Method and apparatus for searching recorded video

• US 20060034586A1
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pelco (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Pelco (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Haning, Ryan, Millar, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/226
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method of searching recorded video from a surveillance camera comprising the steps of displaying a first timeline representing a first period of time, using a first user input to select a first time on the first timeline, using a second user input to display a second timeline, said second timeline having a shorter duration of time than said first timeline, using a third user input to select a second time on the second timeline, and using a fourth user input to display the video that was recorded at the second time.

Claims

1. A method of searching recorded video from a surveillance camera comprising the steps of:

displaying a first timeline representing a first period of time;

using a first user input to select a first time on the first timeline;

using a second user input to display a second timeline, said second timeline having a shorter duration of time than said first timeline;

using a third user input to select a second time on the second timeline; and

using a fourth user input to display the video that was recorded at the second time.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of providing indications on the first and second timelines when video was recorded.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said providing step comprises providing indications that indicate the lengths of video recorded.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said providing step comprises providing an indication of the type of event that was recorded.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of displaying the first timeline in a first window and displaying the recorded video in a second window.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of selecting a plurality of surveillance cameras and displaying video that was recorded at the second time by the plurality of surveillance cameras.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of using a fifth user input to display a third timeline, said third timeline having a shorter duration of time than said second timeline;

using a sixth user input to select a third time; and

using a seventh user input to display the video that was recorded at the third time.

8. An apparatus for searching recorded video from a surveillance camera comprising:

a display;

a storage device for storing recorded video;

a processor for generating a first signal to display a first timeline representing a first period of time on said display;

a user input device for providing a first user input to said processor for selecting a first time on said first timeline and for providing a second user input to said processor, said processor generating a second signal to display a second timeline on said display in response to said second user input, said second timeline having a shorter duration of time than said first timeline, said user input device providing a third user input to select a second time on said second timeline and a fourth user input to select the display of video that was recorded at said second time, said processor accessing said storage device in response to said fourth user input to generate a signal to display the video that was recorded at said second time on said display.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said processor generates a signal to display said first and second timelines with indications of when video was recorded.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said indications have widths that indicate the lengths of recorded video.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said indications have different colors to indicate the type of event that was recorded.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said processor generates a signal to display said first timeline in a first window and the recorded video in a second window.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said processor generates a signal to display video that was recorded at said second time by a plurality of surveillance cameras.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said user input device comprises a mouse.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said user input device comprises a jog/shuttle.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said user input device comprises a keyboard.

17. A method of searching recorded video from a surveillance camera comprising the steps of:

displaying a first timeline representing a first period of time;

using a first user input to select a first time on the first timeline;

using a second user input to display a second timeline, said second timeline having a shorter duration of time than said first timeline;

using a third user input to select a start point on the second timeline for recorded video to be exported;

using a fourth user input to select an end point on the second timeline for recorded video to be exported; and

using a fifth user input to initiate the exporting of the video data for the time period from the start point to the end point.