Patent Publication Number: US-2009235169-A1

Title: Digital video record device with touch-panel human machine interface

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to digital video record devices, and more particularly, to a digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional digital video record device is equipped with multiple keys for entering operating instructions. The keys are usually disposed on the casing of the conventional digital video record device. In case of an emergency shown on the monitoring screen, the user has to select the correct operating instruction (for example, an operating instruction of video record) while watching both the monitoring screen and the keys simultaneously. From a user&#39;s perspective, human machine interfaces of this kind are rather inconvenient. 
     In view of a lack of ease of use in operating the human machine interface of the conventional digital video record device, the inventor of the present invention proposes a digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface with a view to overcoming the aforesaid drawback of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface, so as to issue operating instructions by means of touch coordinate signals from a touch panel, and display icons denoting the operating instructions on the monitor to facilitate operation of issuing the operating instructions. 
     To achieve the above objective of invention, the present invention provides a digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface. The digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface comprises a touch panel disposed in front of a screen of a monitor, electrically connected to a digital video record electronic apparatus, configured to generate touch coordinate signals, and adapted to send the touch coordinate signals to the digital video record electronic apparatus. The digital video record electronic apparatus electrically connects with at least a video camera, processes video signals generated by the video cameras, displays video signal related pictures and a plurality of icons denoting operating instructions on the monitor, receives the touch coordinate signals from the touch panel, determines whether the touch coordinate signals correspond to a display range of the icons, and executes, upon affirmative determination, an operating instruction corresponding to the determined icon. 
     Furthermore, to achieve the aforesaid objective of the invention, the present invention provides variant embodiments of a digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface. 
     The present invention is herein illustrated with preferred embodiments and drawings, so that one skilled in the pertinent art can gain insight into structures, features, other advantages and effects of the present invention from the disclosure of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objectives can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing hardware architecture of a digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing an output of the digital video record device to the screen of a monitor according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart showing control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are schematic views showing the screen in a variant embodiment of control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are schematic views showing the screen in another variant embodiment of control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view showing the screen in yet another variant embodiment of control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  are schematic views showing the screen in still yet another variant embodiment of control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing hardware architecture of a digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface according to the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface according to the present invention. Referring to the above drawings, a digital video record device  10  with a touch-panel human machine interface comprises a touch panel  20  and a digital video record electronic apparatus  30 . To start using the digital video record device  10 , a monitor  40  (for example, a liquid crystal monitor) is connected to the digital video record device  10 , and at least one video camera  50  is connected to the digital video record device  10 . The video cameras  50  record images at a monitored venue, generate video signals, and send the video signals to the digital video record electronic apparatus  30 . The digital video record electronic apparatus  30  processes the video signals from the video cameras  50 , and displays video signal related pictures on the monitor  40 . For instance, the video signals from the video cameras  50  are displayed by multiple split windows (for example, four split windows). 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the input end of a video signal decoder  301  is connected to the video cameras  50  respectively, and the output end of the video signal decoder  301  is connected to a processor  302 . The processor  302  can be a central processor unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP). The video signals from the video cameras  50  are processed by the video signal decoder  301  first. The processor  302  controls the operation of the video signal decoder  301 , for example, storing the video signals processed by the video signal decoder  301  in a hard disk  303 , or outputting the video signals processed by the video signal decoder  301  to the monitor  40  via a display interface  304 . One end of a USB interface  305  is connected to the touch panel  20 , and the other end of the USB interface  305  is connected to the processor  302 . With a touch of a user&#39;s finger on the touch panel  20 , the touch panel  20  generates touch coordinate signals instantly. Then, the touch coordinate signals are sent to the processor  302  via the USB interface  305 . The USB interface  305  is replaceable with a RS-232 interface or any other interfaces. As shown in  FIG. 1 , all of the constituent hardware components of the digital video record device  10  are replaceable with conventional electronic components. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing an output of the digital video record device to the screen of a monitor according to the present invention. The screen of a monitor  40  is split up into a plurality of windows  401  (for example, four windows). Each of the windows  401  displays images recorded in real-time by a corresponding one of the video cameras  50 . The junction of the upper ones of the windows  401  and the lower ones of the windows  401  functions as a display region for icons  60 . The icons  60  denote operating instructions, such as operation instructions to record, play, pause, stop, print, etc. 
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart showing control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention. In step  101 , the processor  302  detects whether the touch coordinate signals are received from the touch panel  20 , and goes to step  102  upon detection of receipt of the touch coordinate signals, otherwise proceeds with the detection. In step  102 , the processor  302  determines whether the touch coordinate signals correspond to a display range of the icons  60 , and, upon affirmative determination, goes to step  103 , and the digital video record electronic apparatus  30  executes an operating instruction corresponding to the determined icon  60 , otherwise goes back to step  101 . For instance, upon determination that the touch coordinate signals are within the display range of the record icon  60 , the processor  302  executes an operating instruction of video record. Also, for instance, upon determination that the touch coordinate signals are within the display range of the play icon  60 , the processor  302  executes an operating instruction to play video. 
     The program codes of the control process of the touch-panel human machine interface, data about the icons  60 , and the program codes of the corresponding operating instructions are stored in a flash memory  306 . 
     In the above embodiment, during most of the operating period, the icons  60  are displayed at the junction of the upper ones of the windows  401  and the lower ones of the windows  401 . However, considering the actual usage of the digital video record device  10 , so short is the duration in which a user uses the icons  60  to give operating instructions. Hence, to be efficient, the icons  60  will be displayed only when a user really wants to use the icons  60 .  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are schematic views showing the screen in a variant embodiment of control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention. Referring to FIG.  5 A, during most of the operating period of time, the multiple windows  401  (for example, four windows) on the screen of the monitor  40  display images recorded in real-time by the video cameras  50 , without displaying the icons  60 . Where the user really wants to use the icons  60 , the user may access the junction of the upper ones of the windows  401  and the lower ones of the windows  401  so as to make the touch panel  20  generate touch coordinate signals, and then the processor  302  displays a plurality of the icons  60  denoting operating instructions at the junction of the upper ones of the windows  401  and the lower ones of the windows  401  of the monitor  40 , as shown in  FIG. 5B . Afterward, the processor  302  receives the touch coordinate signals from the touch panel  20 , determines whether the touch coordinate signals correspond to the display range of the icons  60 , and executes, upon affirmative determination, an operating instruction corresponding to the determined icon  60 . 
     In the above variant embodiment, the processor  302  stops the displaying of a plurality of icons  60  and restores an original picture on the monitor  40 , or, in other words, restoring the screen of the monitor  40  shown in  FIG. 5A , whenever the processor  302  has not received the touch coordinate signals from the touch panel  20  again for a predetermined period of time (for example, 30 seconds) after the processor  302  displayed the icons  60  on the monitor  40 . 
     In the present invention, the icons  60  are displayed at the junction of the upper ones of the windows  401  and the lower ones of the windows  401 , such that the monitoring screen of the windows remain unaffected and free of damage. However, the position at which the icons  60  are displayed is not limited to the aforesaid junction, but can take place elsewhere. 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  are schematic views showing the screen in another variant embodiment of control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 6A , in general, the plurality of windows  401  (for example, four windows) on the screen of the monitor  40  display images recorded in real-time by the video cameras  50 . Where the user wants to watch the monitoring screen of one of the windows  401  more clearly, the user may touch the touch panel  20  of the intended one of the windows  401 , and then the processor  302  scales up the display range of the to-be-monitored one of the windows  401 , for example, enlarging the to-be-monitored one of the windows  401  to provide full-screen display, as shown  FIG. 6B . Conversely, where the user touches the touch panel  20  of the display-range-enlarged one of the windows  401 , the processor  302  restores the display-range-enlarged one of the windows  401  to the original display range thereof, for example, restoring to the original four windows  401 . 
     The aforesaid exemplary description of the windows  401  scaled up to enable full-screen display is further expounded hereunder.  FIG. 7  is a schematic view showing the screen in yet another variant embodiment of control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention. Where the user wants to define an image motion detection region  401   a  in the windows  401 , the user may touch the touch panel  20  of the windows  401  so as to generate closed-region touch coordinate signals and define a region. The region defined is configured as the image motion detection region  401   a ; for instance, the windows  401  shown in  FIG. 7  are defined with two said image motion detection regions  401   a.    
     The aforesaid exemplary description of the windows  401  with the image motion detection region  401   a  is further expounded hereunder.  FIGS. 8A and 8B  are schematic views showing the screen in still yet another variant embodiment of control of the touch-panel human machine interface of the digital video record device according to the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 8A , the processor  302  executes image motion detection related program codes on the image motion detection region  401   a  all the time, and once the processor  302  detects image motion or change in the image motion detection region  401   a  (see change X in  FIG. 8B ), the processor  302  will execute an operating instruction, such as an operating instruction of video record, an operating instruction to output an alert message, and an operating instruction of high definition video record, on the picture with detected image motion or change. 
     The monitor  40  and the touch panel  20  can be integrated with one another to form a one-piece device. In addition, the monitor  40 , the touch panel  20 , and the digital video record electronic apparatus  30  can be further integrated with one another to form a one-piece device. 
     According to the present invention, a digital video record device with a touch-panel human machine interface has the following advantages: issuing an operating instruction by means of touch coordinate signals from a touch panel, and displaying an icon denoting the operating instruction on the monitor to facilitate operation of issuing the operating instruction. 
     The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments is only illustrative in order to disclose the features and functions of the present invention, but is not restrictive of the scope of the present invention. Persons skilled in the art should understand that any equivalent modifications and variations made according to the spirit and principle of the disclosure of the present invention and described in the specification and drawings should fall within the scope of the appended claims.