Pan-tilt monitoring camera with alert line detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current monitoring systems using wide angle cameras struggle to detect and identify events at the perimeter of their view, often requiring multiple cameras to ensure adequate image quality, which increases the likelihood of missing events of interest.
Innovation Solution
A monitoring camera system with a wide angle lens and pan-tilt motor mechanism, utilizing an alert line to detect objects crossing its view, allowing the camera head to redirect and capture detailed images of events, thereby reducing the need for multiple cameras and enhancing event detection and identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If wide angle cameras are mounted to monitor large areas, then the coverage area is improved, but the image quality at the perimeter deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The camera head is made dynamically movable through pan and tilt motors, allowing it to switch between wide-angle overview mode and focused detailed view mode. This dynamic repositioning enables the single camera to adapt its field of view based on whether broad coverage or high-detail imaging is needed, resolving the contradiction between coverage area and image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions between two operational dimensions: a wide-angle dimension for broad area coverage and a focused dimension for detailed imaging. By using the alert line detection system to trigger transitions between these dimensional modes, the camera achieves both large area monitoring capability and high-quality detailed images without requiring multiple cameras.
2Measurement precision
If additional cameras are installed to improve image quality, then the identification capability is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single camera head is designed to perform multiple functions: it can operate in wide-angle mode for general area monitoring and switch to focused mode for detailed identification. The pan-tilt mechanism and interchangeable lens capability enable one camera to replace what would traditionally require multiple specialized cameras, thereby improving identification capability while reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the functions of multiple cameras into a single integrated system. By merging the wide-angle monitoring function and the detailed identification function into one camera head that can reposition and adjust its field of view, the system achieves the capabilities of multiple cameras while reducing hardware complexity, installation requirements, and operational burden.
3Reliability
If multiple cameras are used to monitor large areas, then the detection coverage is improved, but the operator workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service through automated alert line detection and camera head redirection. The detection system automatically identifies when objects cross predefined alert lines and autonomously redirects the camera head to capture relevant events, eliminating the need for operators to manually monitor multiple camera feeds. This automation maintains comprehensive detection coverage while significantly reducing operator workload.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the detection system continuously monitors the wide-angle view, automatically triggers camera head repositioning when events are detected, and provides real-time feedback to operators only when relevant events occur. This feedback-based approach ensures comprehensive monitoring coverage while reducing operator burden by filtering out routine information and highlighting only significant events.
Data Source
AI summary
A monitoring camera is arranged to monitor a wide angle image view. The camera comprises an event detector arranged to signal that an event has occurred when an alert line/tripwire positioned in the wide angle image view has been crossed. The alert line is defined as a line enclosing a point of the wide angle image view. A method for monitoring an area using the monitoring camera comprises capturing images representing a wide angle view through a wide angle lens, detecting if an object in the images is crossing an alert line defined in the wide angle view as a line enclosing a point in the wide angle view, and in response to a detection of an object crossing the alert line, redirecting the camera from capturing images through the wide angle lens to a position capturing an image view including the area in which the alert line was crossed.