Network security system appliance and systems based thereon

• US 20060161960A1
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Videojet Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Videojet Incorporated
• Inventors: Benoit, Brian V.
• Application Number:
  US11/039,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161960A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• 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: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• 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: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A network apparatus for use with a plurality of network cameras includes a system housing with a network interface (wireless access point and/or network switch), a router, and processing means that are operably coupled to one another and integrally housed within the system housing. The network interface provides communication links between the apparatus and the network cameras. The processing means preferaby performs automatic connection and configuration operations that upload default configuration settings to the network cameras through said communication links. Such automatic configuration operations are preferably carried out as part of DHCP address assignment. The processing means also preferably performs video proxy operations that buffer a plurality of video signals and that read out and multiplex together portions of the buffered video signals to form a composite signal for subsequent communication over the Internet. The apparatus may also include one or more of the following components integrally housed within the system housing: a hard disk for dvr recording, a battery backup power source, non-volatile storage (e.g., compact flash memory or hard disk) for storing digital video signals during a battery backup power mode, a plulality of ports that interface to alarm sensors and other alarm devices for alarm monitoring and automatic notification, and VPN processing. The processing means preferably includes an embedded web server for the configuration of the apparatus and possibly the network cameras. Kits and systems utilizing the network apparatus is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a plurality of network cameras, the apparatus comprising:

a system housing; and

a network interface, a router, and processing means that are operably coupled to one another and integrally housed within said system housing, wherein

said network interface provides communication links between said apparatus and said plurality of network cameras, and

said processing means performs automatic configuration operations that upload default configuration settings to said plurality of network cameras through said communication links.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of network cameras comprise wireless IP cameras, and said network interface comprises a wireless access point.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of network cameras comprise wired IP cameras, and said network interface comprises a network switch.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said network interface comprises a wireless access point and a network switch.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

said wireless access point includes means for broadcasting a service set indentifier, which is disabled in a default configuration; and

said apparatus further includes storage means for persistently storing a default service set identifier that matches that persistently stored by said wireless IP cameras, wherein said default service set identifier is used to establish a wireless connection between each respective wireless IP camera and said apparatus.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said automatic configuration operations are carried out by the processing means as part of software module that performs DHCP address assignment.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

storage means for persistently storing camera identifiers assigned to a set of network cameras associated therewith, said camera identifiers matching those persistently stored by said set of network cameras.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said software module

i) maintains a table of MAC addresses for previously detected devices and a reserved IP address for each previously detected device,

ii) in response to a request issued by a connected device having a MAC address associated therewith, queries said table to determine whether or not the MAC address of said connected device exists within said table;

iii) in the event that the MAC address of said connected device is not within said table, queries said connected device to determine if said connected device persistently stores a camera identifier that matches those persistently stored by said apparatus; and

iv) in the event that said connected device persistently stores a camera identifier that matches those persistently stored by said apparatus, assigns an available IP address to the connected device, and updates said table with the MAC address and IP address for said connected device.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

said automatic configuration operations are performed subsequent to the IP address assignment and table update operations of iv).

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said default configuration settings are uploaded to said plurality of network cameras using configuration URL commands communicated over said communication links.

11. A kit comprising:

the apparatus of claim 2;

and

a plurality of wireless IP cameras that communicate to the wireless access point of said apparatus.

12. A kit comprising:

the apparatus of claim 3, and

a plurality of wired IP cameras that communicate to the network switch of said apparatus.

13. A kit comprising:

the apparatus of claim 4;

a plurality of wireless IP cameras that communicate to the wireless access point of said apparatus; and

a plurality of wired IP cameras that communicate to the network switch of said apparatus.

14. An apparatus for use with a plurality of network cameras, the apparatus comprising:

a system housing having a network interface, a router and processing means that are operably coupled to one another and integrally housed within said system housing, wherein said network interface provides communication links between said apparatus and said plurality of network cameras; and

non-voltatile memory that cooperates with said processing means to automatically store digital video signals received by said apparatus in a predetermined state.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said predetermined state corresponds to the connection state of the apparatus to the Internet/WAN.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

a battery backup power source powers components of said apparatus in said predetermined state.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein:

said battery backup power source is integrally housed within said system housing.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein:

said non-volatile memory is integral to said apparatus.

19. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said plurality of network cameras comprise wireless IP cameras, and said network interface comprises a wireless access point.

20. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said plurality of network cameras comprise wired IP cameras, and said network interface comprises a network switch.

21. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said network interface comprises a wireless access point and a network switch.

22. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said non-volatile memory comprises a memory card.

23. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said non-volatile memory comprises a hard disk integrally housed within the system housing.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein:

said hard disk cooperates with the processing means to record digital video signals derived from video signals received by said apparatus,

25. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of ports, integrally housed within the system housing, that interface to alarm sensors and other alarm devices, wherein said processing means monitors status signals at said ports to trigger automomatic nofification operation based upon the status signals of said ports.

26. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

VPN processing means, integrated with said router, to provide at least one packet-based VPN tunnel connection over the Internet.

27. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said processing means includes a software module that carries out web serving functionality for the configuration and administration of the apparatus.

28. A kit comprising:

the apparatus of claim 19;

and

a plurality of wireless IP cameras that communicate to the wireless access point of said apparatus.

29. A kit comprising:

the apparatus of claim 20, and

a plurality of wired IP cameras that communicate to the network switch of said apparatus.

30. A kit comprising:

the apparatus of claim 21;

a plurality of wireless IP cameras that communicate to the wireless access point of said apparatus; and

a plurality of wired IP cameras that communicate to the network switch of said apparatus.

31. An apparatus for use with a plurality of network cameras, the apparatus comprising:

a system housing; and

a network interface, a router, and processing means that are operably coupled to one another and integrally housed within said system housing, wherein

said network interface provides for communication links between said apparatus and said plurality of network cameras, and

said processing means performs video proxy operations that buffer a plurality of video signals derived from real-time video signals received by said apparatus, and that read out and multiplex together portions of the buffered video signals to form a composite signal for communication from the appliance.

32. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said plurality of network cameras comprise wireless IP cameras, and said network interface comprises a wireless access point.

33. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said plurality of network cameras comprise wired IP cameras, and said network interface comprises a network switch.

34. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said network interface comprises a wireless access point and a network switch.

35. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said buffered video signals are compressed versions of said real-time video signals.

36. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein:

said processing means comprises a hardware-based encoder that performs video compression alogirthms on said real-time video signals to produce compression versions of said real-time video signals.

37. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said processing means encapsulates said composite video signal into IP packets for communication over an Internet/WAN network link connected to the apparatus.

38. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said composite signal is communication over a broadband communication link having a bandwidth between 300 Kbps and 2 MBps.

39. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said composite signal is derived by multiplexing together sixteen video signals derived from sixteen real-time video signals received by said apparatus.

40. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said processing means includes a software module that carries out web serving functionality for the configuration of the video proxy operations carried out by the apparatus.

41. An apparatus according to claim 40, further comprising:

a hard disk, integrally housed within said system housing, that cooperates with said said processing means to record digital video signals derived from video signals received by said apparatus.

42. An apparatus according to claim 41, wherein:

the web server functionality of said software module communicates digital video signals recorded by the hard disk over a network link connected to the apparatus, said network link comprising one of a LAN network link, a WLAN network link, and an Internet/WAN network llink.

43. An apparatus according to claim 41, wherein:

the web server functionality of said software module communicates live video signals received by the apparatus over a network link connected to the apparatus, said network link comprising one of a LAN network link, a WLAN network link, and an Internet/WAN network llink.

44. An apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising:

VPN processing means, integrated with said router, to provide at least one packet-based VPN tunnel connection over the Internet.

45. An apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising:

a battery backup power source integrally housed within said system housing; and

non-voltatile memory that cooperates with said processing means to automatically store digital video signals received by said apparatus during a predetermined state.

46. An apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising:

a plurality of ports, integrally housed within said system housing, that interface to alarm sensors and other alarm devices, wherein said processing means monitors status signals at said ports to trigger automomatic nofification operation based upon the status signals of said ports.

47. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said processing means performs automatic configuration operations that upload default configuration settings to said plurality of network cameras through said communication links.

48. An apparatus according to claim 47, wherein:

said automatic configuration operations are carried out by the processing means as part of software module that performs DHCP address assignment.

49. A kit comprising:

the apparatus of claim 32;

and

a plurality of wireless IP cameras that communicate to the wireless access point of said apparatus.

50. A kit comprising:

the apparatus of claim 33;

and

a plurality of wired IP cameras that communicate to the network switch of said apparatus.

51. A kit comprising:

the apparatus of claim 34;

a plurality of wireless IP cameras that communicate to the wireless access point of said apparatus; and

a plurality of wired IP cameras that communicate to the network switch of said apparatus.

52. A networked security system comprising:

the apparatus of claim 31 and a plurality of network cameras connected to said apparatus, all located at a local site; and

a remote system, located at a remote site, that communicates to the router of the apparatus over the Internet to receive the composite signal generated by the apparatus.

53. A networked security system according to claim 52, wherein:

said remote system includes a DVR recorder that records digital video signals derived from the received composite signal.

54. A networked security system according to claim 53, wherein:

said remote sytem includes a web server that communicates over the Internet digital video signals recorded by the DVR recorder.

55. A networked security system according to claim 54, wherein:

said web server communicates over the Internet video signals derived from the received composite video signal.

56. A networked security system according to claim 51, further comprising:

a remote computer system comprising a browser and plug-in for decoding and viewing of digital video signals communicated over the Internet/WAN by the router of said appliance.

57. A networked security system according to claim 56, wherein:

said remote computer system provides for remote configuration for at least one of the apparatus and said plurality of network cameras.

58. A networked security system according to claim 51, wherein:

the nework interface of said appliance comprises a wireless access point, and said plurality of network cameras comprise wireless IP cameras that connect to the wireless access point of the apparatus.

59. A networked security system according to claim 51, wherein:

the nework interface of said appliance comprises a network switch, and said plurality of network cameras comprise wired IP cameras that connect to the network switch of said apparatus.