초록 ▼

A monitoring system according to the present invention has a plurality of cameras respectively monitoring a monitor area and having a changeable imaging magnification, monitoring section detecting an object to be monitored in the monitor area, and control section selecting at least one camera capabl

A monitoring system according to the present invention has a plurality of cameras respectively monitoring a monitor area and having a changeable imaging magnification, monitoring section detecting an object to be monitored in the monitor area, and control section selecting at least one camera capable of obtaining an enlarged image to contribute to identification of the object to be monitored as camera for enlargement from the plural cameras when the object to be monitored is detected and selecting at least one camera other than the camera for enlargement as camera for wide area from the plural monitoring camera. The camera for wide area is set to a first imaging magnification to obtain a wide area image of the monitor area and the camera for enlargement is set to a second imaging magnification larger than the first imaging magnification to obtain an enlarged image of the detected object to be monitored.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A monitoring system comprising: a plurality of cameras each of which monitors a monitor area and has a changeable imaging magnification; monitoring section which detects an object to be monitored in the monitor area; and control section configured to control said plurality of

What is claimed is: 1. A monitoring system comprising: a plurality of cameras each of which monitors a monitor area and has a changeable imaging magnification; monitoring section which detects an object to be monitored in the monitor area; and control section configured to control said plurality of cameras in a supervisory manner, and which, in response to the detection of the object to be monitored, selects at least one camera capable of obtaining an enlarged image to contribute to identification of the object to be monitored as camera for enlargement from the plural cameras and selects at least one camera other than the camera for enlargement as camera for wide area from the plural monitoring camera, said control section setting the camera for wide area to a first imaging magnification to obtain a wide area image of the monitor area, and setting the camera for enlargement to a second imaging magnification larger than the first imaging magnification to obtain an enlarged image of the detected object to be monitored. 2. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 wherein imaging direction of each camera is changeable, and said control section turns the imaging direction of the camera for enlargement to the object to be monitored. 3. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the object to be monitored includes a person or an abnormal status in the monitor area. 4. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said monitoring section detects the object to be monitored based upon an image captured by at least one of the plurality of cameras. 5. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said monitoring section detects a face of a person based upon an image captured by at least one of the plurality of cameras, and said control section selects the camera capable of obtaining the enlarged image to contribute to identification of the face of the person as the camera for enlargement from the plural cameras. 6. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said enlarged image includes an enlarged image of the face of the person. 7. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said monitoring section detects the object to be monitored based upon an output from a sensor disposed in the monitor area. 8. A monitoring camera control device communicably connected with a plurality of cameras for monitoring a monitor area, imaging magnification of each camera being changeable, said camera control device comprising: selecting section which, in response to the detection of the object to be monitored by at least one camera, selects at least one camera capable of obtaining an enlarged image to contribute to identification of an object to be monitored as the camera for enlargement from the plural cameras and selects at least one camera other than the camera for enlargement as the camera for wide area from the plural monitoring cameras; and control section configured to control said plurality of cameras in a supervisory manner which sets a camera for wide area to a first imaging magnification to obtain a wide area image of the monitor area and sets a camera for enlargement to a second imaging magnification larger than the first imaging magnification to obtain an enlarged image of the detected object to be monitored. 9. A camera control device as claimed in claim 8 wherein imaging direction of each camera communicably connected with the camera control device is changeable, and said control section turns the imaging direction of the camera for enlargement to the object to be monitored. 10. A camera control device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the object to be monitored includes a person or an abnormal status in the monitor area. 11. A camera control device as claimed in claim 8 wherein an operation of the control section is described in a program, and said program is read by a computer in the control section. 12. A program product embodied in a computer readable medium which controls a plurality of cameras monitoring a monitor area in a supervisory manner, said program product comprising the instructions for: determining whether at least one camera detects an object to be monitored in the monitor area; selecting, in response to the detection of the object to be monitored, at least one camera capable of obtaining an enlarged image to contribute to identification of the detected object to be monitored as camera for enlargement from the plural cameras selecting, in response to the detection of the object to be monitored, at least one camera other than the camera for enlargement as camera for wide area from the plural monitoring cameras; setting the camera for wide area to a first imaging magnification to obtain a wide area image of the monitor area; and setting the camera for enlargement to a second imaging magnification larger than the first imaging magnification to obtain an enlarged image of the detected object to be monitored. 13. A program product as claimed in claim 12 further comprising the instruction for: turning imaging directions of the camera for enlargement to the object to be monitored. 14. A program product as claimed in claim 12 wherein the object to be monitored includes a person or an abnormal status in the monitor area. 15. A monitoring system comprising: a plurality of cameras, each camera having a variable imaging magnification capability and being adapted to monitor a monitor area; and a control device configured to operate with said plurality of cameras, said control device including: a monitor section which is adapted to detect an object to be monitored in the monitor area based on data received from at least one of said plurality of cameras; and a control section which is configured to control two or more of said plurality of cameras in a supervisory manner, said control section being configured so that, in response to the detection of the object being monitored, said control section selects at least one camera, from said plurality of cameras, as a camera for enlargement for obtaining an enlarged image to contribute to identification of the object to be monitored, said control section being further configured so that, in response to the detection of the object being monitored, said control section selects another one of said plurality of cameras as a camera for wide area to obtain a wide area image of the monitor area, a magnification of said camera for enlargement being larger than a magnification of said camera for wide area. 16. A monitoring system comprising: a plurality of cameras, each camera having a variable imaging magnification capability and being adapted to monitor a monitor area; and a control device configured to operate with said plurality of cameras, said control device including: means for detecting an object to be monitored in the monitor area; and means for controlling two or more of said plurality of cameras in a supervisory manner so that, in response to the detection of the object being monitored, at least one camera, from said plurality of cameras, is selected as a camera for enlargement for obtaining an enlarged image to contribute to identification of the object to be monitored, and so that, in response to the detection of the object being monitored, another one of said plurality of cameras is selected as a camera for wide area to obtain a wide area image of the monitor area; wherein, a magnification of said camera for enlargement is larger than a magnification of said camera for wide area.