Abstract:
An electronic device with a water level monitoring system monitors a buoy to determine if a water level is acceptable. The device separates level markers of the containment facility and the buoy floating therein. The device traces a trace of the movement of the buoy and compares the trace and security lines to determine if the water level is acceptable or not. If the water level is unacceptable, the device sends an alarm to an alarm mainframe to display a warning on a monitor array.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to surveillance, and more particularly to an electronic device and method for monitoring water level. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Monitoring water level is crucial to maintaining safety and operation of a variety of structures and facilities. Currently, much water level monitoring uses pressure sensors installed around a water containment system. However, the cost of the requisite hardware implemented water level monitor system is very high and the maintenance is hazardous. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a water level monitoring system and environment thereof. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a water level monitoring system. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a water level monitoring method. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a buoy floating on a sewage pool. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
         [0010]    In general, the word “module” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the module may be integrated in firmware, such as an EPROM. It will be appreciated that module may comprise connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and may comprise programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays or processors. The units described herein may be implemented as software and/or hardware unit and may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a water level monitoring system comprising a camera  10 , a video encoder  20 , a video decoder  30 , a video distributor  40 , an alarm mainframe  50 , a monitor array  60 , and a video recorder  70 . The camera  10  electronically communicates with the video encoder  20 . The video encoder  20  electronically communicates with the video decoder  30 . The video decoder  30  electronically communicates with the video distributor  40 . The video distributor  40  electronically communicates with the monitor array  60  and the video recorder  70  respectively. The alarm mainframe  50  electronically communicates with both the monitor array  60  and video encoder  20 . 
         [0012]    The camera  10  is operable to record a live video feed of a monitored location, which can be a watercourse, swimming pool, reservoir, sewage tank, or other large containment facility. In the embodiment, the location is a sewage pool  80 . In the embodiment, the sewage pool  80  has two level markers, an upper level marker A 1  and a lower level marker A 2 . A buoy  800  floats on the surface of the sewage pool  80 . The water level is deemed acceptable when the buoy  800  is between A 1  and A 2 . Otherwise, the water level is considered unacceptable. 
         [0013]    In the embodiment, the camera  10  comprises a charge coupled device (CCD), resolution of which exceeds 480 Television Line (TVL) and signal to noise ratio (SNR) exceeds 50 dB. The camera  10  utilizes infrared lighting to provide uninterrupted function of camera  10 , irrespective of ambient light. The camera  10  is operable to record analog video input. 
         [0014]    The video encoder  10  is operable to receive the analog video signal from the camera  10  and analyze the analog video signal to determine if the water level is acceptable. The video encoder  10  is operable to send an alarm to the alarm mainframe  50  when the water level is deemed unacceptable. The video encoder  10  is operable to convert the analog video signal into a digital signal and compress the digital signal to a plurality of data packets for transmission, since analog signals attenuate significantly when transmitted over 200 meters. In addition, the video encoder  20  comprises a water level monitoring system  200  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         [0015]    The video decoder  30  is operable to decode the data packets received from the video encoder  30 . The video decoder  30  is operable to restore the data packets to the analog video signal and send the restored analog video signal to the video distributor  40 . 
         [0016]    The video distributor  40  is operable to redistribute the restored analog video signal to the monitor array  60  for display and the video recorder  70  for storage. 
         [0017]    The alarm mainframe  50  is operable to display a warning on the monitor array  60  upon receiving the alarm from the video encoder  20 . The alarm mainframe  50  is operable to broadcast an audio alarm, and send a short message to related personnel. Depending on the embodiment, the alarm mainframe  50  can be a personal computer, a workstation, or a notebook, for example. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of the water level monitoring system  200 . The system  200  includes an identification module  201 , a trace module  202 , a determination module  203 , a compression module  204 , and an alarm module  205 . One or more computerized codes of the modules  201 - 205  is stored in a memory system  102  and executed by one or more processors  101  of the video encoder  20 . 
         [0019]    In the embodiment, the identification module  201  is operable to pre-process the analog video signal to identify and separate a target from a background, where the background includes the level markers A 1  and A 2 , and the target is the buoy  800 . The pre-processing described herein includes shadow suppression and light inhibition to heighten the contrast of the analog video signal. The background described herein is unchanged objects in the scene, from which the buoy  800 , in motion, is separated as the target. 
         [0020]    In the embodiment, the trace module  202  is operable to trace the identified target. For example, the trace module  202  traces the buoy  800  in the sewage pool  80  to acquire the trace of the buoy  800 . 
         [0021]    In the embodiment, the determination module  203  is operable to determine if a water level is acceptable according to a comparison of the trace of the target and the level markers A 1  and A 2 . In  FIG. 4 , the buoy  800  is traced in a position between the high level marker A 1  and the low level marker A 2 . The determination module  203  determines thereby that the water level is acceptable. If the buoy  800  is traced in a position above the high level marker A 1  or below the low level marker A 2 , the determination module  203  determines that the water level is unacceptable. 
         [0022]    In the embodiment, the compression module  204  is operable to convert the analog video signal into the digital signal, compress the digital signal to data packets, and transmit the data packets to the video decoder  30  if the water level is acceptable. The alarm module  205  is operable to send the alarm to the alarm mainframe  50  when the water level is unacceptable. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for monitoring water level of a water containment area. In block S 10 , the identification module  201  pre-processes the analog video signal recorded by the camera  10  to level the luminosity of the analog video signal in standard range. In block S 20 , the identification module  201  separates the background and the target from the processed video signal. In the embodiment, the target is the buoy  800 . In block  30 , the trace module  202  traces the target to acquire the trace of the target. In block  40 , the determination module  203  determines the water level is acceptable. If the water level is acceptable block S 70  is implemented. Otherwise, block S 50  is implemented, in which the alarm module  205  sends the alarm to the alarm mainframe  50 . In block S 60 , the alarm mainframe  50  displays the warning on the monitor array  60 , broadcasts the audio alarm, and sends a short message to alert related personnel. In block S 70 , the compression module  204  converts the analog video signal into the digital signal, compresses the digital signal to data packets, and transmits the data packets to the video decoder  30 . In block S 80 , the video decoder decodes the data packets to restore the analog video signal and sends the analog video signal to the monitor array  60  for display and to the video recorder  70  for storage, via the video distributor  40 . 
         [0024]    Although certain inventive embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.