Multiple video display configurations and remote control of multiple video signals transmitted to a monitoring station over a network

• US 20020097322A1
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: e-Watch, Inc. (Cision Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: The Telesis Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Baird, John, Monroe, David A.
• Application Number:
  US09/725,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097322A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19643 wherein the cameras play different roles, e.g. different resolution, different camera type, master-slave camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A system for capturing, encoding and transmitting continuous video from a camera to a display monitor via a network includes a user friendly interface wherein a map is provided at a display screen for illustrating the location of the cameras and indicating the direction of the camera angle. The monitor includes a display area for selectively displaying selected cameras and for controlling the selection, display and direction of the cameras from a remote location. The display screen can be configured to display one or any combination of cameras. The cameras can be selected by manual selection, pre-programmed sequencing or by event detection with the selected camera automatically displayed on the display area. Secondary monitors may be incorporated to enhance the display features. The secondary monitors are controlled by the control panel provided on the primary monitor.

Claims

1. A system for capturing, encoding and transmitting continuous video from a camera to a display monitor via a network, comprising:

a. A display monitor for displaying video from the camera;

b. The display monitor being separated into a plurality of operating zones, including;

c. A map zone including a camera icon on the map for indicating where the camera is located;

d. A display zone for displaying the video captured by the camera; and

e. A control zone for on screen control of the camera, map and display functions.

2. The system of claim 1, further including a plurality of cameras, each identified by a specific icon on the map.

3. The system of claim 1, further including a directional character for indicating the direction where the camera is aimed within the map.

4. The system of claim 3, further including a selector adapted for altering the direction of the camera.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the camera direction selector is controlled by typing in a camera angle.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the camera direction selector is controlled by rotating the camera icon.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the camera direction selector is automatically controlled by a panning feature on the camera and is always displayed on the map.

8. The system of claim 5, further including a control device adapted for assigning a priority to an event captured at a camera and activating a display of the camera video based on the event occurrence.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the display zone may be configured to selectively display the video from any single camera or any combination of the cameras.

10. The system of claim 2, further including a plurality of monitors with a first monitor being designated as a primary monitor and including the map zone, display zone and the control zone and with an additional monitor being designated a secondary monitor with the entire video screen function being dedicated to the display of camera videos.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the control function of the primary monitor is used to control the video display on the secondary monitor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the display monitor includes a mapping feature illustrating the location of the camera.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the output signal for the camera may be selected by activating the camera location on the mapping feature.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the prismary monitor includes a control for selectively subdividing the display area of the secondary monitor into a plurality of panes for simultaneously displaying a pluralityof video images from a selected plurality of cameras.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the display monitor includes an initial logon screen presented to the user, and wherein access to the user is denied until a user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the logon screen includes a select feature adapted for permitting the user to elect the loading of presets.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the logon screen includes a select feature adapted for permitting the user to customize the system.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the display monitor is implemented as HTML or XML pages generated by a network application server.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the map zone includes a plurality of maps.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of maps are accessed via a pull or drop-down menu.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each of the maps further includes graphical icons depicting sensors which are accessible by the system.

22. The system of claim 2, further including a graphical icon for depicting each camera and representing the location of the camera on the map.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the graphical icon representing a camera is constructed for clearly depicting the direction in which the camera is currently pointed.

24. The system of claim 2, including a drop-down menu associated with each camera for selecting operating parameters of the camera including still-frame capture versus motion capture, bit-rate of the captured and compressed motion video, camera name, camera caption, camera icon direction in degrees, network address of the various camera encoders, and quality of the captured still-frame or motion video.

25. The system of claim 22, further including a control for selecting and dragging a camera to the display zone whereby a users may cause video to be displayed in any given pane by dragging the desired camera icon to a desired display pane and dropping it.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein a user may clear any desired display pane by dragging the selected video off of the display pane, and dropping it.

27. The system of claim 1, further including a drop-down menu in the display zone including operating information relating to the video displayed therein.

28. The system of claim 27, said information including camera network address, current network bandwidth used, images size expressed in pixels, type of codec used to capture and display the video, type of error correction currently employed, number of video frames skipped, captured frame rate, encoded frame rate, and number of network data packets received, recovered after error correction, or lost.