Video management device, video management system, and video management method

Abstract

To provide a video management device, a video management system, and a video management method that facilitate setting of a display position of an image captured by each of a plurality of network cameras in a display device.SOLUTION: A video management device 1 includes: an address selection part 115 that selects IP address information on network cameras 2A and 2B and selects MAC address information corresponding to the selected IP address information stored in an ARP table storage part 131; and a display position information generation part 116 that specifies port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from among the port identification information stored in a bridge table storage part 132, and generates display position information indicating a correspondence relationship between the selected IP address information and the display position identification information that identifies a display position of an image on a display part 304 of the display device 3 and is associated with the specified port identification information in advance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a video management device, a video management system, and a video management method. [Background technology]

[0002] A surveillance system has been proposed that includes multiple network cameras that capture images, an image recording device that collects and records the images captured by the network cameras, and a control console that displays the images captured by each of the multiple network cameras in a separate content display area (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-129999 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a surveillance system equipped with multiple network cameras as described above, it is necessary to efficiently associate the display positions of the multiple images displayed in a split display area with the IP addresses assigned to the network cameras that captured the images.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a video management device, a video management system, and a video management method that make it easy to set the display position of images captured by each of multiple network cameras on a display device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a video management device according to the present invention comprises: Multiple LAN ports for connecting multiple devices via wired connections, a bridge table storage unit that stores MAC address information indicating a MAC address of a device connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports in association with LAN port identification information that identifies each of the plurality of LAN ports; an ARP table storage unit that stores IP address information indicating an IP address assigned to the device in association with MAC address information of the device; a bridge table generation unit that, when the device is connected to at least one LAN port of the plurality of LAN ports, acquires the MAC address information of the device connected to the at least one LAN port, and stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in the bridge table storage unit in association with LAN port identification information that identifies the LAN port to which the device is connected; an address selection unit that selects the IP address information of the network camera from the IP address information of at least one of the devices wired connected to the plurality of LAN ports, and selects the MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit that corresponds to the selected IP address information; The display device is provided with a display position information generation unit that identifies the LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit, and generates display position information indicating the correspondence between the selected IP address information and display position identification information that identifies the display position of the image captured by the network camera on the display unit of the display device, which is pre-associated with the identified LAN port identification information.

[0007] From another aspect, the video management system according to the present invention comprises: a display device having a display unit; a video management device that manages the video displayed on the display device, The video management device Multiple LAN ports for connecting multiple devices via wired connections, a bridge table storage unit that stores MAC address information indicating a MAC address of a device connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports in association with LAN port identification information that identifies each of the plurality of LAN ports; an ARP table storage unit that stores IP address information indicating an IP address assigned to the device in association with MAC address information of the device; an image storage unit that stores image information indicating an image captured by a network camera included in the plurality of devices and including the IP address information of the network camera that captured the image; a bridge table generation unit that, when the device is connected to at least one LAN port of the plurality of LAN ports, acquires the MAC address information of the device connected to the at least one LAN port, and stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in the bridge table storage unit in association with LAN port identification information that identifies the LAN port to which the device is connected; an address selection unit that selects the IP address information of the network camera from the IP address information of at least one of the devices wired connected to the plurality of LAN ports, and selects the MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit that corresponds to the selected IP address information; a display position information generating unit that identifies the LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit, and generates display position information indicating a correspondence relationship between the selected IP address information and display position identification information that identifies a display position on the display unit that is previously associated with the identified LAN port identification information; an image synthesis unit that forms a synthetic image including the image captured by the network camera to be displayed on the display device based on the display position information; a composite image transmitting unit that transmits composite image information indicating the composite image to the display device, The display device includes: The image processing device further includes a display control unit that, when the composite image information is acquired, causes the display unit to display the composite image indicated by the acquired composite image information.

[0008] From another aspect, the video management method according to the present invention comprises: a step in which the video management device stores IP address information indicating an IP address assigned to a device connected to at least one LAN port among a plurality of LAN ports for individually connecting a plurality of devices by wire in an ARP table storage unit in association with MAC address information indicating a MAC address of the device; When the device is connected to the at least one LAN port, the video management device acquires the MAC address information of the device connected to the at least one LAN port, and stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in a bridge table storage unit in association with LAN port identification information that identifies the LAN port to which the device is connected; The video management device selects, from the IP address information of at least one device wired connected to the plurality of LAN ports, the IP address information of a network camera included in the at least one device, and selects, from the ARP table storage unit, the MAC address information corresponding to the selected IP address information; The method includes a step in which the video management device identifies the LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit, and generates display position information indicating the correspondence between the selected IP address information and display position identification information that identifies the display position of the image captured by the network camera on the display unit of a display device that is pre-associated with the identified LAN port identification information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the address selection unit selects IP address information of a network camera included in at least one device from the IP address information of each of the at least one device wired to the multiple LAN ports, and selects MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit corresponding to the selected IP address information. The display position information generation unit identifies LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit, and generates display position information indicating the correspondence between the selected IP address information and display position identification information that identifies the display position of images captured by the network camera on the display unit of the display device, which is pre-assigned to the identified LAN port identification information. This allows a composite image including images captured by the network camera to be displayed on the display device to be formed based on the display position information. Therefore, by a user selecting a LAN port to which each of the multiple network cameras is connected, the display position of each of the images captured by the multiple network cameras can be automatically selected. This has the advantage that it is easy for the user to set the display position of each of the images captured by the multiple network cameras on the display device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a video management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a video management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a video management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A is a diagram showing an example of information stored in an ARP table storage unit according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a bridge table storage unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 5]1A is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a display position information storage unit of a display device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a display position of a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of how a network camera according to an embodiment is used, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a display image displayed on a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a video management process executed by the video management device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A video management device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The video management device according to this embodiment includes a plurality of LAN ports for individually connecting to a plurality of devices via wired connections, a bridge table storage unit, an ARP table storage unit, a bridge table generation unit, an address selection unit, a display position information generation unit, and an image synthesis unit. The bridge table storage unit stores MAC address information indicating the MAC address of a device connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports, in association with LAN port identification information identifying each of the plurality of LAN ports. The ARP table storage unit stores IP address information indicating the IP address assigned to the device, in association with the MAC address information of the device. When a device is connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports, the bridge table generation unit acquires the MAC address information of the device connected to the at least one LAN port and stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in the bridge table storage unit, in association with the LAN port identification information identifying the LAN port to which the device is connected. The address selection unit selects IP address information of a network camera included in at least one device from the IP address information of each of the at least one devices wired to the multiple LAN ports, and selects MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit corresponding to the selected IP address information. The display position information generation unit identifies LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit, and generates display position information indicating the correspondence between the selected IP address information and display position identification information that is pre-associated with the identified LAN port identification information and identifies the display position of an image captured by the network camera on the display unit of the display device. This embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0012] 1, the video management system according to this embodiment includes four network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E, a video management device 1 to which these network cameras are connected, and a display device 3. The video management device 1 also has a power supply function that complies with standards such as PoE (Power of Ethernet), PoE+, and PoE++, and supplies power to an optional power receiving device 5 in addition to the four cameras. Note that in addition to the power receiving device 5, other devices such as a personal computer can also be connected to the video management device 1 via a LAN (Local Area Network) cable.

[0013] Network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E are used, for example, as surveillance cameras for monitoring production facilities. As shown in FIG. 2, network camera 2A includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a main memory 202, an auxiliary memory 203, an imaging unit 204, a communication interface 206, and a bus 209 connecting the various components. Network cameras 2B, 2C, and 2E each have the same configuration as network camera 2A, and are therefore omitted from FIG. 2. Main memory 202 is configured as a volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory). Auxiliary memory 203 is configured as a nonvolatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and stores programs for controlling network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E. Communication interface 206 is connected to video management device 1 via a wired connection to receive power and communicate with video management device 1 via a wired connection. The CPU 201 loads the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 203 into the main storage unit 202 and executes it, thereby constituting a transmission unit 211 together with the communication interface 206, as shown in Fig. 3. The main storage unit 202 shown in Fig. 2 also functions as a captured image buffer 221 that temporarily stores image information indicating images captured by the imaging unit 204, as shown in Fig. 3. Note that, although the imaging system according to this embodiment will be described taking four network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E as an example, the number of network cameras is not limited to this.

[0014] The transmitting unit 211 transmits frames including image data indicating images captured by the imaging unit 204 to the video management device 1. Specifically, for example, every time the imaging unit 204 completes writing one frame of image data constituting moving image data into the captured image buffer 221, the transmitting unit 211 generates an image data frame including one frame of image data, port number information indicating a port number 554 corresponding to the RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol), and a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) header. Then, the transmitting unit 211 transmits the generated image data frame to the video management device 1.

[0015] Returning to FIG. 2, the display device 3 is, for example, a personal computer and includes a CPU 301, a main memory 302, an auxiliary memory 303, a display 304, an input unit 305, a communication interface 306, and a bus 309 connecting the various components. The main memory 302 is configured with volatile memory, and the auxiliary memory 303 is configured with nonvolatile memory. These components store programs for controlling the display device 3. The display 304 includes, for example, an LCD display. The input unit 305 includes an input device such as a keyboard. The communication interface 306 is connected to the video management device 1 via a wired connection and communicates with the video management device 1 via a wired connection. The CPU 301 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary memory 303 into the main memory 302 and executes them, thereby functioning as a display control unit 313, as shown in FIG. 3. The main memory 302 shown in FIG. 2 also functions as an image buffer 321 that temporarily stores composite image data included in composite image notification information transmitted from the video management device 1, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0016] When the composite image acquisition unit 312 acquires the composite image information transmitted from the video management device 1, the composite image acquisition unit 312 stores the acquired composite image information in the image buffer 321.

[0017] The display control unit 313 forms an image based on the composite image information transmitted from the video management device 1 and stored in the image buffer 321 and causes the display unit 304 to display the image.

[0018] The fixed IP address notification unit 311 transmits to the video image management device 1 fixed IP address information indicating the fixed IP address input by the user via the input unit 305 .

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the video management device 1 has multiple (six in FIG. 1) LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 for wired connection of devices such as network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E, and LAN port P0 for wired connection of display device 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the video management device 1 also has a CPU 101, a main memory unit 102, an auxiliary memory unit 103, a first communication interface 151, a second communication interface 152, and a bus 109 connecting the various components. The main memory unit 102 is made up of volatile memory such as RAM and is used as a working area for the CPU 101. The auxiliary memory unit 103 is made up of nonvolatile memory such as ROM, or a solid-state drive (SSD), hard disk drive (HDD), or the like, and stores programs for controlling the video management device 1. The first communication interface 151 has the above-mentioned LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, and the second communication interface 152 has the above-mentioned LAN port P0. The first communication interface 151 transmits and receives data to and from devices such as network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E. The second communication interface 152 transmits image information to the display device 3 connected to the LAN port P0.

[0020] The CPU 101 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103 into the main storage unit 102 and executes them, thereby functioning as an ARP table generation unit 111, a DHCP function unit 112, a bridge (BR) table generation unit 113, a service confirmation unit 114, an address selection unit 115, a display position information generation unit 116, an image synthesis unit 117, an image acquisition unit 118, a synthesized image transmission unit 119, and a fixed IP address acquisition unit 120, as shown in Fig. 3. The auxiliary storage unit 103 shown in Fig. 2 also has an ARP table storage unit 131, a bridge (BR) table storage unit 132, a display position identification information storage unit 133, an image storage unit 134, and a fixed IP address storage unit 136, as shown in Fig. 3. The ARP table storage unit 131 stores IP address information indicating the IP address assigned to a device such as a camera connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, in association with the MAC address information of the device, as shown in FIG. 4(A), for example.

[0021] The bridge table storage unit 132 stores MAC address information indicating the MAC address of a device connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 in association with LAN port identification information (#1 to #6) that identifies each of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, as shown in FIG. 4(B), for example.

[0022] 3, the display position identification information storage unit 133 stores the above-mentioned display position identification information, which has been previously associated with the LAN port identification information of each of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, in association with the LAN port identification information. The image storage unit 134 stores the image information transmitted from each of the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E in association with IP address information indicating the IP addresses assigned to the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E.

[0023] 5(A), the display position information storage unit 135 stores IP address information indicating the IP addresses assigned to the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E, and display position identification information identifying the display positions on the display unit 304, in association with each other. Here, the display position identification information is information identifying each section when the display area of ​​the display unit 304 is divided into six sections (equal to the number of LAN ports), as shown in FIG. 5(B), for example. The fixed IP address storage unit 136 stores IP address information indicating the fixed IP addresses input by the user via the input unit 305 of the display device 3.

[0024] 3, the DHCP function unit 112 assigns an IP address included in a preset address pool to a device that is connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 and that has not yet been assigned a fixed IP address. Specifically, when a device is connected to one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, the DHCP function unit 112 selects an address to be assigned to the device from the group of IP addresses included in the address pool and notifies the ARP table generation unit 111 of IP address information indicating this address, thereby executing a so-called IP address assignment process.

[0025] When the fixed IP address acquisition unit 120 acquires the fixed IP address information transmitted from the fixed address notification unit 311 of the display device 4, it stores the IP address information included in the acquired fixed IP address information in the fixed IP address storage unit 136.

[0026] When a device is connected to at least one of LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, the ARP table generation unit 111 acquires the MAC address information of the connected device. Then, the ARP table generation unit 111 stores the acquired MAC address information in the ARP table storage unit 131 in association with IP address information.

[0027] When a device is connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, the bridge table generation unit 113 acquires MAC address information of the device connected to the at least one port. Then, the bridge table generation unit 113 stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in the bridge table storage unit 132 in association with LAN port identification information (#1 to #6 in FIG. 4B) that identifies the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 to which the device is connected.

[0028] The service confirmation unit 114 determines whether a device wired to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 provides a service related to video transmission based on whether a frame transmitted from the device includes port number information indicating a port number related to video transmission. Specifically, the service confirmation unit 114 determines whether the port number indicated by the port number information included in the frame transmitted from the device is set to 554, which corresponds to RTSP. The service confirmation unit 114 then notifies the address selection unit 115 of IP address information indicating the IP address of the source of the TCP frame including the port number information set to 554. On the other hand, the service confirmation unit 114 does not notify the address selection unit 115 of IP address information indicating the IP address assigned to the power receiving device 5 connected to the LAN port P4, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 .

[0029] The address selection unit 115 selects IP address information for the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E from the IP address information for at least one device wired to the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6. The address selection unit 115 selects the IP address information notified by the service confirmation unit 114 as the IP address information for the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E. The address selection unit 115 also selects MAC address information corresponding to the selected IP address information from the MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit 131. The address selection unit 115 then notifies the display position information generation unit 116 of the selected IP address information and MAC address information.

[0030] The display position information generation unit 116 identifies LAN port identification information corresponding to the MAC address information selected by the address selection unit 115, from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit 132. Then, the display position information generation unit 116 identifies display position identification information associated with the identified LAN port identification information, from the display position identification information stored in the display position identification information storage unit 133. Then, the display position information generation unit 116 generates display position information indicating the correspondence between the IP address information notified by the address selection unit 115 and the identified display position identification information. The display position information generation unit 116 stores the generated display position information in the display position information storage unit 135.

[0031] The display position information is dynamically updated by plugging or unplugging a cable into or from a LAN port. For example, when a cable is unplugged, the corresponding information is deleted from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit 132. When a new cable is connected, the IP address of the corresponding device is added to the ARP table, and the bridge table is updated accordingly, resulting in an updated display position information.

[0032] When the image acquisition unit 118 acquires image data frames transmitted from the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E, it extracts the image data contained in the acquired image data frames and the IP address information of the transmission source network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E. Then, the image acquisition unit 118 stores the extracted image data and IP address information in the image storage unit 134 in association with each other.

[0033] The image synthesis unit 117 generates a synthetic image by referencing the display position information generated by the display position information generation unit 116 based on the image data from each camera that has been assigned IP address information and stored in the image storage unit 134. Specifically, for example, as shown in Fig. 6(A), it is assumed that network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E are respectively capturing images of subjects S1, S2, S3, and S4. It is also assumed that network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E are respectively assigned IP addresses "192.168.1.11," "192.168.1.102," "192.168.1.12," and "192.168.1.104." In this case, the display position information generating unit 116 performs a synthesis process based on the display position information indicating the correspondence between the IP address information and the display position identification information, for example, as shown in Fig. 5(A) stored in the display position information storage unit 135, to generate a display image GA1 including images of the subjects S1, S2, S3, and S4, as shown in Fig. 5(B). The synthetic image transmitting unit 119 transmits synthetic image information indicating the synthetic image generated by the image synthesizing unit 117 to the display device 3.

[0034] Next, the video management process executed by the video management device 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7. This video management process is started, for example, when the video management device 1 is powered on. First, the ARP table generation unit 111 determines whether fixed IP address information is stored (set) in the fixed IP address storage unit 136 (step S101). If the ARP table generation unit 111 determines that the fixed IP address storage unit 136 does not store fixed IP address information (step S101: No), the process of step S103, which will be described later, is executed. On the other hand, if the ARP table generation unit 111 determines that the fixed IP address storage unit 136 stores (sets) fixed IP address information (step S101: Yes), the ARP table generation unit 111 extracts IP address information included in the fixed IP address information and stores the extracted IP address information in the ARP table storage unit 131 (step S102).

[0035] Next, the DHCP function unit 112 determines whether or not a device without an IP address is connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 (step S103). If the DHCP function unit 112 determines that a device without an IP address is not connected to any of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 (for example, fixed IP addresses are assigned to all connected devices) (step S103: No), the process of step S101 is executed again.

[0036] On the other hand, if the DHCP function unit 112 determines that a device to which no IP address has been assigned is connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 (step S103: Yes), it receives a request for IP address assignment from the device, selects an address to be assigned to the device from the group of IP addresses included in the address pool, and executes IP address assignment processing to notify the ARP table generation unit 111 of IP address information indicating this address.The ARP table generation unit 111 then stores the IP address information notified by the IP address assignment processing in the ARP table storage unit 131 (step S104).

[0037] Next, the ARP table generation unit 111 acquires MAC address information from each of the devices connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, and stores the acquired MAC address information in the ARP table storage unit 131 in association with IP address information indicating the IP address assigned to the device. The bridge table generation unit 113 also stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in the bridge table storage unit 132 in association with LAN port identification information (any of #1 to #6) that identifies the LAN port P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 to which the device is connected (step S105).

[0038] Thereafter, the service confirmation unit 114 selects any one of the IP address information of devices connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 (step S106). Next, the service confirmation unit 114 determines whether or not the port number indicated by the port number information included in the frame transmitted from the selected device is a port number related to video transmission (step S107). Specifically, the service confirmation unit 114 determines whether or not the port number indicated by the port number information included in the frame transmitted from the selected device is set to 554 corresponding to RTSP. Here, if the service confirmation unit 114 determines that the port number is not a port number related to video transmission (step S107: No), the process of step S110 described below is executed.

[0039] On the other hand, if the service confirmation unit 114 determines that the port number is related to video transmission (step S107: Yes), it notifies the address selection unit 115 of IP address information indicating the IP address of one of the selected devices, i.e., any one of the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E. Then, the address selection unit 115 notifies the display position information generation unit 116 of the notified IP address information and the MAC address information associated with the IP address information among the MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit 131 (step S108).

[0040] Meanwhile, the display position information generation unit 116 identifies the LAN port identification information corresponding to the MAC address information notified by the address selection unit 115 from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit 132. Furthermore, the display position information generation unit 116 identifies the display position identification information associated with the identified LAN port identification information from the display position identification information stored in the display position identification information storage unit 133 (step S109). Through the series of processes in steps S106 to S109, the IP addresses of only the devices related to video transmission, out of the IP addresses selected in step S106, are associated with the MAC addresses and display positions.

[0041] Next, the display position information generation unit 116 determines whether the series of processes from step S106 to S109 has been completed for the IP address information of all devices connected to the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 (step S110). Here, it is assumed that the display position information generation unit 116 determines that there is IP address information for which the series of processes from step S106 to S109 has not yet been completed (step S110: No). In this case, the service confirmation unit 114 selects one of the IP address information for which the series of processes from step S106 to S109 has not yet been completed (step S106), and the processes from step S107 onwards are executed.

[0042] Meanwhile, it is assumed that the display position information generation unit 116 determines that the series of processes from step S106 to S109 has been completed for all of the IP address information of all of the devices connected to the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 (step S110: Yes). In this case, the display position information generation unit 116 generates display position information indicating the correspondence between the IP address information notified by the address selection unit 115 and the specified display position identification information, and stores the generated display position information in the display position information storage unit 135 (step S111).

[0043] Next, the image acquisition unit 118 determines whether or not it has acquired an image data frame transmitted from the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E (step S112). If the image acquisition unit 118 determines that it has not acquired an image data frame (step S112: No), it executes the processing of step S115, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the image acquisition unit 118 determines that it has acquired an image data frame (step S112: Yes), it extracts the image data included in the acquired image data frame and the IP address information of the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E that transmitted the image data. Then, the image acquisition unit 118 associates the extracted image data and IP address information with each other and stores them in the image storage unit 134 (step S113).

[0044] 5(B) based on the image data from each camera that has been assigned IP address information and stored in image storage unit 134, and by referencing the display position information stored in display position information storage unit 135. Then, composite image transmission unit 119 transmits composite image information indicating the generated composite image to display device 3 via second communication interface 152 (step S114).

[0045] Thereafter, the fixed IP address storage unit 136 and the DHCP function unit 112 determine whether an IP address update event has occurred (step S115). This IP address update event may occur, for example, when the lease period of the IP address assigned by the DHCP function unit 112 has expired or when the fixed IP address has been changed. If the fixed IP address storage unit 136 and the DHCP function unit 112 determine that an IP address update event has not occurred (step S115: No), the process of step S112 is executed again. On the other hand, if the fixed IP address storage unit 136 and the DHCP function unit 112 determine that an IP address update event has occurred (step S115: Yes), the process of step S101 is executed again.

[0046] As described above, in the video management device 1 according to this embodiment, the address selection unit 115 selects IP address information for the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E from the IP address information for at least one device wired to the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6. The address selection unit 115 also selects MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit 131 that corresponds to the selected IP address information. The display position information generation unit 116 then identifies the LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit 132, and generates display position information indicating the correspondence between the selected IP address information and the display position identification information associated with the identified LAN port identification information. The image synthesis unit 117 then forms a composite image, including images captured by the network cameras, to be displayed on the display device 3 based on the display position information. This allows the user to select the display positions of the images captured by each of the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E by selecting the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P5, and P6 to which the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E are connected, respectively. This has the advantage that the user can easily set the display positions of the images captured by each of the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E on the display device 3.

[0047] Furthermore, the video management device 1 according to this embodiment includes a DHCP function unit 112, and when a device is connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, the ARP table generation unit 111 associates the IP address information notified from the DHCP function unit 112 with the MAC address information of the device and stores it in the ARP table storage unit 131. This reduces the effects of network communication delays, network interruptions, and the like, compared to a configuration in which, for example, a DHCP server is provided separately from the video management device 1, the video management device 1 acquires IP address information from the DHCP server via a network, and the acquired IP address information and MAC address information are stored in the ARP table storage unit 131 in association with each other.

[0048] Furthermore, the address selection unit 115 according to this embodiment selects IP address information based on whether or not port number information indicating a port number related to video transmission is included in the frame transmitted from the device. This makes it possible to appropriately manage image data acquired from the network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E even when the devices wired connected to the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 include a mixture of network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E and other types of devices such as a power receiving device 5.

[0049] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments. For example, the video management device 1 may have seven or more LAN ports, or may have five or fewer LAN ports.

[0050] The embodiment may be configured without including the DHCP function unit 112. In this case, when a device is connected to at least one of the LAN ports P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, the ARP table generation unit 111 may store IP address information indicating a fixed IP address set for the device by the user in the ARP table storage unit 131 in association with the MAC address information of the device.

[0051] In the embodiment, the video management device 1 composites images received from multiple network cameras 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E and transmits the composite image to the display device 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The display device may also include the functions of the image composition unit 117, and the display device may generate a composite image based on image information from each camera and reference display position information. In this case, the video management device transmits each image from each network camera 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2E and the display position information generated by the video management device to the display device. Specifically, the video management device may include a display position notification unit that transmits display position information to the display device and an image transmission unit that transmits image information to the display device. The display device may also include an image composition unit that forms a composite image including images captured by the network cameras based on the image information and display position information received from the video management device, and a display control unit that displays the composite image on the display device.

[0052] The various functions of the video management device 1 according to the present invention can be realized by a computer system equipped with a wireless communication module, rather than by a dedicated system. For example, a program for executing the above operations may be stored on a non-transitory recording medium (such as a CD-ROM) that can be read by the computer system and distributed to a computer connected to a network, and the video management device 1 that executes the above processes may be configured by installing the program in the computer system.

[0053] The method of providing the program to the computer is arbitrary. For example, the program may be uploaded to a server on a communication line and distributed to the computer via the communication line. The computer then launches the program and executes it under the control of the OS in the same way as other applications. In this way, the computer functions as the video management device 1 that executes the above-mentioned processes.

[0054] Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these. The present invention includes any combination of the embodiments and modifications, and any combination to which appropriate modifications have been made. [Industrial Applicability]

[0055] The present invention is suitable for a video management system that requires setting camera numbers for multiple network cameras. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1: video management device, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2E: network camera, 3: display device, 5: power receiving device, 101, 201, 301: CPU, 102, 202, 302: main memory unit, 103, 203, 303: auxiliary memory unit, 109, 209, 309: bus, 111: ARP table generation unit, 112: DHCP function unit, 113: bridge (BR) table generation unit, 114: service confirmation unit, 115: address selection unit, 116: display position information generation unit, 117: image synthesis unit, 118: image acquisition unit, 119: synthesized image transmission unit, 120: fixed IP address acquisition unit, 131: ARP table storage unit, 132: Bridge (BR) table storage unit, 133: Display position identification information storage unit, 134: Image storage unit, 135: Display position information storage unit, 136: Fixed IP address storage unit, 151: First communication interface, 152: Second communication interface, 204: Imaging unit, 206, 306: Communication interfaces, 211: Transmission unit, 304: Display unit, 305: Input unit, 311: Fixed IP address notification unit, 312: Composite image acquisition unit, 313: Display control unit, 321: Image buffer, GA1: Display image, P0, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6: LAN ports, S1, S2, S3, S4: Subject

Claims

1. A plurality of LAN ports for connecting to a plurality of devices via wired connections, a bridge table storage unit that stores MAC address information indicating a MAC address of a device connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports in association with LAN port identification information that identifies each of the plurality of LAN ports; an ARP table storage unit that stores IP address information indicating an IP address assigned to the device in association with MAC address information of the device; a bridge table generating unit that, when the device is connected to at least one LAN port among the plurality of LAN ports, acquires the MAC address information of the device connected to the at least one LAN port, and stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in the bridge table storage unit in association with LAN port identification information that identifies the LAN port to which the device is connected; an address selection unit that selects the IP address information of the network camera from the IP address information of at least one of the devices wired connected to the plurality of LAN ports, and selects the MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit that corresponds to the selected IP address information; a display position information generating unit that identifies the LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit, and generates display position information indicating a correspondence between the selected IP address information and display position identification information that identifies a display position of an image captured by the network camera on a display unit of a display device, the display position identification information being associated in advance with the identified LAN port identification information; Video management device.

2. an image synthesis unit that forms a synthetic image including the image captured by the network camera to be displayed on the display device based on the display position information; The video management device according to claim 1 .

3. a DHCP function unit that assigns an IP address included in a preset address pool to a device connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports; and an ARP table generation unit that, when the device is connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports, stores IP address information assigned to the device by the DHCP function unit in the ARP table storage unit in association with MAC address information of the device. The video management device according to claim 1 .

4. a fixed IP address acquisition unit that, upon acquisition of fixed IP address information including the IP address information indicating a fixed IP address set by a user for the device and the MAC address information of the device, extracts the IP address information and the MAC address information included in the acquired fixed IP address information and notifies the ARP table generation unit of the IP address information and also notifies the DHCP function unit of the IP address information; the DHCP function unit assigns IP addresses, excluding the IP address indicated by the notified IP address information, from among the IP addresses included in the address pool to a device connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports; the ARP table generation unit stores the notified IP address information and the notified MAC address information in the ARP table storage unit in association with each other; The video management device according to claim 3 .

5. and an ARP table generating unit that, when the device is connected to at least one LAN port of the plurality of LAN ports, stores the IP address information indicating a fixed IP address set for the device by a user in the ARP table storage unit in association with MAC address information of the device. The video management device according to claim 1 .

6. the address selection unit selects the IP address information based on whether or not port number information indicating a port number related to video transmission is included in a frame transmitted from the device. The video management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. a display device having a display unit; a video management device that manages the video displayed on the display device, The video management device A plurality of LAN ports for connecting to a plurality of devices via wired connections, a bridge table storage unit that stores MAC address information indicating a MAC address of a device connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports in association with LAN port identification information that identifies each of the plurality of LAN ports; an ARP table storage unit that stores IP address information indicating an IP address assigned to the device in association with MAC address information of the device; an image storage unit that stores image information indicating an image captured by a network camera included in the plurality of devices and including the IP address information of the network camera that captured the image; a bridge table generating unit that, when the device is connected to at least one LAN port among the plurality of LAN ports, acquires the MAC address information of the device connected to the at least one LAN port, and stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in the bridge table storage unit in association with LAN port identification information that identifies the LAN port to which the device is connected; an address selection unit that selects the IP address information of the network camera from the IP address information of at least one of the devices wired connected to the plurality of LAN ports, and selects the MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit that corresponds to the selected IP address information; a display position information generating unit that identifies the LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit, and generates display position information indicating a correspondence relationship between the selected IP address information and display position identification information that identifies a display position on the display unit that is previously associated with the identified LAN port identification information; an image synthesis unit that forms a synthetic image including the image captured by the network camera to be displayed on the display device based on the display position information; a composite image transmitting unit that transmits composite image information indicating the composite image to the display device, The display device includes: a display control unit configured to, when acquiring the composite image information, display the composite image indicated by the acquired composite image information on the display unit; Video management system.

8. a display device having a display unit; a video management device that manages the video displayed on the display device, The video management device A plurality of LAN ports for connecting to a plurality of devices via wired connections, a bridge table storage unit that stores MAC address information indicating a MAC address of a device connected to at least one of the plurality of LAN ports in association with LAN port identification information that identifies each of the plurality of LAN ports; an ARP table storage unit that stores IP address information indicating an IP address assigned to the device in association with MAC address information of the device; an image storage unit that stores image information indicating an image captured by a network camera included in the plurality of devices and including the IP address information of the network camera that captured the image; a bridge table generating unit that, when the device is connected to at least one LAN port among the plurality of LAN ports, acquires the MAC address information of the device connected to the at least one LAN port, and stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in the bridge table storage unit in association with LAN port identification information that identifies the LAN port to which the device is connected; an address selection unit that selects the IP address information of the network camera from the IP address information of at least one of the devices wired connected to the plurality of LAN ports, and selects the MAC address information stored in the ARP table storage unit that corresponds to the selected IP address information; a display position information generating unit that identifies the LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit, and generates display position information indicating a correspondence relationship between the selected IP address information and display position identification information that identifies a display position on the display unit that is previously associated with the identified LAN port identification information; a display position notification unit that transmits the display position information to the display device; an image transmission unit that transmits the image information to the display device, The display device includes: an image synthesis unit that forms a synthetic image including an image captured by the network camera based on the image information and the display position information received from the video management device; a display control unit that displays the composite image on the display unit. Video management system.

9. a step in which the video management device stores IP address information indicating an IP address assigned to a device connected to at least one LAN port among a plurality of LAN ports for individually connecting a plurality of devices by wire in an ARP table storage unit in association with MAC address information indicating the MAC address of the device; When the device is connected to the at least one LAN port, the video management device acquires the MAC address information of the device connected to the at least one LAN port, and stores the acquired MAC address information of the device in a bridge table storage unit in association with LAN port identification information that identifies the LAN port to which the device is connected; The video management device selects, from the IP address information of at least one device wired connected to the plurality of LAN ports, the IP address information of a network camera included in the at least one device, and selects, from the ARP table storage unit, the MAC address information corresponding to the selected IP address information; the video management device specifies the LAN port identification information corresponding to the selected MAC address information from the LAN port identification information stored in the bridge table storage unit, and generates display position information indicating the correspondence between the selected IP address information and display position identification information that identifies the display position of an image captured by the network camera on a display unit of a display device that is previously associated with the specified LAN port identification information, Video management methods.

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