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration in which position information is preset in the memory 53, and the controller 9 calculates the position of the mirror 9 so that the anomaly detection area can be imaged and drives the mirror 9. It is good also as a structure.

  According to the present invention, the main body of the surveillance camera 1 does not perform a turning operation or the like, and only the mirror 9 is driven, thereby shortening the moving distance of the operation unit required for photographing the abnormality detection region and taking the time for photographing. Can be shortened. As a result, the imaging range of the surveillance camera 1 can be expanded, and an abnormal image occurring in the blind spot area can be quickly recorded.

  FIG. 6 is an example of a shooting screen in the surveillance camera device of the present invention. In the present invention, for example, by arranging the mirror 9 as shown in FIG. 3, when the surveillance camera 1 detects that the object 10 has approached the surveillance camera 1, a part of the image sensor 4 is made normal. It is possible to record both of them simultaneously as an imaging region and the other part of the image sensor as an imaging region via the mirror 9. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, the screen can be divided into a normal imaging area 14 and a mirror imaging area 15, and an image of the blind spot area can be displayed only in half of the screen. As a result, it is possible to shoot a video in the direction of normal shooting in a portion other than the mirror shooting area 15, and it is possible to prevent the monitoring area from being limited. In addition, an electric focus drive circuit for controlling the focus of the lens 7 is provided, and when the reflected image of the mirror 9 is taken, the focus drive circuit is controlled by the control circuit 5 to focus on the image projected on the mirror 9. If it is configured to automatically adjust to match, it is possible to prevent focus blur due to a change in focal length.

  Further, since the scene through the mirror 9 is photographed, the photographed video is a video with the viewpoint reversed. Therefore, in order to obtain a natural image regardless of the mirror 9, for example, an image processing unit (not shown) can perform natural image processing by performing image processing for horizontally reversing the image in the mirror imaging region 15.

  It is also possible to drive the mirror 9 by using information from a sensor installed outside the surveillance camera 1 as a trigger. FIG. 7 is an example of an embodiment for monitoring an abnormality in the blind spot area in the monitoring camera device of the present invention. In the system shown in FIG. 7, the mirror 9 is controlled based on information from an open / close detection sensor (external detection device) 17 installed in the window 16. When the window 16 is opened by someone (an abnormality occurs), the information is transmitted to the control circuit 5 via the transmission path 18. Next, the mirror drive mechanism 8 is controlled to the preset drive position to operate the mirror 9, and an image of the abnormality detection area in the blind spot area is recorded. Other configurations are the same as those described so far, and thus description thereof is omitted. Note that the infrared distance sensor 6 provided in the main body of the monitoring camera 1 may be omitted if not necessary.

  The surveillance camera device of the present invention has an advantage that an image in a blind spot area that cannot be captured by a normal surveillance camera can be quickly monitored by one surveillance camera. In addition, since the operation is performed only when an abnormality occurs, it is normally possible to operate as an ordinary surveillance camera.

  The present invention has been described using the embodiments. However, the configurations described in the embodiments so far are only examples, and the present invention can be appropriately changed without departing from the technical idea. Further, the configurations described in the respective embodiments may be used in combination as long as they do not contradict each other.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Surveillance camera 2 Blind spot area 3 Image | photographable range 4 Image sensor 5 Control circuit 6 Infrared distance sensor 7 Lens 8 Mirror drive mechanism 9 Mirror 10 Object approaching a surveillance camera from a blind spot area (person approaching a surveillance camera from a blind spot area)
11 Range 12 and 13 which can be imaged by mirror 14 Rotating shaft 14 Normal imaging area 15 Mirror imaging area 16 Window 17 Open / close detection sensor 18 Transmission path 51 Determination unit 52 Control unit 53 Memory 60 Detection signal

Claims (6)

A surveillance camera comprising an image sensor and a lens;
A reflective member that reflects light attached to the surveillance camera;
A reflecting member driving mechanism for driving the reflecting member;
A detection device for detecting an approach of an object to the surveillance camera;
A monitoring camera device comprising a control circuit for receiving information of the detection device and controlling the operation of the reflecting member driving mechanism;
The detection device detects that the object has approached the monitoring camera outside the lens field of view, which is a blind spot area of the monitoring camera,
The control circuit controls the reflection member driving mechanism so that light from the blind spot region is reflected by the reflection member and input to the image sensor of the monitoring camera based on information detected by the detection device. The monitoring camera device is characterized in that the reflection member is driven to record an image of the object approaching the monitoring camera from the blind spot area.   The reflecting member is installed in front of the lens with a direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens as an initial position, and has a rotational movement with a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens as a rotation axis. The surveillance camera device according to claim 1, wherein the surveillance camera device is supported by the reflecting member driving mechanism so as to be possible.   The surveillance camera device according to claim 2, wherein the reflection member is supported by the reflection member driving mechanism so as to be capable of rotating about the optical axis of the lens as a rotation axis.   When the monitoring device detects that the object has approached the monitoring camera, the monitoring camera sets a part of the image sensor as a normal shooting region and the other part of the image sensor as the reflection member. The surveillance camera device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein both are simultaneously recorded as a shooting area. An external detection device that detects an abnormality outside the surveillance camera,
2. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein when the external detection device detects an abnormality, the control circuit records the video of the abnormality detection area detected by the external detection device by driving the reflecting member. 5. The surveillance camera device according to any one of 4. The surveillance camera has an electric focus drive circuit for controlling the focus of the lens,
6. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit controls the electric focus drive circuit to adjust the focus on the image projected on the reflection member when shooting the image reflected on the reflection member. The surveillance camera device according to any one of the above.

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