JP4615277B2 - Intercom system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an intercom system including a camera, and more particularly to an intercom system having a function of recording a captured image of a camera.

When an intercom system equipped with a conventional camera that captures a visitor is set to an absence mode that automatically records when the camera is activated, the camera is activated when the call button on the front door is pressed. A captured image is recorded (for example, Patent Document 1).
FIG. 4 shows an example of a circuit block diagram of such a conventional intercom system, in which 41 is an entrance slave unit and 42 is a living room master unit. The entrance slave unit 41 includes a camera 43, a modulator 44, a call button 45, a call detection circuit 46, a microphone 47, a speaker 48, an amplifier control circuit 49, a slave unit call circuit 50, a slave unit multiplexing circuit 51, a slave unit CPU 52, An illumination device 53 and an optical sensor 54 are provided. Further, the living room base unit 42 includes a base unit multiplexing circuit 56, a demodulator 57, a recording CPU 58, a compression CPU 59, an SDRAM 60, a flash ROM 62, a television monitor 63, an image changeover switch 64, a base unit call circuit 65, a microphone 66, and a speaker 67. A master CPU 68 is provided.

In this intercom system, when the call button 45 of the entrance cordless handset 41 is pressed when the answering mode is set, a call signal is transmitted to the room base unit 42, and the camera 43 starts to pick up the captured image to the room base unit 42. Send. When the master CPU 68 of the office master 42 detects the call signal sent from the entrance slave 41, it activates the recording CPU 58, and the recording CPU 58 drives the compression CPU 59. In this way, the compression CPU 59 captures the image signal transmitted from the front door 41 and compresses it, for example, by JPEG, and the compressed image is recorded in the flash ROM 62.
JP 2002-271881 A

As described above, when the conventional intercom system is set to the absence mode or the like and automatically records the camera-captured image, the entrance is dark and the captured image of the camera 43 is not bright enough to discriminate a person. However, since the image was stored, the flash ROM 62 for recording was wasted.
In addition, since recording is performed without determining whether or not the visitor who has pressed the call button 45 is within the imaging range of the camera 43, when a visitor moves outside the imaging range after the call operation is performed, The visitor was not reflected in the recorded image. It is considered that this recording timing can be solved by causing the camera 43 to perform an imaging operation almost simultaneously with the operation of the call button 45. However, it takes time from the call operation of the front door 41 to the time when the illumination for lighting is turned on. Therefore, a dark video until the lighting is turned on is recorded, and an image that is difficult to identify a visitor is recorded.
As described above, since the conventional intercom system automatically records all captured images regardless of the state of the captured image, it cannot be effectively used even if a large-capacity memory is provided for recording.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve such a difficulty, and even if a setting for automatically recording camera-captured images is made, it does not record all the camera-captured images and judges visitors. It is an object of the present invention to provide an intercom system that can select and record possible images, improve the quality of recorded images, reduce the number of recorded images, and effectively use memory.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 is directed to a camera for photographing a visitor, a call button for calling a resident and making a call, and an entrance handset provided with a handset call circuit, In an interphone system including a recording CPU for capturing a captured image and controlling the recording, a compression CPU for compressing the captured image, and a living room parent unit having a memory for storing the captured image compressed by the compression CPU. The room master unit has an integration circuit that integrates the image signal of the camera and converts it into a voltage signal. The recording CPU determines whether or not recording is necessary by using the voltage signal data obtained from the integration circuit as luminance information. characterized by performing control to record captured image compressed by the judgment to compress CPU and if there a voltage value of the image preset value over the luminance exceeds a predetermined level in the memory To.
With this configuration, it is possible to set so as not to record a dark image in which a person cannot be identified, and it is possible to select and record an image from which a visitor can be determined, thereby improving the quality of the recorded image and reducing the number of recorded images. So you can use the memory effectively. In addition, the luminance information of the captured image can be obtained with a simple circuit configuration.
The captured image referred to here includes a moving image (video) in addition to a still image.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the recording CPU has a function of detecting a face from the captured captured image, determines whether or not recording is necessary based on the luminance and the presence of the face, and the luminance is Even if it is sufficient, recording is not performed unless a face is detected.
With this configuration, recording is not performed unless the face can be recognized even if the luminance is sufficient, so that the quality of the recorded image can be further improved and the memory can be used effectively.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the compression CPU and the recording CPU are the same CPU.
With this configuration, the number of CPUs can be reduced and the configuration can be reduced.

The invention according to claim 4 is the interface according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the living room master unit outputs the captured image compressed by the compression CPU to the outside via a communication network or a dedicated line. It is characterized by comprising.
With this configuration, an image storage device can be provided outside the interphone system, and it is not necessary to provide a memory for storing images in the room master unit, and the memory can be easily expanded. In addition, the recorded image stored in the room master can be played back at a remote location, and the visitor can be confirmed without returning to the room.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to set so as not to record a dark image in which a person cannot be identified, improve the quality of the recorded image, and use the memory effectively. Furthermore, even if the luminance is sufficient, if the face cannot be detected, recording is not performed, so that the quality of the recorded image can be further improved.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show an example of an embodiment of an intercom system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram and FIG. 2 is an external view. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is an entrance cordless handset, 2 is a living room master phone, and the entrance cordless handset 1 includes a camera 3 for imaging a visitor, a modulator 4, a call button 5 for calling a resident, and a call detection circuit. 6. Microphone 7 and speaker 8 for talking with a resident, amplifier control circuit 9, handset communication circuit 10, handset multiplexing circuit 11 for separating or multiplexing signals, handset CPU 12 for controlling the entrance handset 1 , An illumination device 13 for illuminating a visitor, and an optical sensor 14 for detecting the brightness of the entrance.

  In addition, the base unit 2 includes a base unit multiplexing circuit 16 that demultiplexes or multiplexes signals, a demodulator 17, a recording CPU 18 that controls recording, a compression CPU 19 that compresses image signals by JPEG, and an SDRAM 20 that temporarily stores images. , An integration circuit 21 that integrates image signals, a flash ROM 22 that is a recording memory, a television monitor 23, an image changeover switch 24 that switches an image to be displayed on the television monitor 23, a master phone call circuit 25, and a call for a visitor A microphone 26 and a speaker 27, a master CPU 28 for controlling the room master 2, and an interface 29 for sending an image to be recorded or a recorded image to the outside.

  In FIG. 2, 30 is a handset, 31 is an answering setting button for setting an answering mode for automatically recording a camera-captured image when a call is made from the entrance cordless handset 1, 32 is a playback button for reproducing a recorded image, and 33 is A pause button 34 that pauses recording / playback, and a record / save button 34 that records a captured image. The entrance unit 1 and the room base unit 2 are connected by a transmission line 36 that transmits a call voice signal, an image signal, and the like. Has been. In FIG. 1, circuits such as the absence setting button 31 and the reproduction button 32 are omitted, but these circuits are connected to the parent CPU 28.

  The operation of the intercom system configured as described above will be described. However, the original operation of the interphone, such as a response operation in the living room base unit 2 by the call operation of the front door unit 1, is the same as that of a known interphone system, and is omitted because it is not a main part of the present invention. An operation of recording a captured image of the camera 3 operated by the call operation 1 will be described. It is assumed that the interphone system is set to the absence mode when the absence setting button 31 is pressed.

When a visitor or the like presses the call button 5 of the entrance slave unit 1, a call signal is generated by the call detection circuit 6 of the entrance slave unit 1, and passes through the slave unit multiplexing circuit 11 and the transmission path 36 of the entrance slave unit 1. It is transmitted to the room master unit 2. At the same time, the slave CPU 12 also receives the call operation, detects the brightness of the entrance, performs the blinking operation of the lighting device 13, and activates the camera 3. The captured image of the camera 3 that has started imaging is modulated and transmitted to the living room master unit 2 via the slave unit multiplexing circuit 11.
On the other hand, the calling signal transmitted to the room master 2 is transmitted to the master CPU 28 via the master multiplexing circuit 16. In response to this, the room master unit 2 is activated and starts recording control.

  The imaged video signal of the camera 3 transmitted to the room base unit 2 following the calling signal is separated from other signals by the base unit multiplexing circuit 16, demodulated by the demodulator 17, and then sent to the compression CPU 19. At the same time, the image is displayed on the television monitor 23. The master CPU 28 that has started the recording control drives the compression CPU 19 and issues a command to capture the transmitted captured image of the camera 3. In response to the capture command, the compression CPU 19 captures the captured image of the camera 3 that has been transmitted and demodulated, and stores the captured image in the SDRAM 20. At the same time, the demodulated image signal is converted into a voltage value by the integrating circuit 21.

The captured image captured in this way is recorded according to the recording operation flow of FIG. When the recording CPU 18 is set to the absence mode and receives a recording command (S1), the recording CPU 18 reads a captured image signal converted into a voltage value by the integration circuit 21 (S2). Since the captured image signal integrated and converted into a voltage value has a value proportional to the luminance of the image, the luminance can be detected. Therefore, it is determined whether the obtained voltage value is equal to or higher than a preset value, that is, whether the luminance is equal to or higher than a certain value (S3). If it is not a certain value or more, it is determined that the luminance is insufficient and recording is not performed, and the next captured image is captured.
The face detection processing by the recording CPU 18 is performed by a method described in, for example, publicly known Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 7-65149 and 7-73298. If it is determined by the face detection process that there is a face, the image stored in the SDRAM 20 is taken out, compressed by the compression CPU 19, and stored in the flash ROM 22, that is, recorded (S5). If no face is detected, it is determined that a person is not captured and recording is not performed, and the next captured image is captured.

  The luminance determination threshold value based on the voltage value may be set at the time of shipment, but is preferably set to an optimum value according to the environment of the entrance. Further, when storing images, if other storage means such as a personal computer is connected via the interface 29, they may be stored directly in them.

In this way, even if the absence mode is set to automatically record the visitor, dark images that cannot be identified, and images that cannot be recognized even if the brightness is sufficient are not recorded. Since the images that can be judged by the visitor are selected without recording, the quality of the recorded images is improved, the number of recorded images is reduced, the memory can be used effectively, and the memory capacity is reduced meaninglessly. Nothing will happen. Further, by using an integration circuit, it is possible to obtain luminance information of an image with a simple circuit configuration.
If an interface for sending image data to the outside is used, an image storage device can be provided outside the intercom system in place of the flash ROM, and a memory for image storage is not provided in the room master unit. Can also be recorded. Furthermore, if the interface is connected to a communication network, the recorded image stored in the room master can be played back at a remote place, and the visitor can be confirmed without returning to the room.

In the above-described embodiment, it is determined whether to record with both luminance and face detection. However, even if it is determined only with luminance, it has a great effect on improving the quality of recorded images and effectively using the memory.
Further, the luminance of the image is obtained by the integrating circuit 21, but since the image signal compressed by the compression CPU 19 is a digital signal, luminance information may be obtained without integration. In this case, the integrating circuit 21 is necessary. Disappear.
Furthermore, although the compression CPU and the recording CPU are provided independently, it is possible to give both functions to one CPU, and cost can be reduced by doing so.

It is a circuit block diagram which shows an example of embodiment of the intercom system which concerns on this invention. It is an external view of the intercom system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of recording operation | movement. It is a circuit block diagram of the conventional intercom system.

Explanation of symbols

  1 .. Entrance cordless handset, 2 .... Home base phone, 3 .... Camera, 5 .... Call button, 10 .... Slave phone call circuit, 18 .... Recording CPU, 19 .... Compression CPU, 21 ... Integration circuit , 22 · Flash ROM (memory), 29 · · Interface.

Claims (4)

A camera for photographing a visitor, a call button for calling a resident and making a call, and an entrance cordless handset provided with a handset call circuit; a recording CPU for capturing a captured image of the camera and controlling the recording; In an intercom system comprising: a compression CPU for compressing a captured image; and a living room base unit having a memory for storing the captured image compressed by the compression CPU.
The living room master unit has an integration circuit that integrates a captured image signal of the camera and converts it into a voltage signal,
The recording CPU determines whether or not recording is necessary using the voltage signal data obtained from the integration circuit as luminance information, and if the voltage value of the captured image is equal to or higher than a preset value, the luminance exceeds a predetermined level . And controlling the recording of the captured image compressed by the compression CPU in the memory. The recording CPU has a function of detecting a face from a captured image, and determines whether recording is necessary based on luminance and the presence of a face. Even if the luminance is sufficient, recording is not performed unless a face is detected. The intercom system according to claim 1 . The intercom system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the compression CPU and the recording CPU are the same CPU. Said room master station, said compressed in the compression CPU captured image signals a communication network, or to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises an interface for outputting to the outside via the dedicated line The listed intercom system.

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