Video management system, video management method, and management device

Abstract

To enable a video image to be managed on a server device more appropriately, according to the property of the video image.SOLUTION: A video management system includes: a plurality of image capture devices that capture video images consisting of a plurality of frame images; at least one gateway device that is communicatively connected to at least one image capture device included in the plurality of image capture devices to obtain the video images from the at least one image capture device; at least one server device; and a management device that transmits an instruction relating to storage of the video images to the at least one server device, based on a policy relating to storage of the video images defined for each of the plurality of image capture devices. The at least one server device obtains and stores the video images from the at least one gateway device based on the instruction received from the management device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In order to perform remote monitoring by a large number of users, it is known to transmit and manage moving images captured by a camera over a network. Patent Document 1 describes a technique related to the transmission of captured images of a camera. Patent Document 2 describes a technique related to a video distribution system using a cloud server.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Server devices such as clouds or on-premises for storing moving images are known to have various performances, for example, those that are fast but expensive and not suitable for long-term storage, and those that are slow but inexpensive and suitable for long-term storage. Moving images have various properties, such as those that are expected to be frequently referred to only for a certain period after shooting but do not require long-term storage, and those that have a low reference frequency but require long-term storage. The conventional configuration has room for improvement in appropriately managing moving images of various properties using server devices having such various performances.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to enable more appropriate management of moving images in a server device according to the properties of the moving images.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A video management system according to some embodiments includes: (1) A plurality of imaging devices that capture a moving image composed of a plurality of frame images; At least one gateway device communicably connected to at least one imaging device included in the plurality of imaging devices and acquiring the moving image from the at least one imaging device; At least one server device; A management device that transmits an instruction regarding storage of the moving image to the at least one server device based on a policy regarding storage of the moving image defined for each of the plurality of imaging devices; and Based on the instruction received from the management device, the at least one server device acquires and stores the moving image from the at least one gateway device.

[0007] Thus, in the video management system, the management device transmits an instruction regarding storage of the moving image to at least one server device based on a policy defined for each imaging device. Therefore, it is possible to more appropriately manage the moving image based on the nature of the video file for each imaging device, the performance of the server device, and the like.

[0008] In one embodiment, (2) In the video management system of (1), The first server device included in the at least one server device may acquire and store the moving image of the first imaging device included in the plurality of imaging devices from the gateway device that stores the moving image in response to a request from a client device.

[0009] Thus, by transferring a video file to the server device in response to a request from the client device, for example, it is possible to appropriately manage a video file that has a high reference frequency for a certain period after shooting but does not require long-term storage.

[0010] In one embodiment, (3) In the video management system of (1) or (2), The second server device included in the at least one server device may obtain and store the moving image of the second imaging device included in the plurality of imaging devices from the gateway device that stores the moving image, regardless of whether the moving image is requested from the client device.

[0011] In this way, by transferring the video file to the server device regardless of whether there is a request from the client device, it is possible to quickly respond to the download request from the client device.

[0012] In one embodiment, (4) In the video management system of (3), When a certain period of time has elapsed after the second server device obtains the moving image of the second imaging device, the second server device may transmit the moving image of the second imaging device to a third server device included in the at least one server device.

[0013] In this way, after the video file is saved, if a certain period of time has elapsed, by transferring the video file to another server device, the video file can be stored in a server device suitable for long-term storage for a long time.

[0014] In one embodiment, (5) In any of the video management systems of (1) to (4), The management device For each of the plurality of imaging devices, holds a storage destination list indicating the storage destination of the moving image captured by the imaging device, In response to an inquiry about the location of the moving image from the client device, the storage destination of the moving image may be answered by referring to the storage destination list.

[0015] In this way, the management device responds to an inquiry about the location of the moving image from the client device and answers the storage destination of the moving image. Therefore, the client device can access the server device notified by the management device and acquire a desired moving image without being aware of the storage destination of each moving image itself.

[0016] In one embodiment, (6) In the video management system of (5), the at least one gateway device holds a recording list indicating a list of the moving images that the gateway device stores among the moving images of the imaging device communicably connected to the gateway device, the management device may update the storage destination list based on the recording list held by the at least one gateway device.

[0017] In this way, since the management device updates the storage destination list according to the recording list held by the gateway device, it is possible to grasp the moving images held by the gateway device.

[0018] The video management method according to some embodiments (7) A plurality of imaging devices that capture a moving image composed of a plurality of frame images, at least one gateway device communicably connected to at least one imaging device included in the plurality of imaging devices and acquiring the moving image from the at least one imaging device, at least one server device, a management device, A video management method in a video management system comprising: a step in which the management device transmits an instruction regarding storage of the moving image to the at least one server device based on a policy regarding storage of the moving image defined for each of the plurality of imaging devices; a step in which the at least one server device acquires and stores the moving image from the at least one gateway device based on the instruction received from the management device; including.

[0019] Thus, in the video management method, the management device transmits an instruction regarding the storage of moving images to at least one server device based on a policy defined for each imaging device. Therefore, it is possible to more appropriately manage moving images based on the nature of video files for each imaging device and the performance of the server device, etc.

[0020] In one embodiment, (8) In the video management method of (7), the management device holds a storage destination list indicating the storage destination of the moving images captured by each of the plurality of imaging devices, and the management device may further include a step of referring to the storage destination list and answering the storage destination of the moving image in response to an inquiry about the location of the moving image from the client device.

[0021] Thus, the management device answers the storage destination of the moving image in response to an inquiry about the location of the moving image from the client device. Therefore, the client device can access the server device notified by the management device and acquire a desired moving image without being aware of the storage destination of each moving image itself.

[0022] The management device according to some embodiments (9) is communicably connected to at least one imaging device included in a plurality of imaging devices that capture a moving image composed of a plurality of frame images, and acquires the moving image from the at least one imaging device, and at least one server device is communicably connected to and includes a control unit that transmits an instruction regarding the acquisition and storage of the moving image from the gateway device to the at least one server device based on the policy regarding the storage of the moving image defined for each of the plurality of imaging devices.

[0023] In this way, the management device transmits an instruction regarding the storage of moving images to at least one server device based on a policy defined for each imaging device. Therefore, it is possible to manage moving images more appropriately based on the nature of the video files for each imaging device and the performance of the server device, etc.

Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to enable more appropriate management of moving images in a server device according to the nature of the moving images.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] <Comparative Example> In order to perform remote monitoring by a large number of users, it is known to transmit and manage moving images captured by a camera over a network. As a configuration according to a comparative example, Patent Document 1 (Claim 1) describes, "An imaging device including an imaging unit that captures a moving image, an encoding unit that encodes the captured moving image to generate first stream data, and an output unit that outputs the generated first stream data, and is directly or connected via a network to a moving image transmission device that transmits the moving image to a receiving terminal via the network, the moving image transmission device including a receiving unit that receives the first stream data from the imaging device, a storage unit that stores the received or generated stream data, a processing unit that re-encodes and compresses the first stream data stored in the storage unit to generate second stream data, and a transmission unit that transmits the second stream data, wherein the re-encoding process includes a decimation process of decimating the color difference signal of YUV image data." Patent Document 2 (Claim 1) describes, "A video capture and transmission system including a capture and transmission subsystem that selectively captures an echogram of a fetus of a pregnant woman sent from an ultrasonic device and a neonatal video sent from a camera and uploads the echogram and neonatal video to a cloud server that stores and manages them via the Internet, and a non-contact IC card reader connected to the capture and transmission subsystem, wherein the video capture and transmission system starts capturing the echogram or neonatal video when a non-contact IC card issued in advance to the pregnant woman and having at least the ID for each pregnant woman and the system identification code recorded thereon is read from the non-contact IC card reader, and after capturing for a predetermined time, uploads the ID and the medical institution code set in advance in the capture and transmission subsystem to the cloud server."

[0027] There are various types of moving images, some of which are frequently referred to only for a certain period after shooting and do not require long-term storage, while others have low reference frequencies but require long-term storage. Generally, the size of moving image data is large. When managing moving images on a server device such as a cloud or on-premises on a network, communication costs are incurred for the network due to data transmission, and storage costs are incurred for the storage of the server device due to data storage. From the perspective of such communication costs and storage costs, it is required to manage moving images not by treating all moving images in the same way and uniformly, but by managing moving images with an appropriate server device according to the nature of the moving images. Specifically, it is desirable to upload only videos with high necessity to suppress redundant communication.

[0028] In addition, server devices are known that have various performances, such as those that are fast but expensive and not suitable for long-term storage (for example, SSD (Solid State Drive)), and those that are slow but inexpensive and suitable for long-term storage (for example, magnetic hard disks, magnetic tapes, etc.). It is desirable to store the moving images in an appropriate server device according to the nature of the moving image file, such as whether only primary reference is required or long-term storage is necessary. On the other hand, as a user, it is desirable to be able to easily access the moving image file without being aware of which server device the desired moving image file is stored in.

[0029] The configuration according to the comparative example had room for improvement in appropriately managing moving images with various properties using server devices with such various performances.

[0030] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, parts having the same configuration or function are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, redundant descriptions may be omitted or simplified as appropriate for the same parts.

[0031] (Video Management System) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a video management system 1a according to an embodiment. The video management system 1a includes a first imaging device 10a, a second imaging device 10b, a third imaging device 10c, a first gateway device 20a, a second gateway device 20b, a first server device 30a, a second server device 30b, a management device 40, and a client device 50. Hereinafter, the video management system 1a and a video management system 1b (FIG. 17) described later may be collectively referred to as the "video management system 1". Similarly, the first imaging device 10a, the second imaging device 10b, and the third imaging device 10c may be collectively referred to as the "imaging device 10". The first gateway device 20a and the second gateway device 20b may be collectively referred to as the "gateway device 20". The first server device 30a and the second server device 30b may be collectively referred to as the "server device 30". The gateway device 20, the server device 30, the management device 40, and the client device 50 are communicably connected to a network N including, for example, the Internet, an intranet, and a mobile communication network.

[0032] The imaging device 10 is provided at each location of the imaging target and captures a moving image composed of a plurality of frame images. The imaging device 10 is, for example, a PTZ camera, but the form and function of the camera are arbitrary. In the present embodiment, an example in which the number of imaging devices 10 included in the video management system 1a is three will be described, but the number of imaging devices 10 is arbitrary. The imaging device 10 may be installed on a moving body such as a railway or a vehicle. Specifically, for example, the imaging device 10 may be installed on the leading vehicle of a railway, and the moving image may be used to improve the efficiency of visual confirmation of track maintenance work and to refer to the moving image in the event of an accident. Alternatively, the imaging device 10 may be installed on a maintenance vehicle on an expressway and used for confirmation of maintenance locations and maintenance and repair work such as removal of fallen objects. The imaging device 10 is not limited to a moving body and may be fixedly installed indoors or outdoors. As soon as the imaging device 10 captures a moving image, the acquired moving image is continuously transmitted to the communicably connected gateway device 20.

[0033] The gateway device 20 continuously acquires moving images from the imaging device 10 and stores them as video files encoded in a predetermined encoding method. The gateway device 20 may store the moving images acquired from the imaging device 10 as a plurality of video files of a certain time length (for example, 1 minute) together with the imaging date and time. The gateway device 20 may be installed near the corresponding imaging device 10. For example, when the imaging device 10 is installed in a moving body, the gateway device 20 may also be installed in the moving body. In this case, the gateway device 20 may be connected to the network N by mobile communication such as LTE (Long Time Evolution), 4G, or 5G. Each gateway device 20 is communicably connected to one or more imaging devices 10 and acquires moving images from the connected imaging devices 10. In the example of FIG. 1, the first gateway device 20a is communicably connected to the first imaging device 10a. The second gateway device 20b is communicably connected to the second imaging device 10b and the third imaging device 10c. In the present embodiment, an example in which the number of gateway devices 20 included in the video management system 1a is two will be described, but the number of gateway devices 20 is arbitrary.

[0034] The server device 30 receives and stores video files from the gateway device 20 and transmits the video files requested by the client device 50. The server device 30 includes a storage capable of storing a large amount of video files. In the example of FIG. 1, the storage included in the first server device 30a can perform reading and writing faster than the storage included in the second server device 30b, but is expensive, so the capacity of the data that can be stored is smaller than that of the second server device 30b. Therefore, the first server device 30a is suitable for storing video files for a short period of time, and the second server device 30b is suitable for storing video files for a long period of time. In the present embodiment, an example in which the number of server devices 30 included in the video management system 1a is two will be described, but the number of server devices 30 is arbitrary.

[0035] The management device 40 manages the storage of video files for each imaging device 10. Specifically, the management device 40 manages, for each imaging device 10, the storage destination of the video file specified by the imaging date and time, and the storage policy of the video file captured by the imaging device 10. The management device 40 responds to an inquiry from the client device 50 and answers the storage location of the video file and the like. In the present embodiment, an example in which the number of management devices 40 included in the video management system 1a is one will be described, but the number of management devices 40 is arbitrary.

[0036] The client device 50 is a computer operated by the user. The client device 50 receives a request for a desired video file from the user, or downloads and displays the video file requested from the server device 30.

[0037] In the configuration as described above, the management device 40 instructs each server device 30 to download and store the video file from the gateway device 20 based on the storage policy of the video file preset for each imaging device 10. For example, assume that the video file of the first imaging device 10a has a high reference frequency for a certain period after shooting, but long-term storage is not required. In such a case, the management device 40 may instruct the faster first server device 30a to download and store the video file from the first gateway device 20a only when a request for the video file of the first imaging device 10a is made from the client device 50. The first server device 30a may automatically delete the video file whose storage period has elapsed from its own device.

[0038] Also, for example, assume that the video file of the second imaging device 10b has a high reference frequency after imaging and needs to be stored long-term. In such a case, the management device 40 may instruct the first server device 30a to periodically download and store the video file of the second imaging device 10b from the second gateway device 20b regardless of the presence or absence of a request from the client device 50. Here, when a certain period has elapsed since the start of storage in the first server device 30a for the video file of the second imaging device 10b, the management device 40 may automatically transmit it from the first server device 30a to the second server device 30b and instruct it to be stored in the second server device 30b. The first server device 30a may automatically delete from its own device the video file for which the transmission to the second server device 30b has been completed.

[0039] Also, for example, assume that the video file of the third imaging device 10c has a low reference frequency after imaging but needs to be stored long-term. In such a case, the management device 40 may instruct the second server device 30b to periodically download and store the video file of the third imaging device 10c from the second gateway device 20b regardless of the presence or absence of a request from the client device 50.

[0040] In this way, the management device 40 instructs each server device 30 regarding the management of video files based on the preset storage policy for the video files for each imaging device 10. Therefore, according to the video management system 1, it is possible to more appropriately manage moving images based on the nature of the video files for each imaging device 10 and the performance of the server device 30, etc.

[0041] Also, the management device 40 manages the storage destination of each video file and responds to an inquiry from the client device 50 by answering the server device 30 that is the storage destination. Therefore, the client device 50 can access the server device 30 notified by the management device 40 and download a desired video file without being aware of the storage destination of each video file itself.

[0042] (Gateway Device) Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the gateway device 20 in FIG. 1. The gateway device 20 is one or a plurality of computers capable of communicating with each other. The gateway device 20 may be, for example, an electronic device equipped with an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The gateway device 20 is not limited to these, and may be, for example, any general-purpose electronic device such as a PC (Personal Computer), or other dedicated electronic device. As shown in FIG. 2, the gateway device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0043] The control unit 21 includes one or more processors. In one embodiment, the "processor" is a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The control unit 21 is communicably connected to each component constituting the gateway device 20 and controls the operation of the entire gateway device 20.

[0044] The storage unit 22 includes, for example, any storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 22 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used for the operation of the gateway device 20. For example, the storage unit 22 may store a system program, an application program, and various information received by the communication unit 23. For example, the storage unit 22 may store a moving image continuously received from the imaging device 10 and a recording list that is list information of the moving images. The storage unit 22 is not limited to being built into the gateway device 20, and may be an external database or an external storage module.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a recording list held by the storage unit 22 of the gateway device 20. In FIG. 3, "Camera" identifies the imaging device 10 that captured the video. For example, "A" indicates the first imaging device 10a. "Recording period" indicates the shooting date and time of the video. For example, "2023-0120-10:00" indicates that the shooting date and time of the video is from 10:00 to 10:01 on January 20, 2023. Each gateway device 20 has a recording list as shown in FIG. 3 for the moving images of each imaging device 10 stored in its own device.

[0046] The communication unit 23 includes an arbitrary communication module that can communicate and connect with the imaging device 10, the server device 30, and other devices by any communication technology. The communication unit 23 may further include a communication control module for controlling communication with other devices, and a storage module for storing communication data such as identification information required for communication with other devices. For example, the communication unit 23 may be communicably connected to the imaging device 10 by a wired cable. When the gateway device 20 is installed in a moving body, the communication unit 23 may also be a communication module for performing mobile communication.

[0047] The functions of the gateway device 20 can be realized by executing a computer program (program) according to the present embodiment on a processor included in the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the gateway device 20 can be realized by software. The computer program causes a computer to execute the processing of the steps included in the operation of the gateway device 20, thereby causing the computer to realize the functions corresponding to the processing of each step. That is, the computer program is a program for causing a computer to function as the gateway device 20 according to the present embodiment. The computer program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The program includes information for use in processing by an electronic computer and that conforms to the program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but has the property of defining the processing of a computer corresponds to "that which conforms to the program".

[0048] Some or all of the functions of the gateway device 20 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 21. That is, some or all of the functions of the gateway device 20 may be realized by hardware.

[0049] (Server device) FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 30 in FIG. 1. The server device 30 is one or a plurality of computers capable of communicating with each other. The server device 30 may be, for example, a WS (WorkStation) or a PC. The server device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33. Since the hardware configurations of the control unit 31, the storage unit 32, and the communication unit 33 are the same as those of the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 of the gateway device 20 described with reference to FIG. 2, detailed description thereof is omitted. Some or all of the functions of the server device 30 may be realized by software or by hardware.

[0050] The storage unit 32 of the server device 30 constitutes a large-capacity storage for storing video files. In the example of FIG. 1, the storage provided in the first server device 30a can perform reading and writing at a higher speed than the storage provided in the second server device 30b, but is expensive, so the capacity of data that can be stored is smaller than that of the second server device 30b. For example, the storage unit 32 of the first server device 30a may be configured by an SSD or the like. The storage unit 32 of the second server device 30b may be configured by, for example, a magnetic hard disk or a magnetic tape. The first server device 30a is suitable for storing video files for a short period of time, and the second server device 30b is suitable for storing video files for a long period of time.

[0051] (Management device) FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the management device 40 in FIG. 1. The management device 40 is one or a plurality of computers capable of communicating with each other. The management device 40 may be, for example, a WS or a PC. The management device 40 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, and a communication unit 43. Since the hardware configurations of the control unit 41, the storage unit 42, and the communication unit 43 are the same as those of the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 of the gateway device 20 described with reference to FIG. 2, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. Some or all of the functions of the server device 30 may be realized by software or by hardware. The storage unit 42 may store, for example, a storage destination list indicating the storage destination of the video files of each imaging device 10 and a storage policy of the video files defined for each imaging device 10.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the storage destination list held by the management device 40. In FIG. 6, "Camera" identifies the imaging device 10 that has captured the video. For example, "A" indicates the first imaging device 10a. "B" indicates the second imaging device 10b. "C" indicates the third imaging device 10c. "Recording period" indicates the shooting date and time of the video. For example, "2023-0120-10:00" indicates that the shooting date and time of the video is from 10:00 to 10:01 on January 20, 2023. "Acquisition source" identifies the original gateway device 20 from which the server device 30 acquires the video file. For example, "Gateway-α" indicates the first gateway device 20a. "Gateway-β" indicates the second gateway device 20b. "Storage location" identifies the server device 30 that stores the video file. For example, "Cloud-A" indicates the first server device 30a. "Cloud-B" indicates the second server device 30b. "Storage status" identifies whether the video file has been stored in the server device 30 identified in "Storage location". For example, "Stored" indicates that the video file has been stored in the server device 30 of "Storage location". "-" indicates that the video file has not yet been transferred from the gateway device 20 to the server device 30 of "Storage location".

[0053] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a storage policy held by the management device 40. In FIG. 7, "Camera" identifies the imaging device 10 that has captured a video. "Primary storage location" identifies the server device 30 where the video file is first stored. "Secondary storage location" identifies the server device 30 to which the video file is transferred from the server device 30 at the "primary storage location" and stored for a long period after being stored in the server device 30 at the "primary storage location" for a certain period. "Timing" indicates the timing at which the video file is transferred from the gateway device 20 to the server device 30 at the "primary storage location". "At reference time" indicates that the server device 30 downloads and stores the video file from the gateway device 20 only when a request for the video file is made from the client device 50. "Always" indicates that the server device 30 periodically downloads and stores the video file from the gateway device 20 regardless of whether there is a request from the client device 50.

[0054] In the example of FIG. 7, for the video file of "Camera" being "A", that is, the first imaging device 10a, "Cloud-A" is set as the "primary storage location" and "at reference time" is set as the "timing". Therefore, the management device 40 instructs the first server device 30a to download and store the moving image from the first gateway device 20a only when a request for the video file of the first imaging device 10a is made from the client device 50. Note that since the first server device 30a is used for short-term storage of video files, the first server device 30a may automatically delete video files that have passed a certain period (for example, several days to several months, etc.) from its own device.

[0055] Also, for the video file of the "Camera" being "B", that is, the second imaging device 10b, "Cloud-A" is set as the "primary storage location" and "constantly" is set as the "timing". Therefore, regardless of whether there is a request from the client device 50, the management device 40 instructs the first server device 30a to periodically (for example, every few minutes to a few hours, etc.) download and save the video file of the second imaging device 10b from the second gateway device 20b. Also, for the video file of the "Camera" being "B", "Cloud-B" is set as the secondary storage location. Therefore, when a certain period (for example, a few days to a few months, etc.) has elapsed since the start of storage in the first server device 30a for the video file of the second imaging device 10b, the management device 40 automatically transmits it from the first server device 30a to the second server device 30b and instructs it to be saved in the second server device 30b. Note that the first server device 30a may automatically delete from its own device the video file for which the transmission to the second server device 30b has been completed.

[0056] Also, for the video file of the "Camera" being "C", that is, the third imaging device 10c, "Cloud-B" is set as the "primary storage location" and "constantly" is set as the "timing". Therefore, regardless of whether there is a request from the client device 50, the management device 40 instructs the second server device 30b to periodically download and save the video file of the third imaging device 10c from the second gateway device 20b.

[0057] Note that the video file storage policy shown in FIG. 7 is just an example and is not limited to what is shown in FIG. 7. For example, moving images captured by the same imaging device 10 may be stored as a high-quality video file and a low-quality video file, and a policy may be defined such that the high-quality video file is stored in the gateway device 20 and the low-quality video file is stored in the server device 30. Alternatively, for example, a policy may be defined such that after being stored in a secondary storage location, it is stored in another server device 30 (tertiary storage location) after a certain period of time has elapsed. Alternatively, although the video file is not always transferred from the gateway device 20 to the server device 30, a policy may be defined such that when the time held in the gateway device 20 has elapsed for a certain time, it is automatically transferred to the server device at the primary storage location.

[0058] (Client device) FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the client device 50 in FIG. 1. The client device 50 is one or a plurality of computers capable of communicating with each other. The client device 50 may be, for example, a PC, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The client device 50 includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, a communication unit 53, an input unit 54, and an output unit 55. Since the hardware configurations of the control unit 51, the storage unit 52, and the communication unit 53 are the same as those of the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 of the gateway device 20 described with reference to FIG. 2, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0059] The input unit 54 includes one or more input interfaces that receive a user's input operation and acquire input information based on the user's operation. For example, the input unit 54 may be a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen provided integrally with the display of the output unit 55, or a microphone that receives voice input, but is not limited thereto.

[0060] The output unit 55 includes one or more output interfaces that output information to and notify the user. For example, the output unit 55 may be a display that outputs information as an image, a speaker that outputs information as sound, or the like, but is not limited thereto. Such a display may be, for example, a liquid crystal panel display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. Note that at least one of the above-described input unit 54 and output unit 55 may be configured integrally with the client device 50 or provided separately.

[0061] Some or all of the functions of the client device 50 may be realized by software or by hardware.

[0062] (Operation Example) Figs. 9 to 14 are sequence charts showing operation examples of the video management system 1. The operations of each device described with reference to Figs. 9 to 14 may correspond to at least a part of the control method of the video management system 1. The operations of each step in Figs. 9 to 14 may be executed based on the control by at least any one of the imaging device 10, the control unit 21 of the gateway device 20, the control unit 31 of the server device 30, the control unit 41 of the management device 40, and the control unit 51 of the client device 50.

[0063] Figs. 9 and 10 show operations related to the management of a moving image captured by the first imaging device 10a. In step S1 of Fig. 9, the first imaging device 10a captures a moving image. Specifically, the first imaging device 10a starts a process of continuously acquiring frame images at a predetermined frame rate and generating a moving image (video).

[0064] In step S2, the first imaging device 10a transmits the acquired moving image to the corresponding gateway device 20. Specifically, as soon as the first imaging device 10a acquires a moving image by imaging, it continuously transmits the moving image to the first gateway device 20a that is communicably connected. As a result, while the video management system 1a is operating, the first gateway device 20a will constantly continue to receive moving images from the corresponding first imaging device 10a.

[0065] In step S3, as soon as the control unit 21 of the first gateway device 20a acquires a moving image from the first imaging device 10a that is communicably connected, it stores the moving image in the storage unit 22. Specifically, the control unit 21 may store the video in the storage unit 22 as a video file encoded by a predetermined encoding method. The first gateway device 20a may store the moving image acquired from the first imaging device 10a as a plurality of video files of a certain time length (for example, 1 minute) together with the shooting date and time.

[0066] The control unit 11 of the first imaging device 10a and the control unit 21 of the first gateway device 20a repeat the processes of steps S1 to S3 independently of other processes. That is, the first imaging device 10a and the first gateway device 20a execute the processes of steps S1 to S3 in parallel with the processes of steps S4 to S78. The first gateway device 20a constantly acquires moving images continuously from the first imaging device 10a during operation and stores the acquired moving images in the storage unit 22.

[0067] In step S4, the control unit 21 of the first gateway device 20a updates a recording list that is a list of video files stored in the first gateway device 20a based on the video received in step S2. The recording list is as described above with reference to FIG. 3.

[0068] In step S5, the control unit 21 of the first gateway device 20a notifies the management device 40 of the recording list updated in step S4. Specifically, the control unit 21 may notify the management device 40 of the entire updated recording list or a list of video files added by the update in step S4.

[0069] In step S6, the control unit 41 of the management device 40 updates the storage destination list based on the updated recording list notified in step S5. As described above with reference to FIG. 6, the storage destination list is information indicating the storage destination of video files specified by the shooting date and time for each shooting device 10.

[0070] The control unit 21 of the first gateway device 20a and the control unit 41 of the management device 40 repeat the processes of steps S4 to S6 independently of other processes. That is, the first gateway device 20a and the management device 40 execute the processes of steps S4 to S6 in parallel with the processes of steps S1 to S3 and steps S11 to S78. In this way, the management device 40 automatically updates the storage destination list in synchronization with the recording list of the first gateway device 20a.

[0071] In step S11 of FIG. 10, the control unit 41 of the management device 40 instructs the first server device 30a about the storage policy. Specifically, when the storage policy is defined as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 41 instructs the first server device 30a to download a moving image in response to a request for the video file of the first shooting device 10a from the client device 50.

[0072] In step S12, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 inquires of the management device 40 about the storage destination of the video file it wishes to acquire. For example, the control unit 51 may inquire about the storage destination of the video file of the first shooting device 10a from 10:00 to 10:04 on January 20, 2023.

[0073] In step S13, the control unit 41 of the management device 40 refers to the storage destination list in response to an inquiry from the client device 50, identifies the server device 30 as the storage destination, and answers the client device 50. In the example of the present embodiment, all the video files of the first imaging device 10a are stored in the first server device 30a. The storage list in FIG. 6 indicates that the video files from 10:00 to 10:02 on January 20, 2023 have been stored in the first server device 30a, but the video files from 10:00 to 10:02 have not been transferred to the first server device 30a yet. The control unit 41 answers the client device 50 with the first server device 30a as the server device 30 of the storage destination. When the imaging device 10 and the gateway device 20 are provided in a moving body, there may be a case where communication between the management device 40 and the gateway device 20 cannot be performed, such as when the gateway device 20 is outside the communication range. Therefore, when communication with the gateway device 20 cannot be performed and the transfer of the video file from the gateway device 20 to the server device 30 is not completed, the management device 40 may notify the client device 50 that the gateway device 20 is offline.

[0074] In step S14, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 displays the answer received from the management device 40 in step S13 on the display unit of the output unit 55. The control unit 51 proceeds to step S15 based on a download instruction from the user made in response to the display. Hereinafter, a case where the user instructs to download the video file from 10:02 to 10:04 on January 20, 2023 captured by the first imaging device 10a will be described.

[0075] In step S15, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 requests the first server device 30a for the video file captured by the first imaging device 10a from 10:02 to 10:04 on January 20, 2023.

[0076] In step S16, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a determines whether the requested video file has been saved in its own device. If the control unit 31 determines that it has not been saved, it requests the first gateway device 20a to provide the video image requested by the client device 50. If the control unit 31 determines that the requested video file has been saved in its own device, it transmits the video file to the client device 50.

[0077] In step S17, in response to a request from the first server device 30a, the control unit 21 of the first gateway device 20a transmits the requested video file of the first imaging device 10a to the first server device 30a. Note that when there is a request from the first server device 30a for all video files including the video file of the first imaging device 10a, the control unit 21 may transmit all of the video files of the first imaging device 10a stored in the first gateway device 20a to the first server device 30a.

[0078] In step S18, the control unit 21 of the first gateway device 20a deletes the video file of the first imaging device 10a that has been transmitted to the first server device 30a from its own device. Note that deletion of the video file is not essential; however, there is a size limit for the storage area of the first gateway device 20a. Therefore, when a video file exceeding the specified size is received, it is preferable for the control unit 21 of the first gateway device 20a to delete the video files in order starting from the oldest one.

[0079] In step S19, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a stores the video file of the first imaging device 10a received from the first gateway device 20a in step S17 in the storage unit 32.

[0080] In step S20, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a transmits the video file of the first imaging device 10a requested by the client device 50 to the client device 50.

[0081] In step S21, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 stores the video file received from the first server device 30a in the storage unit 52. The control unit 51 may display the received video file on a display unit such as the output unit 55.

[0082] Figures 11 to 14 show operations related to the management of moving images captured by the second imaging device 10b and the third imaging device 10c. In step S31 of Figure 11, the second imaging device 10b captures a moving image. The process of step S31 can be performed in the same manner as step S1 of Figure 9.

[0083] In step S32, the second imaging device 10b transmits the acquired moving image to the corresponding gateway device 20 (second gateway device 20b). The process of step S32 can be performed in the same manner as step S2 of Figure 9.

[0084] In step S33, when the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b acquires a moving image from the communicably connected second imaging device 10b, the control unit 21 stores the moving image as a video file in the storage unit 22. The process of step S33 can be performed in the same manner as step S3 of Figure 9.

[0085] The control unit 11 of the second imaging device 10b and the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b repeatedly perform the processes of steps S31 to S33 independently of other processes. During operation, the second gateway device 20b continuously acquires moving images from the second imaging device 10b and stores the acquired moving images in the storage unit 22.

[0086] In step S34, the third imaging device 10c captures a moving image. The process of step S34 can be performed in the same manner as step S1 of Figure 9 and step S31 of Figure 11.

[0087] In step S35, the third imaging device 10c transmits the acquired moving image to the corresponding gateway device 20 (the second gateway device 20b). The process of step S32 can be performed in the same manner as step S2 in FIG. 9 and step S32 in FIG. 11.

[0088] In step S36, upon acquiring a moving image from the second imaging device 10b that is communicably connected, the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b stores the moving image in the storage unit 22 as a video file. The process of step S33 can be performed in the same manner as step S3 in FIG. 9 and step S33 in FIG. 11.

[0089] The control unit 11 of the third imaging device 10c and the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b repeatedly perform the processes of steps S34 to S36 independently of other processes. During operation, the second gateway device 20b continuously acquires moving images from the third imaging device 10c and stores the acquired moving images in the storage unit 22.

[0090] In step S37, the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b updates the recording list, which is a list of video files stored in the second gateway device 20b, based on the videos received in steps S32 and S35. The recording list is as described above with reference to FIG. 3.

[0091] In step S38, the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b notifies the management device 40 of the recording list updated in step S37. The process of step S38 can be performed in the same manner as step S5 in FIG. 9.

[0092] In step S39, the control unit 41 of the management device 40 updates the storage destination list based on the updated recording list notified in step S38.

[0093] The control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b and the control unit 41 of the management device 40 repeatedly perform the processes of steps S37 to S39 independently of other processes. In this way, the management device 40 automatically updates the storage destination list in synchronization with the recording list of the second gateway device 20b.

[0094] FIG. 12 shows an operation related to the management of the moving image captured by the second imaging device 10b. In step S41 of FIG. 12, the control unit 41 of the management device 40 instructs the first server device 30a about the storage policy. Specifically, when the storage policy is defined as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 41 instructs the first server device 30a to periodically download the moving image file of the second imaging device 10b regardless of the presence or absence of a request from the client device 50.

[0095] In step S42, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a requests the second gateway device 20b for the moving image file of the second imaging device 10b.

[0096] In step S43, the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b transmits all of the moving image files of the second imaging device 10b stored in the second gateway device 20b to the first server device 30a in response to the request from the first server device 30a.

[0097] In step S44, the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b deletes from its own device the moving image files of the second imaging device 10b that have been transmitted to the first server device 30a. Note that the deletion of the moving image files is not essential, but there is a size limit in the storage area of the second gateway device 20b. Therefore, when a moving image file exceeding the specified size is received, it is preferable for the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b to delete the oldest moving image files in order.

[0098] In step S45, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a stores the moving image files of the second imaging device 10b received from the second gateway device 20b in step S43 in the storage unit 32.

[0099] The control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b and the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a repeatedly perform the processes of steps S42 to S45 independently of other processes. For example, the first server device 30a may periodically (e.g., every few minutes to several hours, etc.) download and save the video file of the second imaging device 10b from the second gateway device 20b. In this way, the video file of the second imaging device 10b is automatically transmitted from the second gateway device 20b to the first server device 30a.

[0100] In steps S46 to S51, after saving in the first server device 30a, a process of transferring the video file of the second imaging device 10b for which a certain period of time has elapsed to the second server device 30b is performed. In step S46, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a determines whether or not a certain period of time (e.g., several days to several months, etc.) has elapsed since the video file of the second imaging device 10b was saved. If the certain period of time has elapsed (YES in step S46), the control unit 31 proceeds to step S47; otherwise, after a certain cycle time has elapsed, it returns to step S46.

[0101] In step S47, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a transmits the video file of the second imaging device 10b for which a certain period of time has elapsed after being saved in its own device to the second server device 30b.

[0102] In step S48, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a deletes the video file of the second imaging device 10b that has been transmitted to the second server device 30b from its own device.

[0103] In step S49, the control unit 31 of the second server device 30b saves the video file of the second imaging device 10b received from the first server device 30a in step S47 in the storage unit 32.

[0104] In step S50, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a may notify the management device 40 that the storage destination of the video file of the second imaging device 10b has been updated. Note that the update of the storage destination of the video file of the second imaging device 10b may be notified to the management device 40 by the second server device 30b instead of the first server device 30a.

[0105] In step S51, the control unit 41 of the management device 40 updates the storage destination list based on the notification in step S50.

[0106] The first server device 30a, the second gateway device 20b, and the management device 40 repeat the processes of steps S46 to S51 independently of other processes. In this way, when the video file of the second imaging device 10b is transferred from the first server device 30a to the second server device 30b, the management device 40 automatically updates the storage destination list accordingly.

[0107] FIG. 13 shows the operations related to the management of the moving image captured by the third imaging device 10c. In step S61 of FIG. 13, the control unit 41 of the management device 40 instructs the second server device 30b regarding the storage policy. Specifically, when the storage policy is defined as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 41 instructs the second server device 30b to periodically download the video file of the third imaging device 10c regardless of the presence or absence of a request from the client device 50.

[0108] In step S62, the control unit 31 of the second server device 30b requests the second gateway device 20b for the video file of the third imaging device 10c.

[0109] In step S63, the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b transmits all of the video files of the third imaging device 10c stored in the second gateway device 20b to the second server device 30b in response to the request from the second server device 30b.

[0110] In step S64, the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b deletes from its own device the video file of the third imaging device 10c that has already been transmitted to the second server device 30b. Note that while it is not essential to delete the video file, there is a size limit in the storage area of the second gateway device 20b. Therefore, when a video file exceeding the specified size is received, it is preferable for the control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b to delete the video files in order from the oldest one.

[0111] In step S65, the control unit 31 of the second server device 30b stores the video file of the third imaging device 10c received from the second gateway device 20b in step S63 in the storage unit 32.

[0112] The control unit 21 of the second gateway device 20b and the control unit 31 of the second server device 30b repeatedly perform the processes of steps S62 to S65 independently of other processes. For example, the second server device 30b may periodically (e.g., every few minutes to several hours, etc.) download and store the video file of the third imaging device 10c from the second gateway device 20b. In this way, the video file of the third imaging device 10c is automatically transmitted from the second gateway device 20b to the second server device 30b.

[0113] FIG. 14 shows the process in which the client device 50 downloads the video file of the second imaging device 10b. In step S71, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 inquires of the management device 40 about the storage destination of the video file that it wishes to acquire. For example, the control unit 51 may inquire about the storage destination of the video file of the second imaging device 10b from 10:00 to 10:04 on January 20, 2023.

[0114] In step S72, the control unit 41 of the management device 40 refers to the storage destination list in response to an inquiry from the client device 50, identifies the server device 30 of the storage destination, and answers the client device 50. In the example of FIG. 7, the video file from 10:00 to 10:02 on January 20, 2023 is stored in the second server device 30b, and the video file from 10:02 to 10:04 is stored in the first server device 30a. The control unit 41 answers the client device 50 with this information. Similar to step S13 in FIG. 10, when the transfer of the video file from the gateway device 20 to the server device 30 is not completed and communication with the gateway device 20 cannot be performed, the management device 40 may notify the client device 50 of being offline.

[0115] In step S73, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 displays the answer received from the management device 40 in step S72 on the display unit of the output unit 55. The control unit 51 proceeds to step S74 based on a download instruction from the user made in response to the display. Hereinafter, the case where the user instructs to download the video file from 10:00 to 10:04 on January 20, 2023 taken by the second imaging device 10b will be described.

[0116] In step S74, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 requests the first server device 30a for the video file from 10:02 to 10:04 on January 20, 2023 taken by the second imaging device 10b.

[0117] In step S75, the control unit 31 of the first server device 30a transmits the video file requested by the client device 50 to the client device 50.

[0118] In step S76, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 requests the second server device 30b for the video file from 10:00 to 10:02 on January 20, 2023 taken by the second imaging device 10b.

[0119] In step S77, the control unit 31 of the second server device 30b transmits the video file requested by the client device 50 to the client device 50.

[0120] In step S78, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 stores the video files received from the first server device 30a and the second server device 30b in the storage unit 52. The control unit 51 may display the received video file on a display unit such as the output unit 55.

[0121] FIGS. 15 and 16 are diagrams showing examples of screens displayed on the client device 50. In FIG. 15, the image 80 shows an example of a screen displayed on the client device 50. The input areas 81 and 82 are areas for the user to specify the shooting period of the video file to be searched. In the examples of FIGS. 15 and 16, the period from 13:15 on June 23, 2022 to 13:23 on June 23, 2022 is specified. The selection areas 91 (91a, 91b, 91c) are areas for the user to select the shooting device 10 that shot the video file and the corresponding gateway device 20. In the selection area 91a, the first gateway device 20a (Gateway0) and the first shooting device 10a (camera0) connected to the first gateway device 20a are selected. In the selection area 91b, the second gateway device 20b (Gateway1) and the second shooting device 10b (camera1) connected to the second gateway device 20b are selected. In the selection area 91c, the second gateway device 20b (Gateway1) and the third shooting device 10c (camera2) connected to the second gateway device 20b are selected. In the examples of FIGS. 15 and 16, video files of the same content shot by the same shooting device 10 can be selected from either the high-quality version (Primary) or the low-quality version (Secondary). In the examples of FIGS. 15 and 16, the high-quality version is selected for the first shooting device 10a and the second shooting device 10b, and the low-quality version is selected for the third shooting device 10c.

[0122] In response to the user's selection in the input areas 81, 82 and the selection area 91 (91a, 91b, 91c), the client device 50 inquires the management device 40 about the storage destination of the video file (step S12 in FIG. 10, step S71 in FIG. 14). When the client device 50 receives a response from the management device 40 to the inquiry (step S13 in FIG. 10, step S72 in FIG. 14), the client device 50 visually displays the response from the client device 50 within the image 80 (step S14 in FIG. 10, step S73 in FIG. 14).

[0123] The area 85 (85a, 85b, 85c) displays thumbnail images of the moving images during the shooting period specified in the input areas 81, 82. The area 92 (92a, 92b, 92c) visually shows the storage status of the video files of the selected imaging devices 10 (10a, 10b, 10c) together with the time axis. The image 86 (86a, 86b, 86c) in FIG. 15 indicates that although the video file is stored in the gateway device 20, it is not stored in the server device 30. Since the video file at the time when the image 86 is displayed needs to be transferred from the gateway device 20 to the server device 30 and then from the server device 30 to the client device 50, the download takes time. The image 87 (87a, 87b, 87c) indicates that after the video file has been once stored in the gateway device 20, the transfer to the server device 30 has been completed. Since the video file when the image 87 is displayed can be transferred from the server device 30 to the client device 50 immediately upon request, the download can be performed in a short time. The image 88 (88a, 88b, 88c) indicates that shooting by the imaging device 10 has not been performed (not shot). The image 89 (89a, 89b, 89c) in FIG. 16 indicates the offline state of the gateway device 20, that is, although shooting by the imaging device 10 has been performed, the transfer of the video file from the gateway device 20 to the server device 30 has not been completed and communication with the gateway device 20 cannot be performed.

[0124] Images 83 (83a, 83b, 83c) and Images 84 (84a, 84b, 84c) are user interfaces for specifying, for each imaging device 10, the time range of a moving image that requires downloading. The control unit 51 of the client device 50 displays Images 83 and 84 so that they can be slid along the time axis direction in response to an operation by the user. The user can easily select the time range of the moving image file to be downloaded by operating Images 83 and 84 for each imaging device 10 with reference to the thumbnail images displayed in area 85, the storage status of the moving image files displayed in area 92, and the time axis. In response to an instruction to download after the operation of Images 83 and 84, the control unit 51 of the client device 50 requests the server device 30 for a moving image file (step S15 in FIG. 10, steps S74 and S76 in FIG. 14).

[0125] As described above, the moving image management system 1 includes a plurality of imaging devices 10, at least one gateway device 20, at least one server device 30, a management device 40, and a client device 50. The imaging device 10 captures a moving image composed of a plurality of frame images. The gateway device 20 is communicably connected to at least one imaging device 10 included in the plurality of imaging devices 10, and acquires a moving image from the at least one imaging device 10. The management device 40 transmits an instruction regarding storage of the moving image to at least one server device 30 based on a policy regarding storage of the moving image defined for each of the plurality of imaging devices 10. The client device 50 acquires a desired moving image from any one of the at least one server devices 30. Here, the at least one server device 30 acquires and stores a moving image from the at least one gateway device 20 based on the instruction received from the management device 40.

[0126] In this way, in the video management system 1, the management device 40 transmits an instruction regarding the storage of moving images to at least one server device 30 based on the policy defined for each imaging device 10. Therefore, it is possible to manage moving images more appropriately based on the nature of video files for each imaging device and the performance of the server device 30 and the like.

[0127] In addition, for moving images that cannot communicate with the gateway device 20, the management device 40 manages them offline. Therefore, even when the imaging device 10 and the gateway device 20 are provided in a moving body and cannot communicate with the gateway device 20, the video files can be managed appropriately.

[0128] (Modification example) In the video management system 1a of FIG. 1, the management device 40 manages the locations and the like of video files in the system collectively. However, the management form of video files may be modified according to the network configuration. For example, in an actual network, a configuration in which an intranet or the like within a company is connected to the Internet is common. Therefore, a multi-stage structure may be adopted in which a device such as on-premises within the company network manages the locations and the like of video files within the company network, and the management information of each such on-premises is coordinated on a public network such as the Internet. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the differences from the video management system 1a of FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals will be given to the same functions and operations as those of the above-described configuration, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0129] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a video management system 1b according to an embodiment. The video management system 1b includes a first imaging device 10a, a second imaging device 10b, a third imaging device 10c, a first gateway device 20a, a second gateway device 20b, a third gateway device 20c, a first proxy device 60a, a second proxy device 60b, a first server device 30a, a second server device 30b, a management device 40, and a client device 50. Hereinafter, the first imaging device 10a, the second imaging device 10b, and the third imaging device 10c may be collectively referred to as the "imaging device 10". The first gateway device 20a, the second gateway device 20b, and the third gateway device 20c may be collectively referred to as the "gateway device 20". Hereinafter, the first proxy device 60a and the second proxy device 60b may be collectively referred to as the "proxy device 60". The first server device 30a and the second server device 30b may be collectively referred to as the "server device 30". The proxy device 60, the server device 30, the management device 40, and the client device 50 are communicably connected to a network N including, for example, the Internet, an intranet, and a mobile communication network.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 17, the first imaging device 10a, the second imaging device 10b, the first gateway device 20a, the second gateway device 20b, and the first proxy device 60a are provided in the first in-house network 2a. The third imaging device 10c, the third gateway device 20c, and the second proxy device 60b are provided in the second in-house network 2b. Hereinafter, the first in-house network 2a and the second in-house network 2b may be collectively referred to as the "in-house network 2".

[0131] The proxy device 60 is a computer that manages the location of video files in the in-company network 2. The proxy device 60 is composed of a WS, a PC, etc., and may include a control unit, a storage unit, and a communication unit, similar to the server device 30 in FIG. 4 or the management device 40 in FIG. 5. In the example of FIG. 17, two gateway devices 20 are connected to the first proxy device 60a, and one gateway device 20 is connected to the second proxy device 60b. However, the number of gateway devices 20 connected to the proxy device 60 is arbitrary. Also, in the example of FIG. 17, the video management system 1b includes two in-company networks 2, but the number of in-company networks 2 is arbitrary.

[0132] In the configuration as described above, the proxy device 60 receives a video file from the gateway device 20 and transmits the video file to the server device 30 in response to a request from the client device 50 or the like. Also, the proxy device 60 receives a recording list from the connected gateway device 20 and updates a storage destination list indicating the storage destination of video files in the in-company network 2 to which the proxy device 60 belongs. The management device 40 receives the storage destination list from each proxy device 60 and updates the storage destination list indicating the storage destination of video files in the video management system 1b. The recording list held by the gateway device 20 is shown, for example, by FIG. 3 described above.

[0133] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a storage destination list held by the proxy device 60. In FIG. 18, “Camera” identifies the imaging device 10 that captured the video. “Recording period” indicates the shooting date and time of the video. “Source” identifies the gateway device 20 from which the proxy device 60 acquires the video file. “Storage location” identifies the proxy device 60 that stores the video file. For example, “Proxy-A” indicates the first proxy device 60a. “Stored or not” identifies whether the video file has been stored in the proxy device 60 identified in “Storage location”. For example, “Stored” indicates that the video file has been stored in the proxy device 60 at the “Storage location”. “-” indicates that the video file has not been transferred from the gateway device 20 to the proxy device 60 at the “Storage location” yet.

[0134] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a storage destination list held by the management device 40. In FIG. 19, “Camera” identifies the imaging device 10 that captured the video. “Recording period” indicates the shooting date and time of the video. “Source” identifies the original proxy device 60 from which the server device 30 acquires the video file. For example, “Proxy-A” indicates the first proxy device 60a. “Proxy-B” indicates the second proxy device 60b. “Storage location” identifies the server device 30 that stores the video file. “Stored or not” identifies whether the video file has been stored in the server device 30 identified in “Storage location”.

[0135] The gateway device 20 updates a recording list (for example, FIG. 3) based on the video received from the imaging device 10 and the video file transferred from its own device to the proxy device 60. The proxy device 60 updates a storage destination list (for example, FIG. 18) based on the recording list received from the gateway device 20, the video file received from the gateway device 20, and the video file transmitted from its own device to the server device 30. The management device 40 updates a storage destination list (for example, FIG. 19) according to the storage destination list received from the proxy device 60 and the transfer status of the video file from the gateway device 20 to the server device 30.

[0136] When the management device 40 receives an inquiry about the storage destination of a video file from the client device 50, it refers to the storage destination list held by itself and answers. When the video file requested from the client device 50 is not stored in the server device 30, the server device 30 requests the proxy device 60 that manages the requested video file for the video file. When the proxy device 60 stores the requested video file in itself, it transmits the video file to the server device 30 and updates the storage destination list (for example, FIG. 18). When the proxy device 60 does not store the requested video file in itself, it requests the gateway device 20 that holds the video file for the video file. In response, the gateway device 20 transmits the video file to the proxy device 60 and updates the recording list (for example, FIG. 3). The proxy device 60 transmits the video file received from the gateway device 20 to the server device 30 and updates the storage destination list (for example, FIG. 18). When the server device 30 receives a video file from the proxy device 60, it transmits the requested video file to the client device 50. The management device 40 updates the storage destination list according to the storage status in the server device 30.

[0137] In this way, the proxy device 60 manages the storage destination etc. of the video file for each in-house network 2, and the management device 40 manages the storage destination of the video file in the video management system 1b in cooperation with the proxy device 60. Since the storage destination etc. of the video file are managed in a multi-stage structure according to the network configuration, while maintaining the security of the in-house network 2 etc., the client device 50 can access the server device 30 notified by the management device 40 without being aware of the storage destination of each video file by itself and download the desired video file.

[0138] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, a plurality of blocks described in the block diagram may be integrated, or one block may be divided. A plurality of steps described in the flowchart may be executed in parallel or in a different order according to the processing capabilities of the device that executes each step, instead of being executed in time series according to the description, or as necessary. In addition, changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

Explanation of Signs

[0139] 1 Video management system 10 Imaging device 20 Gateway device 21 Control unit 22 Storage unit 23 Communication unit 30 Server device 31 Control unit 32 Storage unit 33 Communication unit 40 Management device 41 Control unit 42 Storage unit 43 Communication unit 50 Client device 51 Control unit 52 Storage unit 53 Communication unit 54 Input unit 55 Output unit 60 Proxy device N Network

Claims

1. A plurality of imaging devices for capturing a moving image composed of a plurality of frame images, At least one gateway device communicably connected to at least one of the plurality of imaging devices and acquiring the moving image from the at least one imaging device, At least one server device, A management device that transmits an instruction regarding storage of the moving image to the at least one server device based on a policy regarding storage of the moving image defined for each of the plurality of imaging devices, Comprising, Based on the instruction received from the management device, the at least one server device acquires and stores the moving image from the at least one gateway device, Video management system.

2. The first server device included in the at least one server device acquires and stores the moving image of the first imaging device included in the plurality of imaging devices from the gateway device that stores the moving image in response to a request from a client device. The video management system according to claim 1.

3. The second server device included in the at least one server device acquires and stores the moving image of the second imaging device included in the plurality of imaging devices from the gateway device that stores the moving image regardless of whether a request is received from a client device. The video management system according to claim 1.

4. When a certain period of time has elapsed after the second server device acquires the moving image of the second imaging device, the second server device transmits the moving image of the second imaging device to a third server device included in the at least one server device. The video management system according to claim 3.

5. The management device, For each of the plurality of imaging devices, holds a storage destination list indicating the storage destination of the moving image captured by the imaging device, In response to an inquiry about the location of a moving image from a client device, refers to the storage destination list and answers the storage destination of the moving image. The video management system according to claim 1.

6. The at least one gateway device holds a recording list indicating a list of the moving images stored by the gateway device among the moving images of the imaging device communicably connected to the gateway device, The management device updates the storage destination list based on the recording list held by the at least one gateway device. ​ The video management system according to claim 5.

7. A plurality of imaging devices that capture a moving image composed of a plurality of frame images, At least one gateway device communicably connected to at least one imaging device included in the plurality of imaging devices, and acquiring the moving image from the at least one imaging device, At least one server device, A management device, A video management method in a video management system including: A step in which the management device transmits an instruction regarding storage of the moving image to the at least one server device based on a policy regarding storage of the moving image defined for each of the plurality of imaging devices; A step in which the at least one server device acquires and stores the moving image from the at least one gateway device based on the instruction received from the management device; A video management method including the above.

8. The management device holds a storage destination list indicating a storage destination of the moving image captured by each of the plurality of imaging devices, The method further includes a step in which the management device refers to the storage destination list and answers the storage destination of the moving image in response to an inquiry about the location of the moving image from a client device. The video management method according to claim 7.

9. At least one gateway device communicably connected to at least one imaging device included in a plurality of imaging devices that capture a moving image composed of a plurality of frame images, and acquiring the moving image from the at least one imaging device, and At least one server device Communicably connected to, A management device including a control unit that transmits an instruction regarding acquisition and storage of the moving image from the gateway device to the at least one server device based on a policy regarding storage of the moving image defined for each of the plurality of imaging devices.

Images