Patent ID: 7365772
Filing Date: 2008-04-29
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A monitoring camera system, comprising: a plurality of monitoring cameras; a plurality of monitors; a multiplexer for switching a connection between a monitoring camera and a monitor; and a plurality of controllers for remotely controlling said plurality of monitoring cameras through a communication control line, each of the controllers sending, in remotely controlling a monitoring camera, a command including an address assigned to the monitoring camera which is a control object and contents of control to the communication control line, wherein each of the controllers comprises means for sending, in controlling a monitoring camera providing video to a predetermined monitor, a number of the predetermined monitor to the multiplexer, and inquiring of the multiplexer about the address assigned to the monitoring camera providing the video to the predetermined monitor, and means for sending out the command including the address assigned to the monitoring camera and the contents of control to the communication control line when the address assigned to the monitoring camera is transmitted from the multiplexer in response to the inquiry, thereby to control the monitoring camera; and the multiplexer comprises a monitor number-camera channel table storing a relationship between the number of the monitor and a camera channel through which the monitoring camera is connected to the monitor, a camera channel-camera address table storing a relationship between the camera channel and the address assigned to the monitoring camera connected to the camera channel, and means for reading out, when it receives from the controller the inquiry about the address assigned to the monitoring camera with the monitor number, the address assigned to the monitoring camera providing the video to the monitor corresponding to the received monitor number from the monitor number-camera channel table and the camera channel-camera address table, and transmitting the read address to the controller which is a source of the inquiry.