METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONFIGURING A MONITORING DEVICE FOR MONITORING A ...

1. A method for configuring a monitoring device for monitoring a spatial area, wherein the monitoring device comprises at least one image recording unit adapted to generate a three-dimensional image of the spatial area, the method comprising the steps of:

recording and displaying a true three-dimensional image of the spatial area by means of the at least one image recording unit,

determining a plurality of spatial points within the true three-dimensional image,

defining a configuration plane using said spatial points,

generating at least one variable geometry element relative to the configuration plane, with the geometry element being visually superimposed onto the displayed true three-dimensional image,

generating a data record representing a transformation of the geometry element into the spatial area, and

transferring said data record to the monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device is designed for monitoring the spatial area as a function of said data record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of setup marks are placed in the spatial area prior to the step of recording the true three-dimensional image, and wherein the step of determining a plurality of spatial points comprises an identification of said setup marks within the true three-dimensional image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the setup marks are automatically identified in the three-dimensional image and marked with a symbol which is graphically superimposed onto the three-dimensional image displayed.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the setup marks are removed after the configuration and before the monitoring device is taken into operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least three spatial points which are not located on a common straight line are determined for defining the configuration plane.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuration plane is defined by means of the at least three spatial points, and wherein a fourth spatial point is determined which is outside of the configuration plane, said fourth spatial point being used in order to define an origin of a coordinate system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration plane is graphically superimposed onto the displayed three-dimensional image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable geometry element is graphically superimposed onto the displayed three-dimensional image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the geometry element is exclusively generated with side faces which are perpendicular to the configuration plane.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of geometry elements are generated and combined with one another.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of reference marks are placed in the spatial area and are recorded together with the three-dimensional image, and wherein a reference position for each reference mark is determined and stored in the data record.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises at least a first and a second image recording unit which are arranged spatially offset with respect to one another and generate a first and a partially offset second image of the spatial area, the first and second images having a common image area, and wherein the common image area is displayed as a part of the three-dimensional image.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second images are subjected to a stereo analysis in order to determine range information relating to objects within the spatial area, and wherein said range information forms a part of the true three-dimensional image.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the data record defines a section of the spatial area which corresponds to the geometry element, wherein an object is introduced into the section of the spatial area, wherein a live image of the object is recorded during said introduction into the section, and wherein said live image is archived.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a cyclic redundancy checksum is generated for the data record and transferred to the monitoring device, and wherein the monitoring device accepts or rejects the data record as a function of said cyclic redundancy checksum.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the true three-dimensional image of the spatial area is stored in the configuration device for defining the configuration plane and generating the data record.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the true three-dimensional image of the spatial area is a live image during the steps of defining the configuration plane and generating the geometry elements.

18. A system for monitoring a spatial area, comprising at least one image recording unit for generating a true three-dimensional image of the spatial area, comprising an evaluating unit for triggering a control function in dependence on the three-dimensional image, and comprising a configuration device for configuring the evaluating unit, the configuration device comprising:

a display for displaying the true three-dimensional image of the spatial area,

a first configuration element for determining a plurality of spatial points within the true three-dimensional image,

a second configuration element for defining a configuration plane by using said spatial points,

a third configuration element for generating at least one variable geometry element relative to the configuration plane, wherein the third configuration element is designed for superimposing the variable geometry element onto the true three-dimensional image,

a fourth configuration element for generating a data record which represents a transformation of the geometry element into the spatial area, and

a communication interface for transferring the data record to the evaluating unit, with the evaluating unit being designed to monitor the spatial area as a function of the data record.

19. A data storage medium comprising program code which is designed to be executed on a computer in order to carry out a method of configuring a monitoring device for monitoring a spatial area, wherein the monitoring device has at least one image recording unit for generating a three-dimensional image of the spatial area, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:

recording and displaying a true three-dimensional image of the spatial area by means of the at least one image recording unit,

determining a plurality of spatial points within the true three-dimensional image,

defining a configuration plane using said spatial points,

generating at least one variable geometry element relative to the configuration plane, with the geometry element being visually superimposed onto the true three-dimensional image displayed,

generating a data record which represents a transformation of the geometry element into the spatial area, and

transferring the data record to the monitoring device, with the monitoring device being designed for monitoring the spatial area using said data record.