Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-18
2002-05-14
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S545100, C340S506000, C340S540000, C340S539230, C340S693110, C348S143000, C348S148000, C348S149000, C348S152000, C348S153000, C348S159000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06388571
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a monitoring device and, more particularly, to the monitoring in a small-scale store or the like which is managed by a few staffs.
BACKGROUND ART
A conventional monitoring device
301
has a structure as shown in FIG.
3
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, this conventional monitoring device
301
has plural cameras
302
(four cameras in FIG.
3
), a camera interface circuit
303
, a control unit
304
, a recording unit
305
, operation buttons
306
, a power circuit
307
, a monitor interface circuit
308
, a monitor unit
309
, and an emergency button/door contact
310
.
The operation of this monitoring device
301
is briefly described with reference to FIG.
3
.
Initially, the operation buttons
306
of the monitoring device
301
are operated to set the recording mode of the monitoring device
301
. As the recording mode, there are a “normal mode” in which images taken by the cameras
302
are recorded at one of frame advance speeds: (one frame in several seconds), (one frame in several minutes) and (frame advance at a lower speed), and an “emergency model” in which images taken by the cameras
302
are recorded at a higher frame advance speed than that of the “normal mode”. The frame advance speed at which the images taken by the cameras
302
are recorded is set for each of the modes.
In addition, it is possible to previously set the selection of images, i.e., which images are to be recorded among the images taken by the plural cameras
302
. For example, the setting that the recording is successively switched in the following order: images taken by the camera
302
a
, images taken by the camera
302
b
, images taken by the camera
302
c
and images taken by the camera
302
d
at predetermined periods is possible.
When the setting of the recording mode is terminated, the monitoring operation is started in the normal mode. The monitoring device
301
records the images taken by a previously selected camera
302
in the recording unit
305
, in accordance with the previously set recording mode. While these images are recorded, an image which is being taken by the camera
302
is displayed on the monitor unit
309
to show the image which is being taken by the camera
302
to a user.
At this time, when the user perceives the emergency and pushes the emergency button
310
, the monitoring device
301
switches the mode into the previously set emergency mode, and records the images which are taken by the previously selected camera
302
in the recording unit
305
.
When the “emergency mode” is set so that the images are always recorded without the emergency button
310
being pushed and the images which have been already recorded are retained without being overwritten when the emergency button
310
is pushed, the images before the emergency button
310
is pushed also can be recorded.
As described above, the conventional monitoring device
301
is used for the image recording in accordance with the recording mode. Besides, in a small-scale store such as a convenience store, the monitoring device
301
can shoot places behind the shelves of goods, which are not seen by a cashier, using the cameras
302
. Then, the images taken by the cameras
302
are displayed on the monitor
309
, whereby whether these are many customers or not can be grasped. Further, when the monitor
309
is installed in a place which can be seen by the customers to inform the customers that the store is being shot by the monitoring cameras, the monitoring device is used to prevent wrongful acts such as shoplifting.
However, when the above-mentioned monitoring device
301
is used in the small-scale store, such as a convenience store, which is managed by a few staffs, the monitor
309
is normally installed near the register. Therefore, for example when the staff has to leave the vicinity of the register to go for the goods to be supplied to the storage or to arrange the goods in the shelves, i.e., while the staff is doing these works, the staff cannot grasp whether or not there are many customers in the store or monitor the store.
In addition, when the monitoring device is used in the above-mentioned way, the clerk can grasp movements of the customers by seeing the monitor
309
when the clerk is near the register. Thus, when a customer approaches the register to make the payment for example, the clerk can serve the customer immediately. However, when the customer approaches the register to make the payment when the clerk is away from the register, the clerk cannot serve the customer immediately. The prior art has problems in serving the customers.
Further, when an illegal act such as robbery and shoplifting occurs when the staff is away from the register, since the emergency button provided in the monitoring device
301
is also placed near the register in many cases, the staff cannot push the emergency button immediately even if he/she finds this illegal act. Consequently, the monitoring device fails to take the images in the emergency, which may evidence the illegal act.
The present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a monitoring device which enables to always easily grasp the circumstances in a small-scale store, such as a convenience store having a few clerks, wherever the clerks are.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A monitoring device according to the present invention (claim
1
) comprises one master machine and at least one slave machine, and in the monitoring device, the master machine comprises at least: plural cameras; video signal output means for outputting images taken by the plural cameras as video signals; entrance detection means for detecting an entrance of a mobile body and outputting a mobile body detection signal, when the mobile body enters one of shooting ranges of the plural cameras; mobile body image selection means for automatically selecting images taken by one of the cameras, which camera has shot the mobile body, in accordance with input of the mobile body detection signal; master machine radio transmission means for transmitting the video signals and the mobile body detection signal to the slave machine as well as receiving a signal transmitted from the slave machine; and shooting camera switching means for selecting the images taken by the camera in accordance with the signal transmitted from the slave machine, and the slave machine comprises at least: image selection means for selecting one of the video signals of the images taken by the plural cameras; image selection signal generation means for outputting an image selection signal to the master machine when the image selection means are operated; a monitor unit for displaying the video signal selected by the image selection means; at least one warning unit for issuing a warning in accordance with the mobile body detection signal; actuation means for actuating the warning unit when the mobile body detection signal is received; and slave machine radio transmission means for transmitting the image selection signal as well as receiving the signals transmitted from the master machine.
According to the so-constructed monitoring device, the radio contact can be established between the slave machine having the monitor unit and the master machine, in a small-scale store, such as a convenience store which is managed by a few clerks. Therefore, even when the clerk carries the slave machine, the information from the master machine can be transmitted to the slave machine. Accordingly, even when the clerk goes for the goods to be supplied or arranges the goods in the shelves, the clerk can monitor the store to grasp the number of customers in the store. Besides, even when the clerk is absorbed in the supply or arrangement of goods and looks asides the slave machine, the warning units inform that a customer in the store comes to the register with goods, after the mobile body is detected. Further, the staff can check this situation using the image on the monitor of the slave machine. Therefore, the quick services can be given t
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Nguyen Tai T.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
Wu Daniel J.
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