Remote monitoring system and method

Details Remote monitoring system and method Remote monitoring system and method

1998-07-01

2001-01-09

Mullen, Thomas (Department: 2736)

Communications: electrical

Condition responsive indicating system

C340S531000, C340S541000, C348S143000, C348S152000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06172605

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a remote monitoring system and method for supervising a remotely located object utilizing a communication line.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the remote monitoring system, the monitoring central unit used to be kept in constant touch with the monitoring terminal unit. In recent years, that old system has been replaced with a new one which connects the monitoring terminal unit with the monitoring central unit only when necessary to save the maintenance costs such as communication expenses.
The prior art to the present invention is explained hereinafter.
FIG. 8
shows a block diagram of the remote monitoring system in the prior art. The monitoring image or the output of the TV camera
101
of the monitoring terminal unit
100
is inputted into an encoder
102
, where the image is encoded and the image data volume is compressed. The monitoring image thus encoded is referred to an image storage
104
for storage through a terminal control
103
.
If the sensor
106
detects something abnormal, the terminal control
103
will activate a communication control
105
to get in touch with the monitoring central unit
200
. When that connection is established with the monitoring central unit
200
, the monitoring image data stored in the image storage
104
will be sent out successively starting with that of before or after the detection of the abnormality.
The monitoring central unit
200
first stores in an image holder
202
the monitoring image data sent from the monitoring terminal unit
100
through a communication control
201
. The image data is then decoded in the decoder
203
and the delayed monitoring image is displayed on a monitor
206
. This monitoring image is stored in the image holder
202
and can be reproduced at any time. Another feature is that if the current monitoring data is needed instead of the one stored in the image storage
104
, real-time monitoring data can be obtained on the monitoring central unit
200
.
In the remote monitoring system of the prior art, the monitoring image obtained in the monitoring central unit
200
is either the real-time image data from the moment of the connection or the delayed image data stored in the monitoring terminal unit
100
before or after the detection of an abnormality.
The prior art system provided the following problem, however: On a real-time basis, it is impossible to get image data before or after the detection of an abnormality which is necessary for tracing the cause thereof, while delayed image data is not a real-time one and is not timely especially in case of emergency. Another shortcoming is that since image data being transmitted is fixed or constant in resolution, there is a possibility that useful monitoring images may not be obtained if the communication service is low in quality. Furthermore, in case there is an interruption in the communication because of some trouble with the communication line, the monitoring image data will be lost up to the moment that the connection is restored.
The present invention is proposed in the light of those shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote monitoring system which permits real-time supervision from the monitoring central unit and the tracing of the cause of an abnormality using high resolution image data starting at the moment of its detection and, even in case of failure to set up a connection with the monitoring central unit or an interruption in the communication, continues to store the minimum monitoring image data required and send out the same voluntarily or in answer to a request from the monitoring central unit.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention adopts the means described hereinafter on the following remote monitoring system which forms the basis thereof. The system is provided with a monitoring terminal unit and a monitoring center.
The monitoring terminal unit is provided with a TV camera which pictures a monitoring object and a sensor which watches out for any abnormality in the condition of the object. The monitoring object's image data from the TV camera is encoded at a resolution set in an encoder. The encoded image data is written in an image storage continuously in a cyclic manner. Furthermore, it is so arranged that only when an abnormality is detected, a stream of real-time images pictured by the TV camera will be transmitted to the monitoring central unit via connection control means. The monitoring central unit displays on the monitor the images as they are sent in. The present invention is built on that remote monitoring system. And the following means or improvements are adopted on that system. The remote monitoring system as set forth above is provided with an encoding control means which so regulates the resolution to give to the encoder as to be constant in case of the normal state in the monitoring object and to be higher in value than normal in case of abnormality.
Also, the encoding control means gradually lowers the resolution given to the encoder at the time of abnormality down to the level—the resolution level in the normal state for real-time images which are transmitted after a connection is made with the monitoring central unit—in such a way that the normal-state resolution D
0
level is reached at the preset time t
1
. The preset time t
1
is the time when the connection is expected to be completed, and this preset time is inputted in the connection control means in advance.
In case a connection with the monitoring central unit can not be established by the end of a specific resolution adjusting period T
0
before and after the predicted time t
1
of completion of the connection during which the resolution is maintained at the same level as that for real-time image, the encoding control means will gradually lower the resolution from the real-time image level until the connection time-out point t
30
. At this connection time-out point t
30
, it is regarded that the attempt to set up a connection with the monitoring central unit has failed. So, the writing in of image data can be prolonged up to the capacity of the image storage.
It is also possible to provide the connection control means with a function which will try again to establish communication with the monitoring central unit when an attempt to get a connection fails. The trial can be repeated a preset number of times at a preset interval.
It is also so configured that the monitoring terminal unit is provided with a data multiplexer which multiplexes real-time image data outputted by the encoder and stored data from the image storage. That enables the monitoring central unit to simultaneously display image data stored in the image storage and real-time image data outputted from the TV camera by the encoder. In this monitoring central unit, in addition, a data separator separates the multiplexed image data sent in from the monitoring terminal unit. An image holder then stores the real-time image data outputted from the data separator and the stored image data respectively. Respective outputted data from the image holder are decoded at the decoder, and then the real-time images and the stored images are displayed on the monitor simultaneously or separately.
It is also so arranged that a memory control means is set for a specific time before or after the moment t
0
of detection of an abnormality and a stream of stored data to be read out from the image storage
14
can be limited to that set time.
Still another possible arrangement is that if the memory control means finishes writing image data in the image storage when the connection with the monitoring central unit is completed, the aforesaid stored data can be transmitted repeatedly on a request made by the monitoring central unit. Also, in case the writing in still continues after the connection with the monitoring central unit is completed, the image data from the image storage can be transmitted as delayed image data along with the real-time image data.
In case t

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Remote monitoring system and method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Remote monitoring system and method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Remote monitoring system and method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2509050