Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-30
2001-12-18
Trieu, Van (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S573700, C340S575000, C600S558000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331818
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a human body detecting unit and a human body detecting method for processing an image imaged by a camera, thereby to detect a presence of a human body, and notify abnormalities in actions of a human body.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years, the population of advanced-aged persons has increased. Further, care for solitary advance-aged persons have been socially required. Therefore, use of human body detecting devices have increased as life sensors for seeing whether solitary advanced-aged people live daily lives in good health.
One prior art human body detecting device is an infrared sensor, which detects differences between extreme infrared radiation energies radiated from backgrounds such as indoor walls, floors, and ceilings or the like, and extreme infrared radiation energies radiated from a human body, so as to output a detection signal. Such infrared sensors are mainly utilized for prevention of crimes, and control of indoor illuminations and a ventilation fans.
In addition, another one employs a television camera, for prevention of crimes. This system reproduces a video signal from a television camera, that is positioned in an area to be monitored, on a monitor in a monitoring place; so as to monitor the area. Since a human body detecting device employing a television camera enables a user to see with his eyes, the area to be monitored as it is, the device has an advantage that a direction of the television camera is facilitated.
The above-described prior art human body detecting devices have the following problems.
At first, an infrared sensor type human body detecting device detects a radiated energy fluctuation amount, i.e., a change in a heat quantity, which results in a difficulty in directing the same to the area to be monitored. Next, it is constructed such that a detection signal is output during a predetermined period when an action of the human body is detected. Therefore, when a human body comes to a standstill after it has been detected, and such a standstill state continues beyond a predetermined period, the device fails to output a detection signal. More particularly, the detection state has come to be in an abnormal state, and therefore, the person in the standstill state cannot be detected.
Further, in a human body detecting device employing a television camera, the area to be monitored can be seen with eyes as it is, which results in a difficulty in adapting such a device to a place where a privacy should be respected.
Further, in order to protect a privacy, it might be considered to superimpose noise into the video signal so as to make the video difficult to be seen on a caregiver side. However it is impossible to provide a detailed video information to the caregiver when a caregiven person has fallen into an abnormal state.
Further, from the view of a protecting privacy, as described in Japanese Published Patent No. Hei. 10-234030, it might be considered that an original image captured by the television camera is transmitted from the caregiven person side to the caregiver side, and when the original image is analyzed on the caregiver side, and a predetermined state can be met, the original image is output on the monitor television provided on the caregiver side. However, in this method, the original image is always transmitted to the caregiver side. As such, a device provided on the caregiver side can be intentionally altered so as to output the original image on the monitor television. Further, since an analyzing means for the original image is provided to the caregiver, the original image should be regularly transmitted from the caregiven person's house to the caregiver's house via a public circuit network or the like, which results in requiring a large amount of communication expenses.
The present invention is made to solve the above-described problems. It is an object of the invention to provide a human body detecting device which can be adapted to a place where privacy is respected, such as a toilet or a bathroom, and can be used as a life sensor for seeing whether a person is in good health, and can provide more detailed video information to the caregiver at a distant place when detecting abnormalities in the human body.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to realize the above-described objects, according to the present invention, a human body detecting device comprises: an imaging unit; a human body detecting unit for detecting a human body from an image signal obtained by the imagine unit; a state judging unit for judging a state of the human body; a normal/warning signal outputting unit for outputting a normal signal or a warning signal dependent on whether the human body is in a normal state or in an abnormal state; said human body detecting device comprises: a field memory for storing the image signal; a second memory for dividing an image data of a human body portion included in the image signal into blocks of a predetermined number of pixels and luminance, to be stored; and a selection means for selectively performing, a reading out from the field memory and from the second memory in accordance with a judgement result of the state judging unit; wherein the selection means selects to authorize a reading out from the field memory only when it is judged that abnormal states are encountered in the human body by the state judging unit.
Thus, when a human body is detected, an image signal in which a human body portion is divided into blocks of a predetermined number of pixels and luminance is output from the second memory. When abnormalities in the human body are detected, an image signal is output from the field memory. Therefore, a reading out from the field memory is authorized so that the image signal is output as a video signal only when abnormal states are encountered in the human body. Accordingly, when a caregiven person normally lives a daily life, privacy can be secured. When a human body is in an abnormal state such as a case where the caregiven person falls down and becomes motionless, a detailed video signal can be transmitted to the caregiver. Therefore, it is possible to provide useful information for nursing activities as well as providing an efficient information for confirming whether or not the provided information is wrong. Further, when the caregiven person normally lives a daily life, a video signal is transmitted to the caregiver side once a day or several times a day, whereby it is possible to confirm that the caregiven person is normally living a daily life on the caregiver side, and communication expenses of a public circuit can be sharply reduced.
Further, according to the present invention, in the human body detecting device, the human body detecting device comprises: a switch for authorizing a transmission of the image data from the field memory selected by the selection means; and a contact and communication means for contacting to urge to push the switch.
Thus, in response to a call from the caregiver in a caregiving center at a distant place receiving a warning, signal notifying abnormalities in the human body, a detailed video signal can be voluntarily transmitted by the caregiven persons whereby privacy can be protected even more.
Further, according to the present invention, a human body detecting method comprises: an imaging unit; a human body detecting unit for detecting a human body from an image signal obtained by the imaging unit; a state judging unit for judging a state of the human body; a normal/warning signal outputting unit for Outputting a normal signal or a warning signal dependent on whether the human body is in a normal state or in an abnormal state; said human body detecting method comprises: a field memory for storing the image signal; a second memory for dividing an image data of a human body portion included in the image signal into blocks of a predetermined number of pixels and luminance, to be stored; and a selection means for selectively performing a reading out from the field memory and from the second memory in accordance with a judg
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Trieu Van
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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