System for monitoring operating state of devices according to their degree of importance

Claim 2

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a plurality of monitor pictures from objects to be monitored; b) picture input controlling means for periodically selecting a monitor picture from said inputted monitor pictures in accordance with at least one of a degree of importance for monitoring and a danger level of said objects to be monitored, so that monitor pictures having higher degrees of importance or higher danger levels are selected more frequently; c) abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormality by comparing each selected monitor picture with a reference picture; d) abnormality content judging means for judging contents of said abnormality on the basis of an output of said abnormality detecting means; and e) abnormality indicating means for indicating said abnormality.

Claim 3

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said picture input controlling means includes a table showing relations between scenes monitored by said picture input means and danger levels indicative of degrees of importance in association with said scenes and selection designating means for controlling selection of said scenes on the basis of values of said danger levels.

Claim 4

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said table includes initial danger levels and current danger levels, said selection designating means includes means for determining values of said current danger levels on the basis of values of said initial danger levels and means for controlling selection of said scenes on the basis of said values of the current danger levels.

Claim 5

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said picture input controlling means includes means for changing frequency of selection of said monitor picture in response to said operating condition of said device to be monitored.

Claim 6

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a plurality of monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) picture input controlling means for selecting a monitor picture in response to an operating condition or degree of importance of monitoring or danger level of said object to be monitored; c) abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormality by comparing said monitor picture with a reference picture; d) abnormality content judging means for judging contents of said abnormality on the basis of an output of said abnormality detecting means; and e) abnormality indicating means for indicating said abnormality; wherein said abnormality detecting means includes means for computing differences in picture element brightness between a first abnormality-detected picture and a said reference picture to obtain a first subtracted picture and means for computing differences in picture element brightness between a last abnormality detected picture and said reference picture to obtain a second subtracted picture, and wherein said abnormality content judging means includes means for computing projection distributions of brightness of said first subtracted picture in X and Y directions, means for computing projection distributions of brightness of said second subtracted picture in the X and Y directions, means for computing a width difference between said X-direction projection distributions of said first and second subtracted pictures, means for computing a width difference between said Y-direction projection distributions of said first and second subtracted pictures, and means for judging contents of abnormality by comparing said X-direction width difference and said Y-direction width difference with respective predetermined values separately set.

Claim 7

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a plurality of monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) picture input controlling means for selecting a monitor picture in response to an operating condition or degree of importance of monitoring or danger level of said object to be monitored; c) abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormality by comparing said monitor picture with a reference picture; d) abnormality content judging means for judging contents of said abnormality on the basis of an output of said abnormality detecting means; and e) abnormality indicating means for indicating said abnormality; wherein said abnormality detecting means includes means for computing differences in picture element brightness between a first abnormality-detected picture and a said reference picture to obtain a first subtracted picture and means for computing differences in picture element brightness between a last abnormality detected picture and said reference picture to obtain a second subtracted picture, and wherein said abnormality content judging means includes means for computing projection distributions of brightness of said first subtracted picture in X and Y directions, means for computing projection distributions of brightness of said second subtracted picture in the X and Y directions, means for computing a width difference between said X-direction projection distributions of said first and second subtracted pictures, means for computing a width difference between said Y-direction projection distributions of said first and second subtracted pictures, and means for judging contents of abnormality by comparing said X-direction width difference and said Y-direction width difference with respective predetermined values separately set.

Claim 8

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said abnormality content judging means includes means for computing a shape factor of said first subtracted picture, means for computing a shape factor of said second subtracted picture, and means for judging contents of an abnormality on the basis of said shape factors.

Claim 9

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said abnormality indicating means includes means for displaying details of processing involving said abnormality.

Claim 10

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said abnormality indicating means includes means for audibly indicating said abnormality identification.

Claim 11

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said abnormality indicating means includes means for indicating of said abnormality identification in the form of a simulated sound.

Claim 12

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least said picture input means, said picture input controlling means, said abnormality detecting means and said indicating means have respectively a counterpart means for performing respectively corresponding function.

Claim 13

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) controlling means for controlling positions of said picture input means; c) means for previously storing therein a reference picture of a normal state as well as pictures of identification marks attached onto objects to be monitored as matching reference patterns for matching between said reference picture and said monitor picture in a monitor state; d) means for computing a shift between the both pictures by comparing mark positions of said reference picture with mark positions of said monitor picture; and e) means for correcting said monitor picture on the basis of the result of said computation.

Claim 14

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) controlling means for controlling positions of said picture input means; c) means for previously storing therein a reference picture of a normal state as well as pictures of identification marks attached onto objects to be monitored as matching reference patterns for matching between said reference picture and said monitor picture in a monitor state; d) means for computing a shift between the both pictures by comparing mark positions of said reference picture with mark positions of said monitor picture; and e) means for correcting said monitor picture on the basis of the result of said computation.

Claim 15

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said correcting means includes means for correcting said shift by applying an affine transformation, including at least one of movement, enlargement, reduction and rotation, to said monitor picture.

Claim 16

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said correcting means includes means for correcting said shift by applying an affine transformation, including at least one of movement, enlargement, reduction and rotation, to a frame of a monitor area (window) in said monitor picture.

Claim 17

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said correcting means includes means for correcting said shift by moving said picture input means by means of said controlling means.

Claim 18

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said correcting means further includes means for computing a vibration shift caused by relative vibration between said objects to be monitored and said picture input means and means for correcting said vibration shift by applying said affine transformation, including at least one of movement, enlargement, reduction and rotation, to said monitor picture until said vibration shift becomes smaller than a predetermined value.

Claim 19

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said correcting means further includes means for computing a vibration shift caused by relative vibration between said objects to be monitored and the picture input means and means for correcting said vibration shift by applying an affine transformation, including at least one of movement, enlargement, reduction and rotation, to said monitor picture until said vibration shift becomes smaller than a predetermined value.

Claim 20

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) controlling means for controlling positions of said picture input means; c) means for previously storing therein a reference picture of a normal condition as well as pictures of identification marks attached onto objects to be monitored as matching reference patterns for matching between said reference picture and said monitor picture in a monitor state; d) means for computing a shift between the both pictures by comparing mark positions of said reference picture with mark positions of said monitor picture; and e) means for correcting said monitor picture on the basis of the result of said computation; wherein said identification marks are made different from each other in shape depending on types of abnormality to be predicted.

Claim 21

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) controlling means for controlling positions of said picture input means; c) means for previously storing therein a reference picture of a normal condition as well as pictures of identification marks attached onto objects to be monitored as matching reference patterns for matching between said reference picture and said monitor picture in a monitor state; d) means for computing a shift between the both pictures by comparing mark positions of said reference picture with mark positions of said monitor picture; and e) means for correcting said monitor picture on the basis of the result of said computation; wherein said identification marks are made different from each other in shape depending on types of abnormality to be predicted.

Claim 22

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 11, wherein each of said identification marks has a color providing a sufficiently high contrast with background of said object to be monitored on which the mark is to be attached.

Claim 23

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) controlling means for controlling positions of said picture input means; c) means for previously storing therein a reference picture of a normal condition as well as pictures of identification marks attached onto objects to be monitored as matching reference patterns for matching between said reference picture and said monitor picture in a monitor state; d) means for computing a shift between the both pictures by comparing mark positions of said reference picture with mark positions of said monitor picture; and e) means for correcting said monitor picture on the basis of the result of said computation; wherein each of said identification marks has a unique shape other than shapes of said objects to be monitored and its ambient objects.

Claim 24

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) controlling means for controlling positions of said picture input means; c) means for previously storing therein a reference picture of a normal condition as well as pictures of identification marks attached onto objects to be monitored as matching reference patterns for matching between said reference picture and said monitor picture in a monitor state; d) means for computing a shift between the both pictures by comparing mark positions of said reference picture with mark positions of said monitor picture; and e) means for correcting said monitor picture on the basis of the result of said computation; wherein each of said identification marks has a unique shape other than shapes of said objects to be monitored and its ambient objects.

Claim 25

An abnormality monitoring system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said identification marks include fluorescent material.

Claim 26

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) controlling means for controlling positions of said picture input means; c) means for previously storing therein a reference picture of a normal condition as well as pictures of identification marks attached onto objects to be monitored as matching reference patterns for matching between said reference picture and said monitor picture in a monitor state; d) means for computing a shift between the both pictures by comparing mark positions of said reference picture with mark positions of said monitor picture; and e) means for correcting said monitor picture on the basis of the result of said computation; wherein a monitor area of said monitor picture is a zone enclosed by a plurality of said identification marks attached onto said object to be monitored.

Claim 27

An abnormality monitoring system comprising: a) picture input means for inputting a monitor picture from an object to be monitored; b) controlling means for controlling positions of said picture input means; c) means for previously storing therein a reference picture of a normal condition as well as pictures of identification marks attached onto objects to be monitored as matching reference patterns for matching between said reference picture and said monitor picture in a monitor state; d) means for computing a shift between the both pictures by comparing mark positions of said reference picture with mark positions of said monitor picture; and e) means for correcting said monitor picture on the basis of the result of said computation; wherein a monitor area of said monitor picture is a zone enclosed by a plurality of said identification marks attached onto said object to be monitored.