JP3192158B2 - Monitoring device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a monitoring device used for monitoring a fire or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, when monitoring a fire or the like, a single focus camera for manually adjusting the focus is used, and this camera monitors an object within a monitoring range.

[0003]

In the case of monitoring a subject within a monitoring range by the camera, since the camera is a single focus camera which performs focus adjustment manually, the distance, the size of the subject, and the size of the monitoring range are determined. The size is restricted, and it is not possible to respond flexibly to these. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a monitoring apparatus which can solve the above-mentioned drawbacks and can flexibly respond to the distance and size of a subject and the size of a monitoring range.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to an imaging optical system 1 having a focusing optical system and a zoom optical system as shown in FIG. An imaging unit 2 for imaging a predetermined monitoring range through the system and outputting an image signal, a position detection unit 3 for detecting a position of a predetermined subject from the image signal from the imaging unit 2, and driving the focusing optical system. Focusing optical system driving unit 4, zoom optical system driving unit 5 for driving the zoom optical system, and controlling the focusing optical system driving unit 4 by detecting a focus position from an image signal from the imaging unit 2. A focus adjusting unit 6 for controlling the zoom optical system driving unit 5 based on an image signal from the imaging unit 2; and a distance detecting unit 8 for detecting a distance from the in-focus position to a subject. With

[0005]

The image pickup means 2 picks up an image of a predetermined monitoring range through the image pickup optical system 1 and outputs an image signal, and the position detection means 3 detects the position of a predetermined subject from the image signal from the image pickup means 2. The focusing optical system is driven by the focusing optical system driving unit 4, and the focus adjusting unit 6 detects the focus position from the image signal from the imaging unit 2 and controls the focusing optical system driving unit 4 to adjust the focus. I do. The zoom optical system is driven by the zoom optical system driving unit 5, and the zoom control unit 7 controls the zoom optical system driving unit 5 based on an image signal from the imaging unit 2. Alternatively, the zoom setting means 9 controls the zoom position to a predetermined zoom position. Then, the distance detecting means 8 detects the distance from the in-focus position to the subject.

[0006]

FIG. 2 shows a monitoring mechanism of an example of a fire extinguishing system to which the present invention is applied. The infrared camera 11 is configured using a charge-coupled device (CCD) and is sensitive to only infrared light. The infrared camera 11 has an imaging optical system 13 attached via a C-mount adapter 12 and is attached on a mounting plate 15 by a holder 14. The imaging optical system 13 is an optical system having a focusing optical system and a zoom optical system, and for example, AF Nikkor 35 to 70F2.85.
Is used. The imaging optical system 13 has a distance ring 16 and a zoom ring 17, and a coupling 18 is attached to the zoom ring 17. The coupling 18 is screwed into a screw screw 19, and the rotation of the screw screw 19 causes the coupling 18 to move on the screw screw 19 and the zoom ring 17 to move.
The position of the zoom optical system 3 moves.
Screw screw 19 has screw holders 20 and 21 at both ends.
, Is rotatably supported on the mounting plate 15 by a motor holder 22, is coupled via a coupling 24 to a geared motor 23 fixed on the mounting plate 15, and is driven to rotate by the geared motor 23. Further, a slide resistor 25 for detecting the zoom position is fixed on the mounting plate 15, and a slider 26 of the slide resistor 25 for detecting the zoom position is screwed to the screw 19. The zoom position detecting slide resistor 25 detects the position of the zoom optical system of the imaging optical system 13 by changing the resistance value when the slider 26 is moved by the rotation of the screw 19. The AF drive unit 27 is attached to the C-mount adapter 12 and provided so as to drive a focusing optical system of the imaging optical system 13.

FIG. 3 shows a circuit configuration of the fire extinguishing system. The AF drive unit 27 includes an AF motor 28 and the encoder 2
9, and the AF motor 28 is connected to the imaging optical system 13
Is moved. The encoder 29 detects the position of the focusing optical system of the imaging optical system 13 by generating a pulse in conjunction with the focusing optical system of the imaging optical system 13.
The AF motor drive circuit 30 drives and rotates the AF motor 28 while referring to the pulse from the encoder 29.
Further, the zoom controller 31 refers to the detection signal (resistance value) from the slide resistor 25 and
3 is driven to rotate. An image signal from the infrared camera 11 is input to the automatic focusing device 32, the host system 33, and the monitor 34, and the monitor 34
The image taken at 1 is displayed. In addition, fire extinguishing nozzle 3
Reference numeral 5 is for extinguishing a fire within a predetermined monitoring range, and is driven to rotate in the horizontal direction by a horizontal rotation drive mechanism 36 and is driven to rotate in the vertical direction by a vertical rotation mechanism 37. The horizontal rotation drive mechanism 36 and the vertical rotation mechanism 37 are driven by a drive circuit 38, and the fire extinguishing nozzle 35 is controlled on / off by the drive circuit 38. The mounting plate 15 is rotatably mounted on a base, and is rotated in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction by an imaging system rotation mechanism 39.
The imaging system rotation mechanism 39 is driven by a drive circuit 40, and a reset signal from a reset switch 41 operated by a supervisor after a fire is extinguished is transmitted to the host system 33.
Is input to

[0008] As shown in FIG.
A / D conversion unit 42, binarization unit 43, image memory 44, flame detection unit 45, and control unit 46. The image signal from infrared camera 11 is A / D converted by A / D conversion unit 42 and The binarization is performed by the binarization unit 43 at a predetermined binarization level, so that only the flame portion becomes the white level. The image signal from the binarization unit 43 is stored in the image memory 44 for each pixel, and the image memory 44 changes the storage content to a new image signal every time the image signal for one screen is output from the binarization unit 43. Rewritten. The flame detection unit 45 calculates the number of white level pixels in the image signal stored in the image memory 44, compares the calculation result with a comparison value stored in advance,
If the calculation result is equal to or greater than the comparison value, the white level portion is detected as a flame. Such an operation of the flame detection unit 45 is repeatedly performed. The control unit 46 includes an A / D conversion unit 42,
It controls the binarization unit 43, the image memory 44, and the flame detection unit 45, and performs the processing described later.

As shown in FIG. 5, the automatic focusing device 32 includes a gate circuit 47, a detection area setting section 48, a high-pass filter (H
PF) 49, peak hold circuit 50, A / D converter 5
The gate circuit 47 selectively passes an image signal from the infrared camera 11 through a signal from the scanning line setting unit 48 at a specific scanning line portion. This gate circuit 4
From the image signal from 7, only the high frequency component is extracted by the HPF 49, and the peak is detected and held by the peak hold circuit 50, whereby the amount of the high frequency component is detected and A / D converted by the A / D converter 51. You. The automatic focusing device 32 detects the focus position based on the image signal from the A / D converter 51, and controls the AF motor drive circuit 30 based on the detection result to change the focus optical system of the imaging optical system 13 to the focus position. The focus is adjusted by moving to.

As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 46 in the host system 33 initially controls the infrared camera 11
Controls the position of the zoom optical system of the imaging optical system 13 by controlling the zoom controller 31 so as to image the entire predetermined monitoring range, and a flame is generated within the monitoring range from the output signal of the flame detection unit 45. It is repeatedly determined whether or not. When a flame is generated within the monitoring range, the control unit 46 processes an image signal from the infrared camera 11 and
The position of the flame on the imaging surface of the infrared camera 11 is detected as described later, and the driving circuit 40 is controlled in accordance with the position of the flame so that the imaging system driving mechanism 39 controls the imaging system driving mechanism 39 so that the flame comes to the center of the imaging surface of the infrared camera 11. The position of the zoom optical system of the imaging optical system 13 is controlled by rotating the mounting plate 15 in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and controlling the zoom controller 34 so that the flame has a constant size on the infrared camera 11. Enlarges the image of the flame. Alternatively, control is performed so that the zoom position is set to a predetermined zoom position set in advance by the zoom setting means, and the image of the flame is enlarged. Next, the control unit 46 controls the automatic focusing device 32
The focus adjustment is performed as described above to focus on the flame, and the distance from the position of the focusing optical system detected by the encoder 29 to the flame is measured based on the position of the focusing optical system in the initial state. . Therefore, the position and distance of the flame on the imaging surface are measured, and the three-dimensional position is measured. The control unit 46 controls the drive circuit 38 so that a fire extinguishing agent such as water from the fire extinguishing nozzle 35 is released into the flame based on the position of the flame and the distance to the flame.
Rotate 5 horizontally and vertically. Next, the control unit 46 causes the drive circuit 38 to turn on the fire extinguishing nozzle 35 and discharge the fire extinguishing agent from the fire extinguishing nozzle 35 to the flame. As a result, the fire extinguishing agent such as water from the fire extinguishing nozzle 35 is accurately irradiated to the flame irrespective of the size of the flame, the distance, and the size of the monitoring range. After the fire is extinguished, when the reset switch is pressed by the observer and a reset signal is input, the driving circuit 38 turns off the fire extinguishing nozzle 35 and the infrared camera 1
1 controls the zoom controller 31 so as to capture an image of the entire predetermined monitoring range, thereby returning to the initial state.

Note that, for detection of a flame in the fire extinguishing system, the host system 33 previously stores an image signal from the A / D converter 42 in an initial state in an initial value memory for each pixel, and thereafter stores the A / D signal. The image signal from the conversion unit 42 is repeatedly stored in the flame memory for each pixel, and the difference between the image signal in the initial value memory and the image signal in the flame memory is obtained for each pixel. May be detected to determine whether or not a flame has occurred based on the signal from the temperature sensor and the above difference.

[0012]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
An imaging optical system having a focusing optical system and a zoom optical system; imaging means for imaging a predetermined monitoring range through the imaging optical system and outputting an image signal; and a position of a predetermined subject based on the image signal from the imaging means , A focusing optical system driving unit that drives the focusing optical system, a zoom optical system driving unit that drives the zoom optical system, and a focusing position based on an image signal from the imaging unit. Focus adjusting means for detecting and controlling the focusing optical system driving means; zoom control means for controlling the zoom optical system driving means based on an image signal from the imaging means; and Since the apparatus is provided with the distance detecting means for detecting the distance, the position of the flame can be detected three-dimensionally, and it is possible to flexibly respond to the distance, the size of the subject, and the size of the monitoring range.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the invention of claim 1;

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a monitoring mechanism of an example of a fire extinguishing system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the fire extinguishing system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a part of a host system in the fire extinguishing system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a part of an automatic focusing device in the fire extinguishing system.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a host system in the fire extinguishing system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 imaging optical system 2 imaging means 3 position detecting means 4 focusing optical system driving means 5 zoom optical system driving means 6 focus adjusting means 7 zoom control means 8 distance detecting means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-87876 (JP, A) JP-A-1-268576 (JP, A) JP-A-1-268574 (JP, A) 47548 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/232 A62C 37/00 H04N 7/18

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An image pickup optical system having a focusing optical system and a zoom optical system, image pickup means for picking up an image of a predetermined monitoring range through the image pickup optical system and outputting an image signal, and an image signal from the image pickup means. Position detecting means for detecting a position of a predetermined subject; focusing optical system driving means for driving the focusing optical system; zoom optical system driving means for driving the zoom optical system; and image signals from the imaging means. A focus adjusting unit that detects a more focused position to control the focusing optical system driving unit; a zoom control unit that controls the zoom optical system driving unit based on an image signal from the imaging unit; A monitoring device comprising: a distance detecting unit that detects a distance from a position to a subject.