Patent ID: 7451473

Claim:
A video distribution system connected to a communication network for distributing an image in response to a request, comprising: at least one image pickup unit for picking up an image of a predetermined monitor area and converting said image into a video signal; at least one encoder connected to receive the video signal from said image pickup unit, each encoder encoding the video signal from an associated image pickup unit and sending said encoded video signal to said network; an image accumulation and distribution unit connected to said network for accumulating the encoded video signal from a designated encoder, said image accumulation and distribution unit attaching unique information to each image frame; a data converter for image browsing, connected to said network, for reading the accumulated image from said image accumulation and distribution unit and converting said image into a reduced image in response to a request; at least one information terminal with or without a browsing program installed therein, connected by wire or radio to said network for acquiring and displaying an image by accessing said image accumulation and distribution unit or said data converter for imaging browsing; and a notification unit connected to said network for reading the accumulated image from said image accumulation and distribution unit, detecting an image change indicating an abnormality in said predetermined area, accumulating the unique information on the image change and displaying alarm information containing the change occurrence time on an associated information terminal, wherein said information terminal accesses said image accumulation and distribution unit or said data converter for image browsing in response to an operation of said associated information terminal by a user and acquires the image in a predetermined time range related to said change occurrence time from said image accumulation and distribution unit or said data converter, and wherein, for an information terminal having the browser program interlocked with an email function, said notification unit sends unique information on an image change to the information terminal via email, and in response, said data converter for image browsing sends a reduced image corresponding to said unique information received from said information terminal to said information terminal and, for an information terminal having no browser program interlocked with the email function, said notification unit, in response to connection from said information terminal, sends unique information accumulated in the notification unit to said information terminal so as to connect the data converter to said information terminal in response to selection of the unique information by the information terminal, wherein said data converter distributes an image in a form displayable on said information terminal to said information terminal.