DUAL IMAGING DEVICE MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHODS

1 . A dual imaging device monitoring apparatus comprising:

a first imaging device to capture images of a first area;

a second imaging device to capture images of a second area that is within said first area; and

a controller connected with said first and second imaging devices and configured to analyze images received from said first imaging device to detect the position of a target object in said images, control said second video camera so that said second area includes the detected position of said target object and analyze said images from said second video camera to determine the status of at least one predetermined target object characteristic.

2 . The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said second imaging device is configured to be controllable to adjust at least one of pan and tilt and said controller is configured to control at least one of said pan and tilt so that said second area contains the detected position of the target object.

3 . The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to run at least one of a body detection engine and a face detection engine to detect said position of the target object.

4 . The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first and second imaging devices are selected from:

i) at least one video camera;

ii) at least one TOF (distance) camera;

iii) at least one thermal radiation camera;

iv) at least one X-ray camera;

v) at least one MRI imaging device;

vi) at least one ultrasound camera;

vii) at least one stills camera;

vii) at least one infrared camera; and

ix) at least one nuclear medicine camera.

5 . The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first and second imaging devices have the same imaging specification.

6 . The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said first and second imaging devices are each 720p video cameras.

7 . The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said target object is an infant and said at least one target object characteristic is at least one infant characteristic.

8 . The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said at least one infant characteristic comprises infant activity level, infant expression, infant happiness and infant breathing rate.

9 . A method of monitoring a target object comprising:

using a first imaging device to provide first images of a first area at a first resolution;

processing said first images to detect a position of said target object in said first area;

using a second imaging device to provide second images of a second area that is within said first area and contains said position at a second resolution that is higher than said first resolution.

10 . The method of monitoring a target object as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising causing said second imaging device to tilt, pan or tilt and pan to point said second imaging device at said position.

11 . The method of monitoring a target object as claimed in claim, further comprising analyzing said second images to measure at least one target object characteristic.

12 . The method of monitoring a target object as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said target object is an infant and said at least one target characteristic is at least one infant characteristic.

13 . The method of monitoring a target object as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said at least one infant characteristic is selected from infant activity level, infant expression, infant happiness and infant breathing rate.