Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Combining or distributing information via time channels
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2004-01-13
Olms, Douglas (Department: 2661)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Combining or distributing information via time channels
C370S223000, C370S442000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06678286
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image transmission method and an image transmission system and, more particularly, to an image transmission method and an image transmission system for transmitting an image from an image transmitting apparatus to a predetermined image receiving apparatus through a transmission line in accordance with an instruction for transmitting an image.
A monitoring system is known for monitoring the situation of each point by a plurality of monitors provided at a monitoring center by appropriately displaying an image which is caught by a monitoring camera provided at each point and transmitted to the monitoring center through a network. For example, a monitoring system for monitoring a traffic volume in a highway network analyzes the image transmitted from each point so as to grasp the state of a traffic jam, and supplies traffic information. Another monitoring system analyzes the image transmitted from a monitoring camera set at each point which is in danger of landslide so as to grasp the landslide state, and gives an alarm.
FIG. 11
shows the structure of an example of conventional monitoring systems having a digital exchange
3
, and transfer devices
4
1
to
4
n
between image transmitting apparatuses
1
1
to
1
n
and image receiving apparatuses
2
1
to
2
m
. Digital transmission lines
5
1
to
5
n
connect each of the image transmitting apparatuses
1
1
to
1
n
to the corresponding transfer devices
4
1
to
4
n
. All of the image transmitting apparatuses
1
1
to
1
n
have the same structure, which is composed of a monitoring camera
1
a
, an image encoder
1
b
for encoding the image caught by the monitoring camera
1
a
and outputting the code, and a transmitter
1
c
for transmitting the coded image data to the digital exchange
3
. The digital exchange
3
has a switching function, and inputs the image data transmitted from a predetermined one of the image transmitting apparatuses
1
1
to
1
n
to a predetermined one of the image receiving apparatuses
2
1
to
2
m
under an instruction from a control unit
6
. The control unit
6
inputs an instruction for switching control to the digital exchange
3
on the basis of the receiving apparatus chosen by the operation of an operator. All of the image receiving apparatuses
2
1
to
2
m
have the same structure, which is composed of an image receiver
2
a
and a monitor
2
b
. The image receiver
2
a
decodes the coded image data input from the digital exchange
3
to the original image data, converts the digital image data to analog image data, and inputs the analog image data to the monitor
2
b
. The monitor
2
b
displays the image caught by the predetermined monitoring camera
1
a.
The image receiving apparatuses
2
1
to
2
m
, the digital exchange
3
, transfer devices
4
1
to
4
n
, and the control unit
6
are provided together at a first point, which serves as a center. In this case, if it is necessary to watch a received image by an image receiving apparatus
7
which is provided at another point, a transfer device
8
is provided on the output side of the digital exchange
3
, a transmission line
9
is provided between the transfer device
8
and the image receiving apparatus
7
, and the image receiving apparatus
7
is composed of a transfer device
7
a
, an image receiver
7
b
and a monitor
7
c.
FIG. 12
shows the structure of another monitoring system as an example of a system having an analog image exchange
13
, transfer devices
14
1
to
14
n
, and image receiving apparatuses
15
1
to
15
n
between image transmitting apparatuses
11
1
to
11
n
and monitors
12
1
to
12
m
. Digital transmission lines
16
1
to
16
n
connect each of the image transmitting apparatuses
11
1
to
11
n
and monitors
12
1
to
12
m
. Digital transmission lines
16
1
to
16
n
connect each of the image transmitting apparatuses
11
1
to
11
n
to the corresponding transfer devices
14
1
to
14
n
. All of the image transmitting apparatuses
11
1
to
11
n
have the same structure, which is composed of a monitoring camera
11
a
, an image encoder
11
b
for encoding the image caught by the monitoring camera
11
a
and outputting the code, and a transmitter
11
c
for transmitting the coded image data to the analog image exchange
13
. The image receiving apparatuses
15
1
to
15
n
decode the coded image data input from the corresponding transfer devices
14
1
to
14
n
to the original image data, convert the digital image data to analog image data and input the analog image data to the analog image exchange
13
. The analog image exchange
13
has a switching function, and inputs the image signal transmitted from a predetermined one of the image transmitting apparatuses
11
1
to
11
n
to a predetermined one of the monitors
12
1
to
12
m
under an instruction from a control unit
17
. Each of the monitors
12
1
to
12
m
displays the image caught by the corresponding monitoring camera
11
a
. The control unit
17
inputs an instruction for switching control to the analog image exchange
13
on the basis of the operation of a control panel (not shown) by an operator.
The monitors
12
1
to
12
m
, the analog image exchange
13
, the transfer devices
14
1
to
14
n
, the image receiving apparatuses
15
1
to
15
n
, and the control unit
17
are provided together at a first point, which serves as a center. In this case, if it is necessary to watch the images transmitted from the image transmitting apparatuses
11
1
to
11
n
by an image receiving apparatus
18
which is provided at another point, an image encoder
19
and a transfer device
20
are provided on the output side of the analog image exchange
13
, a transmission line
21
is provided between the transfer device
20
and the image receiving apparatus
18
, and the image receiving apparatus
18
is composed of a transfer device
18
a
, an image receiver
18
b
and a monitor
18
c.
FIG. 13
shows the structure of a monitoring system proposed by the inventor. In this structure, n transmission lines
16
1
to
16
n
in the monitoring system shown in
FIG. 12
are substituted by one annular transmission line
21
. The same reference numerals are provided for the elements which are the same as those shown in FIG.
12
.
A plurality of image transmitting apparatuses
11
1
to
11
n
are connected to the image transmitting side of the annular transmission line
21
, while a plurality of image receiving apparatuses
15
1
to
15
n
are connected to the image receiving side of the annular transmission line
21
. A plurality of logical channels C
1
to C
n
are set on the annular transmission line
21
. The logical channels C
1
to C
n
are fixedly allotted to the image transmitting apparatuses
11
1
to
11
n
,respectively, and they are also fixedly allotted to the image receiving apparatuses
15
1
to
15
n
, respectively.
In this monitoring system, the image transmitting apparatus
11
1
(i=1, 2, . . . n) transmits an image to the image receiving apparatus
15
i
through the logical channel C
i
, and the image receiving apparatus
15
i
decodes the received coded image data to the original image data, converts the digital image data to analog image data and, inputs the analog image data to the analog image exchange
13
. The analog image exchange
13
has a switching function, and inputs the image signal input from the image receiving apparatus
15
i
to a predetermined one of the monitors
12
1
to
12
m
under an instruction from the control unit
17
. Each of the monitors
12
1
to
12
m
displays the image caught by a monitoring camera.
In the prior art shown in
FIG. 11
, it is necessary to provide not only a digital image exchange, but also one transfer device in correspondence to one image transmitting apparatus. Consequently, the monitoring system has a large and complicated structure. The place where the monitoring system is disposed therefore requires a large area, and the cost of the monitoring system as a whole becomes disadvantageously high. In addition, in order to s
Fujiyama Takehiko
Kobayashi Kenzo
Yamanaka Toshihiro
Fujitsu Limited
Katten Muchin Zavis & Rosenman
Nguyen Brian
Olms Douglas
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