Video monitoring device and method with control mode varying according to the number of split screens

Abstract

The present invention relates to a video control method using a video control device comprising: a plurality of camera devices for collecting video data; a communication device for transmitting the collected video data to a central control device; and a central control device comprising a display unit including an output unit for outputting the video data and a user interface unit for providing an interface for generating control commands for the output unit or the camera device, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the camera device, the output unit, and the communication device through the user interface unit. The method comprises: a step of collecting video data from the plurality of camera devices; a step of transmitting the video data to a central control device; a step of outputting the video data from the output unit; a step of generating control commands for the output unit or the camera device through the user interface unit; and a step of controlling the operation of the video control device according to the control commands. The step of outputting the video data from the output unit comprises: a step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to the camera device; and a step of outputting the video data to each of the divided screens.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a video control device and method, and specifically to a device and method for monitoring CCTV footage. Background Technology

[0002] CCTV systems are widely used for security and surveillance purposes, and with technological advancements, there is a growing trend of video surveillance systems incorporating cloud computing technology. Cloud-based video surveillance systems offer the advantage of enabling real-time video monitoring via a web browser, without restrictions on time or location.

[0003] Meanwhile, conventional video surveillance systems provide a screen splitting function to simultaneously monitor video received from multiple cameras, and allow for remote camera control via the PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) function when detailed surveillance is required. However, there was a problem in that detailed monitoring or camera control was difficult because each video was displayed small when the screen was split into multiple sections.

[0004] The technology forming the background of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1221437. However, the aforementioned registered patent merely discloses dividing the screen or displaying it sequentially, and does not recognize a screen control method that is differentiated according to the number of times the screen is divided, as in the present invention. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the aforementioned prior art and to provide an image control device and method.

[0006] However, the technical problems that the embodiments of the present invention aim to solve are not limited to those described above, and other technical problems may exist. means of solving the problem

[0007] As a technical means for achieving the above-mentioned technical problem, the first aspect of the present invention relates to a video control method using a video control device comprising: a plurality of camera devices for collecting video data; a communication device for transmitting the collected video data to a central control device; and a central control device comprising a display unit including an output unit for outputting the video data and a user interface unit for providing an interface for generating control commands for the output unit or the camera device, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the camera device, the output unit, and the communication device through the user interface unit; wherein the method comprises: a step of collecting video data from the plurality of camera devices; a step of transmitting the video data to a central control device; a step of outputting the video data from the output unit; a step of generating control commands for the output unit or the camera device through the user interface unit; and a step of controlling the operation of the video control device according to the control commands; wherein the step of outputting the video data from the output unit comprises: a step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to the camera device; and a step of outputting the video data to each of the divided screens.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of generating the control command may generate different control commands depending on the relationship between the number of divided screens and a reference value in the step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to the camera device, but is not limited thereto.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the screen is divided into segments smaller than or equal to a reference value, the step of generating the control command may include: selecting one of the divided screens; and generating a control command including at least one command of zooming in or zooming out of image data provided on the selected screen, and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data; but is not limited thereto.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the screen is divided beyond a reference value, the step of generating the control command may include: selecting one of the divided screens; enlarging the selected screen in the output unit; and generating a control command including at least one command among zooming in or zooming out of image data provided in the enlarged screen, and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data; but is not limited thereto.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, unselected screens among the divided screens may be arranged in a reduced state or listed in a minimized state on at least one side of the enlarged screen, but are not limited thereto.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reference value may be 3 to 6, but is not limited thereto.

[0013] Additionally, a second aspect of the present invention relates to a video control device comprising: a plurality of camera devices for collecting video data; a central control device for outputting and editing the video data; and a communication device for transmitting the collected video data to the central control device; wherein the central control device comprises: a display unit including an output unit for outputting video data collected from the camera devices and a user interface unit for providing an interface for generating control commands for the output unit or the camera devices; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the camera devices, the central control device, and the communication device through the user interface unit; wherein the output unit comprises a screen in which the video data is divided into areas corresponding to the camera devices, and the video data is output to each of the divided screens, and the number of screens divided in the output unit is less than or equal to the number of camera devices.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of the image data or the control command provided to the camera device may vary depending on the relationship between the number of divided screens and a reference value, but is not limited thereto.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the number of divided screens is less than or equal to the reference value, the control command may include a command to select any one of the screens, and may additionally include at least one command among zooming in or zooming out of image data provided on the selected screen and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data, but is not limited thereto.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the number of divided screens exceeds the reference value, the control command includes a command to select one of the screens and a command to enlarge the selected screen in the output unit, and may additionally include at least one command among zooming in or zooming out of image data output from the enlarged screen and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data, but is not limited thereto.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the control command includes panning or tilting of the camera device, the control command may be transmitted to the camera device through the communication unit, but is not limited thereto.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the communication device may be operated by a communication technology selected from the group consisting of WIFI, 3G, 4G-LTE, 5G, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa (Long Range), wired communication and combinations thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0019] The means for solving the problem described above are merely exemplary and should not be interpreted as intended to limit the present invention. In addition to the exemplary embodiments described above, additional embodiments may exist in the drawings and the detailed description of the invention. Effects of the invention

[0020] According to the means for solving the problem of the present invention described above, the video control device and method according to the present invention enable rapid monitoring by allowing immediate use of screen operations displayed on the screen without separate screen switching.

[0021] In addition, the above-described video monitoring device and method improve the accuracy and efficiency of security monitoring because, when the screen is manipulated when the number of divided screens exceeds a certain limit, the screen is automatically magnified to enable detailed video observation.

[0022] In addition, the above-described video control device and method can return to the screen prior to operation using a separate button after screen operation, thereby increasing the efficiency of continuous monitoring operations.

[0023] In addition, the above-mentioned video monitoring device and method enhance the convenience of security monitoring tasks by minimizing separate user operation through an automatic switching function based on the screen splitting state.

[0024] In addition, the above-mentioned video surveillance device and method are implemented on a cloud basis, offering excellent system scalability and enabling efficient CCTV control even from a remote location.

[0025] However, the effects obtainable from this invention are not limited to those described above, and other effects may exist. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an image control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 3a to 3c illustrate an image control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] Below, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them.

[0028] However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly illustrate the present invention in the drawings, parts unrelated to the description have been omitted, and similar parts throughout the specification have been given similar reference numerals.

[0029] Throughout this specification, when a part is described as being "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where they are "directly connected," but also cases where they are "electrically connected" with other elements interposed between them.

[0030] Throughout the entire specification, when a component is described as being located "on," "on top," "on top," "under," "on bottom," or "on bottom" of another component, this includes not only cases where the component is in contact with the other component but also cases where another component exists between the two components.

[0031] Throughout this specification, when a part is described as "comprising" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0032] Hereinafter, an image control device and method according to one embodiment and example of the present invention will be described.

[0033] As a technical means for achieving the above-mentioned technical problem, the first aspect of the present invention relates to a video control method using a video control device comprising: a plurality of camera devices for collecting video data; a communication device for transmitting the collected video data to a central control device; and a central control device comprising a display unit including an output unit for outputting the video data and a user interface unit for providing an interface for generating control commands for the output unit or the camera device, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the camera device, the output unit, and the communication device through the user interface unit; wherein the method comprises: a step of collecting video data from the plurality of camera devices; a step of transmitting the video data to a central control device; a step of outputting the video data from the output unit; a step of generating control commands for the output unit or the camera device through the user interface unit; and a step of controlling the operation of the video control device according to the control commands; wherein the step of outputting the video data from the output unit comprises: a step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to the camera device; and a step of outputting the video data to each of the divided screens.

[0034] As will be described later, the video control method according to the first aspect above is implemented by a video control device according to the second aspect.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a video control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this regard, the step of generating the control command is performed by a user interface unit, and the user interface unit and the output unit are included in a display unit, and the display unit is included in a central control unit constituting the video control device.

[0036] First, image data is collected from multiple camera devices.

[0037] Next, the above video data is transmitted to the central control unit.

[0038] The above video data can be transmitted to the central control unit via a communication device.

[0039] The central control unit comprises: a display unit including an output unit that outputs image data collected from the camera unit and a user interface unit that generates control commands for the output unit or the camera unit; and a control unit that controls operations between the camera unit, the output unit, the communication unit, and the user interface unit. Depending on the needs, it may also include a tool for inputting signals to generate control commands such as a keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen.

[0040] Specifically, the display unit includes an output unit that outputs the image data and a user interface unit that generates the image data output from the output unit or control commands for the camera device, wherein an area of ​​the display unit at least a certain percentage (at least 50%, preferably 90% or more) is used to output the image data collected from the camera device, and the area excluding the output unit where the image data is output is used to generate the image data or control commands for the camera device.

[0041] At this time, although there are multiple camera devices, the output unit may output only image data collected from one camera device as needed, or may enlarge only one selected image data among the multiple camera devices and reduce the image data that is not selected, or may divide the area where image data is output from the display unit and output it.

[0042] Preferably, the output unit divides the area where image data is output so that all image data collected from the plurality of camera devices can be displayed on the display unit, and when any one of the image data is selected, the selected one is enlarged and the unselected ones are reduced, and only the selected one can be output by a control command for the selected one.

[0043] In this case, if there are multiple camera devices and the output unit outputs only video data collected from one of the camera devices, the video data that is not output can be played in the background in a minimized or listed state in real time.

[0044] The above user interface unit may generate a signal for executing a command included in a control command to be described later. For example, the control command may include a selection of at least one of a plurality of image data output from an output unit, a zoom in to enlarge the selected image data, a zoom out to reduce the selected image data, a tilting of the camera device to rotate the shooting point of the image data in the x-axis direction or the y-axis direction, a panning of the camera device to rotate the shooting point of the image data in the z-axis direction, and a combination thereof selected from the group consisting of combinations thereof.

[0045] However, in addition to the selection, zoom in, zoom out, tilting, and panning described above, the control command may include techniques used in the process of editing general video data, such as color correction to correct the color of video data, color editing to edit the color, speed control to adjust the playback speed, scrubbing to adjust the playback position, and brightness control to adjust the brightness.

[0046] Next, the above image data is output from the output unit.

[0047] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of outputting the image data from the output unit may include: a step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to a camera device; and a step of outputting the image data to each of the divided screens, but is not limited thereto.

[0048] The step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to the camera device may involve dividing the screen of the output unit by the number of camera devices. In this case, if the camera device includes a first camera, a second camera, ... an nth camera, the screen of the output unit may be divided into a first screen, a second screen, ... an nth screen, and image data collected from the first camera may be displayed on the first screen, image data collected from the second camera may be displayed on the second screen, and image data collected from the nth camera may be displayed on the nth screen.

[0049] Next, a control command for the output unit or camera device is generated. The generation of the control command is performed by a user interface unit included in the display unit of the central control unit of the video control device.

[0050] For example, the generation of the control command may be performed by at least one of a tool bar, tool box, tool set, tool panel, and control tool associated with the control command included in the user interface part, and by an input tool.

[0051] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of generating the control command may generate different control commands depending on the relationship between the number of divided screens and a reference value in the step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to the camera device, but is not limited thereto.

[0052] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reference value may be 3 to 6, but is not limited thereto. Preferably, the reference value may be 4.

[0053] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the screen is divided into segments smaller than or equal to a reference value, the step of generating the control command may include: selecting one of the divided screens; and generating a control command including at least one command of zooming in or zooming out of image data provided on the selected screen, and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data; but is not limited thereto.

[0054] For example, the screen of the output unit may be divided into 2 to 4 sections to output video data collected from 2 to 4 cameras at once, or if it is not divided, one of the video data being played on the output unit may be selected, and the selected video data may be zoomed in or zoomed out, or the shooting angle of the camera device providing the selected video data may be adjusted.

[0055] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the screen is divided beyond a reference value, the step of generating the control command may include: selecting one of the divided screens; enlarging the selected screen in the output unit; and generating a control command including at least one command among zooming in or zooming out of image data provided in the enlarged screen, and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data; but is not limited thereto.

[0056] In this regard, 'screen enlargement' refers to enlarging the divided screen itself that provides a single image data. For example, when an output unit is divided into two or more screens, if one screen is enlarged, the said screen is enlarged and displayed across the entire output unit. That is, only the display method of the image data changes, and there is no change in the resolution, clarity, etc., of the image data.

[0057] On the other hand, 'zoom in on image data' involves operating the lens of the camera device to narrow the shooting range or to enlarge only a part of the output image data to photograph the object larger, and the resolution and clarity of the image data may vary depending on the resolution of the camera device, etc.

[0058] That is, screen enlargement is a control command performed by the user of the video control device to view the output video data in a larger size, and zoom in on the video data means a control command performed by the user to focus on viewing a part of the video data.

[0059] For example, when the screen of the output unit is divided into five or more parts, the size of the image data is reduced, so one of the image data output on each of the divided screens of the output unit can be selected, the selected screen can be enlarged, and then the enlarged image data can be zoomed in or zoomed out, or the shooting angle of the camera device providing the image data can be adjusted.

[0060] However, even if the screen of the output unit is divided into 2 to 4 sections, the selected image data can be enlarged.

[0061] Next, the operation of the video control device is controlled according to the above control command.

[0062] The control command generated above can control the operation of the camera device through the communication device, or zoom in or zoom out on image data output from the output unit.

[0063] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the number of divided screens is less than or equal to the reference value, the control command may include a command to select any one of the screens, and may additionally include at least one command among zooming in or zooming out of image data provided on the selected screen and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data, but is not limited thereto.

[0064] According to one embodiment of the present invention, unselected screens among the divided screens may be arranged in a reduced state or listed in a minimized state on at least one side of the enlarged screen, but are not limited thereto. In this case, arrangement or listing is performed when the number of divided screens exceeds a reference value, but arrangement or listing may be performed even if the number is less than the reference value if the selected image data is enlarged.

[0065] The above arrangement may be placed at the bottom, top, right, or left end of the output section. Additionally, the above list may be placed in the user interface section or the output section, and when placed in the output section, it may be placed to minimize obscuring the output image data.

[0066] After generating control commands such as zoom in, zoom out, panning, and tilting for the selected screen (first selected screen), a second selected screen can be selected from the array or list to select another screen. When the second selected screen is selected, it may be output in a reduced form that covers part of the first selected screen, and after the first selected screen is entered into the list or array, the second selected screen may be enlarged.

[0067] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the control command includes panning or tilting of the camera device, the control command may be transmitted to the camera device through the communication unit, but is not limited thereto.

[0068] At this time, the control command includes zoom in or zoom out, and if the zoom in or zoom out controls the operation of the lens of the camera device, the control command may be transmitted to the camera device through the communication unit, but is not limited thereto.

[0069] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the camera device may include a CCTV. That is, instead of static photo data at a specific point in time, the camera device captures image data of a specific area captured over a certain period of time based on a specific point in time.

[0070] Additionally, a second aspect of the present invention relates to a video control device comprising: a plurality of camera devices for collecting video data; a central control device for outputting and editing the video data; and a communication device for transmitting the collected video data to the central control device; wherein the central control device comprises: a display unit including an output unit for outputting video data collected from the camera devices and a user interface unit for providing an interface for generating control commands for the output unit or the camera devices; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the camera devices, the central control device, and the communication device through the user interface unit; wherein the output unit comprises a screen in which the video data is divided into areas corresponding to the camera devices, and the video data is output to each of the divided screens, and the number of screens divided in the output unit is less than or equal to the number of camera devices.

[0071] With respect to the video control device according to the second aspect of the present invention, detailed descriptions of parts overlapping with the first aspect of the present invention have been omitted; however, even if such descriptions are omitted, the contents described in the first aspect of the present invention may be applied equally to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0072] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an image control device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of the image data or the control command provided to the camera device may vary depending on the relationship between the number of divided screens and a reference value, but is not limited thereto.

[0074] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the number of divided screens is less than or equal to the reference value, the control command may include a command to select any one of the screens, and may additionally include at least one command among zooming in or zooming out of image data provided on the selected screen and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data, but is not limited thereto.

[0075] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the number of divided screens exceeds the reference value, the control command includes a command to select one of the screens and a command to enlarge the selected screen in the output unit, and may additionally include at least one command among zooming in or zooming out of image data output from the enlarged screen and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data, but is not limited thereto.

[0076] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the communication device may be operated by a communication technology selected from the group consisting of WIFI, 3G, 4G, 5G, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa (Long Range), wired communication and combinations thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0077] FIGS. 3a to 3c illustrate a video control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 3a is a case where only one video data is output to the output unit, i.e., a single divided screen; FIG. 3b is a case where the output unit is divided into four parts and four video data are output; and FIG. 3c is a case where the output unit is divided into six parts and six video data are output.

[0078] In FIGS. 3a and 3b, PTZ (panning-tilting-zoom in / zoom out) is performed without magnifying the selected screen, but in FIG. 3c, it can be seen that PTZ is performed after the selected screen (top left) is first magnified to the entire screen of the output unit.

[0079] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that other specific forms can be easily modified without altering the technical concept or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single unit may be implemented in a distributed manner, and components described as distributed may likewise be implemented in a combined form.

[0080] The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims set forth below rather than by the detailed description above, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the concept of equivalents thereof should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claim 1 A video control method using a video control device comprising: a plurality of camera devices for collecting video data; a communication device for transmitting the collected video data to a central control device; and a central control device comprising a display unit including an output unit for outputting the video data and a user interface unit providing an interface for generating control commands for the output unit or the camera device, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the camera device, the output unit, and the communication device through the user interface unit; wherein the method comprises: a step of collecting video data from the plurality of camera devices; a step of transmitting the video data to a central control device; a step of outputting the video data from the output unit; a step of generating control commands for the output unit or the camera device through the user interface unit; and a step of controlling the operation of the video control device according to the control commands; wherein the step of outputting the video data from the output unit comprises a step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to the camera device. and a step of outputting the image data to each of the divided screens; wherein the step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to the camera device is to divide the screen of the output unit by the number of camera devices, and the step of generating the control command is to generate different control commands according to the relationship between the number of divided screens and a reference value in the step of dividing the screen of the output unit into areas corresponding to the camera device, wherein if the screen is divided into less than or equal to the reference value, the step of generating the control command includes a step of selecting one of the divided screens; and a step of generating a control command including at least one command among zoom in or zoom out, color correction, color editing, speed adjustment, scrubbing, brightness adjustment, and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data provided on the selected screen.A video control method comprising: a step of selecting one of the divided screens when the screen is divided beyond a reference value; a step of enlarging the selected screen in the output unit; and a step of generating a control command including at least one command among zoom in or zoom out, color correction, color editing, speed adjustment, scrubbing, brightness adjustment, and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data provided in the enlarged screen; wherein the screens among the divided screens that are not selected are arranged in a reduced state or listed in a minimized state on at least one side of the enlarged screen, wherein the arrangement is placed at the bottom, top, right, or left end of the output unit, and the list is placed at the user interface unit or the output unit. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 delete Claim 6 In paragraph 1, the above reference value is 3 to 6 people, a video control method. Claim 7 A video control device comprises: a plurality of camera devices for collecting video data; a central control device for outputting and editing the video data; and a communication device for transmitting the collected video data to the central control device; wherein the central control device comprises: a display unit including an output unit for outputting video data collected from the camera devices and a user interface unit for providing an interface for generating control commands for the output unit or the camera devices; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the camera devices, the central control device, and the communication device through the user interface unit.The output unit includes a screen in which the image data is divided into areas corresponding to the camera device, the image data is output to each of the divided screens, the number of screens divided in the output unit is equal to the number of the camera device, and the configuration of the control command provided to the image data or the camera device varies according to the relationship between the number of screens divided and a reference value, wherein when the number of screens divided is less than or equal to the reference value, the control command includes a command to select any one of the screens, and additionally includes at least one command among zoom in or zoom out, color correction, color editing, speed control, scrubbing, brightness control of the image data provided on the selected screen, and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data, and when the number of screens divided exceeds the reference value, the control command includes a command to select any one of the screens and a command to enlarge the selected screen in the output unit, and zoom in or zoom out, color correction, color editing, speed control, scrubbing, brightness control of the image data output on the enlarged screen, and panning or tilting of the camera device providing the image data A video control device comprising at least one additional command, wherein unselected screens among the divided screens are arranged in a reduced state or listed in a minimized state on at least one side of the enlarged screen, wherein the arrangement is positioned at the bottom, top, right, or left end of the output unit, and the list is positioned at the user interface unit or the output unit. Claim 8 delete Claim 9 delete Claim 10 delete Claim 11 An image control device according to claim 7, wherein, if the control command includes panning or tilting of the camera device, the control command is transmitted to the camera device through the communication device. Claim 12 In claim 7, the video control device is operated by a communication technology selected from the group consisting of WIFI, 3G, 4G-LTE, 5G, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa (Long Range), wired communication, and combinations thereof.

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