JP2008097379A - Crime prevention unit and image provision method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a crime prevention unit and a crime prevention system for monitoring while protecting privacy of other houses etc. by cutting out an object image from an image in which a plurality of particular residences and places are imaged by a monitoring camera installed on a telegraph pole etc. <P>SOLUTION: The crime prevention unit includes a photographing means 2 for photographing a predetermined range set in advance, a means 12 for preserving an image mask pattern for each user, a cutout means 10 for extracting only a predetermined range image from the image photographed by the photographing means using the mask pattern, and a distribution means 11 for distributing the post-extraction image either automatically or when requested. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is a camera that can photograph a house or amusement park that is installed outdoors such as a utility pole. The present invention relates to a crime prevention device that distributes and monitors and an image providing method.

  Conventionally, a monitoring technique that protects the privacy of a security camera in a specific place such as an indoor or an elevator has been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, in the monitoring in an elevator, an ID registered in advance is recorded on an IC tag or the like, and this is carried by a resident such as a condominium where privacy is protected, and a person who does not carry the elevator is allowed to take it. When the camera is on board, the camera will operate and the image will be transmitted to the monitoring station, etc., or if the person carrying the vehicle rides with the person not carrying the image, the image of the part of the person carried will be masked The technology of the crime prevention device which was transmitted to etc. and privacy was protected is proposed.

  That is, a special identification means is provided for distinguishing between a person who needs monitoring and an unnecessary person with a camera installed in a narrow indoor place, and it is determined whether or not the mask should be masked by the presence or absence of the identification means.

  By the way, in the same way as a camera installed in a condominium or an elevator, the privacy similar to the above is protected in a general private house with a camera installed on a utility pole that can capture a plurality of private houses. A security system is required.

However, in order to monitor only a permitted private house, etc., with a camera that covers a wide area installed outdoors such as a utility pole, the above-mentioned conventional technique is often because the object to be monitored is farther than the camera. It cannot be determined by an identification means such as a general IC tag. In addition, it is economically effective to copy and monitor a plurality of permitted houses with a set of cameras or a small number of cameras, and this technique is demanded.
JP 2004-48519 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and is cut out from an image in which only a plurality of specific houses and places are captured by a surveillance camera installed on a utility pole or the like, while protecting the privacy of other houses and the like. An object is to provide a crime prevention device and an image providing method for monitoring.

  In order to achieve the above object, a security device according to the present invention comprises a photographing means for photographing a predetermined range, a means for storing a mask pattern of an image for each user, and an image photographed by the photographing means. The image processing apparatus includes: a clipping unit that extracts only a predetermined range of images using the mask pattern; and a distribution unit that distributes the extracted image automatically or when requested.

  In the present invention, when photographing a house for surveillance such as crime prevention, if a neighboring house or the like that should not be photographed for monitoring or privacy protection is unavoidably photographed, a necessary image portion is obtained by the clipping means. And the cut-out image can be distributed to a personal computer or a terminal of a person to be monitored by a distribution means. At this time, by setting a mask pattern for each user in advance and masking portions other than the target portion with this pattern, the privacy of others can be easily ensured.

  Here, “cutting out” includes not only the case of cutting the image itself, but also the process of masking the other parts while leaving only the necessary part of the image of a predetermined size.

  The crime prevention apparatus according to the present invention further stores an image after being cut out in the crime prevention apparatus, and temporarily saves it for distribution to a necessary place automatically or when requested by the distribution means. Means are provided.

  In the present invention, in addition to the above-described operation, the image cut out in the security device by the storage means can be stored, and the stored image can also be distributed to a necessary place when requested.

  The crime prevention apparatus according to the present invention detects that a moving person or the like is further captured in the image after being cut out, and gives an activation signal to the distribution means and the storage means in order to distribute or store the image. A change detection means is provided.

  In the present invention, in addition to the above action, a person or the like enters the image cut out by the change detection means, and the image when the change is detected is delivered by the immediate delivery means or saved by the storage means, and then the image Or the like, it is possible to reduce the storage capacity of images necessary for crime prevention and the amount of information to be distributed. Note that when the identification information of the subject is stored in the IC tag and the identification information is received, the change detection means may not be regarded as detection of a moving object. Only those registered in this way can be excluded from monitoring targets by carrying the IC tag.

  Further, the identification information of the subject may be stored in the IC tag, and only when the identification information is received, the limited area around it may be monitored, and otherwise the monitoring may be disabled. By carrying the IC tag only for those registered in this way, monitoring can be permitted and viewed only when the person enters the public area or the like.

  Specifically, the security device according to the present invention comprises: a receiving unit that receives the shooting request / impossibility information sent from a wireless transmission unit such as an IC tag that stores shooting request / unavailable information; and the wireless transmission unit A means for specifying the transmission position of the camera, a photographing means for photographing a predetermined area including the transmission position of the wireless transmission means, if photographing is desired based on the photographing request / impossibility information received by the receiving means, and photographing Shooting control means for masking a specific area narrower than the predetermined area including the transmission position of the other wireless transmission means when receiving the non-shooting information sent from the other wireless transmission means , Provided.

  In a public area such as a park, radio transmission means such as an IC tag is carried only by a user who desires monitoring, and shooting is performed only when the radio is received. At this time, if there is a user who does not wish to shoot in the same park, the user is masked and shooting is performed.

  Note that the shooting preference / impossibility information includes not only direct information on whether or not shooting is desired, but also information on which this information can be extracted indirectly. For example, the user in the case where the user identification information is associated with the photographing desired / impossible information with the security device or another server, and when the user identification information is received, the photographing desired / impossible information is extracted by this association. Also includes identification information.

  Preferably, a blur filter is used for the mask, and the degree of blur of the blur filter is changed based on the distance between the transmission position of the non-capturing information and the transmission position of the photographing desired information so that the distance approaches. Along with this, the degree of blurring should be reduced. This makes it possible to achieve harmony between crime prevention effects and the privacy of others in safety monitoring in public places.

  Here, “blurring” means not only the so-called resolution is roughened, but also general processing for controlling visibility, for example, blackening a specific area.

  The crime prevention device according to the present invention is characterized in that the above-mentioned device further comprises image correction means for correcting an image so as to be easily viewed before inputting an image taken by a camera to the clipping means. .

  In the present invention, in addition to the above-described function, in the case of a camera that can shoot a wide range by a fisheye lens or a head swing, a house to be monitored is photographed obliquely or distorted, and an image that is very difficult to see for the house Monitoring can be facilitated and the number of surveillance cameras can be reduced by making the image easy to see by correcting by the correcting means.

  The crime prevention apparatus according to the present invention further includes a swinging means for photographing the camera by freely swinging (panning or tilting) a certain range in addition to the above, and a swinging for processing of the correction means and the clipping means. Control means for notifying angle information is provided.

  In the present invention, in addition to the above-described operation, the camera can shoot a wide area with a single swinging means and its control means, and the image correction means and the clipping means can be easily processed by the swing angle information. Can be.

  The image providing method according to the present invention is an image providing method for providing an image for monitoring to a user, the step of photographing a predetermined range, and a mask pattern of the image stored for each user. A step, a step of extracting only an image of a predetermined range from the captured image using the mask pattern, a step of detecting a moving object corresponding to a specific pattern such as a person in the shooting range, Or a step of transmitting the extracted image to the terminal device of the user in response to a request from the user.

  In the present invention, a portion related to the privacy of another person can be excluded by a mask pattern for each user, and crime prevention can be efficiently monitored by storing or transmitting an image by detecting a moving object within the shooting range. . When a moving object is detected within the shooting range, the user's mobile phone or the like may be notified by mail or voice, and the extracted image may be provided by access from the user.

  According to the present invention, a security device monitored by a camera is equipped with a function of cutting out only a necessary part of a captured image or masking an unnecessary part, thereby providing a plurality of houses with a small number of surveillance cameras. The location can be monitored while protecting the privacy, and an economical crime prevention system with excellent economics becomes possible.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a security device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an example of a bird's eye view of a system that is actually used.

  In FIG. 1, the camera 2 connected by the communication N1 with the security device 1 as the center, the cutting means 10 for cutting out a necessary part from the image G0 photographed by the camera 2, and the change in which a person or the like moves in the cut out image is detected. A change detection unit 15 that prompts distribution and storage, a storage unit 12 that stores the cut-out image or the changed image, a cut-out current image or the stored image, and the personal computer or mobile phone of the corresponding image The distribution means 11 distributes to the terminals H11, H12 and the security company K1 by the communication means N2 such as a telephone line or an IP line. The cutout means 10 has mask means 101, 102, and 103 for cutting out the images G1 and G2 necessary for the terminals H11 and H21 from the photographed image G0. The mask information may be stored in a pattern for each shape and cutout size.

  The operation will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and the mask principle diagram of FIG. First, it is assumed that homes contracted for crime prevention photography and monitoring are A home H1 and B home H2, and both homes are requested to monitor amusement park H3. A house H1 is also contracted with the security company K1, and it is contracted to distribute the same image transmitted to the terminal H11 of the A house to the security company K1.

  Next, it is assumed that the image taken by the camera 2 is unavoidably taken even for the C home H4 for which the privacy of the house must be protected because the monitoring is not contracted. In this state, in FIG. 2, the image G1 of the A home H1 and the image G3 of the amusement park H3 are masked by the masking means 101 and 103 for the A home H1 by the clipping means 10 from the entire image G0 taken by the camera 2. And the current image or the image when the change is detected by the change detecting means 15 is distributed to the terminal H11 at home A and the security company K1 by the distributing means 11 via the communication means N2 and stored. 12 to save. For B home H2, necessary images G2 and G3 are similarly cut out by the mask means 102 and 103, and the same processing as described above is performed. C house H4 has no distribution contract and therefore does not cut out, store, or distribute images.

  The images of the contracted houses H1 and H2 stored in the storage unit 12 are transmitted via the distribution unit 11 in response to a request from the terminals H11 and H21 of the respective houses or the security company K1 when it is necessary to check later. .

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 3 is an apparatus configuration diagram according to the second embodiment. The same parts as those in FIG. 1 use the same symbols and will not be described. 1 is different from the configuration of FIG. 1 in that, for example, from the front, the swinging means 21 for controlling the swing of the camera 2 and the control means 14 for controlling the swinging means are easy to see. An image correcting unit 13 that corrects the image as if it was photographed is provided in the crime prevention device 1.

  The operation will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and the mask principle diagram of FIG. Here, it is assumed that the range that can be photographed by the swinging means 21 of the camera 2 extends to 8 places from the A home to the F home, and the A, B, E homes H1, H2, and H6 have contracts for monitoring. To do. The operation in which the home B processes the images of the home H2 and the amusement park H3 will be described. It is assumed that the camera 2 is normally swung to the left and right through the head swing means 21 in response to a command from the control means 14. First, a raw image Gn obtained by photographing a house or the like at an oblique position of the camera 2 is created by the image correcting unit 13 to correct an image G0 as viewed from the front, for example. The mask means 102 and 103 for the B home H2 are photographed by the swing angle information from the control means 14 so that they are always at the positions of the B home H2 and the amusement park H3 fixed with respect to the entire image from the A home to the F home. The position of the cut-out image is not changed by moving in the opposite direction relative to the corrected image G0. That is, if the B home H2 is photographed in the middle, the mask means 102 is also in the middle. If the photograph is taken laterally, the mask means 102 is moved from the control means 14 so that the mask means 102 is cut out by that amount. Thus, the cutting-out means 10 controls. The function of the storage means 12 is the same as that shown in FIG.

  As another embodiment, the magnification of the camera 2 is increased instead of the clipping means 10 by the mask so that only a part of a certain house is photographed, and the swing angle of the swinging means 21 is set to other than the house. By limiting the control device 14 so as not to copy, it can have the same function as the mask.

  Further, as a type of the camera 2, a camera that can simultaneously photograph a wide range such as a fish-eye lens instead of a normal camera may be used. Such a camera can also be made to look normal by the image correction means 13.

  In addition, when the object to be monitored is located close to the camera, a person in the house carries a wireless tag such as an IC tag, and a person other than the registered wireless tag can take a picture when it appears in the image. Good.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the camera and communication equipment installed on an outdoor utility pole as shown in FIG. 5 masks images of other people's houses and distributes only images of homes and shared places. By saving or saving, it is possible to check the current state or past state on the screen of a mobile phone or the like at any time while protecting the privacy, which can be used for crime prevention.

(Third embodiment)
Also, if the subject of the surveillance request is a continuous shooting such as a school road or a park, where there is no consensus due to privacy, the child carries an IC tag, and the person with the registered wireless tag is in the image It is a service that enables image monitoring only in the vicinity (limited range) only at times, and it becomes easier to understand with a policy that individuals monitor limited public areas for the sake of family safety.

Hereinafter, this service will be described in detail.
First, the basic configuration of the security device 1 is the same as that of the first or second embodiment. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a shooting area management table 41 is provided for each shooting area in which a mask pattern (for fixing and moving) and a classification indicating whether it is a public place are associated and stored. Here, the mask pattern (for fixing) is fixedly determined for each imaging area, and stores a mask location 31 for each imaging area as shown in FIG. When the camera 2 is operated such as panning or tilting, the deformation of the image according to the angle is calculated in conjunction with the movement, and the mask location is also moved. The mask pattern (for movement) is determined by the mask target (for example, a person), and the mask position varies depending on the position of the IC tag.

Next, the processing procedure of the security device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
When a user carrying an IC tag enters the shooting area, the security device 1 is notified through receivers of IC tag information installed at a plurality of locations in the area. The security device 1 acquires the IC tag identification information (S101), and determines whether or not it is a monitoring requester (S102). This determination may be made by associating and storing a flag indicating whether monitoring is desired or impossible (rejected) for each IC tag identification information, and may be determined based on this flag, or monitoring desired / impossible information directly from the IC tag. May be transmitted.

  If the person wishes to monitor (“YES” in S102), the monitoring area is photographed for a predetermined time. By repeating the processes in steps S101 to S103, the photographing is continued while the monitoring applicant is in the photographing area. Note that the shot video is stored in the security device 1 and distributed in response to an access request from the user corresponding to the IC tag identification information. At this time, as described in the first or second embodiment, the distribution is performed in a state where a specific area predetermined by the mask pattern (for fixing) corresponding to the imaging area is masked.

  On the other hand, if “NO” in the step S102, it is next determined whether or not the person is a non-monitoring person based on the IC tag identification information (S104). If the image is being photographed (“YES” in S104), a mask pattern (for movement) corresponding to the IC tag identification information is extracted (S106). Usually, this is a pattern for masking the human face and whole body, and the pattern is enlarged / reduced according to the distance from the camera 2 and the photographing magnification. In this case, the pattern information may have a radius (r) centered on the position of the IC tag.

  If there is a monitoring requester in the monitoring area (“YES” in S107), the distance between the monitoring requester and the non-monitoring requester is calculated based on both IC tag positions (S108). The blurring degree of the moving mask pattern for masking the non-monitoring person is determined according to the distance (S109). For example, this may be determined according to the distance by the mask degree management table 42 as shown in FIG. 9, or the blurring degree (for example, alpha blending in image composition) may be determined by an arithmetic expression using the distance as a parameter. (Value) may be calculated. By making the degree of blurring large when the distance is long and small when the distance is close (that is, a clearer image), effective analysis at the time of occurrence of damage becomes possible.

  Then, the specific range extracted / enlarged / reduced in step S106 is blurred and stored with the degree of blur determined in step S109, centering on the position of the non-monitoring person (S110). An example of this image is shown in FIG. When the monitoring applicant 32 enters this imaging area, imaging is performed, and the monitoring non-desired person 33 is masked by the mask degree corresponding to the distance to the monitoring applicant 32 by the processing of step S104 to step S110. Yes. The person 34 who does not carry the IC tag is photographed as it is. Private buildings are masked by a predetermined pattern 31 ".

  This captured image is distributed at the request of the user 32. Alternatively, when the user 32 is a child, the user 32 is distributed to the guardian, or the guardian accesses the crime prevention device 1 with a password associated with the IC tag carried by the child. It may be possible to monitor in real time.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a person who refuses to shoot in a public place is brought with a IC tag for refusing to take a picture, and if the carry person enters the shooting range, the IC tag position Is taken in a state where the predetermined range is blurred, and the degree of blur of the non-monitoring person is changed according to the degree of approach between the monitoring person (or the person to be monitored) and the person who does not desire (the person who does not want to monitor) ( In other words, the degree of blurring is reduced as the person who does not want to monitor approaches the person who wants to monitor), so that the privacy of non-monitoring people in public places and the safety of those who want to monitor are secured. Can be harmonized.

  The present invention can be used for a crime prevention monitoring system in an area or home.

1 is a configuration diagram of a security device and its system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a mask principle figure of the crime prevention apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram of the crime prevention apparatus by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and its system. It is a mask principle figure of the crime prevention apparatus of FIG. It is a bird's-eye view of the system of this invention. It is a data example of the imaging area management table 41 by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the data of the mask pattern by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the crime prevention apparatus by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a data example of the mask degree management table 42 by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of an image produced by the process of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Security device 2 Camera 10 Image extraction means 11 Distribution means 12 Storage means 13 Image correction means 14 Control means 15 Change detection means 21 Camera swinging means 41 Imaging area management table 42 Mask degree management table 101, ... 106 Mask Means G0,1, ... 6 Image H1, ... H8 Shooting subject H11, 21,61 Terminal K1 Security company

Claims (8)

Photographing means for photographing a predetermined range, and
Means for storing a mask pattern of an image for each user;
Cutting out means for extracting only an image of a predetermined range from the image photographed by the photographing means using the mask pattern;
A delivery means for delivering the extracted image automatically or upon request;
A security device characterized by comprising: In the image after extraction, comprising a change detection means for detecting a moving object corresponding to a specific pattern such as a person,
The security device according to claim 1, wherein the distribution unit distributes the extracted image according to a command from the change detection unit.   The crime prevention device according to claim 1, further comprising an image correcting unit that corrects an image captured by the imaging unit by a correction method predetermined for each user. Swinging means for freely swinging and photographing the photographing means within a predetermined range;
The crime prevention device according to claim 3, further comprising a control unit that outputs swing angle information in association with an image captured for processing by the cutout unit or the image correction unit. Receiving means for receiving the photographing request / impossibility information sent from a wireless transmission means such as an IC tag for storing the photographing request / impossibility information;
Means for specifying a transmission position of the wireless transmission means;
Based on the shooting request / impossibility information received by the receiving unit, when shooting is desired, a shooting unit for shooting a predetermined area including a transmission position of the wireless transmission unit;
Shooting control means for taking a picture while masking a specific area that is narrower than the predetermined area including the transmission position of the other wireless transmission means when the non-shooting information sent from the other wireless transmission means is received during shooting When,
A security device characterized by comprising: The mask uses a blur filter,
The degree of blurring of the blur filter is changed based on the distance between the transmission position of the non-capturing information and the transmission position of the desired shooting information, and the degree of blurring is reduced as the distance approaches. The crime prevention device according to claim 5. Means for storing a mask pattern for each predetermined area;
The security device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the photographing unit generates an image in which a predetermined area is masked by using the mask pattern. An image providing method for providing an image for monitoring to a user, photographing a predetermined range,
Storing an image mask pattern for each user;
Extracting only an image of a predetermined range from the captured image using the mask pattern;
Detecting a moving object corresponding to a specific pattern such as a person in the shooting range;
Transmitting the extracted image to the user terminal device when a moving object is detected or by a request from the user;
An image providing method comprising: