Method and apparatus for storing surveillance films

• US 20040250288A1
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert R. Palmerio
• Original Assignee: Robert R. Palmerio
• Inventors: Palmerio, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US10/454,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20040250288A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• 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: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A unique method and apparatus for remotely storing digital video surveillance films and the accessing of same are disclosed. The method and apparatus is comprised of a plurality of video surveillance cameras connectable to one or more satellite video processors which are connectable to the Internet. One or more remote personal computers and a remote disc array video storage device are also connectable to the Internet. The cameras take video images which are compressed by the satellite video processor and transmitted to the remote disc array video storage, via the Internet. A person at a remote personal computer can access the images being taken by the cameras, via the Internet, in “real-time” and can also access the images that are stored in the remote disc array video storage. The result is a system that provides the same performance as a system utilizing an expensive digital video recorder installed at each camera location, thus greatly reducing equipment and maintenance costs. Additionally, the remotely stored video images are secured and cannot be manipulated or altered. Therefore, authenticated, unedited video images are provided using this method.

Claims

1. ) A video processor for capturing, compressing, storing and transmitting video images from one or more video cameras comprising means for capturing the video images from the one or more video cameras, means for compressing said video images captured by said capturing means, means for storing said video images compressed by said compressing means, means for transmitting said video images compressed by said compressing means, and means for controlling the operation of said capturing means, said compressing means, said storing means and said transmitting means.

2. ) A multi-access remote video surveillance system comprising one or more groups of video surveillance cameras, a video processor operably connected to each of said one or more groups of video surveillance cameras, communications linking means operably connected to said video processor, one or more remote video storage devices operably connected to said communications linking means, and one or more remote personal computers operably connected to said communications linking means, said video processor and said one or more remote video storage devices being accessible by said one or more personal computers via said communications linking means.

3. ) The multi-access remote video surveillance system as defined in claim 2 further including a network serving device interposed between and operably connected to said video processor and said communications linking means.

4. ) The multi-access remote video surveillance system as defined in claim 3 wherein said network serving device is interposed between and operably connected to said one or more remote personal computers and said communications linking means.

5. ) The multi-access remote video surveillance system as defined in claim 3 further including firewall protection means, said firewall protection means being interposed between said network serving device and said communications linking means.

6. ) The multi-access remote video surveillance system as defined in claim 3 further including a printing device operably connected to said network serving device.

7. ) The multi-access remote video surveillance system as defined in claim 2 wherein said one or more remote video storage devices includes a network serving device having file transfer/retrieval capabilities and a disc array storage device operably connected to said network serving device.

8. ) The multi-access remote video surveillance system as defined in claim 7 further including firewall protection means interposed between said network serving device and said communications linking means.

9. ) The multi-access remote video surveillance system as defined in claim 2 further including firewall protection means interposed between said one or more remote personal computers and said communications linking means.

10. ) The multi-access remote video surveillance system as defined in claim 9 further including a printing device operably connected to said one or more remote personal computers.