Devices and programs

Abstract

To provide an apparatus etc. capable of acquiring a captured image which enables a user to easily check the contents of photographing before and after the occurence of an event.SOLUTION: The apparatus comprises: event detection means which detects information indicating the occurence of an event generated by an imaging target; and control means which has a function of, with the detection of the information indicating the occurrence of the event by the event detection means as a trigger, storing captured images in a record period including before and after the moment of detecting the information indicating the occurrence of the event, in a storage medium.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus, a program, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] A surveillance camera equipped with a lens unit and storing imaging data captured by the lens unit in a removable storage medium has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Normally, in such a surveillance camera, in order to continuously image the surveillance target at all times, in order to confirm the imaging content at the time of an abnormality, it is necessary to play back a long video from the beginning and search for and confirm the problematic scene by fast-forwarding or the like. For this reason, the confirmation work took a very long time.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus or the like that can acquire an imaging image that can easily confirm the imaging content before and after, for example, the occurrence of an event.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an apparatus including an event detection unit that detects information indicating the occurrence of an event generated by an imaging target, and a control unit that has a function of storing, in a storage medium, imaging images in a recording period including a temporal front and back of the moment when the event detection unit detects the information indicating the occurrence of the event, triggered by the event detection unit detecting the information indicating the occurrence of the event.

[0007] In this way, it becomes easy to check the content of images taken before and after the time an event occurs, in response to information indicating the occurrence of an event emitted by the object being imaged. For example, to check the images, it is preferable to provide a playback means that plays back the stored image so that the user can view it. The playback means may be provided together with the control means or as a separate unit. In addition, in this invention, it is preferable to provide an imaging means together with the control means. The imaging means may continuously take images regardless of whether an event has occurred and temporarily store the images taken over a predetermined period of time. When the control means detects information indicating the occurrence of an event, the control means may control the system to store the images taken over a predetermined period of time before and after the event in the storage medium. In addition, in this invention, the storage medium may be built into the device on which the control means is provided, but it is preferable to provide it in the form of a memory card, hard disk drive, etc., so that it can be attached to the device.

[0008] An "event" can be defined as something that occurs when an anomaly occurs. For example, it could be various kinds of occurrences, particularly failures in machine tools operating on a factory production line, or changes in state or anomalies detected by external sensors. An automatic recovery from an abnormal state could also be considered an event.

[0009] "Information indicating the occurrence of an event" may be, for example, information indicating a change in state or the occurrence of an anomaly. Specifically, for example, if the object to be imaged is a machine tool, the information generated when the machine tool detects a failure in its operation may be considered "information indicating the occurrence of an event." It is especially good to consider an alarm signal or alert signal generated when the machine tool detects a failure in its operation as "information indicating the occurrence of an event." Alternatively, for example, a signal from a signal light connected to the machine tool (for example, a status signal indicating that the signal light is lit) or a drive signal to make the signal light blink may also be considered "information indicating the occurrence of an event." Furthermore, "information indicating the occurrence of an event" may also be an external output signal used by the equipment to be imaged to notify the outside of an event such as an anomaly. The control means may then perform control to store the image captured by the imaging means in a storage medium, triggered by changes in these signals. In addition, "information indicating the occurrence of an event" may not only detect signals received from the outside, but may also be configured to detect the occurrence of an event internally within the device. For example, the device may determine the lifespan or degree of deterioration of the storage medium internally and treat it as an event occurrence when a predetermined determination is made, such as when the lifespan is approaching.

[0010] The "time the event occurred" should ideally be the time immediately after the information indicating the occurrence of the event is detected.

[0011] The "captured image" should be defined as an image taken within a range that allows for the investigation of the cause of the event.

[0012] "Image" can be a still image, for example, but it is especially preferable to use a moving image. Furthermore, the image can be a 2D image or a 3D image. It can also be a black and white image or a color image.

[0013] (2) The imaging target should be a device that performs control to notify humans of the occurrence of an event when it occurs. For example, in factories, logistics warehouses, automated warehouses, etc., the imaging target may be a machine that performs some kind of automated processing, such as a machine tool or an automated guided vehicle. Alternatively, the imaging target may be a device that is not automated but is expected to be used by general users, such as an automated teller machine (ATM) or a self-checkout machine. The control means should then detect the information that these devices emit in conjunction with the control to notify humans of the occurrence of an event as information indicating the occurrence of an event.

[0014] (3) Information indicating the occurrence of an event may be an electrical or optical signal emitted by the equipment in response to the occurrence of an abnormality.

[0015] The "electrical or optical signal transmitted to the device" can be any signal emitted by the device in response to an abnormality, but it is preferable to use a binary signal indicating status such as on / off, an audio signal transmitting analog sound, a pulse train, etc., and it is especially preferable to use a signal that repeats a predetermined pattern. In this way, information indicating the occurrence of an event can be reliably received and detected.

[0016] (4) Information indicating the occurrence of an event should be a signal that the device emits in a way that is recognizable to humans when an abnormality occurs. For example, if the information indicating the occurrence of an event is visual information, the information indicating the occurrence of an event should be detected by an imaging means.

[0017] "Signals that are recognizable to humans" can be defined as auditory information such as sirens, beeps, and melodies; visual information such as light and images; and motion information such as vibrations and shocks.

[0018] The system utilizes alarms and other signals emitted by the device to indicate the occurrence of an event, and can record images before and after the anomaly occurs. In particular, when visual or auditory information is used to detect the occurrence of an event, cumbersome tasks such as signal branching are unnecessary when installing the device, making installation and removal of the device easy.

[0019] (5) The object to be imaged emits different information depending on the type of event that occurs, and the control device has pre-stored different recording periods corresponding to the identified information. Based on the information indicating the occurrence of the detected event, the control device identifies the event that occurred and stores the image captured during the recording period corresponding to the identified event in the storage medium. For example, when detecting an electrical or optical signal emitted by a device in conjunction with an abnormality as information indicating the occurrence of an event, the control device should identify the information indicating the occurrence of an event based on the type and pattern of the signal. For example, existing signals to the device can be branched and used.

[0020] In this way, multiple types of information corresponding to the event that occurred can be identified, and an appropriate recording period can be set according to the type of event. For example, for information indicating the occurrence of an event where analysis or identification of the cause of the event is required, it is good to set a long recording period before the moment the information is detected. For information indicating the occurrence of an event where the focus should be on the progression after the event occurred, it is good to set a long recording period after the moment the information is detected. The imaging device should be controlled so that the recording period differs for each type of information indicating the occurrence of an event, and it is good to store the recording period in advance in association with the type of event.

[0021] (6) The control means may be capable of executing a control that sets a predetermined period of time from the moment it detects information indicating the occurrence of an event as an unresponsive period in which it does not respond to information indicating the occurrence of a new event. (7) If information indicating the occurrence of an event is continuously emitted after an event has occurred, the control means may be capable of executing a control that sets a predetermined period of time from the time the continuously emitted information indicating the occurrence of an event stops as an unresponsive period in which it does not respond to information indicating the occurrence of a new event.

[0022] The "non - response period" may be set to a period sufficient to confirm that the continuation of the information indicating the occurrence of an event has stopped. For example, in the case of a pulse train in which the information indicating the occurrence of an event is continuously and repeatedly emitted in a predetermined pattern, it may be set to a period longer than the longest low time in the pattern.

[0023] By providing such a non - response period, when detecting information indicating the occurrence of a plurality of events in a short period, it is possible to prevent a plurality of records from being left. For example, when information indicating the occurrence of a plurality of events is emitted for an event that should be grasped as one event, it is possible to suppress unnecessary recording.

[0024] (8) The control means may set a predetermined time immediately after the recording period as a monitoring period, and when detecting information indicating the occurrence of a new event within the monitoring period, execute control to handle the end of the monitoring period as the moment when the information indicating the occurrence of the new event is detected. (9) The monitoring period may be provided such that the recording period based on the end of the monitoring period overlaps with the immediately preceding recording period.

[0025] When information indicating the occurrence of the next event is detected immediately after the end of the recording period, it is possible to increase the recording time combined with the previous recording period while suppressing the overlap of the recording periods.

[0026] (10) The control means may sequentially record a series of captured images over a past predetermined period at consecutive addresses in the recording area of the storage medium, and perform control to increase by 1 the overwrite count value indicating the number of times of data overwrite to the address where the captured image is recorded for each captured image.

[0027] By recording the overwrite count value indicating the number of overwrites in this manner, it becomes possible to determine the lifespan of a storage medium such as a NAND-type flash memory in which failures occur as the number of write operations increases. Also, by controlling to sequentially record at consecutive addresses in the recording area, the process of searching for the next write area during the recording process becomes unnecessary, shortening the write time, and it becomes possible to use the addresses within the storage area evenly, avoiding excessive use of only a part of the storage area.

[0028] (11) The control means may detect an imaging image in the storage area of the storage medium in which the overwrite count value is different from the overwrite count value recorded for the immediately previous imaging image, and perform control to overwrite the detected imaging image and record the next imaging increment.

[0029] By doing so, it becomes possible to specify the address to which the next imaging image should be written without separately storing it. Also, by writing the next imaging image from the address specified in this way, it becomes possible to use the addresses within the storage area evenly, avoiding excessive use of only a part of the storage area.

[0030] (12) The control means holds, in a management area different from the storage area for storing imaging images in the storage medium, a format count master value indicating the number of times the storage medium has been initialized, and together with recording imaging images at consecutive addresses in the storage area of the storage medium, for each imaging image, transfers the format count master value as a format count value, and imaging image data in which a format count value different from the current format count master value is recorded may be treated as having been erased.

[0031] This method reduces the time required for formatting. Furthermore, in the case of storage media where physical erasure of stored data accelerates degradation, formatting can be considered complete simply by updating the format master count value, thus preventing the storage media's lifespan from being shortened due to formatting.

[0032] (13) In the program of the present invention, the computer may function as one of the above-described devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0033] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the imaging device 100 together with the machine tool 2. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the sequence of operations when an event occurs in machine tool 2. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the external appearance of the imaging device 100. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the imaging device 100 together with the memory card 200. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the recording format of memory card 200. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the relationship between the occurrence of an event and the recording of captured images in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the relationship between the occurrence of an event and the recording of captured images in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the relationship between the occurrence of an event and the recording of captured images in the third embodiment. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates normal recording control when a trigger is recognized immediately after the end of the recording period. [Figure 10] This figure shows the relationship between the occurrence of an event and the recording of captured images in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure shows the relationship between the occurrence of an event and the recording of captured images in the fifth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0034] [First Embodiment] In factories, logistics warehouses, and automated warehouses, machines that perform some form of automated processing, such as machine tools and automated guided vehicles, are used. Furthermore, machines that are not fully automated but are intended for use by people unfamiliar with machine operation, such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and self-checkout machines, are used in general stores and other establishments. These machines generally have features that alert the equipment manager or supervisor to any malfunction through lights, alarms, or other means. However, if a manager only arrives at the site after a malfunction has occurred, they can only see the situation afterward, making it difficult to determine the cause of the malfunction or take appropriate measures to prevent its recurrence. Therefore, it is becoming common practice to record video footage of the machinery and equipment before any malfunction occurs, allowing for review of the footage before and after the malfunction.

[0035] For example, consider a situation where a new manufacturing line using machine tools is being built in a factory. In the initial period after the manufacturing line is built, the machine tools that make up the line will experience various problems for about 3 to 4 months, so it is necessary to monitor the machine tools and carry out improvement activities to resolve the causes of the problems. For example, problems such as screws falling or falling over may occur in a screw-tightening line. Activities are carried out to resolve the causes of such problems, reduce them to almost zero, and ensure that products are properly manufactured. Traditionally, machine tools were constantly filmed with video cameras, and if an abnormality was found later in the data recorded by the machine tool, the operator would review the images taken from the beginning.

[0036] An imaging device 100, which is one embodiment of the present invention and will be described below with reference to the drawings, can be suitably used to capture images of such machinery and equipment. The imaging device 100 of this embodiment is a device that records video of a machine tool 2 in order to monitor the work content of the machine tool 2 operating on a factory production line. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the imaging device 100 together with the machine tool 2. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the sequence of operations when an event occurs in the machine tool 2. The imaging device 100 is temporarily installed next to the machine tool 2 on a tripod.

[0037] In this embodiment, the machine tool 2 to be monitored performs screw tightening work on a manufacturing line. The machine tool 2 repeatedly performs this screw tightening work at predetermined work cycles (e.g., 30 seconds). When the machine tool 2 detects a failure in its work or an equipment malfunction, it outputs an alert signal indicating the occurrence of an abnormality. A transition from a normal state to a state different from the normal state, such as a work failure or equipment malfunction, is called an "event." Under normal circumstances, the machine tool 2 maintains the alert signal at low. However, when an event occurs, it continuously outputs pulses that alternate between high and low. The alert signal is input to the stacked signal light 21 as a lighting control signal. The stacked signal light 21 is a display, for example, in which multiple colored signal lights, such as red, yellow, and blue, can be independently turned on / off. Each colored signal light is off when the signal level of the corresponding control signal is low, and on when it is high. In this embodiment, the red light in the stacked signal light 21 is controlled by the alert signal. In this embodiment, the alert signal is input to the stacked signal lamp 21 as a control signal to turn the red light of the stacked signal lamp 21 on / off, and the red light flashes in response to the alert signal. After outputting the alert signal, the machine tool 2 stops work, removes the defective product, resumes work, stops the pulse of the alert signal, and returns to a normal state as a low state. This series of processes, starting from failure detection, issuing an alert, stopping work and removing the defective product, and then resuming work, may be completed within the work cycle in which the failure was detected, but may not be completed within the work cycle, and the pulse of the alert signal continues to be output continuously without being stopped until it is completed. The imaging device 100 detects the occurrence of an event when the state of the alert signal changes from low to high, and captures and records images for a recording period that includes the time before and after the moment the event occurs.

[0038] The video recorded by the imaging device 100 is played back using a dedicated browser, which is display and viewing software that runs on a personal computer. The dedicated browser is a program that runs on the CPU of the personal computer and is installed on a computer in the management department, which is located away from the factory where the imaging device 100 is installed. In addition to playing back the video recorded by the imaging device 100, the dedicated browser allows users to configure various settings such as frame rate, image quality, recording method, and whether or not to overwrite, as well as format the memory card 200 for use with the imaging device 100.

[0039] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the external appearance of the imaging device 100, and Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the imaging device 100 together with the memory card 200. The imaging device 100 is housed in a roughly cylindrical housing 105 and includes a control controller 110, an imaging unit 120, an event input terminal 130, a memory card slot 160, and an image signal output terminal 180. Screw holes (not shown) for attaching the imaging device to a tripod head or shooting location are provided on a part of the cylindrical side of the housing 105. The imaging unit 120 is positioned inside the housing 105 such that the direction in which these screw holes are provided is facing downwards.

[0040] The control controller 110 is an example of the control means of the present invention. The control controller 110 is composed of a microcontroller, including a CPU (not shown), main memory such as ROM and RAM, and a timer. The ROM of the control controller 30 stores an image processing program that saves images captured by the imaging unit 120 to the main memory or to a memory card 200 inserted into the memory card slot 160, as well as various programs such as the OS (Operation System). The CPU of the control controller 110 performs various controls according to these control programs. The control controller 110 also detects an alert signal, which is information indicating the occurrence of an event, input to the event input terminal 130, and executes control according to the event.

[0041] The imaging unit 120 corresponds to the imaging means of the present invention. The imaging unit 120 is provided at one end of the longitudinal direction of a substantially cylindrical housing 105, with the longitudinal direction of the housing 105 as the optical axis. The imaging unit 120 consists of a lens unit 122 and an image sensor 124. The lens unit 122 is equipped with a zoom lens and can set the angle of view according to the size of the object to be photographed and the distance to the object to be photographed. The image sensor 124 is a CCD, CMOS image sensor, etc., and acquires the image of the object to be photographed formed by the lens unit 122 as an image.

[0042] The event input terminal 130 is a signal input terminal located on the side of the housing 105. A wire branched using an electrical tap or the like is connected to the event input terminal 130 to transmit an alert signal that illuminates the stacked signal light 21 for abnormality notification when the machine tool 2 detects a work failure. The alert signal is received as a trigger signal indicating the occurrence of an event. The trigger signal is transmitted to the control controller 110 and detected as information indicating the occurrence of an event.

[0043] Existing machine tools and other equipment are equipped with notification functions to alert people when an event (for example, equipment malfunction) occurs. The stacked signal light 21 described above is one example. Other examples of notification functions include rotating lights, buzzers, and sirens. The imaging device 100 of this embodiment receives a trigger signal via an event input terminal by repurposing the signal used by the notification function of the equipment, for example by branching it.

[0044] The image signal output terminal 180 is a terminal that outputs an image signal for displaying the image captured by the imaging unit 120 on an external monitor, and in this embodiment, an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface, registered trademark) terminal is used.

[0045] The memory card slot 160 is located at the end of the housing 105 opposite to the imaging unit 120. A memory card 200, which corresponds to the storage medium of the present invention, is inserted into the memory card slot 160. Under the control of the control controller 110, a file containing the captured images captured by the imaging unit 120 is recorded on the memory card 200.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, the memory card 200 is used by dividing it into a file system area 210 and an image recording area 220. The file system area 210 is a file system that can be read and written by the PC's OS, similar to general storage media for PCs, and in this embodiment, it is a partition in FAT32 format. Dedicated browser software is stored in this file system area 210. When playing back the contents of the memory card 200 on a PC, if the dedicated browser is not installed on the PC, the dedicated browser can be installed on the PC from this file system area 210. The image recording area 220 is a partition in a proprietary format that cannot be read or written by the PC's OS. This image recording area 220 is used by dividing it into a constant recording area 222 and an event recording area 224.

[0047] The continuous recording area 222 comprises a management area 222A and a storage area 222B. The management area 222A is an area where various setting information is recorded by a dedicated browser, and no recording is performed to the management area 222A when the imaging device 100 is recording captured images. In this way, even if the power is cut off during shooting, the setting data in the management area 222A is not lost. The management area 222A records the overwrite count master value MUC, the format count master value MFC, and the overwrite upper limit value UL, etc. The overwrite count master value MUC indicates the maximum number of overwrites performed on each storage unit of the continuous recording area 222. When setting information is recorded to the management area 222A of the memory card by the dedicated browser, the overwrite count master value MUC is updated to the same value as the maximum overwrite count value UC in the storage area 222B. The format count master value MFC indicates the number of times the continuous recording area 222 has been formatted. Furthermore, the overwrite limit value UL indicates an estimate of the number of overwrites before the memory card 200 fails, and this overwrite limit value UL can be used as a guideline for determining the lifespan (i.e., approximately how many more overwrites are possible). This overwrite limit value UL varies depending on the type of memory card. When formatting the memory card using a dedicated browser, the user can record the overwrite limit value UL in the management area 222A by specifying the model number of the memory card being used, or by directly entering the value.

[0048] Memory area 222B is an area for storing captured images taken by the imaging device 100. A header and footer are provided for each frame of captured image, and additional information for the captured image of that frame is recorded in this header and footer. Since the combined recording size of the captured image and additional information is larger than the addressing unit of the memory card, which is 1 byte, the captured image and additional information for one frame are recorded in multiple consecutive addresses. In the example shown in Figure 5, 32768 bytes (32 kilobytes) are recorded per frame.

[0049] The additional information recorded in the header and footer of each frame includes the image acquisition time CT of the frame, the format count value FC, the overwrite count value UC (which is "1" on the first write), and a trigger flag TF indicating that the image was captured at the time the event occurred. The format count value FC indicates the number of times the memory card 200 has been formatted. The overwrite count value UC indicates the number of times data has been written to that address. The format count value FC and the overwrite count value UC are used for life management and recording control of the memory card 200. The information recorded in the header and footer may not overlap, or they may be completely identical, but it is particularly good to overlap only a part, as shown in the example in Figure 5. By overlapping only a part of the header and footer content, the difficulty of tampering with the data, including the additional information, can be increased.

[0050] The control controller 110 of the imaging device 100 sequentially stores the continuously captured images in the memory area 222B in the order they were captured, using consecutive addresses. Specifically, when recording an image in the memory area 222B for the first time, recording begins sequentially from the first address of the memory area 222B. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the first frame uses addresses 0 to 32767, the second frame uses addresses 32768 to 65535, and so on, using consecutive addresses in the memory area 222B to record the images in the order they were captured. When the final address of the memory area 222B is reached, the controller returns to the first address of the memory area 222B and continues recording while overwriting the already written data. For recording from the second cycle onward, the overwrite count value UC is increased by 1 from its current value.

[0051] The event recording area 224, like the continuous recording area 222, includes a management area 224A and a storage area 224B. The management area 224A records the format count master value MFC, the overwrite count master value MUC, and the overwrite upper limit value UL, etc. The storage area 224B records captured images taken around the time of the event occurrence, along with additional information. The management area 224A and the storage area 224B store the same information as the management area 222A and the storage area 222B, respectively. The additional information recorded here is the same as the additional information stored in the storage area 224B of the continuous recording area 222.

[0052] When the control controller 110 detects an alert signal received by the event input terminal 130, it sequentially stores the images captured by the imaging unit 120 during the recording period, including the time before and after the moment the alert signal was detected, in the storage area 224B using the same method as for recording to the storage area 222B, at consecutive addresses. The recording period before and after the event will be described later.

[0053] With the recording method described above, data is written in a circular fashion to consecutive addresses within the recording area (222B, 224B). As a result, the latest overwrite count value UC is recorded in the supplementary information of the most recently written frame, and the overwrite count value UC is recorded in the supplementary information of the next frame, which is one less. The control controller 110 finds the frame in which the overwrite count value UC changes for consecutive addresses within the recording area (222B, 224B) and controls the next write from that frame. In this way, the oldest data can be recorded while continuously overwriting it. Moreover, by simply finding the frame in which the overwrite count value UC changes and controlling the next write from that frame, the oldest data can be continuously overwritten without requiring any other complex control. In addition, the number of overwrites required to record the image data is recorded and can be checked during playback, so the overwrite count value UC (and other supplementary information) can be used to verify whether the data has been tampered with. Furthermore, the recording area (222B, 224B) can be used without bias, preventing bottlenecks caused by areas with a high number of overwrites, which can shorten the lifespan of the memory card itself.

[0054] In the memory card 200 employing the above recording method, the formatting process, which erases all data already recorded in the recording area (222B, 224B), is performed using a dedicated browser, which is software that runs on a computer for displaying and viewing captured images recorded using the above method. The formatting process is performed by incrementing the format count master value MFC recorded in the management area (222A, 224A) by 1. On the other hand, no writing or erasing operations are performed on the storage area (222B, 224B) during the formatting process. In the imaging device 100, frames in which the format count value FC is recorded as additional information and is smaller than the format count master value MFC recorded in the management area (222A, 224A) are treated as if the data has been erased. Specifically, when the control controller 110 of the imaging device 100 writes a new image to an area where an old image is stored, it compares the format count value FC recorded as additional information in the old image with the format count master value MFC recorded in the management area (222A, 224A). If the format count value FC is smaller than the format count master value MFC, the data (or data fragments) of the old image are considered erased and can be overwritten, and the new image is written to that area. This control eliminates the need to perform data erasure control (e.g., applying a high voltage) on elements in the recording area (222B, 224B) during formatting, contributing to longer element lifespan and faster formatting.

[0055] The imaging device 100, configured as described above, is installed to photograph the machine tool 2, as shown in Figure 1. The imaging device 100 is attached to a tripod via a pan / tilt head using a screw hole provided at the bottom of the housing 105. The lens unit 122 of the imaging device 100 has its field of view adjusted so that the captured image is recorded with a field of view that includes the range in which the cause of the event can be investigated. When adjusting the imaging range, the image signal output terminal 180 of the imaging device 100 is connected to the monitor 3, and the captured image taken by the imaging device 100 is displayed directly on the screen of the monitor 3 (so-called through-image display), and the adjustment is made while checking the range that is displayed on the screen.

[0056] A cable is connected to the event input terminal 130 of the imaging device 100 to transmit an alert signal from the machine tool 2. This connection allows the imaging device 100 to receive an alert signal, which is information indicating the occurrence of an event.

[0057] The following describes the specific operation of the monitoring function performed by the imaging device 100. Note that, unless otherwise specified, the operation of each component in the following description is controlled by the control controller 110.

[0058] Figures 6(a) and (b) show the relationship between the occurrence of an event and the recording of captured images. The imaging unit 120 of the imaging device 100 continuously captures moving images regardless of whether an event has occurred. The control controller 110 controls the recording of captured images from the start of recording to the most recent image in the continuous recording area 222 of the memory card 200 inserted into the memory card slot 160.

[0059] As described above, when continuous image capture is being performed, if a failure occurs in the work being carried out by the machine tool 2, the machine tool 2 detects this failure and outputs a waveform that periodically alternates between high and low as an alert signal. This alert signal is then input to the stacked signal lamp 21 as a control signal to turn the red light of the stacked signal lamp 21 on / off, and the red light blinks in response to the alert signal. The alert signal is also branched and input to the event input terminal 130 of the imaging device 100. When the alert signal, which had been in a low state, changes to high for the first time, the control controller 110 controls the system to store the images captured by the imaging unit 120 during the recording period from a predetermined time before the time the event occurred (i.e., the time when the alert signal first changed from low to high) to a predetermined time after the time the event occurred in the event recording area 224 of the memory card 200. At this time, for the images corresponding to the time the event occurred, a trigger flag indicating that the event occurred at the time the image was captured is recorded as additional information.

[0060] With the control described above, events such as work failures occur by sequentially going through the process of the event causing the failure, the occurrence of the failure, the detection of the failure, and the transmission of information indicating the occurrence of the event (e.g., a change in the alert signal). Therefore, in order to investigate the cause of the failure, it is necessary to check the image before the event occurred, and according to this embodiment, it is possible to check the image before the event occurred.

[0061] The aforementioned "predetermined time" can be set to, for example, one cycle of the machine tool 2's work cycle (e.g., 30 seconds). In this way, regardless of when the event occurs within one work cycle, the captured images can be stored from the start to the end of the cycle in which the event occurred. Since all captured images taken from the start to the end of the cycle including the time the event occurred can be stored without fail, it becomes easier to check the cause of the work failure and the subsequent processing. In other words, by checking the image before the event occurred in the cycle in which the event occurred, the cause of the failure can be identified. Also, by checking the image after the event occurred in the cycle in which the event occurred, it is possible to check whether the processing after the event occurred was carried out appropriately.

[0062] While the control controller 110 is controlling the recording of captured images for the recording period in the event recording area 224, it also controls the recording of captured images in the continuous recording area 222 in parallel. For the captured images recorded in the continuous recording area 222, a trigger flag is recorded as additional information in the captured image corresponding to the time when the event occurred.

[0063] Furthermore, the control controller 110 controls the system so that, after the end of the recording period, it does not react to any changes in the alert signal to high, even if the alert signal changes to high again, for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) after the alert signal, which had been periodically alternating between high and low, has last changed to low, and does not treat this change as an event. For example, as shown in Figure 6(a), if the changes in the alert signal continue after the end of the recording period, the period of no response is defined as the time from the end of the recording period until a predetermined period has elapsed after the alert signal last went low. Also, as shown in Figure 6(b), if the changes in the alert signal cease during the recording period, the period of no response begins when the alert signal last went low and ends after a predetermined period has elapsed. The period of no response should be long enough to confirm that the changes in the alert signal have ceased. In the above example, for an event that should be recognized as a single event (e.g., a work failure), multiple rising edges of the alert signal occur consecutively, but the first rising edge indicates the moment the event occurred. In such cases, by setting the "period of no response" described above, it is possible to prevent the same event from being recorded multiple times. As described above, in the first embodiment, control is performed so that the next trigger is not detected until a predetermined period of time has elapsed since event recording or after event recording has ended without detecting a pulse. This type of operation is called a pulse cancellation trigger.

[0064] The images recorded by the imaging device 100 in response to an event are played back using a dedicated browser, which is display and viewing software that runs on a personal computer. This dedicated browser can read from the imaging recording area 220 and displays various information recorded as additional information along with the image (for example, a trigger flag indicating that an event occurred, the time of imaging, etc.) in association with the image being played back. The dedicated browser also has a function to search for files to be played back using this additional information as a key. Such a dedicated browser makes it easy to investigate the cause of an event and to check post-event processing.

[0065] Furthermore, the dedicated browser displays information regarding the lifespan of the memory card 200 based on the overwrite limit recorded in the management area (222A, 224A) and the overwrite count value recorded as additional information for the captured image. Specifically, if the overwrite count value reaches 80% of the overwrite limit, it displays a message indicating that the memory card 200 is nearing the time for replacement. If the memory card 200 uses elements that are prone to failure as the number of rewrites increases, such as so-called NAND flash memory, the above message can inform the user when replacement is necessary, preventing situations where captured images cannot be recorded or played back due to a malfunction of the memory card 200.

[0066] In the initial stages of a newly established manufacturing line, for example, for a period of 3 to 4 months, machine tools may frequently experience problems. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the machine tools and carry out improvement activities to resolve the causes of these problems. However, once the frequency of problems decreases and the manufacturing line stabilizes, monitoring may no longer be necessary. Conversely, if the frequency of problems increases in a manufacturing line that was previously operating stably, retrospective monitoring of existing equipment may be required. For this reason, it is desirable that the imaging device 100 be easy to install and remove. The imaging device 100 of this embodiment, as described above, can be easily installed and removed without requiring any special configuration on the side of the equipment to be imaged, such as the machine tool 2, for outputting a trigger signal.

[0067] In the first embodiment described above, the recording period was defined as the time from a predetermined time before the event occurred until a predetermined time after the event occurred, and the period after the alert signal last changed to low was defined as the unresponsive period. The captured image during this recording period was recorded in the event recording area 224. However, various modifications are possible for the control when an event occurs, depending on the equipment to be imaged, the information indicating the occurrence of the given event, the characteristics of the event of interest, etc. Below, the second to sixth embodiments will be described as modifications thereof. Note that the configuration of the imaging device according to the second to sixth embodiments is the same as the imaging device 100 of the first embodiment in parts that are not described, so redundant explanations will be omitted, and the following will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0068] [Second Embodiment] The second embodiment is an operation known as a single trigger. In a single trigger, after a trigger is detected, control is performed to prevent the detection of the next trigger for a predetermined time. As shown in Figure 7, as information indicating the occurrence of an event, the equipment being imaged outputs an alert signal pulse at the time of the event. This alert signal is input to the event input terminal 130 of the imaging device 100. When the alert signal, which had been in a low state, changes to high, the control controller 110 controls the system to store the image captured by the imaging unit 120 in the event recording area 224 of the memory card 200 during a recording period from a predetermined time before the time the event occurred (i.e., the time when the change from low to high of the alert signal was detected) to a predetermined time after the time the event occurred.

[0069] If the imaging device outputs multiple pulses for a single event, the control controller 110 controls the system so that it does not react to any changes in the alert signal to high during a predetermined unresponsive period (e.g., 30 seconds) from the time the event occurs, and does not treat the change as an event. By setting this "unresponsive period," it is possible to prevent the same event from being recorded multiple times.

[0070] If the imaging device does not output multiple pulses for a single event, a no-response period may not be necessary. Alternatively, the number of events corresponding to the number of alert signal pulses may be assumed, and imaging data for the corresponding recording period for each event may be stored in the recording area.

[0071] [Third Embodiment] The third embodiment is an operation known as multi-trigger. In multi-trigger, if the next trigger is detected during event recording, control is performed to extend the event recording time. As shown in Figures 8(a) and (b), as information indicating the occurrence of an event, the equipment being imaged outputs a single pulse of an alert signal at the timing of the event. This alert signal is input to the event input terminal 130 of the imaging device 100. When the alert signal, which had been in a low state, changes to high, the control controller 110 controls the system to store the image captured by the imaging unit 120 in the event recording area 224 of the memory card 200 during the recording period from a predetermined time before the time the event occurred (i.e., the time when the change from low to high of the alert signal was detected) to a predetermined time after the time the event occurred.

[0072] The control described above is the same as in the second embodiment, however, as shown in Figure 8(b), if a single pulse of an alert signal is input to the event input terminal 130 during the recording period, the control controller 110 extends the end of the recording period to a predetermined time after the time the new event occurred.

[0073] By combining multiple events that occur in a short period into a single event record, it is possible to prevent multiple event records with overlapping recording periods, thereby saving memory capacity. Furthermore, if the equipment being scanned continuously generates alert signal pulses while an anomaly persists and stops generating pulses when the anomaly is resolved, a series of captured images from the time the anomaly occurs until it is resolved can be recorded as a single event. For example, when imaging is performed to verify whether a series of response procedures are appropriate, from when a signal light starts flashing due to an anomaly until the administrator stops the flashing of the signal light, the drive signal that causes the signal light to flash is detected as a signal indicating the occurrence of an event, and by extending the recording period while the drive signal repeatedly switches on and off, a series of captured images can be recorded as a single event.

[0074] [Fourth Embodiment] Figure 9 shows the operation when, immediately after the end of the recording period associated with the first alert signal pulse P1, the next trigger is recognized, and event recording is performed with the normal recording period based on the timing of trigger recognition. As shown in this example, the shorter the time between the end of the previous recording period and the recognition of the next trigger, the longer the overlap period between the two event recordings becomes, and the more redundant the recording becomes. In contrast, in the fourth embodiment, when the next trigger is recognized immediately after the end of the recording period, control is performed to shift the timing of event occurrence. Figure 10 shows this operation. As information indicating the occurrence of an event, the equipment being imaged outputs a single pulse P1 of the alert signal at the timing of the event occurrence. This alert signal is input to the event input terminal 130 of the imaging device 100. When the alert signal, which had been in a low state, changes to high, the control controller 110 controls the system to store the captured images taken by the imaging unit 120 during the recording period from a predetermined time before the time the event occurred (i.e., the time when the change from low to high of the alert signal was detected) to a predetermined time after the time the event occurred, in the event recording area 224 of the memory card 200. The above control is the same as in the second embodiment.

[0075] Then, the predetermined time immediately following the recording period associated with pulse P1 is designated as the monitoring period. If a single pulse P2 alert signal is input to the event input terminal as information indicating the occurrence of a new event within the monitoring period, the control controller 110 treats the end of the monitoring period, rather than the actual time pulse P2 is detected, as the time of the new event, and stores the imaging data for the recording period corresponding to the new event in the recording area. In other words, the trigger flag TF is added as additional information to the frame recorded at the end of the monitoring period, and the recording period associated with pulse P2 is from before a predetermined time before the end of the monitoring period until after a predetermined time after the end of the monitoring period.

[0076] The monitoring period should be shorter than the time before the event occurred in the recording period. This way, the recording period based on the end of the monitoring period will overlap with the immediately preceding recording period, making it easier to understand the events captured in the two recording periods. Individual event recordings made in conjunction with an event are basically not continuous in time, but a slight overlap with the previous recording period makes it easier to understand what is happening when viewing each file with a dedicated browser. Conversely, if the files do not overlap at all, it becomes difficult to understand when viewing the video. On the other hand, it is good to reduce the overlapping period to a degree that does not cause difficulty in understanding, and to increase the time recorded as an event. The overlap between preceding and succeeding recording periods should be sufficient to allow the continuity of the video to be recognized, for example, about 2 seconds.

[0077] When recording as described above, it is advisable to provide a dedicated browser or similar device with a function to play back multiple such recordings in chronological order. The dedicated browser should refer to the imaging time CT recorded as additional information for each frame in the memory card's recording area 224B to play back multiple recordings in chronological order. Furthermore, when recording as described above, it is advisable to provide a function to display the relationships between multiple such recordings in the dedicated browser or similar device. In order to display the relationships between such multiple recordings in the dedicated browser, the imaging device 100 should record additional information indicating the relationship between events for frames recorded during the recording period of related events. The additional information indicating the relationship between events should be a common symbol among related events, such as "A" or "B". The dedicated browser may also display the thumbnails of each recording with symbols indicating the relationship, such as "A-1" or "A-2", or it may display the related recordings side by side in a predetermined direction, such as horizontally, and display unrelated records in other columns. Additionally, the relationships between the thumbnails displayed side-by-side may be indicated by surrounding them with a predetermined frame, such as a colored one. Displaying them in this way makes it easier to understand events captured during two different recording periods as a single event.

[0078] As explained above, in this embodiment, for triggers that occur immediately after an event is recorded, the trigger portion is shifted by a short time. For example, if we record 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after trigger recognition, after the 10 seconds after the trigger have finished, the trigger will be recognized for 5 seconds, but the recording will record the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the 10 seconds following the trigger in the previous recording period, which have elapsed for another 5 seconds, as the next event record.

[0079] [Fifth Embodiment] The fifth embodiment is similar to the fourth embodiment, but when the next trigger is recognized immediately after the end of the recording period, the timing of the event occurrence is set to the timing when the trigger is actually recognized, while the recording period before and after the event occurrence is controlled to be different from that of normal trigger recognition. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the trigger at the time of event occurrence is not changed, but the recording period before the event is shortened and the recording period after the event is extended.

[0080] Similar to the fourth embodiment, the predetermined time immediately following the recording period associated with pulse P1 is set as the monitoring period. When a single pulse P2 alert signal is input to the event input terminal as information indicating the occurrence of a new event during the monitoring period, the control controller 110 records a trigger flag TF on the frame recorded at that time. Furthermore, the recording period associated with pulse P2 is shortened so that the overlap period with the recording period associated with pulse P1 is a predetermined time (e.g., 2 seconds). The recording period after the trigger recognition is extended by a time equivalent to this shortened time. The trigger flag TF is added as additional information to the frame recorded at the end of the monitoring period, and the recording period associated with pulse P2 is from before a predetermined time before the end of the monitoring period until after a predetermined time. The overlap between the preceding and succeeding recording periods should be sufficient to allow the continuity of the video to be recognized, for example, about 2 seconds. Note that the recording period after trigger recognition may not be extended.

[0081] Furthermore, if recordings are made as described above, it is preferable to provide a function in a dedicated browser or the like that allows for the continuous playback of multiple recordings in time, using the same method as described in the fourth embodiment. It is also preferable to provide a function that displays the relationships between multiple recordings in the dedicated browser or the like.

[0082] The event control described in the first to fifth embodiments above may be selectively executed by a single imaging device 100 through settings. For example, settings related to event control can be recorded in the management area 222A of the memory card 200 using a dedicated browser, and the imaging device can perform event control corresponding to these settings.

[0083] [Sixth Embodiment] The imaging device 100 according to the sixth embodiment identifies the type of event and performs different controls according to the type of event. The equipment to be imaged outputs an alert signal with a different pattern according to the type of event as information indicating the occurrence of the event when the event occurs. The imaging device 100 stores the alert signal pattern in advance in the storage unit 140 and stores event setting information that defines the control to be performed when the event occurs, in association with the pattern, in the storage unit 140. The operation when the event occurs may be the control described in the first to fifth embodiments above or a combination thereof, and the length, start date, end date, etc. of the recording period, unresponsive period, and monitoring period in each embodiment may be set arbitrarily.

[0084] In the imaging device 100, where the operation when an event occurs is defined in this way, when an alert signal of a pattern is input to the event input terminal 130, the control controller 110 queries the storage unit 140 for the pattern of the input alert signal and, according to the event setting information corresponding to that pattern, performs control to record the captured images for the recording period including the time before and after the event occurred in the event recording area 224 of the memory card 200.

[0085] The control of event recording performed by the imaging device 100 when an event occurs may vary considerably depending on the characteristics of the event, the content to be focused on, and the nature of the information indicating the occurrence of the event emitted by the device. In this embodiment, event recording can be performed using predefined control according to the type of event.

[0086] The imaging device 100 may record information indicating the type of event along with the captured images for the recording period. The information indicating the type of event may be recorded, for example, as additional information to the corresponding captured image when the event occurs. Even in cases where different controls are not performed depending on the type of event, as in the first to fifth embodiments, it is still advisable to identify the event that occurred and record information indicating the type of event along with the captured image.

[0087] The imaging device 100 described above eliminates the need to manually input information indicating the type of event. Therefore, when a device located in a remote factory stores images that it has stored when an event occurs, and these images are sent to a management department for review, the sending party can send the files obtained from the imaging device 100 with the event type information automatically recorded. The party reviewing the received images can then handle the files with the event type information reliably recorded. Thus, the workload can be reduced for both the sending and receiving parties.

[0088] If a corresponding pattern is not stored in the memory unit 140, it is preferable to perform a predetermined control (for example, the control of the first embodiment).

[0089] When recording images in the manner described above, it is advisable to display information indicating the type of event corresponding to the captured image in a dedicated browser used to display and view the images. Displaying this information makes it easier to understand the events captured in the video. [Variations of the Embodiment]

[0090] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and combinations, modifications, improvements, etc., are included in the present invention. For example, the lengths of the recording period, unresponsive period, and monitoring period described in each of the embodiments described above are arbitrary and may be freely set by the user.

[0091] In each of the above embodiments, the object to be imaged can be any device that performs control to notify a human of an event such as an abnormality when such an event occurs, but the imaging device 100 is most effective when machine tools are used as the object to be imaged. For example, in factories, logistics warehouses, automated warehouses, etc., the object to be imaged may be any machine that performs some kind of automated processing, such as machine tools or automated conveyors. In particular, the imaging devices described in each embodiment are suitable as a system for recording video to investigate the cause of problems that occur when such automated processing systems are built and started up, and improvement activities are carried out to resolve them, until the problems that have occurred are resolved.

[0092] Furthermore, devices that are not automated but are expected to be used by general users, such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and self-checkout machines, may also be used as imaging targets. Errors caused by incorrect usage by users or alarms in the event of fraudulent use can be used as information indicating the occurrence of events, and this is suitable for checking usage status in the event of an error and recording the circumstances under which fraud occurred. However, it is more effective for devices that are mass-produced and operate individually, such as automated teller machines (ATMs), rather than for devices that are linked with a management system, such as self-checkout machines, and have different specifications depending on the customer or location, such as for each store.

[0093] In particular, this system is highly effective in systems that have a function to notify the administrator, monitor, or other person in charge of the equipment of the occurrence of an abnormality by means of a lamp, alarm sound, etc., when some kind of abnormality occurs. In the first embodiment, by branching the connection line to the device for notifying people of the equipment abnormality using branching wiring such as an electrical tap, it is possible to record video including the time of equipment abnormality without adding any new event signal output function to the equipment. The imaging device 100 should recognize the occurrence of an event by using optical or other signals used by the equipment for the function of notifying people of the occurrence of an abnormality, or by using information that humans can perceive visually, aurally, etc., but it is especially good to determine the occurrence of an event from the signal line to the device for notifying people.

[0094] In each of the above embodiments, any information may be configured to be received as information indicating the occurrence of an event, but it is particularly preferable to configure the system to branch the signal to the stacked signal lamp 21 connected to the machine tool 2 and receive it as information indicating the occurrence of an event. Other information may also be used as information indicating the occurrence of an event. For example, if the equipment to be imaged has a function to output an external output signal to notify the outside of the occurrence of an event such as an abnormality, this external output signal may be used as information indicating the occurrence of an event. When a branched signal or an external output signal is used as information indicating the occurrence of an event, the imaging device 100 can reliably detect information indicating the occurrence of an event because the signal is received through physically connected wiring, etc. This is particularly preferable when the imaging device 100 is installed permanently and the effort required for installation and removal is not significant.

[0095] When using a branched signal or an external output signal as information indicating the occurrence of an event, the signal may be a continuous pulse as in the first embodiment or a single pulse as in the second embodiment, or it may be a status signal indicating ON and OFF states (for example, a binary value of high and low), a pulse train that repeats in a predetermined pattern, or an analog signal such as an audio signal.

[0096] In the case of control that includes an unresponsive period, as in the second embodiment, when detecting a pulse train that repeats in a predetermined pattern as an alert signal indicating the occurrence of an event, the unresponsive period should be longer than the longest low time in the pulse train pattern. This prevents the recognition of a new event occurring while the alert signal is continuing.

[0097] When receiving an alert signal indicating the occurrence of an event, the predetermined pattern may be stored in advance, and the system may detect the occurrence of an event when a pulse train matching the stored pattern is input. In this case, the pattern to be stored in advance may be manually entered by the user, but it is particularly preferable to have a learning mode that learns and stores the patterns of alert signals actually input to the event input terminal 130. By providing such a learning mode, the registration of patterns for the imaging device 100 becomes easier, and the installation of the imaging device 100 becomes easier.

[0098] The imaging device 100 may be positioned so that multiple devices are within the imaging field of view of the imaging unit 120, and the event input terminal 130 may be configured to receive the logical OR of alert signals from multiple devices. In this way, a single imaging device 100 can capture images of the events occurring at multiple devices.

[0099] Alternatively, the imaging device 100 may be equipped with a light-receiving element to detect the light emission of the signal light, and the light emission of the signal light may be detected as information indicating the occurrence of an event. The imaging device 100 may be installed so that the signal light is within the imaging field of view of the imaging unit 120, and the imaging unit 120 may detect the light emission of the signal light as information indicating the occurrence of an event. In this case, the control controller 110 may analyze the captured image in real time to detect the light emission of the signal light. In this configuration, where visual information is detected as information indicating the occurrence of an event, troublesome work such as branching the signal is unnecessary when installing the imaging device, making installation and removal easy. Furthermore, when detecting information indicating the occurrence of an event from the captured image, no special configuration such as sensors is required on the imaging device side, making installation easy. Therefore, this is particularly preferable when temporarily installing the imaging device 100, such as during the period until a problem is resolved in a newly started production line.

[0100] Furthermore, when imaging equipment that emits alarm sounds such as sirens or buzzers in the event of an abnormality, a microphone for detecting alarm sounds may be provided in the imaging device 100, so that the alarm sound of a rotating light is detected as information indicating the occurrence of an event. In this configuration, where audio information is detected as information indicating the occurrence of an event, troublesome work such as branching signals is unnecessary when installing the imaging device, making installation easy and removal easy. Therefore, this is particularly preferable when temporarily installing the imaging device 100, such as during the period until a problem is resolved in a newly started production line.

[0101] Furthermore, in a configuration that performs different controls depending on the type of event that occurs, as in the sixth embodiment, the method for identifying an event is not limited to the method described in the sixth embodiment. For example, if the equipment being imaged has a function to output information indicating the type of event, such as an error code indicating the type of abnormality, the imaging device 100 may be configured to include an event identification information input terminal for inputting information indicating the type of event. Then, the event that has occurred may be identified based on the information input to the event identification information input terminal.

[0102] Another example is when the equipment being imaged by the imaging device 100 outputs multiple types of external output signals. In such cases, the imaging device 100 should identify the type of event according to the received external signal. Specifically, the type of event should be identified according to the signals that control each color (red, yellow, blue) of the stacked signal lights. In this way, for example, when a signal is generated to illuminate the red signal light, a serious abnormality can be considered, and the recording period can be set to be relatively long for the period before illumination. Similarly, when a signal is generated to illuminate the yellow signal light, a potential abnormality can be considered, and the recording period can be set to be relatively long for the period after illumination.

[0103] In a configuration that detects visual information, such as the illumination of a signal light, as information indicating the occurrence of an event, it is advisable to identify the type of event based on color, location, temporal illumination pattern, etc.

[0104] In the sixth embodiment, information indicating the type of event may be recorded in any manner, but it is particularly preferable to record the information indicating the type of event as supplementary information to the captured image. However, the method of recording the information indicating the type of event is not limited to this. For example, the information indicating the type of event may be used as part of the file name. By including the information indicating the type of event in the file name, it becomes easier to understand the contents of the captured image stored in the file without having to load the file into a dedicated browser. Alternatively, an error code may be embedded in the header of the frame in which the event occurred in the recorded video. By searching for the frame in which the error code is embedded during playback, the image at the moment the event occurred can be quickly identified. For example, the information indicating the type of event may be embedded in the image as a watermark. In this way, the information indicating the type of event can be embedded without increasing the file size or having a visible effect on the image. It also makes it difficult to tamper with the information indicating the type of event. As another example, the information indicating the type of event may be embedded as text superimposed on the image.

[0105] In the embodiments described above, the imaging unit 120 captured moving images, but it may also capture still images, for example. Furthermore, the images may be 2D images or 3D images. They may also be black and white images or color images. The lens component of the imaging unit 120 may be a short-focus lens instead of a zoom lens.

[0106] In each of the above embodiments, any storage medium may be used, but it is particularly preferable to use a memory card 200 inserted into the memory card slot 160. Alternatively, other storage devices such as hard disk drives may be used instead of a memory card. Furthermore, the storage medium is not limited to removable ones and may be built into the housing 105 in a non-removable form. Alternatively, the captured images may be stored in a storage area provided on a communication network as the storage medium. However, the best configuration is to store the images on a storage medium such as a memory card 200 that is removable from the aforementioned imaging device 100. In particular, when a manufacturing line has just been built in a factory, for a period of about 3 to 4 months, it is possible to easily install and record with the imaging device without building a large-scale system, such as when monitoring for troubles. Furthermore, when checking the recorded captured images, the memory card can be removed from the imaging device and played back on a PC, saving the trouble of reinstalling it each time for checking. In addition, not only in temporary cases, but also when events do not occur very frequently, it is possible to easily photograph the situation of abnormal machine tools without building a large-scale system.

[0107] In the above embodiment, the recording destination for temporarily recording captured images is arbitrary. For example, captured images may be temporarily recorded in a memory element such as SDRAM built into the imaging device 100, and when an event occurs, the captured images temporarily recorded in the memory element may be ultimately recorded in the event recording area 224 of the memory card 200. However, as in the above embodiment, it is particularly preferable to record captured images continuously from the imaging unit 120 in the continuous recording area 222 of the memory card 200, and to record captured images taken when an event occurs in the event recording area 224 of the memory card 200.

[0108] Furthermore, captured images that have been in use for a predetermined time may be stored in the continuous recording area 222 while reducing the storage size by using a low frame rate (e.g., 1 frame per second), low resolution, or monochrome conversion. This method saves the storage capacity per unit time required for continuous recording when no events are occurring.

[0109] In the above embodiment, continuous recording is optional, but it is particularly preferable to record images captured during the recording period associated with an event in the event recording area, and to record continuous images in the continuous recording area. Furthermore, the images captured when an event occurs should be recorded with a higher amount of information compared to the continuously recorded images, by increasing the frame rate, decreasing (or not compressing) the image file compression ratio, increasing the image file quality (e.g., HD (High Definition) image), or using color images. Conversely, the images captured during continuous recording may have less information compared to the images captured when an event occurs, by decreasing the frame rate, increasing the image file compression ratio, decreasing the image file quality (e.g., VGA image), or using black and white images.

[0110] In the first embodiment described above, an example was explained in which a dedicated browser running on a personal computer separate from the imaging device 100 is used as the display and viewing means. However, the imaging device 100 may also be equipped with a playback means integrated into the housing 105 for playing back and displaying the captured images.

[0111] In the first embodiment described above, the method of fixing the imaging device 100 can be any method, but a simple method is particularly preferable. In particular, it is preferable to fix it with a fixing means that is easy to attach / remove, such as a clip, clamp, Velcro, or adhesive mat. When the imaging device 100 is temporarily installed, such as during the period until a problem is resolved in a newly established production line, it is especially preferable to fix it with such an easy-to-attach / remove fixing means. Furthermore, the mounting destination for the fixing means should be an existing structure such as a protective frame or pillar provided around the equipment to be imaged. In this way, the image sensor can be easily temporarily installed and easily removed.

[0112] In the first embodiment described above, an example was explained in which a format count master value indicating the number of times the memory card has been formatted is recorded in the management area of ​​the memory card. However, if the memory card can be individually identified by unique identification information, the format count master value may be recorded on the PC running the dedicated browser program for formatting the memory card, and the format count master value stored on the PC may be incremented by 1 each time the memory card is formatted.

[0113] In the first embodiment described above, the method for updating the overwrite count master value recorded in the management area of ​​the memory card is arbitrary, but it is particularly preferable for a dedicated browser to update it. Alternatively, the overwrite count master value may be updated by the imaging device 100. In this way, the latest overwrite count master value can be recorded in the management area without using a dedicated browser.

[0114] In the first embodiment described above, the method for notifying the user of the memory card's lifespan is optional, but it is particularly preferable to use the overwrite count value and overwrite limit value recorded on the memory card to display the memory card's lifespan information on a dedicated browser. Furthermore, such lifespan information may also be notified by the imaging device. For example, if the imaging device has a liquid crystal screen, the lifespan information may be displayed on the liquid crystal screen. Also, if the imaging device has a monitor lamp indicating the operating status, the lifespan information may be notified by turning on or flashing the monitor lamp. Additionally, if the imaging device has a sound source such as a buzzer, it may be made to emit a sound from the sound source to notify the user of lifespan information.

[0115] The timing of the notification regarding the end of life in the imaging device can be set to any time. For example, it could be when the power is turned on, or it could be monitored continuously and notifications could be sent. However, if the frequency of overwriting is not high, it is particularly good to periodically (for example, once a week) compare the overwrite count value with the overwrite limit value and send a notification if the conditions are met. Furthermore, when the imaging device recognizes that the conditions for notifying about the end of life have been met, it is good to treat this meeting of the conditions as an event occurrence and record the captured image in the event recording area, along with information indicating the type of event that indicates the conditions for notifying about the end of life have been met. In this way, captured images resulting from the meeting of the conditions for notifying about the end of life will be mixed in with captured images resulting from events that occurred in the equipment being scanned, making it easier for administrators to notice that the end of life is approaching.

[0116] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the conditions for providing guidance regarding the lifespan can be anything, but it is particularly preferable to display guidance regarding the lifespan when the overwrite count value reaches 80% of the overwrite upper limit. Alternatively, for example, an index indicating the degree of wear may be calculated using the overwrite count value and the format count value, and guidance regarding the lifespan may be provided based on the result of comparing this index with the overwrite upper limit. For example, if formatting puts stress on the memory card's storage area and accelerates degradation compared to normal overwriting, it is preferable to calculate an index indicating the degree of wear by weighting the format count value more heavily than the overwrite count value.

[0117] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the method for determining the overwrite limit value, which indicates an estimate of the memory card's lifespan, is optional. However, it is particularly preferable for the user to specify the overwrite limit value of the memory card being used and store it in the management area (222A, 224A). If the recording medium already stores information regarding its lifespan, this information may be used to provide guidance regarding its lifespan.

[0118] The recording method to a memory card described in relation to the first embodiment above can also be applied to a vehicle drive recorder. In this case, it is preferable to continuously record video of the area in front of the vehicle and to perform event recording triggered by an impact, acceleration, etc., equivalent to that of an accident. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0119] 1. Imaging System 2 Machine tools 3 monitors 100 Imaging device 105 cabinets 110 Control Controller 120 Imaging Units 130 Event Input Terminals 160 memory card slots 200 memory cards

Claims

1. An imaging device that records captured images onto a memory card, The system includes a function that treats the fulfillment of the conditions for notifying the user of the lifespan of the memory card as the occurrence of an event, and records the captured image in the event recording area. An imaging device characterized by the following.

2. The system includes a function to record, along with the captured image, information indicating the type of event that has occurred, which signifies that the conditions for notifying the user of the lifespan of the memory card have been met. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. An imaging device that records captured images onto a memory card, The system includes a function to record, along with the captured image, information indicating the type of event that has occurred, which signifies that the conditions for notifying the user of the lifespan of the memory card have been met. An imaging device characterized by the following.

4. Equipped with a sound source, The sound source is configured to emit a sound to notify information regarding the lifespan of the memory card. An imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

5. A program for a computer to implement the functions of the imaging apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images