Patent ID: 8174575

Claim:
A monitoring system comprising: a camera device for producing image signals presenting image information; a plurality of monitor devices for displaying image information presented by image signals produced by the camera device; and a designator device for designating a destination monitor device to which image signals are to be sent from the camera device, wherein (a) the designator device includes: a designator communication section being radio- communicatable; an acquisition section for acquiring identification information corresponding to the monitor device to be sent image signals; a designator memory section for storing the identification information acquired by the acquisition section; and a designator control section for controlling the designator communication section, the acquisition section and the designator memory section, respectively, (b) the camera device includes: a camera communication section being radio- communicatable; an image-pickup section for taking an image thereby to produce image signals; a camera memory section for storing signals received by the camera communication section; and a camera control section for controlling the camera communication section, image-pickup section and camera memory section, respectively, and make the camera communication section send a polling signal and make the camera communication section receive a signal coming in a predetermined length of time after sending the polling signal, (c) each of the monitor devices includes: a monitor communication section being radio- communicatable; a display section for displaying image information presented by image signals received by the monitor communication section; and a monitor control section for controlling the monitor communication section and display section, respectively, (d) when the designator communication section receives a polling signal sent from the camera communication section under a condition that the identification information has been stored in the designator memory section, the designator control section makes the designator communication section send an image-sending request signal containing the identification information stored in the designator memory section toward the camera communication section, (e) when the camera communication section receives the image-sending request signal sent from the designator communication section, the camera control section makes the camera memory section store the identification information contained in the received image-sending request signal, and makes the camera communication section send image signals produced by the image-pickup section to the monitor device identified by the identification information stored in the camera memory section, and (f) when the monitor communication section receives image signals sent from the camera communication section, the monitor control section makes the display section display image information presented by the image signals (emphasis added).